bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Use of capillary blood count parameters in adults
Authors: Schalk E. , Heim M. U. , Koenigsmann M. , Jentsch‐Ullrich K.
Published: August 2007

Background and Objectives  Capillary samples can provide blood for cell counts in haematologic patients and blood donors. However, some accept only values from venous blood. This study compares capillary and venous blood counts to verify the hypothesis that they are equivalent.

Materials and Methods  We analysed 463 capillary (fingerstick) and venous blood samples from 428 adults of both sexes (71% haematologic patients, 29% potential blood and apheresis donors). Both samples were taken at the same time from each subject. Haemoglobin (Hb), haematocrit (Hct), white blood cells (WBC), platelets, red blood cells (RBC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular Hb (MCH) and mean corpuscular Hb concentration (MCHC) were measured using a haematology analyser (Advia 120, Bayer).

Results  Capillary Hb, Hct, WBC, RBC, MCV and MCH were all significantly higher than the venous values [+0·2 mmol/l (+0·3 g/dl), +0·02 l/l (+2%), +0·2 × 109/l, +0·1 × 1012/l, +3·1 fl and +0·01 fmol, respectively], whereas the capillary MCHC was lower (–0·6 mmol/l). There was no difference in platelets (–1 × 109/l). Capillary Hb and Hct values were higher in patients with anaemia and polycythaemia, respectively. However, no significant differences occurred in severe thrombocytopenia.

Conclusion  In adult haematologic patients, however, only the differences in Hb and Hct values may be of clinical relevance. For potential blood and apheresis donors, Hb and platelet screening are equivalent with either capillary and venous blood using a haematology analyser.
Molecular identification of Liriomyza trifolii (Burgess) (Dipt., Agromyzidae) based on real‐time PCR
Authors: Feng Xian , Nai‐Zhong Chen , Jun Ma , Shui‐fang Zhu , Xue‐nan Hu
Published: August 2007

Abstract:  Rapidly identifying juvenile individuals of Liriomyza trifolii (Burgess) from Liriomyza sativae Blanchard is crucial in plant quarantine. We report a molecular method to identify L. trifolii based on real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). By comparing partial DNA sequences of mitochondrial COI genes of L. trifolii samples collected from Guangdong and Taiwan provinces in China, Japan, Philippine, Israel, Germany, the USA, Mexico and Honduras sequenced by authors, and those of related species recorded in GenBank, a L. trifolii‐specific probe was developed. There was no difference in individuals of different stages tested by this probe. The total time for real‐time PCR assay system was 2 h, and it would save 3–7 h compared with conventional PCR.
Framing Deservingness to Win Support for Welfare State Retrenchment
Authors: Slothuus Rune
Published: August 2007

Recent studies of welfare state retrenchment have argued that policy makers can win public support for welfare state reform by framing the issue in terms of deservingness of welfare recipients. However, this literature has not tested the argument at the individual level. Using a Scandinavian context, this experimental study investigates how alternative framing of a welfare state retrenchment proposal affects citizens’ perception of welfare recipients’ deservingness, policy support and whether perceptions of deservingness mediate policy opinion. A news story was manipulated to present welfare recipients as either deserving or undeserving of welfare benefits. This issue framing affected citizens’ perception of deservingness as well as support for retrenchment policy. Opinion change was partly explained by differences in perceptions of deservingness. These results provide strong support for the effectiveness of the deservingness frame.
The Context of Priming
Authors: Togeby Lise
Published: August 2007

The existence of priming (i.e. the fact that the standards people use to make political evaluations shift in response to changes in media coverage of political issues) has become generally accepted. However, most of the evidence for the priming mechanism comes from experiments or analyses of certain specific events. This article presents evidence of priming from a longitudinal study of the Danish population's evaluation of the Danish government. The study consists of 12 measurements over four years from 1999 to 2003. The analysis indicates that priming effects are often moderated by political knowledge, but that the effect changes from case to case. The article shows that both the overall priming effects and the effect of the moderator are contingent on the political context of the priming situation. Important aspects of the moderating context are message intensity, the easiness of the issue, the politicisation of the issue, the assessment of the government's issue responsibility and the timing of the evaluation.
Central Authority and Order
Authors: Erikson Emily , Parent Joseph M.
Published: August 2007

Strong central authorities are able to effectively manage costly defection, but are unable to adequately address lesser conflicts because of limits to their ability to monitor and enforce. We argue, counterintuitively, that these limitations build cooperation and trust among subordinates: the limitations contribute to the production of order. First, limits to authority leave space for locally informed decentralized enforcement. Second, central authorities act as powerful but incompetent third parties whose threatened interventions increase incentives to cooperate and, therefore, to trust. We outline the mechanisms by which a strong central authority enforces order and test their utility by considering the secondary literature on rates of conflict in strong, weak, and capricious states. We supplement this evidence, based on association, with a close examination of diverse case studies: baseball umpires, commercial contracts, and domestic disputes. By analyzing these case studies, we isolate and describe the mechanisms by which central authorities produce order in varied settings. We find that central authority may be effective, but the majority of this effectiveness derives from an indirect influence on dyadic relations rather than direct intervention. The state interacts with local communities, but each operates according to distinct logics. The particular character of their interaction produces four mechanisms useful in the production of order. We briefly explore implications for the operation of law as well as the production of generalized trust.
The Good, the Bad, and the Social: On Living as an Answerable Agent
Authors: Kenny Robert Wade
Published: August 2007

This article describes answerability, a fundamental component of social reason and action. “Holding answerable” and “being answerable” are characterized in terms of their roles in the drama of human relations, and our general tendency to anticipate answerable, rather than ethical, behavior in situations that are ethically problematic is discussed.
Dispersive Nonlinear Waves in Two‐Layer Flows with Free Surface Part II. Large Amplitude Solitary Waves Embedded into the Continuous Spectrum
Authors: Barros Ricardo , Gavrilyuk Sergey
Published: August 2007

In this paper we study the dispersive model derived in Part I, for the description of long wave propagation in two‐layer flows with free surface. As in the case of the full water–wave problem, this model reproduces the resonance between short waves and long waves. The resulting wave is a generalized solitary wave, characterized by ripples in the far field in addition to the solitary pulse. In this work we focus on particular members of this family resulting from vanishing ripples. These are called embedded solitary waves and they correspond to true homoclinic orbits. Two wave regimes, characterized by elevation or depression of the interface between the layers, are presented. A critical depth ratio separates these two regimes. It is shown how this relates to a change of the global properties for the potential of the Hamiltonian system derived for traveling waves. In oceanic conditions, solitary waves are presented and their broadening is observed as the wave speed increases. We have observed that, for such waves to exist, their speed cannot exceed a certain limit value depending on the density ratio and thickness of each fluid. Finally, other sets of parameters were considered for which multihumped solitons exist, showing the richness and complexity of the Hamiltonian system considered here.
Resonant Long–Short Wave Interactions in an Unbounded Rotating Stratified Fluid
Authors: Tabaei Ali , Akylas T. R.
Published: August 2007

A theoretical study is made of finite‐amplitude modulated internal wavetrains and the attendant nonlinear interaction with the mean flow induced by the modulations, in an unbounded uniformly stratified Boussinesq fluid rotating around the vertical axis. When the rotation is relatively weak, in particular, ‘flat’ wavetrains, that feature stronger vertical than horizontal modulations, are resonantly coupled with the mean flow in a manner analogous to the resonant long–short wave interaction between gravity and capillary waves on the surface of deep water. A coupled set of evolution equations for the vertical wavenumber, the wave amplitude, and the mean flow is derived under resonant conditions, and is used to examine the propagation of locally confined wavetrains with initially uniform wavenumber and no pre‐existing mean flow. The resonant interaction causes radiation of energy away from a flat wavetrain by means of the induced mean flow which forms a trailing wake; this furnishes a possible mechanism for generating low‐frequency inertial–gravity waves in the atmosphere, as suggested by field observations. Moreover, owing to refraction by the mean flow, a finite‐amplitude wavetrain may experience rapid wavenumber variations in certain locations, consistent with prior numerical simulations. Eventually, in these regions, the wavenumber tends to become multi‐valued, suggesting the formation of caustics.
Treatment Acceptability of Healthcare Services for Children with Cerebral Palsy
Authors: Dahl Norm , Tervo Raymond , Symons Frank J.
Published: August 2007

Background  Although treatment acceptability scales in intellectual and developmental disabilities research have been used in large‐ and small‐scale applications, large‐scale application has been limited to analogue (i.e. contrived) investigations. This study extended the application of treatment acceptability by assessing a large sample of care givers’ perceptions of treatment for children with cerebral palsy (CP) in a real‐world setting and tested if responses differed across child characteristics, type of medical service or respondent demographics.

Method  One hundred and fifty four care givers’ for children with CP rated the acceptability of treatments and related medical services by clinicians working in a multi‐disciplinary children's specialty setting using Kazdin's (Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 13, 1980, 259) Treatment Evaluation Inventory.

Results  There were significant (P < 0.05) differences between male and female respondents’ ratings of treatment acceptability. There were no other significant differences for caregiver ratings in relation to child characteristics, type of appointment, severity of CP or other respondent demographic characteristics.

Conclusion  Mothers and fathers of children with developmental disabilities may differ in their perceptions of the acceptability of medical treatment services for children with developmental disabilities. Future studies addressing treatment acceptability should expand the scope of demographic information assessed and include items specific to the roles respondents have in providing and coordinating therapeutic regimens for their children's medical needs.
Isolation of microsatellite loci from the coqui frog, Eleutherodactylus coqui
Authors: PETERS MAUREEN B. , BEARD KAREN H. , HAGEN CRIS , O’NEILL ERIC M. , MOCK KAREN E. , PITT WILLIAM C. , GLENN TRAVIS C.
Published: August 2007

Thirteen microsatellite loci were isolated from the coqui frog (Eleutherodactylus coqui) and optimized for future research. The loci were screened across 37 individuals from two Puerto Rican populations. Loci were variable with the number of alleles per locus ranging from three to 38. Polymorphic information content ranged from 0.453 to 0.963 and observed heterozygosity for each population ranged from 0.320 to 0.920.
Methodological considerations of ultrasound measurement of carotid artery intima–media thickness and lumen diameter
Authors: Wikstrand John
Published: August 2007

Background  With an increasing number of randomized studies investigating the anti‐atherosclerotic effects of different preventive measures utilizing ultrasound evaluation of intima–media thickness of the carotid artery as the primary endpoint, it is of interest to critically evaluate the validity of these measurements.

Methods and results  Small structures, the dimensions of which are far beyond the resolution limits of the equipment, may produce an ultrasound echo. Thus the very thin interface between two fluids such as oil and water will produce an echo that is much thicker than the interface itself, which is infinitely thin. Thus, the thickness of any echo defining an interface is of no anatomical interest. The thickness of an anatomical entity, such as the intima–media complex, is always defined as the distance between the leading edges of two different echoes. In spite of the similarity of the near and far wall images the thickness of the intima–media complex can only be measured in a valid way in the far wall position.

Conclusions  We conclude that main outcome variables in ultrasound studies of atherosclerosis should be from the far wall. It would seem advisable to focus on far wall common carotid artery and carotid artery bulb recordings. It is likely that including near wall measurements and measurements from the internal carotid artery will decrease measurement precision and lead to increases in sample size in scientific studies; or even dilute positive results in an otherwise well designed study.
Are Co‐integrated Stock Prices Consistent with the Efficient Market Hypothesis?
Authors: WILSON EDGAR J. , MARASHDEH HAZEM A.
Published: August 2007

This paper responds to the unsatisfactory argument that there is no correspondence between co‐integration and the efficient market hypothesis. A law of one co‐integrating vector of prices is proposed for the exchange rate and domestic and overseas stock prices. Markets must therefore be efficient in long‐run equilibrium because no arbitrage opportunities exist. However, arbitrage activity via the disequilibrium error correction allows above‐average (risk‐adjusted) returns to be earned in the short run. The elimination of these arbitrage opportunities means that stock market inefficiency in the short run ensures stock market efficiency in the long run.
Designing Multi‐unit Multiple Bid Auctions: An Agent‐based Computational Model of Uniform, Discriminatory and Generalised Vickrey Auctions
Authors: HAILU ATAKELTY , THOYER SOPHIE
Published: August 2007

Multi‐unit auctions are being used by public agencies to allocate resources and to purchase services. These auctions resolve the lumpy bid problem inherent in single‐bid auctions by allowing bidders to submit a supply or demand schedule. However, the choice of pricing formats for multi‐unit auctions is controversial. Neither economic theory nor laboratory experiments depict a complete picture of how alternative pricing formats perform in terms of budgetary or allocative efficiency. This paper constructs an agent‐based computational model to compare uniform, discriminatory and generalised Vickrey pricing formats under different degrees of competition and heterogeneity in the bidder population.
Organic acidemia in a young cat associated with cobalamin deficiency
Authors: Kelmer Efrat , Shelton G. Diane , Williams David A. , Ruaux Craig G. , Kerl Marie E. , O'Brien Dennis P.
Published: August 2007

Objective:To describe a case of severe metabolic acidosis and encephalopathy secondary to cobalamin (Cbl) deficiency in a young cat.

Case summary:A 4‐year‐old spayed female domestic short hair cat weighing 2.5 kg, presented with a 2‐day history of neurological signs referable to the cerebrum. The cat was evaluated for similar episodes twice before, however, no definitive diagnosis was made for either visit. On presentation the cat was minimally responsive and had a metabolic acidosis and ketonuria with no apparent reason, such as lactic acidosis or diabetic ketoacidosis. The patient was diagnosed postmortem with an organic acidemia secondary to low Cbl levels.

New or unique information provided:The purpose of this report is to alert emergency clinicians to be suspicious of an organic acidemia in any case of metabolic acidosis and ketonuria that cannot be explained. Early identification of inherited organic acidemias in domestic animals may allow prompt and appropriate treatment of these conditions.
Xylitol intoxication associated with fulminant hepatic failure in a dog
Authors: Todd Jeffrey M. , Powell Lisa L.
Published: August 2007

Objective: To describe a case of xylitol intoxication causing fulminant hepatic failure in a dog.

Case summary: A 2.5‐year‐old castrated male English Springer Spaniel weighing 26 kg, was presented after ingestion of half of a loaf of bread containing the sweetener xylitol. Toxic effects of the xylitol in this dog included vomiting, mild hypoglycemia and fulminant hepatic failure. Clinical management of acute hepatic failure and subsequent coagulopathy with supportive care and fresh frozen plasma is described. The dog was discharged 3 days after admission after a full clinical recovery.

New or unique information provided: This paper describes the clinical consequence and successful treatment of fulminant hepatic failure in a dog following ingestion of xylitol.
Novel Genotypes in Helicobacter pylori Involving Domain V of the 23S rRNA Gene
Authors: Garrido Leonardo , Toledo Hector
Published: August 2007

Background:  Helicobacter pylori is a pathogenic bacterium that infects a half of the human population. In Chile, between 55% and 79% of people are colonized by H. pylori. At present, therapeutic strategies to eradicate the bacterium depend on the knowledge of its resistance to antibiotics. The clarithromycin resistance in H. pylori is associated with point mutations in the 23S rRNA. This study analyzes 23S rRNA gene mutations and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for clarithromycin in H. pylori isolates from patients of the metropolitan region of Chile.

Materials and methods:  H. pylori isolates from 50 dyspeptic patients with no history of clarithromycin exposure were tested for clarithromycin resistance by agar dilution method. Resistant strains were analyzed for mutations in the 23S rRNA gene by polymerase chain reaction‐based restriction fragment length polymorphism and sequencing.

Results:  Primary resistance was observed in 10 isolates (20%). A single mutation was detected in four of the 10 isolates and two or more mutations in the other six cases. The C2147G transversion and G1939A, T1942C, and A2142G transitions in the peptidyltransferase region of domain V were novel.

Conclusions:  The study shows: 1, novel variants of the H. pylori 23S rRNA gene; and 2, a high prevalence of H. pylori displaying primary clarithromycin resistance with low level of MIC in an urban area of the Metropolitan Region of Chile.
E‐cadherin Gene Promoter Hypermethylation in H. pylori‐Induced Enlarged Fold Gastritis
Authors: Miyazaki Tamana , Murayama Yoko , Shinomura Yasuhisa , Yamamoto Takahiro , Watabe Kenji , Tsutsui Shusaku , Kiyohara Tatsuya , Tamura Shinji , Hayashi Norio
Published: August 2007

Background:  Promoter hypermethylation of E‐cadherin plays an important role on gastric carcinogenesis. We have previously reported that the odds ratio for gastric carcinoma and the prevalence of diffuse‐type early gastric carcinoma in Helicobacter pylori‐induced enlarged fold gastritis increased with increasing fold width. Thus, we examined E‐cadherin methylation in gastric mucosa from H. pylori‐induced enlarged fold gastritis before and after H. pylori eradication. Moreover, we analyzed the mechanism of H. pylori infection‐induced E‐cadherin hypermethylation.

Materials and methods:  Twenty‐three H. pylori‐positive patients with enlarged folds, 18 H. pylori‐positive and seven H. pylori‐negative patients without enlarged folds, were involved in the study. E‐cadherin promoter methylation was studied using quantitative methylation‐specific polymerase chain reaction. We investigated methylation percentage and DNA methyltransferase activity in gastric cancer cell lines treated with EGF, TNFα, and MG132.

Results:  E‐cadherin methylation percentage of the gastric antral and body mucosa in H. pylori‐positive patients with enlarged folds was much greater than that in both H. pylori‐positive and ‐negative patients without enlarged folds. After H. pylori eradication, the methylation percentage in six patients with enlarged fold gastritis decreased significantly from 15.6 ± 3.9 to 8.8 ± 2.2 (p < .05). Moreover, the methylation was induced by TNFα, MG132, and EGF treatment, and DNA methyltransferase activity was induced by EGF treatment in MKN‐1 cells.

Conclusions:  Our findings suggest that the hypermethylation of E‐cadherin promoter might be involved in the process of gastric carcinoma through the specialized factors in H. pylori‐induced enlarged fold gastritis.
Involvement of Helicobacter pylori Infection and Impaired Glucose Metabolism in the Increase of Brachial–Ankle Pulse Wave Velocity
Authors: Yoshikawa Hiroyuki , Aida Kayo , Mori Atsuyoshi , Muto Shigeki , Fukuda Takanori
Published: August 2007

Background:  The role of Helicobacter pylori in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis remains controversial. The present study was designed to elucidate the pathogenic role of H. pylori in the early stages of atherosclerosis by measurement of brachial–ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) in relation to glucose metabolism.

Materials and methods:  baPWV level, anti‐H. pylori antibody, fasting blood glucose (FBG), and glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and other conventional risk factors for cardiovascular diseases were measured in 947 subjects who attended their annual medical check‐up.

Results:  Multiple regression analyses indicated that age, gender (male), body mass index, FBG, systolic blood pressure, and smoking habits were each independently related to baPWV values. In younger subjects (30–49 years), H. pylori seropositivity was significantly correlated with an increase of baPWV levels (r = 0.100, p = .0445). baPWV values in the H. pylori‐positive subjects with impaired glucose metabolism (IG: FBG ≥ 110 mg/dL and/or HbA1c ≥ 5.9%) were significantly greater than those in the H. pylori‐negative subjects with IG (p = .0078). Furthermore, H. pylori‐positive subjects with IG were at higher risk for increase of baPWV, in younger (r = 0.203, p < .0001) as well as in older subjects (50–69 years, r = 0.099, p = .0009).

Conclusions:  These results suggest that H. pylori seropositivity is a potential risk factor for increased baPWV levels, and that H. pylori infection accelerates the effect of IG on an increase of baPWV, especially in younger subjects. Thus, the possible interaction between H. pylori infection and IG may contribute to the early development of atherosclerosis.
Eradication of Helicobacter pylori Does Not Reduce the Incidence of Gastroduodenal Ulcers in Patients on Long‐term NSAID Treatment: Double‐Blind, Randomized, Placebo‐Controlled Trial
Authors: De Leest Helena T.J.I. , Steen Kirsti S.S. , Lems Willem F. , Bijlsma Johannes W.J. , Van De Laar Mart A.F.J. , Huisman A. Margriet , Vonkeman Harald E. , Houben Harry H.M.L. , Kadir Sylvana W. , Kostense Piet J. , Van Tulder Maurits W. , Kuipers Ernst J. , Boers Maarten , Dijkmans Ben A.C.
Published: August 2007

Background:   Helicobacter pylori and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the major causes of gastroduodenal ulcers. Studies on the benefit of eradication of H. pylori in NSAID users yielded conflicting results.

Objective:  To investigate whether H. pylori eradication in patients on long‐term NSAIDs reduces the incidence of gastroduodenal ulcers.

Methods:  Patients on long‐term NSAID treatment and who are H. pylori positive on serologic testing, were randomly assigned to either H. pylori eradication (omeprazole, amoxicillin, and clarithromycin) or placebo. Primary endpoint was the presence of endoscopic gastric or duodenal ulcers 3 months after randomization.

Results:  One hundred sixty‐five (48%) of a total of 347 patients were on gastroprotective medication. At endoscopy, gastroduodenal ulcers were diagnosed in 6 (4%) and 8 (5%) patients in the eradication and placebo group, respectively (p = .65). During follow‐up of 12 months, no symptomatic ulcers or ulcer complications developed. No significant differences were found in the development of gastroduodenal erosions, dyspepsia, or in quality of life.

Conclusion:  H. pylori eradication therapy in patients on long‐term NSAID treatment had no beneficial effect on the occurrence of ulcers, erosions, or dyspepsia. Ulcer rates in both study arms are remarkably low, in both patients with and without gastroprotective therapy.
Use of Stents and Stent Grafts to Salvage Angioplasty Failures in Patients with Hemodialysis Grafts
Authors: Vesely Thomas M. , Amin Mohammed Zaheer , Pilgram Thomas
Published: August 2007

To determine the efficacy of using stents and stent grafts for treatment of hemodialysis graft‐related stenoses which have failed angioplasty. This retrospective study was composed of 51 patients with polytetrafluoroethylene hemodialysis grafts who underwent angioplasty of a graft‐related stenosis but subsequently required insertion of a stent or stent graft. The study group included 40 patients with >30% residual stenosis and 11 patients with angioplasty‐induced venous ruptures. The patient’s medical records and radiology reports were reviewed. Patient demographics, indication for stent placement, and the type of stent were recorded. Stent patency was determined using Kaplan–Meier analysis. A total of 70 stents were used; most (57.7%) were deployed across the venous anastomosis. A variety of different types of stents and stent grafts were used including 26 SMART, 18 Viabahn, 13 aSpire, and 13 other stents. The technical success rate for insertion of the device was 100%. Following insertion of the device the primary patency of the vascular access was 81%, 70%, and 54% at 1, 3, and 6 months, respectively. The secondary patency of the vascular access was 89%, 82%, and 74% at 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively. The primary patency of the stent or stent graft was 96%, 93%, 87%, and 47% at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively. Stents and stent grafts are useful for salvaging failed angioplasty procedures and thereby maintaining patency of the hemodialysis graft. By inserting a stent, the resultant patency rates are similar to those following a successful angioplasty procedure. Importantly, the primary patency of the stent was substantially better than the primary patency of the entire vascular access.
New Tunneled Hemodialysis Catheter Placement through the Old Exit Site
Authors: Atray Naveen , Asif Arif
Published: August 2007

Accidental loss of tunneled hemodialysis catheters has been observed in chronic hemodialysis patients. Although a new catheter could be inserted using a fresh site, catheter insertion can also be accomplished by utilizing the existing exit site. In this analysis, we report 10 cases of an extruded tunneled hemodialysis catheter. The catheters had been in place for 2–6 months. The time elapsed after catheter extrusion ranged from 6 to 72 hours. None of the patients demonstrated any evidence of exit site or tunnel infection. Patient age ranged from 45 to 77 years. Diabetes mellitus was the cause of renal failure in 40% of the cases. Catheter insertion was accomplished by inserting a guidewire into the exit site and navigating it through the tunnel to the central venous system and into the right atrium. A diagnostic catheter was then navigated over the wire and contrast study performed to confirm the position. The wire was reinserted and a new tunneled hemodialysis catheter fed over the wire and into the atrium. Nine catheters were successfully placed using this technique. One patient had nausea and hiccups upon wire insertion into the atrium. There were no hemodynamic consequences. The wire was removed and a new catheter inserted on the other side using the left internal jugular vein. All of the catheters inserted using this technique functioned appropriately. There were no exit site or tunnel infections for up to 4 weeks’ follow‐up. We conclude that patients with catheter extrusion can receive a new catheter through the existing exit site, tunnel, and venotomy.
Innovation: The Five Disciplines for Creating What Customers Want by Curtis R. Carlson and William W. Wilmot
Authors: Kingston George
Published: August 2007

Books reviewed in this issue:

Innovation: The Five Disciplines for Creating What Customers Want

Making Innovation Pay: People Who Turn IP into Shareholder Value

Agile Retrospectives

Hard Facts, Dangerous Half‐Truths, and Total Nonsense: Profiting from Evidence‐Based Management
Street Codes in High School: School as an Educational Deterrent
Authors: Mateu–Gelabert Pedro , Lune Howard
Published: August 2007

Elsewhere we have documented how conflict between adolescents in the streets shapes conflict in the schools. Here we consider the impact of street codes on the culture and environment of the schools themselves, and the effect of this culture and on the students’ commitment and determination to participate in their own education. We present the high school experiences of first–generation immigrants and African American students, distinguishing between belief in education and commitment to school. In an environment characterized by ineffective control and nonengaging classes, often students are not socialized around academic values and goals. Students need to develop strategies to remain committed to education while surviving day to day in an unsafe, academically limited school environment. These processes are sometimes seen as minority “resistance” to educational norms. Instead, our data suggest that the nature of the schools in which minority students find themselves has a greater influence on sustaining or dissuading students’ commitment to education than do their immigration status or cultural backgrounds.
Impact of Myocardial Geometry on Left Ventricular Performance in Healthy Black and White Young Adults
Authors: Pattoneri Paolo , Pelà Giovanna , Sozzi Fabiola , Borghetti Alberico
Published: August 2007

Racial differences in left ventricular (LV) structure are suggested by clinical and experimental studies. This study evaluates if racial differences in LV performance exist comparing black to white young males, by tissue Doppler echocardiography and myocardial performance index (MPI). We examined 40 healthy males, 20 blacks (mean age 27.6 ± 4.4 years) and 20 whites (mean age 26.5 ± 6.7 years). All subjects underwent conventional echocardiography, tissue Doppler echocardiography, and MPI assessment. No differences were found in LV diameters, volumes, mass, and hemodynamic measurements. Septal and posterior wall thicknesses were significantly increased in black subjects as well as the relative wall thickness. Systolic and diastolic functions estimated by conventional parameters were superimposable in the two groups. In black subjects, a significant increase of septal S‐wave, peak velocity, and time‐velocity integral were found. MPI was significantly higher in black compared to white subjects (0.46 ± 0.05 vs 0.40 ± 0.06, P < 0.002). A significant correlation between MPI and relative wall thickness (r = 0.54) was demonstrated. Besides, MPI correlated with Spv (r = 0.55) and Stvi (r = 0.38) at the septal site. In conclusion our data show a higher MPI in black subjects that seems to be geometry‐dependent. Correlations between MPI and tissue Doppler echocardiography systolic indexes were found. Our findings suggest that racial differences in LV performance exist, especially, in the systolic function, even in the absence of other conventional echocardiographic changes.
Percutaneous Closure of Patent Foramen Ovale and Atrial Septal Defect: Procedure Outcome and Medium‐Term Follow‐Up
Authors: EGRED M. , ANDRON M. , ALBOUAINI K. , ALAHMAR A. , GRAINGER R. , MORRISON W.L.
Published: August 2007

Percutaneous closure of atrial septal defect (ASD) and patent foramen ovale (PFO) has become increasingly utilized. The indications and results of percutaneous closure are diverse.

Aim: To assess the indications, results, and complications of percutaneous closure of ASD and PFO in our tertiary center.

Method: Case note review and retrospective analysis of all consecutive patients undergoing percutaneous closure over a 3‐year period from January 2003 to October 2005 with a mean follow‐up of 19 months (4–36).

Results: There were 185 consecutive patients. The mean age was 44.9 years (SD 12.9) and 53% (n = 98) were males. There was 59% (n = 109) PFO and 41% (n = 76) ASD. The predominant indication for PFO closure was cerebrovascular accident (CVA) (42.2%, n = 46)‐ and for ASD, dilated right ventricle (68.4%, n = 52). Of all procedures, 94.6% (n = 175) were first time and 5.4% (n = 10) were redo for residual shunt. Overall, the success rate was 96.8% (n = 179) with two patients referred for surgical closure due to the large size of ASD and unsuitability for percutaneous closure, two procedures abandoned due to pericardial effusion, and two abandoned because the PFO was too small to cross. The Amplatzer device was used in 92.7% (n = 166) and the Starflex in 7.3% (n = 13). Minor complications were recorded in 10 patients (5.4%), of which 4 (2.2%) had minor venous access bleeding, 1 patient (0.5%) had retroperitoneal hematoma, and 2 patients (1.1%) had transient atrial fibrillation. One patient (0.5%) had transient inferior ST elevation during the procedure, one patient (0.5%) reported chest pain postprocedure, and one patient (0.5%) developed septicemia 3 weeks postprocedure. Major complications were recorded in three patients (1.5%), one patient (0.5%) with retroperitoneal hematoma requiring blood transfusion and two patients (1%) with pericardial effusion following transseptal puncture, requiring aspiration. No death, stroke, or device embolization was recorded.

Conclusion: Our experience with percutaneous closure in adults demonstrates excellent results and safety with few complications. Percutaneous device closure will replace surgical closure for many ASDs and PFOs.
Management of chronic hand eczema
Authors: Diepgen Thomas L. , Agner Tove , Aberer Werner , Berth‐Jones John , Cambazard Frédéric , Elsner Peter , McFadden John , Coenraads Pieter Jan
Published: August 2007

Hand eczema (HE) is one of the most frequent skin diseases and has often a chronically relapsing course with a poor prognosis resulting in a high social and economic impact for the individual and the society. In this article, we highlight the results of an expert workshop on the ‘management of severe chronic hand eczema’ with the focus on the epidemiology, the burden of severe HE, its classification and diagnostic procedures, and the current status of treatment options according to an evidence‐based approach (randomized controlled clinical trials, RCTs). We conclude that despite the abundance of topical and systemic treatment options, disease management in patients with severe chronic HE is frequently inadequate. There is a strong need for RCTs of existing and new treatment options based on clearly diagnosed subtypes of HE and its severity.
Paul Valéry: Orgueil et Transfiguration
Authors: Duchesne‐Guillemin Par J.
Published: August 2007

Il règne encore dans les études valéryennes, dix ans après la mort du poète, une aimable anarchie: des exégètes, découvrant Valéry chacun à son tour, répètent sans le savoir, ou sans le dire, ce que leurs prédécesseurs ont depuis longtemps établi; d'autres points acquis sont ignorés. Ceci excusera le tour personnel des premières lignes du présent essai.
R. M. Rilkes “Erlebnis” als symbolistisches Phänomen
Authors: Saalmann Dieter
Published: August 2007

In dem vorliegenden Aufsatz wird versucht, Rilkes ‘Erlebnis’ unter dem Aspekt des französischen Symbolismus zu interpretieren. Als Ausgangspunkt der Analyse dient Rilkes Abhandlung ≤Moderne Lyrik≥ (1898), in der sich Anklänge an den ‘symbolisme’ feststellen lassen. Die dort beschriebene Erfahrung ≤der gefallenen Schranken≥ entspricht in ihrer Überwindung des Empirischen der symbolistischen ‘déformation’ des Vordergründigen. Durch dessen Negierung gelingt es dem Protagonisten des ≤Erlebnis≥‐Fragmentes, die Mallarmésche ‘distance intérieure', d. h. den Gegensatz von Subjekt und Objekt vorübergehend auszuschalten und das Bewutsein ≤reiner≥ Zuständlichkeit zu erlangen. Gemä Mallarmés Vorstellung von dem ‘hasard’ transzendiert das Ich des ≤Erlebnisses≥ den ‘Zufall’ in einem Augenblick epiphanischer ‘claritas'. Infolge der zeitlichen Begrenztheit dieser Empfindung kann es im Sinne des symbolistischen ‘suggérer’ nur zu einer ≤ahnbaren≥ Andeutung des Absoluten kommen. Diese Eliminierung des Materiellen vollzieht sich am Beispiel eines Baumes. Dessen Stofflichkeit wird zugunsten seiner begrifflichen Substanz aufgegeben. Die Sprache des ≤Erlebnisses≥ verwandelt sich somit in eine verwesentlichte Wortgebärde, welche das Quintessenzielle unter dem ‘regard absolu’ des symbolistischen ‘voyant’ blolegt. Rilkes Prosafragment verkörpert also ein entscheidendes Merkmal der Moderne, nämlich die Selbstreflexion des Wortkunstwerkes über seine schöpferische Prämisse.
Literatur als Utopie Zu einem Text Rilkes
Authors: Frey Eleonore
Published: August 2007

Die Frage nach dem Wesen der Dichtung ist ein stets sich erneuerndes Anliegen Rilkes. In einem über den Zusammenhang des Romans hinaus prophetischen Text aus den Aufzeichnungen des Malte Laurids Brigge erscheint die Literatur als eine Utopie: als ein Sprechen, das aus einer Zerstörung alles dessen hervorgehen wird, was bisher Sprache geheissen hat und darum nur in seinem Negativ bedeutet werden kann. Es geht bei diesem Durchbruch zur wahren Dichtung um den Übergang von einem Sprechen, das auf eine bestimmte Meinung oder Bedeutung zurückweist, zu einer Sprache, die sich allen in ihr enthaltenen Möglichkeiten aufschliesst und damit bei sich selber bleibt. Die Lösung aus den bisherigen Bezügen, die der Dichter zu vollbringen hat, spiegelt sich in den zentralen Themen des Malte: Tod, Zersetzung, Auflösung öffnen den Raum der absoluten Dichtung, auf die Maltes Prophezeihung hinzielt und die in den Sonetten an Orpheus zum Thema einer sich selber reflektierenden Dichtung werden wird. In den späteren Werken zeigt sich freilich die Unerreichbarkeit des wahren Sprechens nicht mehr als ein persönliches Versagen, sondern als das Wesen dieses Sprechens schlechthin. Maltes Prophezeiung gilt in jedem Augenblick, in dem die Frage nach dem Ort der Literatur aufgeworfen wird. Literatur ist hier nur fassbar als Tendenz.
How it seems and how it is: Marriage in Three Stories by Siegfried Lenz
Authors: Elstun Esther N.
Published: August 2007

The article examines Lenz's treatment of disintegrating marital relationships in Ein Haus aus lauter Liebe, Der langere Arm and Der sechste Geburtstag. In all three stories the central theme is seen to be the devastating discrepancy between appearance and reality: Ein Haus aus lauter Liebe presents the appearance of familial love and the reality of marital infidelity; in Der langere Arm the apparently successful, self‐assured husband is revealed as a contemptible blackmailer; in Der sechte Geburtstag the appearance of festivity contrasts sharply with the reality of the son's impending death. The structure of all three stories is shown to be an integral part of Lenz's treatment of the central theme, with the external action serving two purposes: depicting the realm of appearances and functioning simultaneously as a frame for Lenz's portrayal of the inner reality. This effective juxtaposition of the two realms intensifies the reader's awareness of the discrepancy between them. The motif of failure, a variation of the theme of guilt, is discussed as another element the stories have in common. In each case both husband and wife are shown to be “Versager” and at the same time “0pfer” ‐ victims of themselves and of each other.
Zum Lied der Wächter im ‘Wiener Osterspiel'. Zugleich Bemerkungen zum Refrain in mittelhochdeutscher Lyrik
Authors: Aarhus Hans Blosen
Published: August 2007

Das ‘Wiener Osterspiel’üMLberliefert gemeinsam mit einigen anderen pätmittelalterlichen deutschen Oster‐ und Passionspielen eine Strophe, die durch die Regieanweisung als Tanzstrophe ausge‐wiesen wird. Die Strophe ist deutlich zweigeteilt und besteht aus einem Abschnitt A mit zwei Viertaktern und einem Abschnitt B mit zwei Zweitaktern und einem Viertakter. Zugrunde liegt vielleicht als Muster eine Strophe A mit Refrain B. Ein Vergleich mit verwandten metrischen Formen in mittelhochdeutscher Lyrik deutet an, daß es sich dort primämlr um eine vor‐ oder außer‐hömlfische Tanzliedform handelt, die sekund̈mlar auch in die hömlfische Kunstlyrik aufgenommen wurde. Die Kombination mit Vergleichsmaterial aus Kinderlied und Kinderreim unterstümltzt den volkstümlmlichen Charakter dieser Form weiter. Gleichartige For‐men, die sich in den dämlnischen ‘Folkeviser’, den franzömlsischen ‘caroled und den englischen ‘carols’ finden, stellen die Strophe aus dem ‘Wiener Osterspiel’ darümlber hinaus in den Traditions‐zusammenhang des mittelalterlichen Kettentanzes, der ‘Carole’. Ob die Strophe im ‘Wiener Osterspiel’ noch nach dem ‘carole’‐Typ von Vorsämlnger und respondierendem Chor gesungen und getanzt wurde, lämlßt sich nicht mit Sicherheit nachweisen, wenn auch der Text und zumindest die eine der beiden ümlberlieferten Melodien sich gut zu einer solchen Vortragsweise fümlgen wümlrden.
Note on a pensée (Brunschvicg 107): Pascal and Montaigne
Authors: Heller Lane M.
Published: August 2007

Incorrectly identified by editors since Brunschvicg, the source of Pascal's pensée “Lustravit lampade terras…” (Br 107), is found in Montaigne's essay “De l'inconstance de nos actions.” Contradicting Montaigne's statement that “se meuvent nos humeurs avecques les mouvemens du temps,” Pascal states that there is little connection between his mood and the weather. He goes on to probe the question in a self‐analytical notation like those that abound in Montaigne's Essais. Reflecting further, he notes that the success or failure of ‘les affaires' fails to upset his equilibrium: he remains detached from everyday happenings in a kind of stoic apatheia. In the second half of the pensée, he admits that at times he thrives on the challenge (gloire is the reward), to prove himself capable of shaping events to his ends. Ultimately, the train of thought set off by Montaigne's remark leads to a glimpse of that overweening pride Pascal strove to replace with humility. The fragment stands as an example of Pascal's indebtedness to Montaigne, whose Essais (as mirror) served to reveal le moi haïmlssable, chief obstacle on the path to spiritual perfection.
Faustens ≥ Entelechie ≤ ‐ doch der Doctor Marianus?
Authors: Bern Werner Kohlschmidt
Published: August 2007

Die Arbeit sammelt Indizien fümlr die Mömlglichkeit einer neuen Inter‐pretation des Schlusses von Faust 11. Sie vertritt die (Hypo‐) these, dass die Figur des Doctor Marianus die von Goethe in Ent‐wümlrfen angesprochene, aber in der Eile des Abschlusses nicht mehr ausdrümlcklich so genannte himmlische Entelechie Fausts selber sei. Sie erwämlgt das auf Grund von Argumenten, die in der Ent‐stehungsgeschichte der letzten Partieen des Dramas liegen, in Interpretation der Worte, die der Doctor Marianus zu sprechen hat, innerhalb ihres Kontextes, schlieslich aus Grümlnden der Drama‐turgie, die sich ergeben, falls Faust bis zuletzt im stummen Pup‐penstand verharren wümlrde.

Sie kommt zu dem Ergebnis, dass im Text nichts dagegen spricht, im Doctor Marianus den verwandelten Faust zu sehen, vielmehr vieles dafümlr.
Über C. J. L. Almqvists Romankunst
Authors: Romberg Bertil
Published: August 2007

Nach einer kurzen einführenden Charakteristik des schwedischen Romans in den ersten Dezennien des 19. Jahrhunderts folgt die Analyse von vier Romanen des berühmten schwedischen Dichters C. J. L. Almqvist (1799–1866), der immer noch von vielen als 〈〈der modernste Schriftsteller Schwedens〉〉 angesehen wird. Die Struktur und die narrative Technik der Romane werden mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der charakteristischen epischen und dramatischen Merkmale untersucht, wobei zugleich ein Überblick über die Erzählkunst Almqvists von Murnis (1819) zu Det går an (1839) geliefert wird, aus dem die literarische Entwicklung Almqvists von der Romantik zum Realismus erhellt.
Point of View and Unreliability in Brontë's 〈〈Wuthering Heights〉〉, Conrad's 〈〈Under Western Eyes〉〉 and Mann's 〈〈Doktor Faustus〉〉
Authors: Viswanathan Jacqueline
Published: August 2007

Point of view is used as the basis for a comparison between the three novels. We first examine the common features of the narrators’position. We then analyze the various narrative techniques which enable the reader to go beyond the narrators’comments. Two levels of composition can be distinguished: one, acknowledged by the narrators, follows the model of non‐fictional narratives (biography, Dr. Faustus; historical documents, Under Western Eyes; family chronicle, Wuthering Heights), the other makes use of characteristic features of a work of fiction: scenic presentation, symbolic imagery, complex time sequence, etc… The second le̊vel of composition goes beyond the narrators’understanding.

The narrators’unreliability is then defined in terms of contrastive features which oppose them to the main characters. The narrators’views are undermined because of their inability to cope with a side of human nature which they stubbornly refuse to acknowledge.
Autobiography, Ideology, and Genre Theory
Authors: Elbaz Robert
Published: August 2007

This article will study the ideological presuppositions behind two prevalent definitions of the autobiographic genre ‐ the “typological” and the “dynamic”. The typological view puts the emphasis on the inherent generic dimensions of autobiography, while the dynamic view stresses the “aesthetics of reception”. Despite formal differences, however, both approaches view autobiography as illustrating the problematic relationship between fact and fiction; that is, an ontological difference is claimed to distinguish autobiography from fiction. Autobiography, it is held, purports to represent a “truth” about a given reality (through its duplication), while fiction does not. It will be argued, however, that through the processes of mediation (by linguistic reality), and suspension (due to the text's lack of finality and completion), autobiography can only be a fiction. Indeed autobiography is fiction and fiction is autobiography: both are narrative arrangements of reality. The ideological nature of these arrangements in autobiographical writing is the issue of concern here.