bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Le circonstant est-il un terme facultatif de la phrase russe ? [Is the Circumstantial Phrase a Facultative Element in a Russian Sentence?]
Authors: Bracquenier Christine
Published: May 2014

Is the Circumstantial Phrase a Facultative Element in a Russian Sentence ?

Since the grammatical circumstance concept has been introduced, it has been considered as a facultative part of the sentence. In fact, it is frequently so if to do a strictly syntactic analysis, but when information and discourse coherence are concerned, the speaker nearly always has to express the circumstances if he wants the addressee to understand properly what the matter is. In this article we consider the cases when a circumstance expression is necessary on the syntactic level, too. The circumstantial phrase can be the Rheme of the utterance, and if the expression of place, time or reason is deleted, there is no utterance at all. But when the addressee already knows the circumstances, we wonder why the speaker considers it necessary to repeat the already known information. However, he does it when he thinks that the addressee might forget about these circumstances, when he wants to define a time and space framework in which the utterance will be correct ; when the sentence is built on a binary opposition, a circumstance expression is compulsory on the syntactic level. So, we can say the circumstantial phrase is not as facultative as it is usually said. And it may be compulsory in some situations.
NONLOCAL THIRD ORDER BOUNDARY VALUE PROBLEMS WITH SOLUTIONS THAT CHANGE SIGN
Authors: Smirnov Sergey
Published: May 2014

We investigate the existence and the number of solutions for a third order boundary value problem with nonlocal boundary conditions in connection with the oscillatory behavior of solutions. The combination of the shooting method and scaling method is used in the proofs of our main results. Examples are included to illustrate the results.
ABOUT REGULARIZATION OF SEVERELY ILL-POSED PROBLEMS BY STANDARD TIKHONOV'S METHOD WITH THE BALANCING PRINCIPLE
Authors: Solodky Sergei G. , Myleiko Ganna L.
Published: May 2014

In the present paper for a stable solution of severely ill-posed problems with perturbed input data, the standard Tikhonov method is applied, and the regularization parameter is chosen according to balancing principle. We establish that the approach provides the order of accuracy on the class of problems under consideration.
ANALYSIS OF A RELAXATION SCHEME FOR A NONLINEAR SCHRÖDINGER EQUATION OCCURRING IN PLASMA PHYSICS
Authors: Oelz Dietmar , Trabelsi Saber
Published: May 2014

This paper is devoted to the analysis of a relaxation-type numerical scheme for a nonlinear Schrödinger equation arising in plasma physics. The scheme is shown to be preservative in the sense that it preserves mass and energy. We prove the well-posedness of the semidiscretized system and prove convergence to the solution of the time-continuous model.
Discordance in Global Assessments Between Patient and Estimator in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Rheumatoid Arthritis: Associations with Progressive Joint Destruction and Functional Impairment
Authors: Kaneko Yuko , Kuwana Masataka , Kondo Harumi , Takeuchi Tsutomu
Published: May 2014

Objective.

Factors relevant to the discordance between the patient global assessment (PGA) and estimator global assessment (EGA) in patients newly diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were examined.

Methods.

Seventy-five consecutive newly diagnosed patients with RA were prospectively enrolled. We used 3 models in which discordance between PGA and EGA at 12 months was set at 5 mm, 10 mm, or 20 mm. We adopted 10 mm as representative and examined time course changes in clinical variables over 12 months.

Results.

No significant difference was found between the concordance and the higher PGA groups regarding baseline characteristics and treatment. At 12 months, EGA, swollen joint count, and inflammatory marker values were not different, but pain visual analog scale and tender joint count were significantly higher in the higher PGA group, and the Health Assessment Questionnaire improved less. In the 10 mm and 20 mm models, the structural remission rate was significantly lower in the higher PGA group and the rapid radiological progression rate significantly higher. The discrepancy was already significant at 3 months.

Conclusion.

In newly diagnosed RA, PGA at 12 months may be more sensitive for indicating progressive joint destruction and functional impairment when compared with EGA, and there is a discrepancy directed toward a worse assessment by patients.
Clinically Inactive Disease in a Cohort of Children with New-onset Polyarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Treated with Early Aggressive Therapy: Time to Achievement, Total Duration, and Predictors
Authors: Wallace Carol A. , Giannini Edward H. , Spalding Steven J. , Hashkes Philip J. , O’Neil Kathleen M. , Zeft Andrew S. , Szer Ilona S. , Ringold Sarah , Brunner Hermine I. , Schanberg Laura E. , Sundel Robert P. , Milojevic Diana S. , Punaro Marilynn G. , Chira Peter , Gottlieb Beth S. , Higgins Gloria C. , Ilowite Norman T. , Kimura Yukiko , Johnson Anne , Huang Bin , Lovell Daniel J.
Published: May 2014

Objective.

To determine the elapsed time while receiving aggressive therapy to the first observation of clinically inactive disease (CID), total duration of CID and potential predictors of this response in a cohort of children with recent onset of polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (poly-JIA).

Methods.

Eighty-five children were randomized blindly to methotrexate (MTX), etanercept, and rapidly tapered prednisolone (MEP) or MTX monotherapy and assessed for CID over 1 year of treatment. Patients who failed to achieve intermediary endpoints were switched to open-label MEP treatment.

Results.

Fifty-eight (68.2%) of the 85 patients achieved CID at 1 or more visits including 18 who received blinded MEP, 11 while receiving MTX monotherapy, and 29 while receiving open-label MEP. Patients starting on MEP achieved CID earlier and had more study days in CID compared to those starting MTX, but the differences were not significantly different. Patients given MEP (more aggressive therapy) earlier in the disease course were statistically more likely to have a higher proportion of followup visits in CID than those with longer disease course at baseline. Those who achieved American College of Rheumatology Pediatric 70 response at 4 months had a significantly greater proportion of followup visits in CID, compared to those who failed to achieve this improvement (p < 0.0001). Of the 32 patients who met criteria for CID and then lost CID status, only 3 fulfilled the definition of disease flare.

Conclusion.

Shorter disease duration prior to treatment, a robust response at 4 months, and more aggressive therapy result in a higher likelihood and longer duration of CID in patients with poly-JIA. The original trial from which data for this analysis were obtained is registered on www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT 00443430.
A symptomatic Sylvian fissure lipoma in a post-traumatic patient
Authors: Basheer Ahamed Naushad Ali , Bokhari Rakan , Bangash Mohammad Hasan , Addas Jameel
Published: May 2014

Lipomatous extra-axial lesions in the Sylvian fissure are a rare entity. Their identification, however, is usually simple if a systematic radiological approach is adopted. The best line of management for these lesions is still a matter of controversy and fraught with complications. We present a case of a Sylvian fissure lipoma referred to our neurosurgery services with symptomatic seizures and in a post-traumatic patient. The radiological differentiating features of intracranial lipomas and intracranial dermoids have been discussed. The unusual location of the lesion, in combination with the history of seizures and the nature of presentation (trauma being a red-herring) make this case an interesting find. The lesion was managed conservatively with good outcomes at follow up, on anti-epileptic medications.
The curious case of the disappearing IVC: A case report and review of the aetiology of Inferior Vena Cava Agenesis
Authors: Paddock Michael , Robson Nicola
Published: May 2014

We report the case of a previously well 18-year-old male who presented to the Emergency Department with lower limb pain. An ultrasound demonstrated extensive left sided deep vein thrombosis and computed tomography demonstrated inferior vena cava agenesis, leading to the diagnosis of inferior vena cava agenesis associated deep vein thrombosis. The aetiology of inferior vena cava agenesis is explored in depth.
Congenital gluteus maximus contracture syndrome - a case report with review of imaging findings
Authors: Kotha Vamshi Krishna , Reddy Rajasekhar , Reddy M. Venkateshwar , Moorthy (Brig) Rangubatla Satyanarayana , Kishan Tatikonda Venkat
Published: May 2014

Although the clinical features of gluteus maximus contracture syndrome have been frequently described, imaging features have been seldom described. Most commonly reported cases are those following intramuscular injection in the gluteal region although congenital contracture is an uncommon but important occurrence. This condition has most often been reported in children of school going age. These patients often present with difficulty in squatting, limitation of hip motion or specific deformities and often require surgical correction. We describe the plain radiography, ultrasonography (USG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of this condition in a patient with no previous known history of intramuscular injections.
Cardiac metastases of melanoma as first manifestation of the disease
Authors: Villa Adriana Dolores Maria , Eshja Esmeralda , Dallavalle Silvia , Bassi Emilio Maria , Turco Annalisa
Published: May 2014

Cardiac metastases are rare, but more common than primary cardiac tumours, and metastatic melanoma involves heart or pericardium in greater than 50% of the cases, although cardiac metastasis are rarely diagnosed ante mortem because of the lack of symptoms. A multimodality approach may help to obtain a more timely diagnosis and in some cases a quicker and better diagnosis can enable a surgical resection to prevent cardiac failure or to reduce the tumour before chemotherapy. We present a case of a patient with cardiac metastasis as first evidence of a malignant melanoma: in this case the patient underwent echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance and computed tomography. This case underlines the importance of advanced diagnostic techniques, such as cardiac magnetic resonance, not only for the detection of cardiac masses, but also for a better anatomic definition and tissue characterization, to enable a quick and accurate diagnosis which can be followed by appropriate treatment.
An Advanced Fuzzy Logic Based Traffic Controller
Authors: Khan Bilal Ahmed , Lai Nai Shyan
Published: May 2014

Traffic light plays an important role in the urban traffic management. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the traffic controller for effective traffic management and better traffic flow leading to greener environment. In this paper, an advanced and intelligent traffic light controller is proposed, utilising the fuzzy logic technology and image processing technique. A fuzzy logic control has been implemented to provide the attribute of intelligence to the system. For real-time image acquisition, the process is further linked to the fuzzy logic controller which generates a unique output for each input pattern. Here image processing and fuzzy logic tool boxes of MATLAB are used where the final output is sent to Peripheral Interface Controller (PIC) microcontroller to drive the traffic signals in the desired manner. The results obtained show an improvement of 44% in the overall outcome of traffic management as compared to the conventional traffic controller, marking great feasibility and practicality of the current model.
Green IT Capability and Firm's Competitive Advantage
Authors: Rahim Rabiah Eladwiah Abdul , Rahman Azizah Abdul
Published: May 2014

The concept of Green Information Technology (Green IT) has been widely discussed in recent times, but the question of how a firm can afford to implement Green IT in both IT and other business operations has yet to be examined. In addition, the question of whether Green IT has made any significant contributions towards competitive advantage in organizations has not yet been studied. This study attempts to bridge this gap by viewing Green IT capability from the lens of Natural Resource-Based View. The two constructs derived from this theory, namely, as pollution prevention and product stewardship are discussed in this paper. Its application is extended into the IT context with reference to Green IT literature. This occurs among an early review of the utilisation of these constructs particularly for Green IT process management. The implications of the outcome of this study, both for the IS researchers and for the practicing managers, are discussed.
A Critical Evaluation on Programming Paradigms to Achieve Optimal Resource Utilization of Mobile Softwares in Mobile Devices
Authors: Samuel Selvakumar , Kovalan Arangasamy
Published: May 2014

This paper evaluates the features of mainstream programming paradigms. Imperative, object oriented programming and functional programming concepts are considered here. This is an effort to identify the programming paradigms which consume less resource from mobile devices. Designers usually depend on the programming languages, language oriented programming design is in current practice. Choosing appropriate programming paradigms during the mobile application design is not in practice now; Failure to use the best approaches for mobile computing from programming paradigms will cause mobile applications to consume more mobile resources. Imperative paradigm concepts such as inheritance, creating redundant objects, unnecessary constructors, recursion, strings concatenation, thread synchronization, using global variables and abstract methods results in redundancy, memory leaks, stack overflow, low execution speed and consumes more memory. These features are relatively not suitable for mobile software development. Functional paradigm concepts such as higher order functions, tail recursion, lazy evaluation, referential transparency, parametric polymorphism, and list comprehension principles are suitable for mobile software development as they consume less memory and or use less processing power. Using appropriate paradigms will optimize the resource utilisation of mobile applications in mobile devices.
Government Spending Transparency on the Internet
Authors: Karamagioli Evika , Staiou Eleni-Revekka , Gouscos Dimitris
Published: May 2014

The objective of this article is to present four civil society initiatives that attempt to scrutinize government spending using open data from the Greek government OpenGov initiative Diavgeia project (“diavgeia”, in Greek, standing for lucidity). In a period of strong economic recession, Greece is facing one of the most intense social and political crisis of its history, with citizens characterized by substantial disenchantment with politics and a cynical stance about their government and representatives. The Diavgeia project was launched in 2010 by the Greek government with the objective to bring back transparency and trust in the political process, enabling online insights into government spending. By reviewing current bottom-up initiatives in Greece that are using data from Diavgeia in an effort to serve the principles of transparency, openness, and offering public data in a manner easy to understand, evaluate and re-use, we discuss the role of open government mechanisms in introducing a new relation between citizens and policy-makers, tackling contemporary political challenges of democratic societies and reconnecting ordinary people with politics and policy-making.
Pseudo–Ventricular Tachycardia Mimicking Malignant Arrhythmia in a Patient with Rapid Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Barake Walid , Baranchuk Adrian , Pinter Arnold
Published: May 2014

Artifacts can simulate arrhythmias such as atrial flutter, atrial fibrillation, and ventricular tachycardia. A case of pseudo-ventricular tachycardia is outlined in a patient with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation, which made the diagnosis a special challenge. Characteristic signs of pseudo–ventricular tachycardia are described. This case reinforces the importance of recognizing artifacts to avoid unnecessary interventions, especially in the telemetry and critical care units. (American Journal of Critical Care. 2014;23:270–272)
Glycemic Control in Cardiac Surgery: Implementing an Evidence-Based Insulin Infusion Protocol
Authors: Hargraves Joelle D.
Published: May 2014

Background

Acute hyperglycemia following cardiac surgery increases the risk of deep sternal wound infection, significant early morbidity, and mortality. Insulin infusion protocols that target tight glycemic control to treat hyperglycemia have been linked to hypoglycemia and increased mortality. Recently published studies examining glycemic control in critical illness and clinical practice guidelines from professional organizations support moderate glycemic control.

Objectives

To measure critical care nurses’ knowledge of glycemic control in cardiac surgery before and after education. To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of an evidence-based insulin infusion protocol targeting moderate glycemic control in cardiac surgery patients.

Methods

This evidence-based practice change was implemented in the cardiovascular unit in a community teaching hospital. Nurses completed a self-developed questionnaire to measure knowledge of glycemic control. Blood glucose data, collected (retrospectively) from anesthesia end time through 11:59 PM on postoperative day 2, were compared from 2 months before to 2 months after the practice change.

Results

Nurses’ knowledge (test scores) increased significantly after education (pretest mean = 53.10, SD = 11.75; posttest mean = 79.10, SD = 12.02; t54 = −8.18, P < .001). Mean blood glucose level after implementation was 148 mg/dL. The incidence of hypoglycemia, 2.09% before and 0.22% after the intervention, was significantly reduced (χ12 [n = 29] = 13.9, P < .001). The percentage of blood glucose levels less than 180 mg/dL was 88.30%.

Conclusions

Increasing nurses’ knowledge of glycemic control and implementing an insulin infusion protocol targeting moderate glycemic control were effective for treating acute hyperglycemia following cardiac surgery with decreased incidence of hypoglycemia.
Effectiveness of an Electromagnetic Feeding Tube Placement Device in Detecting Inadvertent Respiratory Placement
Authors: Metheny Norma A. , Meert Kathleen L.
Published: May 2014

Background

Use of technology capable of electromagnetically tracking advancement of a feeding tube on a monitoring screen during insertion may enable detection of deviation of the tube from the midline as it advances through the chest, possibly indicating entry of the tube into the right or left main bronchus.

Purposes

To describe (1) published peer-reviewed studies that report on the detection of malpositioned tubes inserted by an electromagnetic tube placement device, and (2) events reported to the US Food and Drug Administration’s Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database regarding use of such a device.

Methods

An Ovid MEDLINE search was conducted to locate peer-reviewed studies published between 2007 and 2012 that referred to use of an electromagnetic tube placement device to detect inadvertent respiratory placements of feeding tubes. In addition, an online search of the MAUDE database was conducted for the years 2007 through 2012.

Results

The Ovid MEDLINE search yielded 6 studies that referred to respiratory placements; no cases of pneumothorax were reported. The MAUDE database search yielded 21 adverse events associated with use of an electromagnetic tube placement device (including 17 cases of pneumothorax and 2 deaths). As the MAUDE database relies on voluntary reports, this number should not be construed as the incidence of malpositioned tubes during this period.

Conclusions

The ability of clinicians to place feeding tubes correctly by using an electromagnetic tube placement device varies. Thus, it is reasonable to question the wisdom of eliminating radiographic confirmation of tube position before starting feedings.
Multiple Roles of Perforin in Hampering ERBB-2 (Her-2/neu) Carcinogenesis in Transgenic Male Mice
Authors: Macagno Marco , Bandini Silvio , Stramucci Lorenzo , Quaglino Elena , Conti Laura , Balmas Elisa , Smyth Mark J. , Lollini Pier-Luigi , Musiani Piero , Forni Guido , Iezzi Manuela , Cavallo Federica
Published: May 2014

Perforin (pfp)-mediated cytotoxicity is one of the principal immunosurveillance mechanisms involved in the fight against cancer. However, its importance in spontaneous epithelial cancer is still poorly defined. In this study, we use a realistic mouse model that displays many features that are equivalent to human pathology to evaluate the role of pfp-dependent immunosurveillance by comparing tumor progression in rat ERBB-2 (neu) transgenic, pfp-proficient (neu+/pfp+) or pfp-deficient (neu+/pfp−) BALB/c male mice. Adult neu+/pfp+ males developed poorly differentiated salivary carcinomas, whereas neu+/pfp− males displayed their salivary carcinomas noticeably earlier and showed zones of more highly differentiated tumor, indicating that pfp-mediated immunosurveillance is able not only to delay the growth kinetic of an aggressive epithelial tumor, but also to shape its histology. The role of pfp-mediated immunosurveillance appeared to be of even more dramatic importance against the less aggressive male mammary carcinomas. In neu+/pfp+ males, the incidence of mammary carcinomas was a sporadic and late event. In contrast, in neu+/pfp− males their incidence was four-fold higher. This higher cancer incidence was associated with a 2-fold higher occurrence of persisting mammary remnants, a major risk factor for mammary cancer in male mice, and one that would appear to be due to pfp’s previously unidentified involvement in male mammary gland rejection during embryogenesis. This work thus provides further proof of the complex role that the immune system plays in the body and gives new insight into the pathogenesis of epithelial tumors, demonstrating that the penetrance and malignancy of a tumor may be dramatically affected by pfp-dependent mechanisms.
Soluble, but Not Transmembrane, TNF-α Is Required during Influenza Infection To Limit the Magnitude of Immune Responses and the Extent of Immunopathology
Authors: DeBerge Matthew P. , Ely Kenneth H. , Enelow Richard I.
Published: May 2014

TNF-α is a pleotropic cytokine that has both proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory functions during influenza infection. TNF-α is first expressed as a transmembrane protein that is proteolytically processed to release a soluble form. Transmembrane TNF-α (memTNF-α) and soluble TNF-α (solTNF-α) have been shown to exert distinct tissue-protective or tissue-pathologic effects in several disease models. However, the relative contributions of memTNF-α or solTNF-α in regulating pulmonary immunopathology following influenza infection are unclear. Therefore, we performed intranasal influenza infection in mice exclusively expressing noncleavable memTNF-α or lacking TNF-α entirely and examined the outcomes. We found that solTNF-α, but not memTNF-α, was required to limit the size of the immune response and the extent of injury. In the absence of solTNF-α, there was a significant increase in the CD8+ T cell response, including virus-specific CD8+ T cells, which was due in part to an increased resistance to activation-induced cell death. We found that solTNF-α mediates these immunoregulatory effects primarily through TNFR1, because mice deficient in TNFR1, but not TNFR2, exhibited dysregulated immune responses and exacerbated injury similar to that observed in mice lacking solTNF-α. We also found that solTNF-α expression was required early during infection to regulate the magnitude of the CD8+ T cell response, indicating that early inflammatory events are critical for the regulation of the effector phase. Taken together, these findings suggest that processing of memTNF-α to release solTNF-α is a critical event regulating the immune response during influenza infection.
Through an ITIM-Independent Mechanism the FcγRIIB Blocks B Cell Activation by Disrupting the Colocalized Microclustering of the B Cell Receptor and CD19
Authors: Xu Liling , Li Gen , Wang Jing , Fan Yilin , Wan Zhengpeng , Zhang Shaosen , Shaheen Samina , Li Jing , Wang Li , Yue Cai , Zhao Yan , Wang Fei , Brzostowski Joseph , Chen Ying-Hua , Zheng Wenjie , Liu Wanli
Published: May 2014

B cell activation is regulated through the interplay of the BCR with the inhibitory coreceptor FcγRIIB and the activating coreceptor CD19. Recent studies suggest that Ag-driven BCR microclusters are efficiently converted to a signaling active state on colocalization with CD19 microclusters. Using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy–based, high-resolution, high-speed live-cell and molecule imaging approaches, we show that when co-ligated to the BCR, the FcγRIIB can inhibit B cell activation by blocking the colocalization of BCR and CD19 microclusters within the B cell immunological synapse. Remarkably, this inhibitory function of FcγRIIB is dependent not on its well-characterized ITIM-containing cytoplasmic domain, but its transmembrane domain. Indeed, human primary B cells from systemic lupus erythematosus patients homozygous for gene encoding the loss-of-function transmembrane domain mutant FcγRIIB-I232T fail to block the synaptic colocalization of the BCR with CD19, leading to dysregulated recruitment of downstream signaling molecule p-PI3K to membrane proximal signalosome. This inhibitory function of FcγRIIB in impairing the spatial-temporal colocalization of BCR and CD19 microclusters in the B cell immunological synapse may help explain the hyper-reactive features of systemic lupus erythematosus patient B cells in reported studies. These observations may also provide new targets for therapies for systemic autoimmune disease.
Newer Dopaminergic Agents Cause Minimal Endocrine Effects in Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Daniel Jacob S. , Govindan Jyothish P. , Kamath Chandan , D'Souza Charles , Adlan Mohamed A. , Premawardhana Lakdasa D.
Published: May 2014

Objective

We studied the prevalence of endocrine dysfunction in subjects with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD) on newer dopaminergic agents (DA). DA are also used in endocrine hypersecretory states in small doses and we hypothesized that endocrine dysfunction was likely in IPD where DA were used in comparatively much higher dosage.

Patients and Methods

Twenty-five subjects with IPD, established on DA, were recruited to this cross-sectional study. We measured insulin-like growth factor-1, prolactin, luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, thyroid function, oestradiol or testosterone and Cortisol levels following a short synacthen test.

Results

We studied 18 males and 7 females, whose median age was 72 years, and whose median time from diagnosis, and duration of treatment was 27 months (interquartile range 17-45 and 13-39 months, respectively). (1) Endocrine tests were normal in 19 of 25 subjects at recruitment. Minor abnormalities reverted to normal on repeat testing in three of six with initial abnormalities; two had persistent abnormalities and the third subject could not be further investigated. Therefore, 22 of 24 (92%) with IPD on DA therapy had normal endocrine profiles. (2) The Cortisol response to ACTH was normal in 24 of 25 subjects (96%). (3) Eleven subjects (44%) had isolated PRL suppression. There were no differences between the suppressed PRL and “normal” PRL groups. However, a higher number of them were on non-ergoline-derived DA (83% vs 31%; P < 0.05).

Conclusions

We have demonstrated that newer non-ergoline DA therapy caused only minimal endocrine perturbations in subjects with IPD. Their clinical significance can only be speculative currently. The Cortisol response to ACTH was normal in almost all but a significant minority had suppressed prolactin levels.
Trajectories of Bone Remodeling Markers and Bone Mineral Density during Treatment with Strontium Ranelate in Postmenopausal Women Previously Treated with Bisphosphonates
Authors: Lima Helisane , Maia Juliana , Bandeira Francisco
Published: May 2014

Objective

To evaluate the responses of C-terminal telopeptide (CTX) and serum osteocalcin after the first 4 months of treatment with strontium ranelate (SR) and demonstrate their association with long-term bone density changes.

Subjects and Methods

A sample of 13 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis was analyzed (mean age 65 ± 7.7 years), who were treated with SR for an average of 2.56 ± 0.86 years. All patients had undergone previous treatment with bisphosphonates for an average period of 4.88 ± 2.27 years. Serum CTX and osteocalcin levels were determined before and after four months of treatment with SR. Bone mineral density in the lumbar spine and femoral neck were obtained before and after treatment with SR.

Results

We observed an average increase of 53.7% in the CTX levels, and 30.7% in the osteocalcin levels. The increase in bone markers was associated with a mean 4.8% increase in lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD) from 0.820 to 0.860 g/cm2( T-score from –2.67 to –1.92; P= 0.001), after 2.5 years of treatment with SR.

Conclusion

These data suggest an anabolic effect of SR on postmenopausal women who were previously treated with long-term bisphosphonates.
What is the Best Treatment for a Cancer Patient with Thrombosis?
Authors: Barbosa Miguel
Published: May 2014

The relationship between venous thromboembolism and cancer has been known for many years, and there is solid scientific evidence addressing the adequate treatment of this condition in oncology patients. However, established prescribing habits, individual patient challenges, and uncertainty concerning treatment justifies poor adherence to published guidelines. This paper reviews venous thromboembolism treatment while focusing on vitamin K antagonists, low-molecular-weight heparins, and novel oral anticoagulants, namely in terms of their efficacy and limitations.
De toekomst van kunst
Authors: van Gerwen Rob
Published: May 2014

A philosophical analysis of the future of art must explicate art’s nature, as well as discuss the historical nature of art practice. Only so can one explain those contemporary developments in art which have led many people to doubt whether art even has a future. Arguably, art practice as we know it started with the installing of the modern system of the fine arts. I explain the pragmatics of art so understood, and suggest that we can define art, internally. We need not resort to a nominalist approach that claims that something is a work of art if some representative of the art world says it is. Instead of such empty proceduralism, I explain how all art’s focal objects, persons and activities are mutually adjusted and can only be understood in light of the whole. Within that whole of art practice, the contemporary samples of art’s alleged failure can be assessed. Now the modern system treats the arts as aesthetic, and prescribes that to judge a work one has to experience it for oneself. Why this should be so, I explain in terms of the perceivability of the artist in the work. Next, art develops as a whole rather than in a piecemeal manner. Particular contemporary works may alienate the audience from art practice, yet once they are recognisably in a procedure which has clear artistic potency they can be incorporated fruitfully in the modern system as explained. In all, the future of art is the future of the modern system, unless the system as a whole goes. We see this happen with the Taliban, but do not ourselves seem to be vulnerable to such onslaught. Yet, our culture may be in the process of eliminating the human mind from the objective reality, and if nothing stops us, art too will come to an end. Luckily, by then we will not be such as to lament that demise.
De kunst herrijst als de vogel Phoenix uit haar as
Authors: Kockelkoren Petran
Published: May 2014

According to common sense cultural history is propelled by grand ideas. Contrary to this view a material history will be defended. Artists have always taken the lead in the exploration of new technologies that mediate human perception. The modern worldview has been instigated by the artistic domestication of the camera obscura and its successors: the photocamera and tv. These technologies produced the spectator who was enthroned by Descartes as the modern autonomous subject. Contemporary digital technologies call for the overthrow of the obsolete paradigm of autonomy. Art paves the way for new subject-productions.
Terug naar de basis… en bovenbouw!
Authors: Lijster Thijs
Published: May 2014

The metaphor of base and superstructure has been one of the most controversial elements in Marxist aesthetics. In this text I discuss some of the many questions it raises. Today, many theorists believe that its problems are so extensive that it has lost all plausibility. I believe, however, that in rejecting the Marxist framework, aesthetics and cultural theory risks throwing out the baby with the bath water and jeopardizes its critical potential. Drawing on the work of Fredric Jameson and Slavoj Žižek, I will propose a heuristic reinterpretation of the metaphor of base and superstructure.
Een toekomst voor esthetica in de kunstfilosofie?
Authors: Veldeman Johan
Published: May 2014

Has art still something to do with aesthetics? Traditional aesthetic theories were abandoned under influence of the arguments of Morris Weitz. It seems that there is no longer a place for aesthetics in the philosophy of art. Furthermore, a lot of contemporary art seems to be radically anti-aesthetic. It is argued that there is nonetheless a central role to be played for aesthetic experience in art.
De heilige plicht van de gehoorzaamheid - De karaktertekening in de Duitslandromans van Louis Ferron tegen de achtergrond van het concept van de autoritaire persoonlijkheid
Authors: Konst Jan
Published: May 2014

This article discusses five historical novels by Louis Ferron: Gekkenschemer (1974), Het stierenoffer (1975), De keisnijder van Fichtenwald (1976) De gallische ziekte (1979) and Plicht! (1981). They deal with German history, particularly that of the Weimar Republic and the Third Reich. This article shows that the characters in these novels can be viewed in the light of Theodor Adorno's theory on the Authoritarian Personality.
Pathological Gambling: Compulsive-Impulsive Spectrum Disorder, Behavioural Addiction or Both? Phenotypic and Endophenotypic Evidence
Authors: Bottesi Gioia , Ghisi Marta
Published: May 2014

Features of impulsivity and compulsivity are involved in PG phenomenology, and a large body of literature investigated these aspects primarily using clinical observations and self-report questionnaires. Moreover, cognitive measures of motor inhibition and decision-making abilities may represent promising endophenotypic indicators of behavioural regulation, and deficits in these functions are hypothesised to be implicated in PG. In light of the importance of integrating subjective and objective indicators in psychodiagnostic assessment, the present review will consider findings on phenotypic and endophenotypic indicators of impulsivity and compulsivity in PG. Furthermore, the two main theoretical models proposed for PG will be discussed. An in-depth understanding of the role played by impulsivity and compulsivity within PG is indeed necessary to address diagnostic and treatment issues.
Intensive Treatments for Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Peters Rosie-Mae , Waters Allison M.
Published: May 2014

Worry is a normal part of child development. However, a significant proportion of young people experience excessive worry that causes distress and interference with daily functioning. Although worry is a common feature of all anxiety disorders, it is a defining feature of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Cognitive-behavioural therapy is an efficacious treatment for GAD and other anxiety disorders that in recent years has been successfully adapted into short, time-limited formats for other childhood anxiety disorders including Specific Phobia, Social Phobia, Panic, Separation Anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. However, intensive treatments for GAD specifically have not been examined to date. This paper provides a brief overview of the characteristics of youth with GAD, followed by a review of current intensive treatments for other anxiety disorders and evidence suggesting these approaches are effective in treating comorbid GAD. Potential benefits of an intensive treatment for GAD are outlined, and directions for future research on intensive treatments for GAD are discussed.
Brief Treatment of Child Social Anxiety Disorder
Authors: Donovan Caroline L.
Published: May 2014

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is a prevalent disorder in youth that follows a chronic course if left untreated and is associated with a myriad of problematic short- and long-term consequences. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) has been shown to be efficacious in treating SAD, however the majority of youth with SAD do not receive help for a number of reasons. Brief and/or intensive treatments for SAD might circumvent some of these barriers to treatment, yet only two studies to date have been conducted in this area. This paper provides an overview of SAD, the rationale and evidence for the use of brief/intensive therapy for the disorder, and suggestions for where research might be directed as we move into the future.
Intensive Cognitive Behavioural Treatment for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Farrell Lara J. , Milliner Ella L.
Published: May 2014

Preliminary evidence for the efficacy of intensive treatments for childhood OCD is promising. This is an important area of research as traditional weekly CBT for OCD is costly, time intensive and is often challenging for families to access. This review explores the evidence base for intensive treatments for childhood OCD and following this, provides a description of a novel intensive treatment approach that combines prolonged intensive ERP sessions, similar to the one-session treatment for specific phobia, with CBT delivered over the computer via webcam (W-CBT) for one-month maintenance. Future research directions are also discussed.
Brief, High Intensity Interventions with Children and Adolescents with Anxiety Disorders: Introductory Comments
Authors: Ollendick Thomas H.
Published: May 2014

In this series of brief papers, high intensity (HI) cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) interventions are reviewed for use with the anxiety disorders in youth. HI CBT approaches are defined as those that deliver the treatment in fewer sessions or in a reduced period of time when compared to standard CBT interventions (delivered in 12 – 20 sessions). Support for HI CBT interventions is examined for specific phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. To date, these interventions appear promising and to produce effects similar to those obtained with standard CBT interventions. Still more research is needed to determine if they are more cost-effective, when they might be used in contrast to standard CBT interventions, and if they can be enhanced to surpass the effects obtained with standard CBT interventions.
Intensive Treatments for Separation Anxiety Disorder in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Mohr Cornelia , Schneider Silvia
Published: May 2014

Childhood separation anxiety disorder (SepAD) has only recently been recognized as a highly frequent disorder, precursor of panic disorder, and pacemaker of anxiety and other mental disorders. Although cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has proven effective for the treatment of anxiety disorders in children, including SepAD, intensive forms of treatments have been developed recently to further improve treatment efficacy. This brief article describes a rationale for the development of intensive, disorder-specific treatments for SepAD, focusing on extinction learning and parental involvement in the child's therapy. We further provide an overview of three cognitive-behavioral and one psychodynamic intensive treatment programs for SepAD and review the empirical evidence for each of these programs. In conclusion, one promising treatment-intensification strategy is to deliver exposure in high doses and in multiple contexts. Parents can be coached to conduct such exposure in-between treatment sessions. In the light of initial findings from RCTs, the involvement of parents seems to benefit younger children more so than older ones.
An Immigrant Bank in Philadelphia Serving Russian Jews:
Authors: Velvel Moskoff William , Gayle Carol
Published: May 2014

The Blitzstein Bank of Philadelphia, established in 1891 by Russian Jews to serve Russian Jewish immigrants, had two main functions: first, to sell steamship tickets to immigrants so that they could bring relatives and friends to the United States and, second, to serve as an intermediary in the transfer of dollar remittances to relatives in Russia and then the Soviet Union. The financial status of the bank was tied to economic conditions in the United States and those in Russia. When prosperity reigned in the United States, the bank sold many tickets. When conditions were especially harsh in Russia, the impulse to migrate to the United States was high and so were ticket sales. The bank's fortunes were also indirectly connected to legal barriers against Jewish emigration erected by both the fledgling Soviet Union and the draconian immigrant quotas imposed by the United States in the early 1920s. After initially surviving the first wave of bank closings at the beginning of the Great Depression, the bank finally succumbed and closed its doors in late December 1930.
Young Man Bache:
Authors: Scherr Arthur
Published: May 2014

Far from being a humorless radical, as he is often depicted, Benjamin Franklin Bache, editor of the Philadelphia General Advertiser: Aurora from 1790 until his death in 1798, was a romantic, erotic young man concerned with loving and being loved. He was also a gentleman, like his grandfather Benjamin Franklin. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Bache had a reading knowledge of Latin. He valued a good education and was interested in presenting arguments in a logical, cohesive manner, rather than in composing partisan, rambling tirades. A complex individual, he was exemplary of the Late Enlightenment, combining its Romantic and rationalist features. More creative and serious-minded than most scholars who write about him comprehend, he was also a loving suitor, husband, and father.
The Problematic of Architecture and Utopia
Authors: Coleman Nathaniel
Published: May 2014

The job of recovering or recuperating Utopia for architecture is no easy task, considering how deeply entrenched suspicions about Utopia are in the discipline of architecture, as elsewhere. In an attempt to set the stage for the articles that follow, the introduction to this special issue on architecture and Utopia is dedicated to explaining just how and why Utopia has become so estranged from architecture that it requires recuperation.
Farm Security Administration Photographs of Greenbelt Towns:
Authors: Reblando Jason
Published: May 2014

In 1935, Roy Stryker, director of the Historical Section of the Resettlement Administration/Farm Security Administration (RA/FSA), hired some of the best professional photographic artists in the United States to document socioeconomic conditions of the Great Depression. Many of these RA/FSA images became icons of despair and catalysts for the social and economic reforms of the New Deal era. But there is a subset of photographs within the FSA archive that proposed a new American way of life: images of the Greenbelt communities that were constructed by the U.S. government in the late 1930s. In this article I argue that the images of the Greenbelt Towns were made to depict cooperation and prosperity, attributes not commonly associated with the work of the RA/FSA photographers. They present a utopian vision of architecture and community in America that challenged the economic ethos of individualism. My methods will include an analysis of RA/FSA photographs of the three Greenbelt towns, and I will compare them to photographs that have come to emblematize what the RA/FSA file represents. My treatment will complicate common assumptions about FSA photography and consider the historical and pictorial narrative of the Greenbelt program as a practical attempt at utopia in America.
The “Floating Asylum,” the Armée du salut, and Le Corbusier:
Authors: Morgan Diane
Published: May 2014

This article examines the case of a neglected “heterotopian” space, Le Corbusier's “floating asylum,” commissioned by the French Salvation Army. It uses archival material to explore the potentially far-reaching contribution “heterotopia” can make to a “utopian” project for social transformation, as well as indicating how “dystopian” aspects can infiltrate the same initiative. My analysis focuses on the different texts available in French on Foucault's problematic ideas on “other spaces.” It also draws attention to a another occluded “debate,” one that did not take place as such, between Foucault and Gauchet and Swain as to what types of spaces asylums actually were and intended to be. It also reflects on the place of asylum today and how hospitality might be extended to those who are socially excluded.
Beyond the Red Curtain:
Authors: Dunham Donald
Published: May 2014

One of the most striking features of the Barcelona Pavilion, a 1986 replica of the temporary structure designed by architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe as the German Pavilion for the 1929 International Exposition, is a red curtain visible behind a transparent glass wall. This detail, the only primary color in the composition, is inextricably linked to the pavilion's representational legacy and to the 1986 structure's authenticity as a reliable artifact. The modernist and classical aestheticizing and politicizing of the pavilion, however, have prevented us from looking beyond the red curtain. Here lies the conceptual epicenter of Mies's work. Why has the Barcelona Pavilion endured? What was the purpose and motivation of reconstructing a temporal structure that had very little explicit purpose beyond its own archi-political sovereignty? Do the answers lie in our subconscious need to experience firsthand a genuine utopian artifact? And if so, what exactly constitutes a utopian architectural artifact? This article examines the twentieth-century utopian tradition in architecture and places the Barcelona Pavilion at its epicenter.
Die Materielle Richtung der Utopieen:
Authors: Dugdale Kyle
Published: May 2014

The coming months will witness the publication in English of the second volume of Peter Sloterdijk's Spheres trilogy, the magnum opus of an author who is currently intensely fashionable among architects. Sloterdijk embeds within that text what might appear to be a staggering claim: that architectural aspiration is ultimately responsible for the very conception of the Judeo-Christian God. This claim is validated by reference to the Tower of Babel, long a marker both of utopian aspiration and of anti-utopian doubt, a tower constructed within the enclosure of city walls that were themselves, in Sloterdijk's account, designed to protect the utopia of a tight community against the threat of an expanding world. Sloterdijk illustrates his text with an image taken from Uriel Birnbaum's 1924 Der Kaiser und der Architekt: itself a magnificently illustrated retelling of the story of Babel. But not only is Birnbaum himself radically opposed to utopian thought, whether artistic or political; his text might more readily be associated with Nietzsche's account of the death of God than with Sloterdijk's account of the birth of that God. This article explores the curious ambiguity of Birnbaum's position, drawing in part on his unpublished manuscript entitled “Wesen und Geschichte der Utopie.”