bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Neurological Presentation of Ceruloplasmin Gene Mutations
Authors: McNeill Alisdair , Pandolfo Massimo , Kuhn Jens , Shang Huifang , Miyajima Hiroaki
Published: August 2008

Aceruloplasminemia is an autosomal recessive disorder of iron metabolism resulting from mutations of the ceruloplasmin gene. To better define the neurological phenotype of aceruloplasminemia we reviewed reports of published cases and sought details of unpublished ones. We identified 32 published reports and 1 unpublished case. The age at diagnosis ranged from 16 to 71 years with a mean of 51. For the 28 homozygous cases the most common presentation was with cognitive impairment (12/28, 42%) accompanied by craniofacial dyskinesia (8/28, 28%), cerebellar ataxia (13/28, 46%) and retinal degeneration (21/28, 75%). Four heterozygotes presented with cerebellar signs or tremor, whilst 1 had chorea-athetosis. There were no genotype-phenotype associations, but homozygotes tended to have severer disease.
William Halse Rivers Rivers (1864–1922) and the Sensory Nervous System
Authors: Pearce J.M.S.
Published: August 2008

The polymath William Rivers played an important role in his work with Henry Head in demonstrating the varied, evolving patterns of sensory loss, and epicritic and protopathic sensation, after the section of the superficial ramus of Head’s left radial nerve. After a mixed and frustrated army career Rivers devoted his attentions to shell shock and other psychological disturbances which were well received in his time. Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen were among the distinguished patients whose writings revealed Rivers as the revered object of their gratitude.
Moderate-Severe Renal Insufficiency Is a Risk Factor for Sirolimus-Eluting Stent Thrombosis
Authors: Zhu Zheng Bin , Zhang Rui Yan , Zhang Qi , Zhang Jian Sheng , Hu Jian , Yang Zhen Kun , Shen Wei Feng
Published: August 2008

Objective: The RIFT study aimed to observe the impact of renal insufficiency (RI) on the incidence of stent thrombosis (ST) after percutaneous coronary intervention. Methods: The RIFT study enrolled 1,174 patients undergoing revascularization exclusively with sirolimus-eluting stents. The occurrence of ST and major adverse cardiac events were compared between patients with (n = 309) and without (n = 865) RI, and independent predictors of ST were also identified. Results: During follow-up (mean 18.9 ± 9.2 months), the rate of ST was significantly higher in patients with than without RI [5.5% (n = 17) vs. 1.7% (n = 15), p < 0.001], and the presence of severe RI (estimated glomerular filtration rate <30 ml/min·1.73 m2) was an independent predictor of ST (odds ratio = 4.5, 95% confidence interval 1.4–15, p = 0.011). In patients with RI and diabetes or left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <50%, the incidence of ST was significantly increased [13.0% (n = 10) vs. 3.6% (n = 7), p = 0.010; 11.6% (n = 8) vs. 1.9% (n = 3), p = 0.004, respectively] compared to those with diabetes or LVEF <50% alone. The influence of RI on ST was not significant in patients with multivessel disease, calcified or bifurcation lesions, and target lesion revascularization. Conclusions: These findings substantiate the importance of long-term antiplatelet therapy for patients with RI after drug-eluting stent implantation.
Patients with Infective Endocarditis and Increased Cardiac Troponin I Levels Have a Higher Incidence of In-Hospital Mortality and Valve Replacement than Those with Normal Cardiac Troponin I Levels
Authors: Tsenovoy Peter , Aronow Wilbert S. , Joseph Julie , Kopacz Magdaline S.
Published: August 2008

Objectives: To investigate the association of increased cardiac troponin I levels with in-hospital mortality and valve replacement in patients with infective endocarditis (IE). Methods: The 62 patients included 36 men and 26 women, with a mean age of 60 ± 9 years, with IE diagnosed by the Duke criteria. All 62 patients had blood drawn for measurement of cardiac troponin I levels. A cardiac troponin I level >0.4 ng/ml was considered increased. All 62 patients underwent transesophageal echocardiography. Student’s t tests were used to analyze continuous variables. χ2 tests were used to analyze dichotomous variables. Results: Transesophageal echocardiography diagnosed valvular vegetations in 56 of the 62 patients (90%). Cardiac troponin I levels were increased in 35 of the 62 patients (57%). In-hospital mortality or valve replacement occurred in 18 of 35 patients (51%) with increased cardiac troponin I levels versus 4 of 27 patients (15%) with normal cardiac troponin I levels (p < 0.005). Conclusions: Patients with IE and increased cardiac troponin I levels have a higher incidence of in-hospital mortality or valve replacement than those with normal cardiac troponin I levels.
Multifactorial Etiology of Recurrent Miscarriage and Its Scientific and Clinical Implications
Authors: Christiansen Ole B. , Steffensen Rudi , Nielsen Henriette S. , Varming Kim
Published: August 2008

A considerable proportion of recurrent miscarriage (RM) cases are caused by recurrent chromosomally abnormal conceptions. However, in younger patients and patients with multiple miscarriages, maternal causes seem to dominate. No single biomarker with a high predictive value of maternally caused RM has been identified. Non-genetic biomarkers in RM may not reflect conditions in the pregnant uterus and we rarely know whether they are causes or consequences of miscarriage. Studies of genetic biomarkers are probably the best way to reveal the pathophysiological mechanisms behind RM. Epidemiological and genetic studies suggest that RM due to maternal causes has a multifactorial background. The risk of RM in each patient is probably determined by the interaction of many genetic variants and environmental factors but only few of these have so far been identified. The genetic biomarkers for RM can probably be classified into three groups: (1) variants associated with excessive inflammatory responses and autoimmunity; (2) variants of importance for insulin and androgen sensitivity and turn-over, and (3) variants associated with thrombophilia. Identification of these markers will require whole genome association studies comprising thousands of individuals. Acknowledgement of the multifactorial background for RM has important implications for the management of patients in clinical practice.
Incidence of Ischemic Stroke in Relation to Asymptomatic Carotid Artery Atherosclerosis in Subjects with Normal Blood Pressure
Authors: Li Cairu , Engström Gunnar , Berglund Göran , Janzon Lars , Hedblad Bo
Published: August 2008

Background:Approximately 10–20% of stroke cases have normal blood pressure (BP). The objective of this study was to explore whether the risk of ischemic stroke is related to the carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and atherosclerotic lesions in a cohort of subjects with normal BP. Methods:Common CIMT and the presence of carotid plaque were determined by B-mode ultrasound in 6,103 subjects, randomly recruited between 1991 and 1994 from the ‘Malmö Diet and Cancer’ study. Normal BP was defined as BP <140/90 mm Hg, without pharmacological treatment for hypertension. Carotid artery atherosclerosis (CAA) was defined as CIMT ≧0.81 mm or/and the presence of plaque (i.e. focal CIMT >1.2 mm). The incidence of ischemic stroke was followed over a mean period of 10.7 years. Results:A total of 2,228 subjects (791 men and 1,437 women) had normal BP. During the follow-up, 34 patients suffered a first-ever ischemic stroke (crude incidence: 1.51/1,000 person-years). The Prevalences of CAA in subjects with and without stroke were 68.6 and 39.0%, respectively. It was estimated that the subjects with CAA had a 3-fold higher risk of ischemic stroke (RR: 3.33, 1.37–8.14), independent of other cardiovascular risk factors. Each increase of 1 standard deviation (0.13 mm) in CIMT increased the stroke risk by 43% (RR: 1.43, 1.002–2.02). Several factors were found to have a notable relation with CAA, including age, male sex, smoking, diabetes, systolic BP, HbA1c (glycosylated hemoglobin) and cholesterol. Conclusions: CIMT and atherosclerotic lesions are independent clinical markers for ischemic stroke among normotensive individuals.
An Open-Label Pilot Study of Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors to Promote Functional Recovery in Elderly Cognitively Impaired Stroke Patients
Authors: Whyte Ellen M. , Lenze Eric J. , Butters Meryl , Skidmore Elizabeth , Koenig Kris , Dew Mary Amanda , Penrod Louis , Mulsant Benoit H. , Pollock Bruce G. , Cabacungan Leonard , Reynolds, III Charles F. , Munin Michael C.
Published: August 2008

Background: Impairments in cognition and motivationare common after stroke and predict poor functional recovery. Pharmacological agents that enhance cognition and/or diminish apathy may, when combined with traditional rehabilitative efforts, improve functional recovery. We investigated the feasibility of using acetylcholinesterase inhibitors in older patients with acute post-stroke cognitive impairment and examined their effects on functional recovery. Methods: This 12-week open-label study prospectively treated ischemic stroke survivors aged ≧60 years who were undergoing inpatient rehabilitation and who had cognitive impairment in one or more domains (memory, attention or executive function). Participants received galantamine (maximum dose 24 mg/day) or donepezil (maximum dose 10 mg/day). Physical function was assessed using the Functional Independence Measure–motor subscale (FIM-motor); participants’ functional gains were compared to those of a matched historical comparator group. Changes in cognition and apathy were also assessed. Since donepezil and galantamine have different pharmacologic profiles, they were examined separately. Results: Forty participants started study medication; 14 participants terminated prematurely. Donepezil-treated participants experienced a 14-point greater improvement in the FIM-motor score compared to either galantamine-treated participants or the historical comparator group (repeated measures mixed model, group × time interaction p < 0.0001). Change in apathy, but not in cognition, was also associated with change in the FIM-motor score. Conclusions: In this open-label study, participants receiving donepezil had better functional recovery than participants receiving galantamine or the historical comparators. This improvement may reflect efficacy at the starting dose for donepezil but not galantamine. A randomized trial is in progress.
Oral Anticoagulation in Patients with Cardiomyopathy or Heart Failure in Sinus Rhythm
Authors: Pullicino P. , Thompson J.L.P. , Mohr J.P. , Sacco R.L. , Freudenberger R. , Levin B. , Homma S.
Published: August 2008

Background: Despite many prospective randomized studies defining the benefits of anticoagulation in atrial fibrillation (AF), there have been no adequate studies in cardiomyopathy (CM) in sinus rhythm. Methods: We review the current knowledge of the risk of stroke in CM, left ventricular systolic dysfunction and heart failure as well as the indications for antithrombotic agents and compare this with AF. Results: The current knowledge of risk factors for stroke and indications for antithrombotic agents in CM is similar to that of AF prior to the treatment studies of the 1980s–1990s. Conclusion: Prospective randomized trial data are urgently needed to determine the role of antithrombotic drugs in CM.
Illicit Methadone Use and Abuse in Young People Accessing Treatment for Opiate Dependence
Authors: Roche Aoife , McCabe Sara , Smyth Bobby P.
Published: August 2008

The current study looked at illicit methadone use in a group of young people attending a Dublin clinic for treatment of opiate dependence. A structured questionnaire was designed and administered to eligible participants (aged 25 years or under on treatment for opiate dependence). Of the total number of participants (n = 81), 73% reported illicit methadone use before treatment entry and the main reason for use was to manage opiate withdrawals. During treatment 55% reported illicit methadone use and failure to get to the clinic was the main reason given. Some participants reported use for hedonic effects (33% prior to treatment and 12% in treatment). Despite strict controls, most participants reported that illicit methadone was readily available at low cost (EUR 23 per 80 mg). Despite legislative and administrative efforts to curtail methadone diversion in Ireland, we found that it is widespread. Although it is generally used to self-medicate withdrawal symptoms in established opiate addicts, the extent of its use raises concerns as a risk for opiate overdose in the community.
Optimization of Antibiotic Use in Hospitals – Antimicrobial Stewardship and the EU Project ABS International
Authors: Allerberger Franz , Lechner Arno , Wechsler-Fördös Agnes , Gareis Roland
Published: August 2008

Background: The problem of antimicrobial resistance requires common strategies at the European level. Methods: We report on an EU initiative fostering antibiotic (AB) stewardship (ABS) in hospitals. Results: The project ‘ABS International: implementing antibiotic strategies for appropriate use of antibiotics in hospitals in member states of the EU’ started in September 2006 in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia. A training program for national ABS trainers was prepared and standard templates for ABS tools (AB list, guidelines for AB treatment and surgical prophylaxis, and AB-related organization) and valid process measures as well as quality indicators for AB use were developed. Specific ABS tools are being implemented in up to five health care facilities per country. Conclusion: ABS International is the first EU-funded initiative focusing on the implementation of structural measures in hospitals to promote the prudent use of ABs.
Reduction of HLA-DR+ Lymphocytes after Treatment with Enzastaurin in Patients with Metastatic Thyroid Cancer
Authors: Smetak Manfred , Weigang-Koehler Karin , Hanauske Axel , Ohnmacht Ute , Lahn Michael , Wilhelm Martin , Birkmann Josef
Published: August 2008

Background: Cytotoxic anti-tumor agents like methotrexate or cyclophosphamide have been used in the treatment of autoimmune diseases although the exact mechanism of their immunomodulatory function is unclear. By contrast, molecularly targeted anti-tumor agents, such as the serine/threonine kinase inhibitor enzastaurin, have not been evaluated for treatments other than cancer. Methods: Blood was sampled from patients with metastatic thyroid cancer treated with enzastaurin followed by the combination treatment of enzastaurin and the anti-folate pemetrexed. During this sequential treatment, blood was drawn every 14 days to monitor changes in the lymphocyte population. Results: We observed that enzastaurin monotherapy reduced the number of HLA-DR-expressing lymphocytes. No signs of infection were observed in any patient. Conclusion: Our findings suggest an immunomodulatory effect of enzastaurin in addition to the anti-tumor effect.
Ciprofloxacin-Induced Urticaria and Tenosynovitis: A Case Report
Authors: Kayabas Uner , Yetkin Funda , Firat Ahmet K. , Ozcan Hamdi , Bayindir Yasar
Published: August 2008

Background: Tendon disorders are rare events associated with fluoroquinolone congestion. Skin reactions are more frequent than tendon disorders. We reported this case as the combination of ciprofloxacin-induced urticaria and tenosynovitis has been unreported in young women. Case: A 28-year-old woman without underlying disease developed urticarias and tendinopathy 4 days after the initiation of ciprofloxacin treatment for urinary infection. MRI of the left foot revealed increased synovial fluid surrounding the tendon of the flexor hallucis longus muscle representing tenosynovitis. Ciprofloxacin was ceased due to the possibility of ciprofloxacin-induced tendinopathy and urticaria. Complete resolution of her symptoms and findings occurred 3 days after discontinuation of ciprofloxacin without any additional treatment. Conclusion: Early discontinuation of fluoroquinolone therapy when tendinopathy is suspected is the basis of therapy. So, it should be kept in mind that fluoroquinolone-induced tendinopathy may occur in an otherwise healthy young patient with no risk factors and in a site other than the Achilles tendon.
Heart Rate Variability in Schizophrenic Patients Switched from Typical Antipsychotic Agents to Amisulpride and Olanzapine
Authors: Wang Ying-Chieh , Yang Cheryl C.H. , Bai Ya-Mei , Kuo Terry B.J.
Published: August 2008

Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder that requires lifelong treatment, and therefore information on the cardiovascular safety and tolerance of antipsychotics is of significant clinical importance. Atypical antipsychotics have been used to treat schizophrenia patients since the 1990s, and more and more patients have been switched to these from typical antipsychotics; however, there is still no accessible evaluation tool for assessing cardiovascular safety. In this study, we used a computer-assisted 5-min measurement of resting heart rate variability (HRV) in schizophrenia patients who were switched to atypical antipsychotic agents (amisulpride and olanzapine) due to severe side effects (tardive dyskinesia). In 15 patients who switched to amisulpride and 18 to olanzapine, HRV was evaluated before the medication was switched, and patients were followed up every month for 3 months after the switch. Frequency-domain analyses of short-term and stationary respiratory rate (RR) intervals were performed to evaluate low-frequency power (LF; 0.04–0.15 Hz), high-frequency power (HF; 0.15–0.40 Hz), the ratio of LF to HF (LF/HF), and LF in normalized units (LF%). Our results showed significant increases in the mean, variance and HF of RR intervals in the amisulpride group, but not in the olanzapine group. These results indicate that amisulpride has a more vagotonic effect, suggesting greater cardiovascular safety as compared with olanzapine when subjects are switched from typical antipsychotic agents.
Genetic Polymorphisms of Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha Modify the Association between Dietary Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Plasma High-Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol Concentrations in a Population of Young Adults
Authors: Fontaine-Bisson Bénédicte , El-Sohemy Ahmed
Published: August 2008

Background/Aims: Genetic polymorphisms in tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) modify the association between polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in a population with type 2 diabetes. The objective of this study was to determine whether this gene × diet interaction is observed in a diabetes-free population and whether it is due to n–3 or n–6 PUFA. Methods: Subjects (n = 595) were aged 20–29 years and genotyped for the TNF-α –238G>A and TNF-α –308G>A polymorphisms. Diet was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. Subjects were grouped as having no minor A allele at both the –238 and –308 positions (0/0), or one minor A allele at either the –238 (1/0) or the –308 (0/1) position. Results: TNF-α genotypes modified the association between dietary PUFA and HDL-cholesterol concentrations (p = 0.04 for interaction). Among individuals with the 0/0 genotype, total PUFA was positively associated with HDL-cholesterol in both men (p = 0.008) and women (p = 0.03), and for both n–6 (p = 0.004) and n–3 (p = 0.04) PUFA. However, an inverse relationship was observed among men carrying the 1/0 genotype (p = 0.005). Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that TNF-α genotypes modify the association between dietary PUFA and HDL-cholesterol and provide further evidence that inflammation is involved in the reverse cholesterol transport.
Efficacy and Safety of Atrasentan in Patients With Cardiovascular Risk and Early Atherosclerosis
Authors: Raichlin Eugenia , Prasad Abhiram , Mathew Verghese , Kent Bailey , Holmes David R. , Pumper Geralyn M. , Nelson Rebecca E. , Lerman Lilach O. , Lerman Amir
Published: August 2008

Endothelin plays an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. The aim of the study was to evaluate the safety and hemodynamic and metabolic responses to 6 months treatment with atrasentan, the selective endothelin-A receptor antagonist. Seventy-two patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors and nonobstructive coronary artery disease on coronary angiogram were randomly assigned in a double-blind manner to atrasentan or placebo. Mean aortic blood pressure decreased from 92±10 to 80±10 mm Hg (
P
<0.001) in the atrasentan group and did not change in the placebo group (93±10 and 92±11 mm Hg;
P
=0.84). The difference between the groups was significant (
P
<0.001). No effect on heart rate was observed. In a subgroup of patients not treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, creatinine level decreased in the atrasentan versus the placebo group (
P
=0.011). Fasting glucose (
P
=0.026), glycosylated hemoglobin level (
P
=0.041), triglyceride l (
P
=0.013), lipoprotein-A (
P
=0.046), and uric acid levels (
P
=0.048) decreased significantly in the atrasentan group compared with the placebo group. No progression of angiographic coronary disease was observed. The most common adverse effects with atrasentan were nasal stuffiness, headache, and edema. In conclusion, 6 months of treatment with atrasentan results in a reduction of blood pressure and improvement in glucose and lipid metabolism. These findings suggest the beneficial role of atrasentan in the treatment of hypertension and metabolic syndrome.
Salt Sensitivity of Children With Low Birth Weight
Authors: Simonetti Giacomo D. , Raio Luigi , Surbek Daniel , Nelle Mathias , Frey Felix J. , Mohaupt Markus G.
Published: August 2008

Compromised intrauterine fetal growth leading to low birth weight (<2500 g) is associated with adulthood renal and cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of salt intake on blood pressure (salt sensitivity) in children with low birth weight. White children (n=50; mean age: 11.3±2.1 years) born with low (n=35) or normal (n=15) birth weight and being either small or appropriate for gestational age (n=25 in each group) were investigated. The glomerular filtration rate was calculated using the Schwartz formula, and renal size was measured by ultrasound. Salt sensitivity was assigned if mean 24-hour blood pressure increased by ≥3 mm Hg on a high-salt diet as compared with a controlled-salt diet. Baseline office blood pressure was higher and glomerular filtration rate lower in children born with low birth weight as compared with children born at term with appropriate weight (
P
<0.05). Salt sensitivity was present in 37% and 47% of all of the low birth weight and small for gestational age children, respectively, higher even than healthy young adults from the same region. Kidney length and volume (both
P
<0.0001) were reduced in low birth weight children. Salt sensitivity inversely correlated with kidney length (
r
2
=0.31;
P
=0.005) but not with glomerular filtration rate. We conclude that a reduced renal mass in growth-restricted children poses a risk for a lower renal function and for increased salt sensitivity. Whether the changes in renal growth are causative or are the consequence of the same abnormal “fetal programming” awaits clarification.
George Bancroft's Civil War: Slavery, Abraham Lincoln, and the Course of History
Authors: Leeman William P.
Published: August 2008

The Civil War challenged historian George Bancroft's faith in the United States as a beacon of freedom for the world. Interpreting the war as a trial inflicted by God for the purpose of purging slavery from American society, Bancroft took it upon himself to spur Abraham Lincoln toward emancipation.
Kaiser Konstantin der Große und der Apostel Paulus
Authors: Staats Reinhart
Published: August 2008

The article tries to demonstrate the leading theological ideas underlying several statements of the first Christian emperor. Sources were drawn from the Constantinian legislation and the direct quotations of Constantine from the texts of Eusebius, omitting the often strange interpretations of this churchfather. There are seven parallels between Constantine's laws and the letters of the apostle Paul, three of them evident: 1. Sunday as a day of rest corresponds to Constantine's title “fundator quietis” and coins with the inscription “beata tranquillitas” (cf. 1 Tim 2,2). 2. The laws on slavery, especially the release of slaves “in ecclesiae gremio” (cf. letter to Philemon, 1 Cor 7,21 etc.) 3. The episcopal court “audientia episcopalis” (cf. 1Cor 6, 1-8). Four other parallels between the apostle's life and the life of Constantine are discussed. Finally, all the western theologians and bishops behind Constantine in the years after 310 will be introduced.
Development and Evaluation of a Coupled Photosynthesis-Based Gas Exchange Evapotranspiration Model (GEM) for Mesoscale Weather Forecasting Applications
Authors: Niyogi Dev , Alapaty Kiran , Raman Sethu , Chen Fei
Published: August 2008

Current land surface schemes used for mesoscale weather forecast models use the Jarvis-type stomatal resistance formulations for representing the vegetation transpiration processes. The Jarvis scheme, however, despite its robustness, needs significant tuning of the hypothetical minimum-stomatal resistance term to simulate surface energy balances. In this study, the authors show that the Jarvis-type stomatal resistance/transpiration model can be efficiently replaced in a coupled land–atmosphere model with a photosynthesis-based scheme and still achieve dynamically consistent results. To demonstrate this transformative potential, the authors developed and coupled a photosynthesis, gas exchange–based surface evapotranspiration model (GEM) as a land surface scheme for mesoscale weather forecasting model applications. The GEM was dynamically coupled with a prognostic soil moisture–soil temperature model and an atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) model. This coupled system was then validated over different natural surfaces including temperate C4 vegetation (prairie grass and corn field) and C3 vegetation (soybean, fallow, and hardwood forest) under contrasting surface conditions (such as different soil moisture and leaf area index). Results indicated that the coupled model was able to realistically simulate the surface fluxes and the boundary layer characteristics over different landscapes. The surface energy fluxes, particularly for latent heat, are typically within 10%–20% of the observations without any tuning of the biophysical–vegetation characteristics, and the response to the changes in the surface characteristics is consistent with observations and theory. This result shows that photosynthesis-based transpiration/stomatal resistance models such as GEM, despite various complexities, can be applied for mesoscale weather forecasting applications. Future efforts for understanding the different scaling parameterizations and for correcting errors for low soil moisture and/or wilting vegetation conditions are necessary to improve model performance. Results from this study suggest that the GEM approach using the photosynthesis-based soil vegetation atmosphere transfer (SVAT) scheme is thus superior to the Jarvis-based approaches. Currently GEM is being implemented within the Noah land surface model for the community Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Advanced Research Version Modeling System (ARW) and the NCAR high-resolution land data assimilation system (HRLDAS), and validation is under way.
Surface Heterogeneity Effects on Regional-Scale Fluxes in Stable Boundary Layers: Surface Temperature Transitions
Authors: Stoll Rob , Porté-Agel Fernando
Published: August 2008

Large-eddy simulation, with recently developed dynamic subgrid-scale models, is used to study the effect of heterogeneous surface temperature distributions on regional-scale turbulent fluxes in the stable boundary layer (SBL). Simulations are performed of a continuously turbulent SBL with surface heterogeneity added in the form of streamwise transitions in surface temperature. Temperature differences between patches of 6 and 3 K are explored with patch length scales ranging from one-half to twice the equivalent homogeneous boundary layer height. The surface temperature heterogeneity has important effects on the mean wind speed and potential temperature profiles as well as on the surface heat flux distribution. Increasing the difference between the patch temperatures results in decreased magnitude of the average surface heat flux, with a corresponding increase in the mean potential temperature in the boundary layer. The simulation results are also used to test existing models for average surface fluxes over heterogeneous terrain. The tested models fail to fully represent the average turbulent heat flux, with models that break the domain into homogeneous subareas grossly underestimating the heat flux magnitude over patches with relatively colder surface temperatures. Motivated by these results, a new parameterization based on local similarity theory is proposed. The new formulation is found to correct the bias over the cold patches, resulting in improved average surface heat flux calculations.
Long-Range Niño-3.4 Predictions Using Pairwise Dynamic Combinations of Multiple Models
Authors: Chowdhury Shahadat , Sharma Ashish
Published: August 2008

The interest in climate prediction has seen a rise in the number of modeling alternatives in recent years. One way to reduce the predictive uncertainty from any such modeling procedure is to combine or average the modeled outputs. Multiple model results can be combined such that the combination weights may either be static or vary over time. This research develops a methodology for combining forecasts from multiple models in a dynamic setting. The authors mix models on a pairwise basis using importance weights that vary in time, reflecting the persistence of individual model skills. Such an approach is referred to here as a dynamic pairwise combination tree and is presented as an improvement over the case where the importance weights are static or constant over time. The pairwise importance weight is modeled as a product of a “mixture ratio” and a “bias direction,” the former representing the fraction of the absolute residual error associated with each of the paired models, and the latter representing an indicator of the sign of the two residual errors. The mixture ratio is modeled using a generalized autoregressive model and the bias direction using ordered logistic regression.

The method is applied to combine three climate models, the variables of interest being the monthly sea surface temperature anomalies averaged over the Niño-3.4 region from 1956 to 2001. The authors test the combined model skill using a “leave ± 6 months out cross-validation” approach along with validation in 10-yr blocks. This study attained a small but consistent improvement of the predictive skill of the dynamically combined models compared to the existing practice of static weight combination.
The Mid-1970s Climate Shift in the Pacific and the Relative Roles of Forced versus Inherent Decadal Variability
Authors: Meehl Gerald A. , Hu Aixue , Santer Benjamin D.
Published: August 2008

A significant shift from cooler to warmer tropical Pacific sea surface temperatures (SSTs), part of a pattern of basinwide SST anomalies involved with a transition to the positive phase of the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO), occurred in the mid-1970s with effects that extended globally. One view is that this change was entirely natural and was a product of internally generated decadal variability of the Pacific climate system. However, during the mid-1970s there was also a significant increase of global temperature and changes to a number of other quantities that have been associated with changes in external forcings, particularly increases of greenhouse gases from the burning of fossil fuels. Analysis of observations, an unforced control run from a global coupled climate model, and twentieth-century simulations with changes in external forcings show that the observed 1970s climate shift had a contribution from changes in external forcing superimposed on what was likely an inherent decadal fluctuation of the Pacific climate system. Thus, this inherent decadal variability associated with the IPO delayed until the 1970s what likely would have been a forced climate shift in the 1960s from a negative to positive phase of the IPO.
Jean Giono: The personal ethics of an author writing under the occupation
Authors: Emery Meaghan
Published: August 2008

The recently published Journal de l'Occupation (1995), written by Jean Giono from September 1943 to September 1944, allows a privileged view of the French author who was subsequently blacklisted for collaboration. Contemporary critics generally consider Giono guilty of literary collaboration. In this article, I inquire into the legitimacy of these claims through a close reading of his occupation diary and other publications of the occupation period. In the end, I reject this commonly held notion in favour of the portrait that the diary provides: that of a disillusioned French author and French citizen, who is unwilling to take sides in the civil conflict beyond his local allegiances, and thus refuses to submit his vision to an overarching political project. Moreover, his total belief in an individual's freedom of conscience makes him subversive in his refusal to submit to one doctrine or another.
Oil Booms and Boosterism
Authors: Adamson Michael R.
Published: August 2008

This article examines the intersection of oil industry interests and the growth strategy of local elites in the wake of Ventura, California's oil boom of the 1920s. It amends urban growth machine and civic boosterism theory by showing why cosmopolitan capital may exert influence over parochial politics even if it does not have a direct interest in population increase. The study also finds that oil development sustained long-term quantitative growth for this coastal community, much as Roger M. Olien and Diana Davids Olien found in their study of five towns in the Permian basin of west Texas. Owing to the influence of outside companies, however, boosters failed to develop Ventura qualitatively as a tourist and recreational destination. Indeed, by the 1950s, Ventura more closely resembled inland California oil towns in terms of place than nearby Santa Barbara, which boosters had hoped to emulate.
Trade, Progress, and Patriotism
Authors: Martland Samuel J.
Published: August 2008

Valparaíso, Chile, defined itself as a relatively autonomous, cosmopolitan port city during the nineteenth century. As the leading Pacific port in South America, it played a key role in the Chilean economy. A strong foreign presence, rapid growth, and omnipresent commerce accompanied local prosperity. Local leaders sought the latest urban technologies to bring “progress”—essentially, to mitigate problems created by rapid growth. Although Valparaíso's mercantile elite favored practical solutions rather than the Haussmann-esque urban renewal seen in Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, and Santiago de Chile, the city tackled planning challenges aggressively and succeeded notably in some areas. It successfully negotiated tensions over its residents' dual allegiances to the Chilean state and to international trading communities until the early twentieth century. At that point, political centralization in Chile subordinated Valparaíso to Santiago's power while economic and transportation changes diminished its importance as an entrepot and the city's cosmopolitan identity receded.
Enterprise 2.0 — What's your game plan?
Authors: Marfleet Jackie
Published: August 2008

In a world where organizations are increasingly adopting Enterprise 2.0 technology what, if any, will be the role of the information intermediary? Where can information intermediaries add value in their organizations and how can they ride and harness the wave of new technologies that spring up on a seemingly daily basis? Is this a period of boom or bust?
If you want something done, ask a busy person
Authors: Byrne Una
Published: August 2008

Effective use of personal time management skills and techniques can ensure a successful balance between work and personal life. This article suggests ways of analysing how time is spent, and offers advice on making plans for the future in a business and personal environment.
BL BIPC Column. Intellectual property
Authors: O'Hare Jeremy
Published: August 2008

News from the National: The British Library Business and IP (Intellectual Property) Centre at the British Library will be contributing opinion pieces about their insights into business information on a regular basis. This item looks at the benefits of merging teams of business and intellectual property specialists to provide better services to customers.
Family Disengagement of Youth Offenders: Implications for Counselors
Authors: Coll Kenneth M. , Juhnke Gerald A. , Thobro Patti , Haas Robin , Smith Robinson Megan
Published: August 2008

This study investigated the differences among youth offenders for family engagement (as measured by the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales—III) and conduct-disordered behaviors (as measured by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [4th ed., text revision] criteria) by means of the Youth Comprehensive Risk Assessment. Results indicated significant differences in conduct-disordered behaviors between youths with less familial engagement compared with youths with more family engagement. Resulting implications for counselors are included.
Extending Grid-Based Workflow Tools With Patterns/Operators
Authors: Gomes Cecilia , Rana Omer F. , Cunha Jose
Published: August 2008

Many grid applications involve combining computational and data access components into complex workflows. A distinction is generally made between mechanisms to compose components (referred to as build-time functions) and subsequent mechanisms to execute these components on distributed resources (referred to as run-time functions). An approach to supporting such build- and run-time functions using specialist patterns and operators is presented. “Structural” patterns may be treated as meta-components within a workflow system, and used within the composition process. Subsequently, such components may be scheduled for execution using “behavioral” patterns via the enactment process. Application examples are presented to demonstrate how such patterns — and subsequently operators — may be used. Their implementation within the Triana Problem Solving Environment is also described.
Activity Completion Duration Based Checkpoint Selection for Dynamic Verification of Temporal Constraints in Grid Workflow Systems
Authors: Jinjun Chen  , Yun Yang
Published: August 2008

In grid workflow systems, to verify temporal constraints efficiently at the run-time execution stage, some checkpoints are selected such that temporal verification need only be conducted at those checkpoints rather than at all activity points. However, existing typical checkpoint selection strategies may ignore some necessary checkpoints and select some unnecessary ones. This eventually impacts overall temporal verification effectiveness and efficiency. To improve such status, in this paper, we develop a new checkpoint selection strategy. Specifically, we first investigate the relationships between activity completion duration and the consistency of temporal constraints. Then, based on those relationships we present our new checkpoint selection strategy. Our new strategy can avoid the omission of necessary checkpoints and the selection of excess unnecessary checkpoints. Consequently, it can achieve better temporal verification effectiveness and efficiency than the existing typical checkpoint selection strategies. The final comparison and quantitative evaluation further demonstrate this result.
Mapping Heavy Communication Grid-Based Workflows Onto Grid Resources Within an SLA Context Using Metaheuristics
Authors: Quan Dang Minh , Hsu D. Frank
Published: August 2008

Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are currently one of the major research topics in grid computing. Among many system components for SLA-related grid jobs, the SLA mapping mechanism has received widespread attention. It is responsible for assigning sub-jobs of a workflow to a variety of grid resources in a way that meets the user's deadline and costs as little as possible. With the distinguished workload and resource characteristics, mapping a heavy communication workflow within an SLA context gives rise to a complicated combinatorial optimization problem. This paper presents the application of various metaheuristics and suggests a possible approach to solving this problem. Performance measurements deliver evaluation results on the quality and efficiency of each method.
Flexible and Efficient Workflow Deployment of Data-Intensive Applications On Grids With MOTEUR
Authors: Glatard Tristan , Montagnat Johan , Lingrand Diane , Pennec Xavier
Published: August 2008

Workflows offer a powerful way to describe and deploy applications on grid infrastructures. Many workflow management systems have been proposed but there is still a lack of a system that would allow both a simple description of the dataflow of the application and an efficient execution on a grid platform. In this paper, we study the requirements of such a system, underlining the need for well-defined data composition strategies on the one hand and for a fully parallel execution on the other. As combining those features is not straightforward, we then propose algorithms to do so and we describe the design and implementation of MOTEUR, a workflow engine that fulfills those requirements. Performance results and overhead quantification are shown to evaluate MOTEUR with respect to existing comparable workflow systems on a production grid.
An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Adaptation to Recurrent Venous Thrombosis and Heritable Thrombophilia
Authors: Moore Tria , Norman Paul , Harris Peter R. , Makris Michael
Published: August 2008

Venous thromboembolic disease (VTE) is a serious, life-threatening condition and a major cause of mortality and morbidity. Heritable thrombophilia increases risk of recurrent VTE. The present study employed Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to explore adaptation to recurrent VTE and heritable thrombophilia in six female patients. Three main themes were identified focusing on: (1) patients' multi-causal models of VTE and the maintenance of; (2) primary control; and (3) secondary control as facilitators of adjustment. Overall, genetic testing following recurrent VTE did not have a negative impact on patients. One area of concern, however, related to passing on the susceptibility to children.
`Blokes Don't Like That Sort of Thing'
Authors: Seymour-Smith Sarah
Published: August 2008

Research has demonstrated that gender is a barrier to men's participation in self-help groups. In this article I analyse how four men and seven women negotiate their identities as members of cancer self-help groups. Their accounts were transcribed and analysed using a synthetic approach to discursive psychology. Women's accounts were organized around the notion of receiving help whereas men appeared to resist this type of identity. I explore how men attended to the presentation of a masculine identity and focus on how men negotiated `legitimately masculine' reasons to be engaged in self-help groups.
`I Can Actually Exercise If I Want To; It Isn't As Hard As I Thought'
Authors: Daley Amanda J. , Copeland Robert J. , Wright Neil P. , Wales Jerry K.H.
Published: August 2008

A qualitative study nested within a randomized controlled trial explored obese adolescents' experiences of participation in an exercise therapy intervention. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants assigned to exercise therapy. Participants' reported feeling more energetic during and after exercise, than before. Many participants reported feeling happy/happier and expressed feeling better about themselves as individuals after the intervention. Most participants felt more confident in their ability to exercise regularly. Greater emphasis needs to be placed upon educating obese adolescents about the wide range of health benefits that exercise can provide, and that weight loss, while important, is only one such benefit.
Community Autoethnography: Compiling the Personal and Resituating Whiteness
Authors: Toyosaki Satoshi , Pensoneau-Conway Sandra L. , Wendt Nathan A. , Leathers Kyle
Published: August 2008

Examining whiteness (in) education is a journey of identity and materiality. In this article, the authors adopt an approach to research that highlights the role of performance in constituting identity. They believe that theorizing identity in this way is facilitated through autoethnographic storytelling, which allows one to theorize material performances of identity, along with the culture in which those performances are situated. In the following, the authors dialogically theorize whiteness education through their stories. They draw upon themselves as individuals and one another as partners in humanity in order to make sense of education within a context of whiteness. They develop community autoethnography as a method with which to engage in such dialogical theorization.
Do Whatever You Can: Temporality and Critical, Interpretive Methods in an Age of Despair
Authors: Olesen Virginia
Published: August 2008

This essay argues that critical qualitative methods might well be harnessed to the potential of the Internet and the Web to undertake and enhance intervention as events unfold. Flexible and multifaceted, such methods differ with regard to temporal dynamics, hence the capacity to intervene. At least two uses are possible, research into interactions and emerging structures, and dissemination of findings and critiques in experimental forms on the Internet, Web, cell phones, iPods. Such strategies offer rapidity, flexibility, and presentations of listener/viewer dialogue and response.
Methods and processes for the reanalysis of the NINDS tissue plasminogen activator for acute ischemic stroke treatment trial
Authors: Hertzberg Vicki , Ingall Timothy , O'Fallon William , Asplund Kjell , Goldfrank Lewis , Louis Thomas , Christianson Teresa
Published: August 2008

Background Treatment group imbalances in baseline stroke severity in the NINDS intravenous t-PA for acute stroke treatment trial led to controversy regarding the efficacy of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke.

Purpose Describe the steps used to independently re-evaluate this trial.

Methods NIH appointed an independent multidisciplinary committee that gained access to the original data. We undertook analyses of t-PA efficacy accounting for this imbalance, as well as analyses to identify subgroups that experienced additional harm or benefit from t-PA. Analyses of time from stroke onset to treatment (OTT), blood pressure, and intracerebral hemorrhage are given as illustrations.

Results Despite subgroup imbalances in baseline stroke severity, when t-PA was administered to acute ischemic stroke patients according to study protocol, there was a statistically significant and clinically important benefit of t-PA treatment resulting in a higher likelihood of having a favorable clinical outcome at 3 months. Moreover, we were unable to identify subgroups of patients between which t-PA treatment effect differed, albeit these analyses had low power. These data failed to support the NINDS investigators' conclusion that effect of t-PA therapy diminished with increasing values of OTT within the protocol-specified 3 h time limit. In addition, the blood pressure measurements were highly variable and inconsistently determined so as to be too unreliable for inclusion in analysis.

Conclusion With new NIH requirements for data-sharing, the frequency of re-analysis of clinical trial data may increase substantially. This re-evaluation provides a blueprint for future re-evaluations of other trials. These best practices include re-analysis of the study data, after suitable replication, by an independent multidisciplinary committee, including a skilled statistical programmer analyst. Primary investigators should address significant errors determined in such re-analyses. Clinical Trials 2008; 5: 308—315. http://ctj.sagepub.com