bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigation of the Seismic Response of a Byzantine Church and Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Proposed Interventions
Authors: Psycharis Ioannis N. , Mouzakis Harris P. , Miltiadou Androniki , Pavlopoulou Evangelia P. , Taflampas Ioannis M.
Published: May 2010

The seismic response of the twelfth-century Byzantine church of Panhagia Krina in Chios, Greece, is investigated in this paper. The numerical model implements all the details of the geometry of the structure and is validated by comparison of the dynamic characteristics with ambient vibration measurements. Time-history elastic analyses are performed for selective seismic motions, chosen to comply with the expected ground motion in the area. The results show that the linear elastic approach can predict the existing damage quite accurately and explain the collapses that occurred during the 1881 earthquake. The effectiveness of several interventions is also examined; in some cases, cracks were introduced in the model to overcome the limitations of the elastic analysis. The proposed interventions enhance the structure but they cannot eliminate the possibility of severe damage or even local collapses during future seismic events. This is because there are inherent problems in the structure, e.g., the large size of the dome of the main church compared with the overall size of the structure and the structurally weak system of support of this dome.
Manly Matters: The Theatricality and Sociability of Beards in Giordano Bruno's Candelaio and Sixteenth-Century Italy
Authors: Biow Douglas
Published: May 2010

Beards, both real and fake, acquire a special status in Giordano Bruno's Candelaio as symbolically charged objects that reveal not only much about the characters and their functions within the play, but also much about social norms and expectations regarding the performance of male sociability in sixteenth-century Italy. To this end, understanding the social and cultural context within which Italian men grew and cared for their beards during the period will help explain the meaning of a unique feature of Bruno's play, while examining Bruno's play will in its turn help dramatize more concretely a number of pervasive social and cultural anxieties about masculine self-presentation in Bruno's time. This essay brings together literary and cultural history within the broader context of gender and body studies of Renaissance Italy, in particular, and, more generally, of the European Renaissance.
A small, silent, low friction, linear actuator for mechanical nociceptive testing in veterinary research
Authors: Dixon M J , Taylor P M , Slingsby L , Hoffmann M V , Kästner S B R , Murrell J
Published: May 2010

Air pressure is commonly used to drive a mechanical stimulus for nociceptive threshold testing. This may be bulky, noisy, non-linear and suffer from friction, hence development of a better system is described. A novel, light (14 g) rolling diaphragm actuator was constructed, which supplied 20 N force via a constant actuation area irrespective of the pressure and position in the stroke. Three round-ended pins, 2.5 mm diameter, mounted in a triangle on the piston, provided the stimulus. Pressure was increased manually using a syringe with the rate of rise of force controlled at 0.8 N/s by warning lights. The pressure/force relationship was calibrated using a static force transducer and mercury column. Data were collected with the actuator attached to the anteromedial radius of 12 cats and four dogs. Mechanical threshold was recorded when the animal withdrew the limb and/or turned towards the actuator. Safety cut-off was 20 N. The pressure/force relationship was linear and independent of the start point in the actuator stroke. Baseline feline thresholds were 10.0 ± 2.5 N (mean ± SD), which increased significantly 30 min after butorphanol administration. Baseline canine thresholds were 5.5 ± 1.4 N and increased significantly between 15 and 45 min after administration of fentanyl or butorphanol. The system overcame the problems of earlier devices and detected an opioid-induced increase in threshold. It has considerable advantages over previous systems for research in analgesia.
Drug Name Mix-up/Wrong Insulin Concentration/Access to Ambulatory Lab Info Only Includes Prescribers/Errors with Insulin/is it “Units” or “4”?/Root Cause Analysis Published
Authors: Cohen Michael R. , Smetzer Judy L.
Published: May 2010

These medication errors have occurred in health care facilities at least once. They will happen again—perhaps where you work. Through education and alertness of personnel and procedural safeguards, they can be avoided. You should consider publishing accounts of errors in your newsletters and/or presenting them at your inservice training programs.

Your assistance is required to continue this feature. The reports described here were received through the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) Medication Errors Reporting Program. Any reports published by ISMP will be anonymous. Comments are also invited; the writers' names will be published if desired. ISMP may be contacted at the address shown below.

Errors, close calls, or hazardous conditions may be reported directly to ISMP through the ISMP Web site ( www.ismp.org ), by calling 800-FAIL-SAFE, or via e-mail at ismpinfo@ismp.org . ISMP guarantees the confidentiality and security of the information received and respects reporters' wishes as to the level of detail included in publications.
Bethanechol: Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (Pediatrics)
Authors: Generali Joyce A. , Cada Dennis J.
Published: May 2010

This Hospital Pharmacy feature is extracted from Off-Label Drug Facts, a quarterly publication available from Wolters Kluwer Health. Off-Label Drug Facts is a practitioner-oriented resource for information about specific drug uses that are unapproved by the US Food and Drug Administration. This new guide to the literature enables the health care professional or clinician to quickly identify published studies on off-label uses and determine if a specific use is rational in a patient care scenario. A summary of the most relevant data is provided, including background, study design, patient population, dosage information, therapy duration, results, safety, and therapeutic considerations. References direct the reader to the full literature for more comprehensive information before patient care decisions are made. Direct questions or comments regarding Off-Label Drug Uses to jgeneral@kumc.edu .
Treatment of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus with a Vancomycin Minimum Inhibitory Concentration of 2 mcg/mL
Authors: Kettle Jacob K. , Grace Jason W. , Schaefer R. Spencer , Desai Arundhati
Published: May 2010

Background

Vancomycin has been considered the standard of therapy for infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) for decades. The aims of this study were to describe the clinical outcomes of patients with infections caused by MRSA with a vancomycin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 2 mcg/mL and determine whether achievement of a high vancomycin trough concentration affected outcomes.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was conducted on data from a single medical center from 2003 through 2007. The study included patients with a culture positive for MRSA with a vancomycin MIC of 2 mcg/mL who received vancomycin therapy. Treatment groups were determined by weighted average vancomycin trough concentration. Subjects were assigned to either the conventional (less than 15 mcg/mL) or high (15 mcg/mL or higher) trough group. Outcome measures included attainment of clinical cure, all-cause mortality, and occurrence of nephrotoxicity.

Results

Of the 79 patients included in the study, 50 (63.3%) attained clinical cure. Rate of clinical cure was similar between the conventional and high trough groups (64.7% vs 60.7%, P = 0.7). Treatment arms were similar in regard to all-cause mortality and other secondary endpoints. Patients demonstrating clinical response at 72 hours were significantly more likely to progress to clinical cure than those continuing to show signs of infection (77.8% vs 32.5, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Use of vancomycin for the treatment of MRSA with a vancomycin MIC of 2 mcg/mL resulted in a low rate of clinical cure. Data from this study suggest that achieving higher vancomycin trough concentrations is not a sufficient strategy for enhancing efficacy in these challenging infections.
Value of Board Certification in the Hospital Setting: A Survey of Academic and Nonacademic Medical Centers
Authors: Smith Andrew J. , Huke Michael , Rasu Rafia S.
Published: May 2010

Purpose

The aim of this study was to assess the current attitudes toward pharmacist specialty board certification in an array of hospital practice settings as perceived by directors of pharmacy (DOP) and to identify incentives available to pharmacists to become board certified.

Methods

A seven-question survey was developed that assessed demographic information along with information regarding overall value of board certification in the view of the institution. The types of incentives provided to become a board-certified pharmacist were also evaluated. The survey was administered via the Internet to 295 DOPs within two large listserves, the University HealthSystem Consortium and Pharmacy Systems, Inc. Responses were collected for a total of 4 weeks, with a reminder e-mail sent 2 weeks after survey distribution to encourage survey completion.

Results

A total of 85 DOPs completed the survey. Academic institutions (AIs) had a higher percentage of board-certified pharmacists versus nonacademic institutions (NAIs) (26% vs 6%, P < 0.001). DOPs at AIs placed a higher value on board certification than DOPs at NAIs (93% vs 39%, P < 0.001). AIs were nearly eight times more likely to provide at least one incentive to become board certified compared to NAIs (odds ratio, 7.87; 95% confidence interval, 1.18 to 52.5; P = 0.033).

Conclusions

This investigation demonstrates a lack of dissemination of the benefits of board certification into NAIs. Efforts should be increased to show the value of specialty board certification outside the arena of AIs.
Tranexamic Acid Tablets
Authors: Cada Dennis J. , Levien Terri L. , Baker Danial E.
Published: May 2010

Each month, subscribers to The Formulary Monograph Service receive five to six well-documented monographs on drugs that are newly released or are in late phase 3 trials. The monographs are targeted to Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committees. Subscribers also receive monthly 1-page summary monographs on agents that are useful for agendas and pharmacy/nursing inservices. A comprehensive target drug utilization evaluation (DUE) is also provided each month. With a subscription, the monographs are sent in print and are also available online. Monographs can be customized to meet the needs of a facility. Subscribers to The Formulary Monograph Service also receive access to a pharmacy bulletin board, The Formulary Information Exchange (The F.I.X.). All topics pertinent to clinical and hospital pharmacy are discussed on The F.I.X.

Through the cooperation of The Formulary, Hospital Pharmacy publishes selected reviews in this column. For more information about The Formulary Monograph Service or The F.I.X., call The Formulary at 800-322-4349. The May 2010 monograph topics are on aztreonam lysine inhalation solution, velaglucerase alfa for injection, hydromorphone hydrochloride extended-release tablets, meningococcal (groups A, C, Y, and W-135) oligosaccharide diphtheria CRM197 conjugate vaccine, and ceftaroline fosamil. The DUE is on aztreonam lysine inhalation solution.
Portable Information Appliances: An Update
Authors: Fox Brent I. , Felkey Bill G.
Published: May 2010

We have received reader questions seeking help in selecting a portable information appliance to support their personal and professional lives. It has been several years since we devoted an installment to specifically address this market space from a purchase decision perspective. This column looks at the rapid advancements in the smartphone space and what these advancements could mean for someone looking to upgrade or purchase a smartphone.
Pharmacy Medication Therapy Management Services and Reimbursement Options
Authors: Kelley Lindsey R. , Vink Jessica , Mark Scott M.
Published: May 2010

The Director's Forum series is written and edited by Robert Weber and Scott Mark and is designed to guide pharmacy leaders in establishing patient-centered services in hospitals and health systems. As more pharmacy boards are approving and endorsing medication therapy, management directors of pharmacy will need to understand mechanisms for payment for these services. This article provides some initial information for pharmacy directors in developing a strategy for financial support of pharmacy cognitive services.
Recent Publications on Medications and Pharmacy
Authors: Sterling Jacyntha A.
Published: May 2010

Hospital Pharmacy presents this feature to keep pharmacists abreast of new publications in the medical/pharmacy literature. Articles of interest regarding a broad scope of topics are abstracted monthly.
The effects of phonological awareness of Zulu‐speaking children learning to spell in English: A study of cross‐language transfer
Authors: de Sousa Diana Soares , Greenop Kirston , Fry Jessica
Published: May 2010

Background. Emergent bilingual Zulu–English speaking children in South Africa have spoken but no written proficiency in Zulu (L1), yet are required to learn to spell English (L2) via English‐only literacy instruction. Little research exists on emergent bilingual's phonological awareness (PA) and spelling development, with no L1 formal literacy instruction. Thus, whether PA in a L1 impacts on literacy acquisition in the L2 remains unclear.

Aims. Performance on monolingual PA, monolingual and emergent bilingual spelling was compared. In addition, PA and spelling in emergent bilingual Zulu–English speakers was explored to ascertain cross‐language transfer relationships.

Sample. Thirty emergent bilingual Zulu–English and thirty monolingual English children in grade 2 participated.

Method. Emergent bilinguals were assessed on Zulu PA, Zulu and English spelling skills. Monolinguals were assessed on English PA and English spelling skills.

Results. Emergent bilinguals had more Zulu PA levels related to spelling English tasks than to spelling Zulu tasks, and both Zulu PA and Zulu spelling were positively related to English spelling tasks. Significant differences were found between L1 Zulu and English phoneme and rime PA levels, and L1 English and L2 English spelling tasks.

Conclusions. Findings support the language‐universal hypothesis that L1 PA is related to spelling across languages in emergent bilinguals. In emergent bilinguals, both Zulu spoken proficiency and English‐only literacy instruction influences the underlying repertoire of PA skills used to spell within the L1 and the L2. Rime and phoneme PA and spelling skills in Zulu/English rely on language‐specific orthographic knowledge.
Investigation into activation of dysfunctional schemas in euthymic bipolar disorder following positive mood induction
Authors: Lomax Claire L. , Lam Dominic
Published: May 2010

Objectives. There are dysfunctional cognitions that may be characteristic of bipolar disorder (BD), and which may be mood‐state dependent. However, it has been found that such cognitions may be resilient to minor positive mood increase. The aim of this study is to investigate whether positive mood‐induction procedure has the effect of altering the availability of dysfunctional schemas in a group of individuals with BD.

Design. The sentence completion task was designed to assess the content of dysfunctional schemas: it was modified for use with positive mood‐induction procedure in the current study so that more dysfunctional schematic models would lead to completion of sentence stems by negative constructs, whereas functional schematic models led to completion of sentence stems by positive constructs.

Methods. Using the modified sentence completion task, 30 participants with remitted bipolar I disorder were compared with 30 individuals with no history of affective disorder.

Results. At baseline the bipolar group inserted significantly more dysfunctional completions than the control group. Following mood induction, the number of dysfunctional completions was reduced for both groups. The bipolar group still inserted significantly more dysfunctional completions relating to autonomy than the control group following mood induction. However, no significant group by time interactions were identified.

Conclusions. As predicted, participants' reports of dysfunctional attitudes reduced following the mood‐induction procedure, although no difference was identified between the groups in terms of the size of this reduction. The bipolar group continued to insert significantly more dysfunctional completions for the factor of autonomy, suggesting that this group has more access to autonomy schemas, regardless of change in mood. This finding may have implications in terms of focus of therapy and relapse prevention work.
Patient safety and sources of error in point-of-care testing / Patientensicherheit und Fehlerquellen in patientennaher Labordiagnostik
Authors: Meier Frederick A. , Jones Bruce
Published: May 2010

Patient safety is the project of reducing medical errors by creating and enforcing standards of practice, tracking and publishing errors to guide countermeasures, improving information transfer, and fostering increased accountability among healthcare providers. Errors in point-of-care testing (POCT) can be practical, cognitive, or axiological (the latter are errors of judgment). Countermeasures to errors in POCT have been organized into a laboratory ethos of test operator training and competence demonstration, explicit written procedures, routine quality control, recorded, verified, and retrievable patient results, and external proficiency testing. Three characteristics of POCT can defeat these countermeasures: technical limitations of POCT methods, the rapid availability of their results, and the tendency of these results to change patient care immediately. In the United States, government regulations of POCT have not been a success, but government mandated accreditation programs have been more effective. Laboratorians who monitor of POCT – called in the United States point-of-care test coordinators – have been essential to reporting and tracking POCT errors. They have exploited electronic information transfer to do so and to increase accountability for POCT among clinician test operators. Although a modified version of Gerald Kost's taxonomy of sources of errors offers a systematic approach to POCT error classification, major preventable adverse events (called “sentinel events” in the United States) tend to drive POCT patient safety. This circumstance has stressed the importance of clinical contexts. Tight glycemic control using POCT whole blood glucose is the example with which we illustrate the challenges to patient safety, from the technical limitations, rapid result availability, and impact on therapy, characteristic of POCT.
Immunsuppressiva-Medikamentenspiegelmessung – reine Routine? / Immunosuppressant drug monitoring: a routine undertaking?
Authors: Seger Christoph , Vogeser Michael
Published: May 2010

Die Erfassung von Immunsuppressivaspiegel ist eine der anspruchsvollsten Medikamentenspiegelmessungen in der klinischen Routine. Die vergangenen Jahre haben eine Reihe von technologischen Fortschritten gebracht. Neben neuen immunologischen Analysesystemen hat sich die LC-MS/MS zu einem fixen Bestandteil des Geschehens entwickelt. Der vorliegende Beitrag soll helfen, Vor- und Nachteile der unterschiedlichen Assayformate zu erkennen. UKNEQAS-Ringversuchsergebnisse werden zur vergleichenden Assay-beurteilung herangezogen.
Nachevaluierung des Referenzbereiches für Albumin im Serum/Plasma mit Farbstoffbindungsmethoden (Bromkresolgrün und Bromkresolpurpur) / Update of reference values for albumin in serum/plasma with bromcresol green or bromcresol purple methods
Authors: von Meyer Alexander , Pick Karl-Heinz , Hallbach Jürgen
Published: May 2010

Der gebräuchliche Referenzbereich für die Farbstoffbindungsmethoden von Albumin nach Tietze (3,5–5,0 g/dL) ist für die mit ERM DA470k restandardisierte Albuminmethode mit Bromkresolgrün (BCG) nicht anwendbar. Die Untersuchung eines Blutspenderkollektivs (120 Proben) zeigte eine wesentliche Verschiebung des Medians und des 95%-Vertrauensbereiches für die neue Methode gegenüber der gegen humanes Serumalbumin standardisierten Albumin BCG Methode. Die Übereinstimmung mit der Albuminmethode mit Bromkresolpurpur (BCP) ist gut. Als Referenzintervall für das restandardisierte BCG-Verfahren sowie für das BCP-Verfahren wird für die Altersgruppe von 20 bis 60 Jahren für gesunde Personen ein Intervall von 3,0 g/dL bis 5,0 g/dL empfohlen.
Water-Pipe Smoking Among North American Youths
Authors: Dugas Erika , Tremblay Michèle , Low Nancy C. P. , Cournoyer Daniel , O'Loughlin Jennifer
Published: May 2010

OBJECTIVES:

The objectives of this analysis were to identify the sociodemographic characteristics of water-pipe users in a North American context and to describe concurrent psychoactive substance use.

METHODS:

Data on sociodemographic characteristics, water-pipe smoking, and use of other psychoactive substances were collected in 2007 through mailed self-report questionnaires completed by 871 young adults, 18 to 24 years of age, who were participating in the Nicotine Dependence in Teens Study, a longitudinal investigation of the natural history of nicotine dependence among adolescents in Montreal, Canada. Independent sociodemographic correlates of water-pipe use were identified in multivariate logistic regression analyses.

RESULTS:

Previous-year water-pipe use was reported by 23% of participants. Younger age, male gender, speaking English, not living with parents, and higher household income independently increased the odds of water-pipe use. Water-pipe use was markedly higher among participants who had smoked cigarettes, had used other tobacco products, had drunk alcohol, had engaged in binge drinking, had smoked marijuana, or had used other illicit drugs in the previous year.

CONCLUSIONS:

Water-pipe users may represent an advantaged group of young people with the leisure time, resources, and opportunity to use water-pipes. Evidence-based public health and policy interventions are required to equip the public to make informed decisions about water-pipe use.
Jainism, Ethics, and Ecology
Authors: Chapple Christopher
Published: May 2010

Jainism advocates the practice of nonviolence (ahimsa), combining a strict ascetic practice with a view that life pervades all beings, including elements that are considered inert in other worldviews. Many Jainas are by translating this interpretation of the world into the broader arena of ecological ethics.
Religion and Politics under the Ptolemies (300 BCE-215 BCE)
Authors: Koutoupas Athanasios
Published: May 2010

The article examines the relation that is developed between the policy and the religion in Hellenistic Egypt during the period of the first four Ptolemies. It presents two levels of promotion of the practice of deification of the king: on the one hand the recognition of divine nature from the descendants of each king when he or she dies and on the other the recognition of divine nature from their subjects and the various civic communities during their life.
Second Symposium on Iconic Books
Authors: Watts Jim
Published: May 2010

The second symposium on Iconic Books was held at Hamilton College on September 4-6, 2009. The aim of these symposia is to inaugurate a new discourse about iconic books and texts. By “iconic book,” we refer to a text revered primarily as an object of power rather than just as words of instruction, information, or insight.
Dosimetry and thyroid cancer: the individual dosage of radioiodine
Authors: Lassmann Michael , Reiners Christoph , Luster Markus
Published: May 2010

Adjuvant therapy of differentiated thyroid cancer with radioactive iodine (131I) is a standard procedure for the ablation of remnant thyroid tissue following surgery and for the treatment of iodine-avid metastases. Presently, there are two dosimetric concepts for the treatment of thyroid cancer using radioiodine: a) the bone marrow dose limited approach and b) lesion-based dosimetry. Both concepts and their clinical applications are described. In addition, the use of 124I as a diagnostic and dosimetric agent is discussed. Treatment of children and adolescents with radioiodine requires special precautions; individualized approaches in this setting are reviewed. The limitations of treatments aiming at high absorbed doses are addressed as well as the doses to normal organs. Finally, new concepts for further elaborating the potential of thyroid cancer treatment using 131I are introduced.
Expanding the Consumer-Directed Workforce by Attracting and Retaining Unaffiliated Workers
Authors: Simon-Rusinowitz Lori , Loughlin Dawn M. , Chan Robert , Mahoney Kevin J. , Garcia Genevieve Martinez , Ruben Kathy
Published: May 2010

Unaffiliated workers are directly hired personal assistance workers who are not employed through an agency and are not family members or close friends. This article examines the working conditions of unaffiliated workers in a consumer-directed setting in comparison to agency workers and to other consumer-directed workers. Unaffiliated workers earned higher wages than their peers but were less satisfied with these wages and benefits than other directly hired workers. Findings for consumer-directed programs are discussed in terms of the recruitment and retention of unaffiliated workers, implications for consumers and workers, and future research recommendations.
Smoking Affects Diagnostic Salivary Periodontal Disease Biomarker Levels in Adolescents
Authors: Heikkinen Anna Maria , Sorsa Timo , Pitkäniemi Janne , Tervahartiala Taina , Kari Kirsti , Broms Ulla , Koskenvuo Markku , Meurman Jukka H.
Published: May 2010

Background: The effects of smoking on periodontal biomarkers in adolescents are unknown. This study investigates matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐8 and polymorphonuclear leukocyte elastase levels in saliva together with periodontal health indices accounting for body mass index and smoking in a birth cohort from Finland.

Methods: The oral health of boys (n = 258) and girls (n = 243) aged 15 to 16 years was examined clinically. Health habits were assessed by questionnaire. Saliva samples were collected and analyzed by immunofluorometric and peptide assays for MMP‐8 levels and polymorphonuclear leukocyte elastase activities, and investigated statistically with the background factors.

Results: Median MMP‐8 values of male smokers were 112.03 μg/l compared to 176.89 μg/l of non‐smokers (P = 0.05). For female smokers corresponding values were 170.88 μg/l versus 177.92 μg/l in non‐smokers (not statistically significant). Elastase values in male smokers were 5.88 × 10−3 ΔOD405/h versus 11.0 × 10−3 ΔOD405/h in non‐smokers (P = 0.02), and in female smokers 9.16 × 10−3 ΔOD405/h versus 10.88 × 10−3 ΔOD405/h in non‐smokers (P = 0.72). The effect was strengthened by high pack‐years of smoking (MMP‐8, P = 0.04; elastase, P = 0.01). Both biomarkers increased with gingival bleeding. However, statistically significant associations were observed with bleeding on probing and MMP‐8 (P = 0.04); MMP‐8 was suggestively associated with probing depth (P = 0.09) in non‐smoking boys. In smokers with calculus, MMP‐8 increased after adjusting with body mass index (P = 0.03). No corresponding differences were seen in girls.

Conclusions: Smoking significantly decreased both biomarkers studied. Compared to girls, boys seem to have enhanced susceptibility for periodontitis as reflected in salivary MMP‐8 values.
Immunologic and Microbiologic Profiles of Chronic and Aggressive Periodontitis Subjects
Authors: Rescala Bruno , Rosalem Wilson , Teles Ricardo P. , Fischer Ricardo G. , Haffajee Anne D. , Socransky Sigmund S. , Gustafsson Anders , Figueredo Carlos Marcelo
Published: May 2010

Background: This study determines the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) levels of interleukin (IL)‐1β, IL‐2, IL‐4, IL‐8, interferon (IFN)‐γ and elastase activity in inflamed shallow and deep periodontal sites from patients with generalized chronic (GCP) and generalized aggressive periodontitis (GAgP), and to compare them to shallow sites from subjects with gingivitis. A secondary aim analyzes the microbiologic profile of these subjects.

Methods: Cross‐sectional clinical data were obtained from 20 GCP, 17 GAgP, and 10 gingivitis subjects. GCF samples were collected with paper strips and the levels of IL‐1β, IL‐2, IL‐4, IL‐8, and IFN‐γ were measured using a multiplexed bead immunoassay. Elastase activity was assessed by an enzymatic assay. Subgingival plaque samples were analyzed using checkerboard DNA‐DNA hybridization. Significance of differences among groups for immunologic and microbiologic data was examined using Kruskal‐Wallis adjusting for multiple comparisons.

Results: Mean clinical parameters and GCF volumes were higher in patients with GCP and GAgP compared to the gingivitis group. Higher levels of IL‐1β and higher elastase activity were found in deep sites compared to shallow sites in both periodontitis groups (P <0.05). The microbiologic data showed significantly higher levels of the red complex species in patients with GCP and GAgP compared to gingivitis (P <0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in levels of GCF biomarkers and in levels of subgingival bacterial species between subjects with GCP and GAgP.

Conclusion: There were no statistically significant differences in the measured immunologic and microbiologic parameters between subjects with GCP and GAgP.
Development of a Novel Model for the Investigation of Implant–Soft Tissue Interface
Authors: Chai Wen Lin , Moharamzadeh Keyvan , Brook Ian Michael , Emanuelsson Lena , Palmquist Anders , van Noort Richard
Published: May 2010

Background: In dental implant treatment, the long‐term prognosis is dependent on the biologic seal formed by the soft tissue around the implant. The in vitro investigation of the implant–soft tissue interface is usually carried out using a monolayer cell‐culture model that lacks a polarized‐cell phenotype. This study developed a tissue‐engineered three‐dimensional oral mucosal model (3D OMM) to investigate the implant–soft tissue interface.

Methods: A 3D OMM was constructed using primary human oral keratinocytes and fibroblasts cultured on a skin‐derived scaffold at an air–liquid interface. A titanium implant was inserted into the engineered oral mucosa and further cultured to establish epithelial attachment. The 3D OMM was characterized using basic histology and immunostaining for cytokeratin (CK) 10 and CK13. Histomorphometric analyses of the implant–soft tissue interface were carried out using a light‐microscopy (LM) examination of ground sections and semi‐thin sections as well as scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Results: Immunohistochemistry analyses suggests that the engineered oral mucosa closely resembles the normal oral mucosa. The LM and SEM examinations reveal that the 3D OMM forms an epithelial attachment on the titanium surface.

Conclusion: The 3D OMM provided mimicking peri‐implant features as seen in an in vivo model and has the potential to be used as a relevant alternative model to assess implant–soft tissue interactions.
Association of Fibronectin With Hypogalactosylated Immunoglobulin G in Gingival Crevicular Fluid in Periodontitis
Authors: Brajović Gavrilo , Stefanović Gordana , Ilić Vesna , Petrović Sonja , Stefanović Neda , Nikolić‐Jakoba Nataša , Milošević‐Jovčić Nadežda
Published: May 2010

Background: Fibronectin (FN) can bind to immunoglobulins (Ig), influencing both the normal clearance and abnormal deposition of circulating immune complexes. This study focuses on the possible interaction between FN and IgG present in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) of periodontitis patients and periodontally healthy controls, with the aim to determine whether such interaction may be connected with the glycosylation profile of IgG and, thus, consequentional in accumulation of proinflammatory IgG in periodontal pockets.

Methods: The study included 30 patients with initial or advanced periodontitis, and 13 periodontally healthy subjects. GCF IgG was purified and analyzed for the presence of FN and its fragments and for galactose expression.

Results: IgG isolated from GCF contained FN, which was bound to the IgG heavy chains. IgG from GCF of advanced periodontitis patients contained high levels of hypogalactosylated IgG, and bound more FN than IgG from GCF of the other two groups, which contained low levels of this glycoform. FN was in a degraded form in GCF from all studied patients, and a fragment of 48‐ to 53‐kDa molecular mass seemed to be the sole one linked to IgG.

Conclusions: IgG and the FN fragment of 48 to 53 kDa in GCF of periodontitis patients and periodontally healthy subjects are physically connected. This fragment was linked to the heavy chains of IgG and the reaction seemed to be particularly intensive with IgG from advanced periodontitis, which contained significantly less galactose in its sugar chains.
Broad and Narrow Personality Traits of Women's College Students in Relation to Early Departure from College
Authors: Taylor Sarah E. , Scepansky James A. , Lounsbury John W. , Gibson Lucy W.
Published: May 2010

Personality traits of coeducational students have been shown to correlate with early withdrawal intention from college (Lounsbury, Saudargas, & Gibson, 2004). The current study investigated the relationship between the Big Five personality traits as well as seven narrow personality traits in relation to withdrawal intention among 103 female students from eight women's colleges (Ridgell & Lounsbury, 2004). As predicted, Conscientiousness, Work Drive, and Sense of Identity were significantly inversely correlated with early departure intention. Three personality traits—Emotional Stability, Work Drive, and Sense of Identity—accounted for 18.3% of the variance in withdrawal intentions. Results were discussed in terms of the role personality traits may play in retention and reasons why females choose women's colleges over co-educational institutions (Langdon, 1998).
Personality and Self-Perceptions of Creativity across Domains
Authors: Kaufman James C. , Waterstreet Mary A. , Ailabouni Hanin S. , Whitcomb Hannah J. , Roe Amanda K. , Riggs Matt
Published: May 2010

The current study evaluated the structure of a revised (shortened) version of the Creativity Domain Questionnaire (CDQ), examined its relationship with five personality factors, and analyzed potential differences in creativity domains based upon gender and occupational status. One hundred eighty-two students and 60 warehouse employees completed the Revised Creativity Domain Questionnaire (CDQ-R) and the Big Five Factor Markers. Consistent with an exploratory factor analysis of pilot data, a subsequent confirmatory factor analysis of these data supported a four-factor structure for the CDQ-R. Correlations between these four creativity domains and the Big Five personality factors generally were consistent with theoretical expectations. Effects for gender also were consistent with theory. Women perceived themselves as more creative in the Arts general domain while men perceived themselves significantly more creative in Math/Science. There were no effects for occupational status.

Creativity takes place in diverse contexts, and we cannot expect the personalities of people who create in different domains to be the same, or to differ in the same ways from comparison subjects. (Helson, 1996, p. 303)
Out-of-Body Experiences and Hallucinatory Experiences: A Psychological Approach
Authors: Parra Alejandro
Published: May 2010

In an out-of-body experience (OBE), the “self,” or center of awareness, seems to temporarily occupy a position spatially remote from one's body. In support of previous studies, undergraduate students reporting OBEs ( N = 132) showed a higher level of cognitive-perceptual schizotypy, absorption, dissociation, fantasy, and hallucination proneness, and visual imagery than did non-OBErs ( N = 516). Absorption and cognitive-perceptual schizotypy were the best discriminators for visual and tactile hallucinations ( p < .001). The results support a dissociation model of OBEs. Some persons reported beneficial adaptive effects from their OBEs. Despite the widespread occurrence of anomalous perceptual experiences, including OBEs, in the general population, the term hallucination still has pejorative overtones. The present results are in agreement with other studies in which measures of fantasy proneness seemed to be successful predictors of psychic phenomena (Myers, Austrin, Grisso, & Nickeson, 1983; Wilson & Barber, 1982). Such findings suggest that OBEs may be related to fantasy proneness and cognitive-perceptual schizotypy, which are correlated with each other. Future research should focus on the role of different types of OBEs in personality and cognitive processing.
The Continuity between Waking Mood and Dream Emotions: Direct and Second-Order Effects
Authors: Schredl Michael , Reinhard Iris
Published: May 2010

Emotions are an integral part of dreaming. From the viewpoint of the continuity hypothesis, two areas are of interest: how are dream emotions affected by day-time mood and how do dream emotions affect subsequent waking life. Seventy-four participants kept a diary over a 2-week period recording daytime mood, emotional valence of daytime events, and their dreams. Confirming earlier findings, the present study demonstrated direct effects of waking life on dreams and of dream emotions on waking-life. Positive and negative effects of daytime events on dreams were reported equally often (i.e., emotional intensity and not emotional valence is important in determining whether daytime events affect dreams). An interesting finding was a second-order effect; that is, the intensity of the negative effects of daytime events on dream content predicts—in addition to emotional intensity of the dream—the effect of that dream on daytime mood. The findings fit in within the framework of the continuity hypothesis, and pursuing this approach might shed further light on the function of dreaming.
Quantifying Phenomenology Associated with Exposure to Alcohol-Related Cues
Authors: Kambouropoulos Nicolas , Rock Adam J.
Published: May 2010

Numerous studies have shown that alcohol-related environmental stimuli (e.g., the sight of alcohol) can produce emotional responses such as craving in regular drinkers, termed cue-reactivity. Previous cue-reactivity research has focused on changes in urge to drink following cue-exposure. More recent studies have investigated personality correlates of cue-reactivity. However, this line of research has neglected phenomenological responses to alcohol-related cues despite the fact that many scholars agree that phenomenology is a component of the subjective craving construct and, thus, relevant when assessing cue-reactivity. The aim of the present study was, therefore, to experimentally investigate the phenomenology associated with exposure to an alcohol-related stimulus. The urge to drink and phenomenology of 41 social drinkers were measured at three temporal points: (1) baseline; (2) after exposure to a neutral cue (a glass of water); and (3) after exposure to an alcohol cue (participants' favorite alcoholic beverage). It was found that urge to drink significantly increased from neutral to alcohol cue presentation (after controlling for baseline levels). Results also indicated that participants experienced significant changes in phenomenology when presented with the neutral and alcohol cues.
Proportionality and Principled Balancing
Authors: Barak Aharon
Published: May 2010

This essay focuses on proportionality stricto sensu as a consequential test of balancing. The basic balancing rule establishes a general criterion for deciding between the marginal benefit to the public good and the marginal limit to human rights. Based on the Israeli constitutional jurisprudence, this essay supports the adoption of a principled balancing approach that translates the basic balancing rule into a series of principled balancing tests, taking into account the importance of the rights and the type of restriction. This approach provides better guidance to the balancer (legislator, administrator, judge), restricts wide discretion in balancing, and makes the act of balancing more transparent, more structured, and more foreseeable.The advantages of proportionality stricto sensu with its three levels of abstraction are several. It stresses the need to always look for a justification of a limit on human rights; it structures the mind of the balancer; it is transparent; it creates a proper dialog between the political brunches and the judiciary, and it adds to the objectivity of judicial discretion. Proportionality stricto sensu however has it critics: some claim that it attempts to balance incommensurable items; others that balancing is irrational. The answer to the critics is that it is a common base for comparison, namely the social marginal importance and that the balancing rulesbasic, principled, concretesupply a rational basis for balancing. A democracy must entrust the judiciarythe unelected independent judiciaryto be the final decision-makersubject to constitutional amendmentsabout proper ends that cannot be achieved because they are not proportionality stricto sensu.
The Construction of Constitutional Rights
Authors: Alexy Robert
Published: May 2010

This article calls for the construction of constitutional rights as principles, rather than as rules. The rule construction conceives subsumption or classification as the appropriate form for the application of constitutional rights. It attempts, in this way, to avoid the problems associated with balancing. By contrast, the principles construction argues that balancing is inevitable and unavoidable. Balancing is at the very core of the proportionality test. The debate over the construction of constitutional rights is, therefore, first and foremost a debate over proportionality analysis. The central objection to the principles construction is that balancing and, with it, the proportionality test, is irrational. This irrationality objection is countered by analysis of the formal structure of balancing; the analysis shows that balancing is a case of rational legal argument that is explicated by means of an arithmetic formula: the Weight Formula. The Weight Formula provides a demonstration of how and why balancing is possible as a form of rational legal argument. It also makes it possible to show that proportionality analysis endangers neither the power nor the force of constitutional rights.
Investor-State Arbitration: Proportionality's New Frontier
Authors: Stone Sweet Alec
Published: May 2010

The arbitral world is at a crucial point in its historical development, poised between two conflicting conceptions of its nature, purpose, and political legitimacy. Formally, the arbitrator is an agent of the contracting parties in dispute, a creature of a discrete contract gone wrong. Yet, increasingly, arbitrators are treated as agents of a larger global community, and arbitration houses concern themselves with the general and prospective impact of important awards. In this paper, I address these questions, first, from the standpoint of delegation theory. In Part I, I introduce the basic Principal-Agent" framework [P-A] used by social scientists to explain why actors create new institutions, and then briefly discuss how P-A has been applied to the study of courts. Part II uses delegation theory to frame discussion of arbitration as a mode of governance for transnational business and investment. In Part III, I argue that the International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) is presently in the throes of judicialization, indicators of which include the enhanced use of precedent-based argumentation and justification, the acceptance of third-party briefs, and a flirtation with proportionality balancing. Part IV focuses on the first wave of awards rendered by ICSID tribunals pursuant to Argentina's response to the crushing economic crisis of 2000-02, wherein proportionality emerged, adapted from the jurisprudence of the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization.
A Democratic Defense of Constitutional Balancing
Authors: Gardbaum Stephen
Published: May 2010

We all live in the age of constitutional balancing. Abstracting away differences of nuance and doctrinal detail, balancing is a common feature of the structure of rights analysis across contemporary constitutional systems. Indeed, abstracting just a little further still, balancing is an inherent part of the near-universal general conception of a constitutional right as an important prima facie claim that nonetheless can in principle be limited or overridden by certain non-constitutional rights premised on conflicting public policy objectives.It is not surprising, then, that a significant literature about balancing has developed at both domestic and comparative levels. What is surprising is that so little of this literature has attempted to present the normative case for constitutional balancing or the general structure of rights analysis of which it is an inherent part. Rather, the existing scholarship has mostly focused on five other tasks: (1) describing and comparing first-order practices of balancing; (2) providing second-order conceptual analyses; (3) explaining balancing's rise to dominance; (4) advancing critiques of balancing; and (5) rebutting these critiques.In this article, I attempt to present one particular normative justification of constitutional balancing; namely a democratic justification. I argue that balancing appropriately bolsters the role of majoritarian decision-making about rights within a system of constitutional democracy. It thereby renders entrenched rights enforced by the power of constitutional or judicial review more consistent with certain enduring democratic concerns. I also explain the implications of this justification for how courts should exercise their powers of review.
First Polish textbooks on mineralogy
Authors: Narębski Wojciech
Published: May 2010

First Polish textbooks on mineralogy

First Polish textbooks on mineralogy, published between 1780s-1820s mostly in Vilna, are presented and their contents briefly discussed. Authors of these textbooks, lecturing at the Vilna University, being A. G. Werner's students, played an important role in propagating most recent ideas in mineralogy and related sciences. They were also the authors of pioneer Polish mineralogical nomenclature, which corresponded to the internationally recognised terms.
Mineralogy and petrology of two ordinary chondrites and their correlation with other meteorites
Authors: Owocki Krzysztof , Pilski Andrzej
Published: May 2010

Mineralogy and petrology of two ordinary chondrites and their correlation with other meteorites

Two ordinary chondrites are compared and classified using transmitted and reflected light microscopy and electron microprobe analyses. Both meteorites were confiscated by the Polish Customs Service at the border with Belarus. The first meteorite (called in this paper Terespol-1) is a L/LL6 chondrite, its classification being supported by the equilibrated compositions of olivine and orthopyroxene and the presence of large recrystallized feldspars (< 150 μm). The specimen examined experienced weak shock metamorphism (S3) and moderate weathering (although metal in the inner part of the meteorite seems to be unaffected by oxidization). The other meteorite (called in this paper Terespol-2) is a LL6 chondrite which experienced weak shock metamorphism (S3) and is unaffected by weathering. The Terespol-2 meteorite shares its classification with the Dhofar 1401 chondrite but the lack of data prevents further correlation. Both meteorites have been correlated with known findings from the Meteoritical Bulletin database and an attempt is made to identify their place of origin (fall event). Results indicate that Terespol-1 is most closely related to the Dhofar 1316 chondrite and we suggest that both meteorites at least came from the same parent body.