bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Experience with Recombinant Factor VIla in Australia and New Zealand
Authors: McPherson Jean , Teague Lochie , Lloyd John , Jupe David , Rowell John , Ockelford Paul , Ekert Henry , Street Alison , Faase Amanda , Hedner Ulla
Published: April 2009

Recombinant factor Vila (rFVIIa; NovoSevenTM) was available for compassionate use in Australia and New Zealand from 1991 to 1994. Over this period there were 18 treatment episodes in 9 patients, age 8-66 years, with haemophilia A and high titre inhibitors cross-reacting with porcine factor VIII. There were no significant adverse effects. Treatment with rFVIIa resulted in a successful outcome in 8 potentially life-threatening (retroperitoneal, subdural, gastro-intestinal) bleeds. Elective cystoscopy, repair of a cranial flap, yttrium synovectomy and inguinal herniotomy were performed successfully, as was surgical decompression of a flexor pollicis longus bleed. Treatment of a patient with an infected haematoma had limited success, attributed to intermittent suboptimal doses. In 2 patients, satisfactory haemostasis was achieved for multiple dental extractions; subsequent oozing was attributed to suboptimal rFVIIa and/or antifibrinolytic therapy.
American Experience with Home Use of NovoSeven®: Recombinant Factor VIla in Hemophiliacs with Inhibitors
Authors: Shapiro Amy D.
Published: April 2009

A novel investigational product, recombinant factor VIla, manufactured by Novo Nordisk, is presently in clinical trial for evaluation of safety and efficacy when used in the home setting in patients with hemophilia A and B with inhibitors for control of hemostasis in mild to moderate joint, muscle and mucocutaneous bleeding episodes. The clinical trail is an open label, multicenter, uncontrolled study in which 60 patients are enrolled and treated for 1 year with the goal of accumulating 120 evaluable bleeding episodes. Reported here is an outline of the study, review of currently enrolled patient demographics, and the data accumulated to date from the Indiana Hemophilia Comprehensive Center.
Pharmacological Activities of Heparin Chains: Should Our Past Knowledge Be Revised?
Authors: Agnelli Giancarlo
Published: April 2009

Unfractionated heparin is a heterogeneous mixture of sulphated polysaccharides. The anticoagulant activity of unfractionated heparin is mainly accounted for by its fractions with a sequence with binding affinity for antithrombin III. The interaction of heparin with antithrombin III markedly enhances the ability of the latter to inhibit factor Xa and thrombin. Only about one third of the unfractionated heparin molecules contain the high-affinity material and its distribution along the heparin molecules appears to be random – hence the development of low-molecular-weight heparins. Most of the saccha-ride chains of low-molecular-weight heparins are composed of less than 18 saccharides and have reduced ability to inhibit thrombin relative to their ability to inhibit factor Xa. The potential dissociation of anti-factor IIa activity and the anti-Xa activity provided the pharmacological background for the clinical development of low-molecular-weight heparins. During the last few years, evidence has accumulated on the importance of anti-factor IIa for the expression of the antithrombotic activity of low-molecular-weight heparins. This paper reviews the evidence and revises our knowledge about the pharmacological activity of the heparin chains.
Molecular Basis For Protein C Hereditary Deficiency
Authors: Aiach Martine , Gandrille Sophie
Published: April 2009

The clinical presentation of hereditary protein C deficiency is highly variable. Homozygosity and compound heterozygosity have been linked to severe thrombotic complications early in the life. Heterozygous patients have a moderate form of the disease with deep venous thrombosis during adulthood. In the French population, we found 53 different mutations in 90 families. The amount of the protein C produced by the mutant allele as well as the genetic status partly account for the variable clinical expression. Other gene may also be involved: Arg 506 to Gln factor V mutation shows a frequency of 10 to 20% in symptomatic protein C deficient patients. Some protein C gene mutations are associated with a non functional circulating protein; most of them are located in the GLA domain and in the serine protease domain. The biochemical characterization of a few of theses variants has shown the important role of some amino acids on the activation and the mechanism of action of protein C.
Comparison Of The Relative Efficacy And Safety Of Low Molecular Weight Heparin And Unfractionated Heparin For The Treatment Of Venous Thrombosis
Authors: Hirsh J.
Published: April 2009

LMWH has been compared with unfractionated heparin in the treatment of venous thrombosis. The results of a pooled analysis studies of hospitalized patients showed a significant reduction of thrombus size, p < 0.001 and in the incidence of recurrent venous thromboembolism, p < 0.001 and of major bleeding p < 0.005 in patients treated with LMWH. The pooled mortality rate at long term follow-up was also found to be lower in LMWH group. Two large randomized trials have been completed in which LMWH was administered subcutaneously on an outpatient basis and compared with the standard approach of unfractionated heparin administered by continuous intravenous infusion in hospital. In both studies the efficacy, safety and mortality in the LMWH and heparin groups were similar.
The Association of Cognitive and Somatic Depressive Symptoms With Depression Recognition and Outcomes After Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Smolderen Kim G. , Spertus John A. , Reid Kimberly J. , Buchanan Donna M. , Krumholz Harlan M. , Denollet Johan , Vaccarino Viola , Chan Paul S.
Published: April 2009

Background—

Among patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), depression is both common and underrecognized. The association of different manifestations of depression, somatic and cognitive, with depression recognition and long-term prognosis is poorly understood.

Methods and Results—

Depression was confirmed in 481 AMI patients enrolled from 21 sites during their index hospitalization with a Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) score ≥10. Within the PHQ-9, separate somatic and cognitive symptom scores were derived, and the independent association between these domains and the clinical recognition of depression, as documented in the medical records, was evaluated. In a separate multisite AMI registry of 2347 patients, the association between somatic and cognitive depressive symptoms and 4-year all-cause mortality and 1-year all-cause rehospitalization was evaluated. Depression was clinically recognized in 29% (n=140) of patients. Cognitive depressive symptoms (relative risk per SD increase, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.26;
P
=0.01) were independently associated with depression recognition, whereas the association for somatic symptoms and recognition (relative risk, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.87 to 1.26;
P
=0.66) was not significant. However, unadjusted Cox regression analyses found that only somatic depressive symptoms were associated with 4-year mortality (hazard ratio [HR] per SD increase, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.08 to 1.39) or 1-year rehospitalization (HR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.11 to 1.33), whereas cognitive manifestations were not (HR for mortality, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.89 to 1.14; HR for rehospitalization, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.93 to 1.11). After multivariable adjustment, the association between somatic symptoms and rehospitalization persisted (HR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.27;
P
=0.01) but was attenuated for mortality (HR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.94 to 1.21;
P
=0.30).

Conclusions—

Depression after AMI was recognized in fewer than 1 in 3 patients. Although cognitive symptoms were associated with recognition of depression, somatic symptoms were associated with long-term outcomes. Comprehensive screening and treatment of both somatic and cognitive symptoms may be necessary to optimize depression recognition and treatment in AMI patients.
Incidence and Risk Factors of Arrhythmic Events in Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia
Authors: Hayashi Meiso , Denjoy Isabelle , Extramiana Fabrice , Maltret Alice , Buisson Nathalie Roux , Lupoglazoff Jean-Marc , Klug Didier , Hayashi Miyuki , Takatsuki Seiji , Villain Elisabeth , Kamblock Joël , Messali Anne , Guicheney Pascale , Lunardi Joël , Leenhardt Antoine
Published: April 2009

Background—

The pathophysiological background of catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia is well understood, but the clinical features of this stress-induced arrhythmic disorder, especially the incidence and risk factors of arrhythmic events, have not been fully ascertained.

Methods and Results—

The outcome in 101 catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia patients, including 50 probands, was analyzed. During a mean follow-up of 7.9 years, cardiac events defined as syncope, aborted cardiac arrest, including appropriate discharges from implantable defibrillators, or sudden cardiac death occurred in 27 patients, including 2 mutation carriers with normal exercise tests. The estimated 8-year event rate was 32% in the total population and 27% and 58% in the patients with and without β-blockers, respectively. Absence of β-blockers (hazard ratio [HR], 5.48; 95% CI, 1.80 to 16.68) and younger age at diagnosis (HR, 0.54 per decade; 95% CI, 0.33 to 0.89) were independent predictors. Fatal or near-fatal events defined as aborted cardiac arrest or sudden cardiac death occurred in 13 patients, resulting in an estimated 8-year event rate of 13%. Absence of β-blockers (HR, 5.54; 95% CI, 1.17 to 26.15) and history of aborted cardiac arrest (HR, 13.01; 95% CI, 2.48 to 68.21) were independent predictors. No difference was observed in cardiac and fatal or near-fatal event rates between probands and family members.

Conclusions—

Cardiac and fatal or near-fatal events were not rare in both catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia probands and affected family members during the long-term follow-up, even while taking β-blockers, which was associated with a lower event rate. Further studies evaluating concomitant therapies are necessary to improve outcome in these patients.
Metallothionein Abrogates GTP Cyclohydrolase I Inhibition–Induced Cardiac Contractile and Morphological Defects
Authors: Ceylan-Isik Asli F. , Guo Kelly K. , Carlson Edward C. , Privratsky Jamie R. , Liao Song-Jie , Cai Lu , Chen Alex F. , Ren Jun
Published: April 2009

One key mechanism for endothelial dysfunction is endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) uncoupling, whereby eNOS generates O
2
•−
rather than NO because of deficient eNOS cofactor tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4). This study was designed to examine the effect of BH4 deficiency on cardiac morphology and function, as well as the impact of metallothionein (MT) on BH4 deficiency–induced abnormalities, if any. Friend virus B (FVB) and cardiac-specific MT transgenic mice were exposed to 2,4-diamino-6-hydroxy-pyrimidine (DAHP; 10 mmol/L, 3 weeks), an inhibitor of the BH4 synthetic enzyme GTP cyclohydrolase I. DAHP reduced plasma BH4 levels by 85% and elevated blood pressure in both FVB and MT mice. Echocardiography found decreased fractional shortening and increased end-systolic diameter in DAHP-treated FVB mice. Cardiomyocytes from DAHP-treated FVB mice displayed enhanced O
2
•−
production, contractile and intracellular Ca
2+
defects including depressed peak shortening and maximal velocity of shortening/relengthening, prolonged duration of relengthening, reduced intracellular Ca
2+
rise, and clearance. DAHP triggered mitochondrial swelling/myocardial filament aberrations and mitochondrial O
2
•−
accumulation, assessed by transmission electron microscopy and MitoSOX Red fluorescence, respectively. DAHP also promoted the
N
G
-nitro-
l
-arginine methyl ester–inhibitable O
2
•−
production and eNOS phosphorylation at Thr497. Although MT had little effect on cardiac mechanics and ultrastructure, it attenuated DAHP-induced defects in cardiac function, morphology, O
2
•−
production, and eNOS phosphorylation (Thr497). The DAHP-induced cardiomyocyte mechanical responses were alleviated by in vitro BH4 treatment. DAHP inhibited mitochondrial biogenesis, mitochondrial uncoupling protein 2, and chaperone heat shock protein 90, and all but uncoupling protein 2 were rescued by MT. Our data suggest a role for BH4 deficiency in cardiac dysfunction and the therapeutic potential of antioxidants against eNOS uncoupling in the heart.
Remember the Source: Dissociating Frontal and Parietal Contributions to Episodic Memory
Authors: Donaldson David I. , Wheeler Mark E. , Petersen Steve E.
Published: April 2009

Event-related fMRI studies reveal that episodic memory retrieval modulates lateral and medial parietal cortices, dorsal middle frontal gyrus (MFG), and anterior PFC. These regions respond more for recognized old than correctly rejected new words, suggesting a neural correlate of retrieval success. Despite significant efforts examining retrieval success regions, their role in retrieval remains largely unknown. Here we asked the question, to what degree are the regions performing memory-specific operations? And if so, are they all equally sensitive to successful retrieval, or are other factors such as error detection also implicated? We investigated this question by testing whether activity in retrieval success regions was associated with task-specific contingencies (i.e., perceived targetness) or mnemonic relevance (e.g., retrieval of source context). To do this, we used a source memory task that required discrimination between remembered targets and remembered nontargets. For a given region, the modulation of neural activity by a situational factor such as target status would suggest a more domain-general role; similarly, modulations of activity linked to error detection would suggest a role in monitoring and control rather than the accumulation of evidence from memory per se. We found that parietal retrieval success regions exhibited greater activity for items receiving correct than incorrect source responses, whereas frontal retrieval success regions were most active on error trials, suggesting that posterior regions signal successful retrieval whereas frontal regions monitor retrieval outcome. In addition, perceived targetness failed to modulate fMRI activity in any retrieval success region, suggesting that these regions are retrieval specific. We discuss the different functions that these regions may support and propose an accumulator model that captures the different pattern of responses seen in frontal and parietal retrieval success regions.
Bending the Rules: Strategic Behavioral Differences Are Reflected in the Brain
Authors: Wolfensteller Uta , von Cramon D. Yves
Published: April 2009

The implementation of higher-order conditional motor behavior was investigated in the present fMRI study with the objective of answering three questions: (a) what happens in situations where one stimulus dimension alone does not sufficiently determine the correct response?; (b) does the implementation of second-order stimulus–response (S–R) rules on the basis of matching (congruent) or nonmatching (incongruent) S–R associations differ from the implementation of congruent and incongruent first-order S–R rules?; and (c) is the cerebral implementation of second-order rules influenced by interindividual behavioral differences arising from the use of different strategies? The findings indicate that several cortical areas were more strongly engaged for second-order rules. More specifically, rule integration based on a rule match led to enhanced activation in posterior parietal cortex, whereas rule integration based on a rule mismatch was associated with enhanced activation in dorsal premotor cortex and left rostrolateral prefrontal cortex. Interindividual strategy differences were revealed by strikingly different behavioral data patterns: One subgroup of participants displayed strong congruency effects for second-order rules, whereas another subgroup displayed nonsignificant or even reversed congruency effects. Importantly, these strategy differences strongly modulated the cerebral implementation of second-order rules based on a rule mismatch. Together, the present findings reveal differential brain activation patterns for higher-order S–R rules depending on rule congruency and interindividual strategy differences. Moreover, they emphasize the necessity of taking interindividual behavioral differences into account when investigating the cerebral implementation of cognitive processes even in rather simple and well-controlled experimental paradigms.
Prefrontal Control of Familiarity and Recollection in Working Memory
Authors: Feredoes Eva , Postle Bradley R.
Published: April 2009

Left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) is a critical neural substrate for the resolution of proactive interference (PI) in working memory. We hypothesized that left IFG achieves this by controlling the influence of familiarity- versus recollection-based information about memory probes. Consistent with this idea, we observed evidence for an early (200 msec)-peaking signal corresponding to memory probe familiarity and a late (500 msec)-resolving signal corresponding to full accrual of trial-related contextual (“recollection-based”) information. Next, we applied brief trains of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) time locked to these mnemonic signals, to left IFG and to a control region. Only early rTMS of left IFG produced a modulation of the false alarm rate for high-PI probes. Additionally, the magnitude of this effect was predicted by individual differences in susceptibility to PI. These results suggest that left IFG-based control may bias the influence of familiarity- and recollection-based signals on recognition decisions.
Generation Mechanism of Spiciness Anomalies: An OGCM Analysis in the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre
Authors: Laurian Audine , Lazar Alban , Reverdin Gilles
Published: April 2009

Oceanic teleconnections between the low and midlatitudes are a key mechanism to understanding the climate variability. Spiciness anomalies (density-compensated anomalies) have been shown to transport temperature and salinity signals when propagating along current streamlines in the subtropical gyres of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The generation mechanism of spiciness anomalies in the North Atlantic subtropical gyre is investigated using an analytical model based on the late-winter subduction of salinity and temperature anomalies along isopycnal surfaces. The keystone of this approach is the change of the coordinates frame from isobaric to isopycnic surfaces, suited for subduction problems. The isopycnal nature of spiciness anomalies and the use of a linear density equation allows for the analytical model to depend only upon surface temperature and salinity anomalies, the mean thermocline currents, and the surface density ratio. This model clarifies and above all quantifies the mechanism by which surface temperature and salinity anomalies are modulated by density ratios to produce fully different isopycnal temperature and salinity anomalies.

A global run from the ocean GCM (OGCM) Océan Parallélisé (OPA) over the period 1948–2002 provides the reference data in which the North Atlantic subtropical thermocline spiciness variability is analyzed. Two EOF modes are sufficient to explain half of the low-frequency variability in the OGCM: one is maximum over the northeastern subtropics, and the other is in the central basin. The analytical model reproduces well the spatial pattern, amplitude, and sign of these two main modes. It confirms that the two centers of action of the anomalies are conditioned by the surface density ratio, the first corresponding to null salinity gradients and the second to near-density-compensated temperature gradients. Considering that the analytical model has good skills at reproducing the decadal variability of the OGCM spiciness anomalies in the permanent thermocline, it is believed that this is an interesting tool to understand and forecast the ventilation of the North Atlantic subtropical gyre at this time scale.
Global Extratropical Response to Diabatic Heating Variability of the Asian Summer Monsoon
Authors: Lin Hai
Published: April 2009

Global teleconnections associated with the Asian summer monsoon convective activities are investigated based on monthly data of 29 Northern Hemisphere summers defined as June–September (JJAS). Two distinct teleconnection patterns are identified that are associated respectively with variabilities of the Indian summer monsoon and the western North Pacific summer monsoon. The Indian summer monsoon convective activity is associated with a global pattern that has a far-reaching connection in both hemispheres, whereas the western North Pacific summer monsoon convective activity is connected to a Southern Hemisphere wave train that influences the high-latitude South Pacific and South America. A global primitive equation model is utilized to assess the cause of the global circulation anomalies. The model responses to anomalous heatings of both monsoon systems match the general features of the observed circulation anomalies well, and they are mainly controlled by linear processes. The response patterns are largely determined by the summertime large-scale background mean flow and the location of the heating anomaly relative to the upper easterly jet in the monsoon region.
Multiparameter Raman Lidar Measurements for the Characterization of a Dry Stratospheric Intrusion Event
Authors: Di Girolamo Paolo , Summa Donato , Ferretti Rossella
Published: April 2009

The University of Basilicata Raman lidar system (BASIL) is operational in Potenza, Italy, and it is capable of performing high-resolution and accurate measurements of atmospheric temperature and water vapor based on the application of the rotational and vibrational Raman lidar techniques in the ultraviolet region. BASIL was recently involved in the 2005 International Lindenberg campaign for Assessment of Humidity and Cloud Profiling Systems and Its Impact on High-Resolution Modeling (LAUNCH 2005) experiment held from 12 September to 31 October 2005. A thorough description of the technical characteristics, measurement capabilities, and performances of BASIL is given in this paper. Measurements were continuously run between 1 and 3 October 2005, covering a dry stratospheric intrusion episode associated with a tropopause folding event. The measurements in this paper represent the first simultaneous Raman lidar measurements of atmospheric temperature, water vapor mixing ratio, and thus relative humidity reported for an extensive observation period (32 h).

The use of water vapor to trace intruded stratospheric air allows the clear identification of a dry structure (∼1 km thick) originating in the stratosphere and descending in the free troposphere down to ∼3 km. A similar feature is present in the temperature field, with lower temperature values detected within the dry-air tongue. Relative humidity measurements reveal values as small as 0.5%–1% within the intruded air. The stratospheric origin of the observed dry layer has been verified by the application of a Lagrangian trajectory model. The subsidence of the intruding heavy dry air may be responsible for the gravity wave activity observed beneath the dry layer.

Lidar measurements have been compared with the output of both the fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University–National Center for Atmospheric Research (PSU–NCAR) Mesoscale Model (MM5) and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) global model. Comparisons in terms of water vapor reveal the capability of MM5 to reproduce the dynamical structures associated with the stratospheric intrusion episode and to simulate the deep penetration into the troposphere of the dry intruded layer. Moreover, lidar measurements of potential temperature are compared with MM5 output, whereas potential vorticities from both the ECMWF model and MM5 are compared with estimates obtained combining MM5 model vorticity and lidar measurements of potential temperature.
On Formulas for Equivalent Potential Temperature
Authors: Davies-Jones Robert
Published: April 2009

Several new formulas for pseudoadiabatic equivalent potential temperature (EPT) are devised and compared to previous ones. The maximum errors of all the formulas are determined from calculations on a dense grid of points in the region of a thermodynamic diagram defined by wet-bulb potential temperature ≤32°C (EPT ≤ 400 K) and pressure between 100 and 1050 mb. One of the new formulas has an accuracy of 0.015 K in the specified region. Finding the imitation first law of thermodynamics that they satisfy approximately reveals how the formulas work.
Tropical Cyclone Tornadoes, 1950–2007
Authors: Schultz Lori A. , Cecil Daniel J.
Published: April 2009

An expanded “climatology” of U.S. tropical cyclone (TC) tornadoes covering the period 1950–2007 is presented. A major climatology published in 1991 included data on 626 TC tornadoes. Since then, almost 1200 more TC tornado records have been identified, with almost half of that number from the 2004–05 seasons alone. This work reexamines some findings from previous studies, using a substantially larger database. The new analyses strongly support distinctions between inner- and outer-region tornadoes, which were suggested in previous studies. Outer-region tornadoes (beyond 200 km from the TC center) have a stronger diurnal signal, commonly occurring during the afternoon. Inner-region tornadoes typically occur within ∼12 h of TC landfall, with no strong preference for a particular time of day. They are disproportionately less damaging tornadoes, with more rated F0 than in the outer-region sample. In more general terms, the TC tornado database includes a smaller percentage of significant (≥F2) tornadoes (14%) than does the overall U.S. tornado database (22%). Most TC tornadoes (60%) occur within 100 km of the coast; this includes core-region tornadoes near the time of landfall as well as tornadoes from rainbands coming ashore far from the circulation center. The F0-rated tornadoes are slightly more common near the coast but compose a smaller percentage of the tornadoes inland. The threat often persists for 2–3 days after landfall and extends ∼400 km inland and ∼500 km from the TC center, although there is much case-to-case variability. This puts locations at risk that might otherwise avoid damage from the TC.
The Impacts of AMMA Radiosonde Data on the French Global Assimilation and Forecast System
Authors: Faccani C. , Rabier F. , Fourrié N. , Agusti-Panareda A. , Karbou F. , Moll P. , Lafore J.-P. , Nuret M. , Hdidou F. , Bock O.
Published: April 2009

The high vertical density soundings recorded during the 2006 African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analysis (AMMA) campaign are assimilated into the French numerical weather prediction Action de Recherche Petite Echelle Grande Echelle (ARPEGE) four-dimensional variational data assimilation (4DVAR) system, with and without a bias correction for relative humidity. Four different experiments are carried out to assess the impacts of the added observations. The analyses and forecasts from these different scenarios are evaluated over western Africa. For the full experiment using all data together with a bias correction, the humidity analysis is in better agreement with surface observations and independent GPS observations than it was for the other experiments. AMMA data also improve the African easterly jet (AEJ) on its southeasterly side, and when they are used with an appropriate bias correction, the daily and monthly averaged precipitation results are in relatively good agreement with the satellite-based precipitation estimates. Forecast scores are computed with respect to surface observations, radiosondes, and analyses from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). The positive impacts of additional radiosonde observations (with a relevant bias correction) are found to propagate downstream with a positive impact over Europe at the 2–3-day forecast range.
Consequence and Factors Related to Not Offering Reperfusion Therapy in STEMI
Authors: Jintapakorn Woravut , Lim Apiradee , Yipintsoi Tada , Moleerergpoom Worachat , Srimahachota Supot , Sriyadthasak Odthon
Published: April 2009

Introduction: Varied reasons existed for not offering reperfusion therapy in ST elevation myocardial infarction and results in poor outcomes, and if related factors could be delineated, corrective measures can be attempted. Method: We compared variables between participants not receiving reperfusion therapy and those receiving single reperfusion therapy. Multivariate analysis examined the contribution of non-reperfusion therapy to death and factors related to it. Results: Non-reperfusion therapy was older and had a lower frequency of typical chest pain, but more dyspnea, and post cardiac resuscitation. They had more heart failure and death. Non-reperfusion therapy was an independent factor related to cardiac death, and factors related to non-reperfusion therapy were age, type of hospital, presenting features on admission (dyspnea and post cardiac resuscitation), lack of typical chest pain, and not being referred to. Conclusion: Non-reperfusion therapy had 2 to 3 times higher in-hospital mortality. Factors related to not offering reperfusion therapy, aside from age, appeared to be amendable to better management.
Percutaneous Revascularization of Unprotected Left Main: Results of PCI Using Drug-eluting Stent in Ostial Versus Distal Bifurcation Disease
Authors: Al Rashdan Ibrahim , Amin Haitham
Published: April 2009

Background: Coronary artery bypass graft surgery is standard treatment for unprotected left main coronary artery disease. Recently, drug-eluting stents have been used to treat unprotected left main coronary artery disease. Objective: To analyze data for consecutive patients treated at a single center with drug-eluting stents for unprotected left main coronary artery disease. Results: Seventy-three patients underwent elective percutaneous coronary intervention of unprotected left main coronary artery disease. Twenty-one (30%) of the patients had disease involving the ostium or midshaft of the left main, while the remaining 52 (70%) patients had distal bifurcation disease. The group consisted of high-risk patients with an average European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation of 9% (range 0.9%-54%). After 1 year follow-up, 3 (4%) patients died; 8 patients (11%) had target vessel revascularization; 4 with repeat percutaneous coronary intervention; and 4 with coronary artery bypass graft surgery. All the events occurred in the distal bifurcation group. Conclusion: These results from a single-center registry suggest the safety of performing percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stents in unprotected left main coronary artery disease with low major adverse cardiac events (MACE) rates at 1 year.
The Political Standardizer
Authors: Frankel Christian , Højbjerg Erik
Published: April 2009

Our aim in this article is to demonstrate that corporate technical activity and corporate political activity can overlap substantially or intertwine in ways quite difficult to tease apart analytically. Theories of corporate political activity must therefore be modified to include technical standardization as potentially part of such activity. The article proposes a conceptual framework for studying such situations and argues for the existence of a “political standardizer,” defined as a company that works for or through technical standardization as a political strategy. Such a firm pursues political objectives in its technical standardization practices. The article illustrates this argument with a case study of the toy producer LEGO®. The case study provides support for existence of a political standardizer and illustrates concretely how technical and political activities are combined by a particular company.
Implications of Different Outcome Measures for an Understanding of Inmate Misconduct
Authors: Steiner Benjamin , Wooldredge John
Published: April 2009

Quantitative studies geared toward understanding differences among prison inmates in their odds of committing rule infractions have grown over the last decade but with little consistency in the models examined, especially regarding the types of rule violations examined. These differences have, in turn, contributed to an increasingly complex picture of inmate misconduct that appears counterproductive for both theory and practice. The study described here was designed to assess the ramifications of examining different outcome measures for quantitative analyses of the subject. Findings revealed that three of the nine models examined produced unique information regarding the effects of various inmate predictors, including the models of physical assaults (on inmates and/or staff), drug/alcohol use, and other nonviolent misconduct. Analyses also uncovered several new substantive findings on the topic. Findings are discussed in light of their relevance for practice as well as theories of inmate behavior.
Cross-sectional Distribution of Crystalline and Fibril Orientations of Typical Regenerated Cellulose Fibers in Relation to their Fibrillation Resistance
Authors: Miyamoto Hitomi , Yamane Chihiro , Mori Mariko , Okajima Kunihiko , Sugiyama Junji
Published: April 2009

The structural distributions and their formation mechanisms, on both the morphological and crystallographic scales of two types of regenerated cellulose fiber, cuprammonium rayon (Cupra) and solvent spun rayon (Lyocell), were studied in relation to fibrillar formation using transmission electron microscopy and electron micro-diffraction analysis. Cupra had a multilayer structure. The outer layer of the fiber had a network structure without distinct fibrils, but with high crystallinity (χc) and crystalline orientation ( Fc), whereas the center of the fiber had a well-developed fibrillar structure with an amorphous state. The high χc in the outer layer probably resulted from the release of both copper and ammonia from the fiber during coagulation. The fibrillar structures in the center could have been formed by the deformation of the network structure along the elongation direction before crystallization took place. Lyocell was crystallographically and morphologically uniform along the fiber radius, with a highly developed fibrillar structure with high χc and Fc. The type of fibrillar formation was closely correlated with the morphological distribution, that is, fibrillation started from layers with a well-developed fibrillar structure.
Study on the Electrical Resistance of Textiles under Wet Conditions
Authors: Xin Wang  , Weilin Xu  , Wenbin Li  , Weigang Cui
Published: April 2009

In this study, electrical resistances of different fabrics were indirectly tested on a purpose-built apparatus so as to investigate the effects of fiber materials, moisture regain, testing distances, and electrolyte concentration on the electrical resistance of textiles. Fabrics made from different fiber materials show different values of electrical resistance. Regression analysis shows the electrical resistance to be linearly related to the reciprocal of the moisture regain of fabric. The electrical resistance rises linearly with the increase of testing distance on fabric. Regression analysis also suggests the electrical resistance of fabrics is exponentially related to the electrolyte concentration. In this way, the relationship between electrical properties and moisture of textiles is analysed, which not only provides a theoretical analysis of moisture testing techniques, but also is helpful in exploring electrical-moisture textile apparatus and the designing of moisture absorbent and perspiration textiles.
Statin Effects on LDL and HDL Cholesterol in South Asian and White Populations
Authors: Gupta Milan , Braga Manoela F. B. , Teoh Hwee , Tsigoulis Michelle , Verma Subodh
Published: April 2009

Inasmuch as statins appear to exhibit altered efficacy in some Asian populations (predominantly East Asian), current lipid guidelines recommend the use of lower statin doses in all Asians. Whether this should also apply to South Asians, a population at high risk for coronary heart disease, remains unclear. The authors evaluated the lipid‐modifying effects of statins in South Asian and white patients with established coronary heart disease. Atorvastatin (median dose = 20 mg/d in both groups) produced similar decreases in low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐c) in South Asian (43%) and white (41%) patients and raised high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐c) by 19% in South Asians and by 12% in whites. Simvastatin (median dose = 20 mg/d in both groups) reduced LDL‐c by 35% in South Asians and by 37% in whites while raising HDL‐c by 12% in both groups. Using a multiple linear regression model (atorvastatin equivalent), the expected decrease in LDL‐c for 10 mg atorvastatin and 20 mg atorvastatin was similar between the groups. Results indicate that atorvastatin and simvastatin, at commonly prescribed doses, modulate LDL‐c and HDL‐c levels to a similar degree in both South Asians and whites with documented coronary heart disease. These findings suggest that South Asian patients may be treated with atorvastatin and simvastatin at doses typically applied to white patients.
Peering Inside a Canadian Interrogation Room
Authors: King Lesley , Snook Brent
Published: April 2009

This study sought to shed light on the interrogation process through analysis of 44 video-recorded police interrogations of suspects in criminal cases. Results showed that, on average, interrogators used 34% of the components composing the nine-step Reid model of interrogation. Approximately 27% of the interrogations met Leo's criteria for a coercive interrogation; minimization tactics were observed slightly more than maximization tactics; and most interrogations followed the guidelines, suggestions, and themes endorsed by Inbau, Reid, Buckley, and Jayne. In addition, confessions were positively associated with the proportion of core Reid components, the number of influence tactics, and the number of coercive strategies observed. Confessions were not associated with the number of discouraged denials but were positively associated with the number of alternative questions provided. The implications of these findings for interrogation practices and research are discussed.
Patient Activation Is Associated With Healthy Behaviors and Ease in Managing Diabetes in an Indigent Population
Authors: Rask Kimberly J. , Ziemer David C. , Kohler Susan A. , Hawley Jonathan N. , Arinde Folakemi J. , Barnes Catherine S.
Published: April 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to assess the validity of the patient activation construct as measured by the Patient Activation Measure (PAM) survey by correlating PAM scores with diabetes self-management behaviors, attitudes, and knowledge in a predominantly minority and uninsured population.

Methods

A convenience sample of patients presenting to an urban public hospital diabetes clinic was surveyed and contacted by phone 6 months later. The survey included questions about activation, health behaviors, and health care utilization.

Results

A total of 287 patients agreed to participate. Most were African American, female, and uninsured. Most respondents (62.2%) scored in the highest category of activation according to the PAM. Activated patients were more likely to perform feet checks, receive eye examinations, and exercise regularly. Activation was consistently associated with less reported difficulty in managing diabetes care but not with A1C knowledge. PAM scores at the initial interview were highly correlated with scores at 6-month follow-up. Activation level did not predict differences in health care utilization during the 6 months following the survey.

Conclusions

Higher scores on the PAM were associated with higher rates of self-care behaviors and ease in managing diabetes; however, the indigent urban population reported higher activation scores than found in previous studies. The relationship between activation and outcomes needs to be explored further prior to expanding use of this measure in this patient population.
Changing Attitudes to Gender Roles
Authors: Berridge Damon , Penn Roger , Ganjali Mojtaba
Published: April 2009

This article examines changes in attitudes to gender roles in contemporary Britain by using a first-order Markov process in which cumulative transition probabilities are logistic functions of a set of personal and socioeconomic characteristics of respondents. The data are taken from the British Household Panel Study (BHPS). The attitudinal responses examined take the form of ordinal responses concerning gender roles in 1991 and 2003. The likelihood function is partitioned to make possible the use of existing software for estimating model parameters. For the BHPS data, it was found that, depending on the value of the response in 1991, a variety of factors were important determinants of attitudes to gender roles by 2003.
Hannah Arendt's Critique of Violence
Authors: Finlay Christopher J.
Published: April 2009

This article critiques the idea of instrumental justification for violent means seen in Hannah Arendt's writings. A central element in Arendt's argument against theorists like Georges Sorel and Frantz Fanon in On Violence is the distinction between instrumental justifications and approaches emphasizing the `legitimacy' of violence or its intrinsic value. This doesn't really do the work Arendt needs it to in relation to rival theories. The true distinctiveness of Arendt's view is seen when we turn to On Revolution and resituate the later arguments of On Violence in the context of her ideas about the separation between revolution and liberation. Arendt's commitment to the American discovery in revolutionary politics of a means that needs no further ends to justify it permits a rereading of her conception of liberation as an attempt to envisage a violence that, while tactically instrumental, is at the same time politically non-instrumental. But while Arendt's view is distinct, the article also highlights important thematic continuities with the writings of Sorel and Walter Benjamin.
Democratic Revolutions, Power and the City: Weber and Political Modernity
Authors: Rundell John
Published: April 2009

This article develops three interconnected arguments concerning the image of modernity as a revolutionary epoch and the way in which this image has been understood and theorized. These three lines of conceptualization, which can only be sketched in less rather than greater detail here, concern the constellation or figuration of modernity, its democratic dimension, and in reference to each, the work of Max Weber, especially The City. More specifically, the article argues that modern democracy is revolutionary when viewed as an open and self-instituting articulation of political power. Its modern revolutionary impulse begins in the Italian Renaissance city-states, the German `free' cities, and the Swiss federation where urban autonomy was matched by the creation of elected forms of rulership and the development of federated circulations of power.
Navigating Nationality in the Emigration of Minorities between Bulgaria and Greece, 1919—1941
Authors: Dragostinova Theodora
Published: April 2009

The 1919 Convention for Emigration of Minorities between Bulgaria and Greece was an important prototype for minority handling and population exchange in Eastern Europe after World War I. Based on research in Bulgarian and Greek archives, this article offers a comparative analysis of the conflicting pursuits of the two countries and the multiple opinions of various groups affected by displacement. Despite the optimism of the League of Nations that the Convention would solve ethnic conflict by bolstering individual rights, people's unwillingness to prioritize nationality undermined the execution of voluntary exchange. Instead, emigration occurred as an “actual exchange,” and refugees fled their birthplaces under harsh circumstances. Yet individuals inventively navigated their nationality and often defied the priorities of the nation-states to further their personal strategies. Because of the failure of this first international experiment of voluntary exchange in Eastern Europe, future proponents of population management adopted the principle of compulsory exchange.
Caritas across the Iron Curtain?
Authors: Kosicki Piotr H.
Published: April 2009

This article takes the November 1965 letter of Poland's Roman Catholic bishops to their German counterparts as a starting point for historical inquiry into the nature and consequences of Catholic engagement in Polish-German reconciliation. The article begins with a close reading of the letter's text and its philosophical-theological underpinnings; then, it discusses the letter's reception history and its political consequences. The letter and its reception have a double significance: first, as an event in post-World War II European political, intellectual, and ecclesiastical history; second, as an ethical commentary on the spirit of dialogue promulgated in the constitutions of the Second Vatican Council. Although the letter helped to facilitate a process of Polish-German reconciliation that remains ongoing, this process has failed to assimilate the letter's ethics of forgiveness. That failure has reinforced the roadblocks that hamper Polish-German reconciliation almost two decades after the fall of communism in Europe.
A Glimpse over the Rising Walls
Authors: Gąsior-Niemiec Anna , Glasze Georg , Pütz Robert
Published: April 2009

The authors focus on societal perceptions of the Polish post-communist transformation as reflected in the rising discourse of gated communities. Guarded, (video-) controlled and/or walled housing estates have been on the sprawl in the Polish metropolises throughout the 1990s and 2000s. However, only recently they have been discursively constructed—under the banner of “gated communities”—as a social and political issue in the country. The authors look at this issue from a vantage point offered by Laclau and Mouffe's theory of discourse, which allows the authors to combine a spatial and a linguistic analytical perspective. The analysis emphasizes the manner in which societal perceptions of borders surrounding gated communities overlap with perceptions of boundaries being inscribed in the social structure of post-communist Poland, while the resulting socio—spatial configurations are taken to signify political cleavages inherent in the Polish nation.
Family Business Research in the New Millennium
Authors: Debicki Bart J. , Matherne Curtis F. , Kellermanns Franz W. , Chrisman James J.
Published: April 2009

The authors' analysis of 291 family business articles published in 30 management journals between 2001 and 2007 reports the contributions of individual scholars and academic institutions to family business research. To better understand the interrelationships among scholars who have contributed to family business research, a network analysis of coauthor relationships was conducted. The authors also provide a content analysis of the articles and offer suggestions for future research. By analyzing the who, where, and what of family business research, the reasons why the developmental trends have occurred and how the field's momentum can be maintained and directed toward productive ends become clearer.