bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Focal nodular hyperplasia after orthotopic liver transplantation
Authors: Ra Seong H. , Kaplan Jeffrey B. , Lassman Charles R.
Published: October 2009

Focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) has been well characterized in native livers, but to our knowledge, no cases of FNH have been described in liver allografts. We review the clinicopathological features of 6 FNHs identified in 4 patients after orthotopic liver transplantation. There were 3 male patients and 1 female patient ranging in age from 2 to 63 years. The time from transplant to a diagnosis of FNH ranged from 15 to 118 months. Two patients presented with an incidental solitary liver nodule. One patient presented with 2 liver nodules, and the other patient initially presented with 1 liver nodule and was found to have another nodule at autopsy 6 years later. Two FNHs were seen as an incidental finding at autopsy, and the other 4 were initially identified on ultrasound. Follow-up magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scans revealed features atypical for FNH and suspicious for hepatocellular carcinoma. The initial diagnosis of FNH was made by needle core biopsy in 3 cases and at autopsy in 2 cases. The lesions ranged in size from 1.7 to 6.9 cm. Three patients had conditions associated with altered hepatic vascular perfusion; 2 patients had portal vein thrombosis, and 1 had a partial allograft from a living donor. In conclusion, FNH can present as a hepatic nodule after orthotopic liver transplantation and should not be confused with hepatocellular carcinoma. Because of altered hepatic circulation in the posttransplant liver, a diagnosis of FNH would not be unexpected. FNH should be considered in the differential diagnosis of hepatic nodules within the posttransplant liver, especially in patients with known hepatic vascular perfusion abnormalities. Liver Transpl 16:98–103, 2010. © 2009 AASLD.
Alcohol use while on the liver transplant waiting list: A single-center experience
Authors: Carbonneau Michelle , Jensen Louise A. , Bain Vincent G. , Kelly Karen , Meeberg Glenda , Tandon Puneeta
Published: October 2009

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a leading indication for liver transplantation. Our center has randomly checked blood alcohol levels (BALs) in ALD patients on the waiting list since 2004. We aimed to identify the incidence and predictors of inactivation on the transplant list due to alcohol use and to determine the utility of BAL-screening in this process. We conducted a retrospective review of patients with ALD listed for liver transplantation with at least 3 months of postlisting follow-up. Alcohol use while on the transplant list was defined as a positive BAL, an admission of alcohol use, or refusal to perform screening within 12 hours of request. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate risk ratios (RRs). Of 134 patients meeting eligibility criteria, 78% were male, and mean age was 52 years. Alcohol use was documented in 23 patients (17%). Of these, 12 refused to have a random screen, 8 had detectable serum ethanol levels, and 3 had self-reported alcohol use. On multivariable analysis, a higher number of random BAL-checks [RR = 0.63(0.52, 0.76), P = 0.001] and a longer duration of prelisting abstinence [RR = 0.88(0.83, 0.94), P = 0.001] independently reduced the risk of alcohol use by patients while on the waiting list. None of the patients with >24 months of prelisting abstinence had a positive screen. In conclusion, this study supports random BAL-screening before transplantation and reinforces the importance of abstinence duration as a predictor of relapse. For patients with <24 months of prelisting abstinence, our center will increase the frequency of random BAL screening and increase the rehabilitation requirements to include an intensive 3-week rehabilitation program. We hope that these measures will reduce the rate of relapse to alcohol use post-transplantation. Liver Transpl 16:91–97, 2010. © 2009 AASLD.
Hepatitis E virus infection as a cause of graft hepatitis in liver transplant recipients
Authors: Pischke Sven , Suneetha Pothakamuri V. , Baechlein Christine , Barg-Hock Hannelore , Heim Albert , Kamar Nassim , Schlue Jerome , Strassburg Christian P. , Lehner Frank , Raupach Regina , Bremer Birgit , Magerstedt Peter , Cornberg Markus , Seehusen Frauke , Baumgaertner Wolfgang , Klempnauer Juergen , Izopet Jacques , Manns Michael P. , Grummer B. , Wedemeyer Heiner
Published: October 2009

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection induces self-limiting liver disease in immunocompetent individuals. Cases of chronic hepatitis E have recently been identified in organ transplant recipients. We questioned if chronic hepatitis E plays a role in graft hepatitis after liver transplantation in a low endemic area. Two hundred twenty-six liver transplant recipients, 129 nontransplanted patients with chronic liver disease, and 108 healthy controls were tested for HEV antibodies. HEV RNA was investigated in all sera from transplanted patients. HEV antibodies were detected in 1 healthy control (1%), 4 patients with chronic liver disease (3%), and 10 liver transplant recipients (4%). Three liver transplant patients also tested positive for HEV RNA. Two of them developed persistent viremia with HEV genotype 3. The patients were anti-HEV immunoglobulin G–negative and HEV RNA–negative before transplantation and had an episode of acute hepatitis 5 or 7 months after transplantation, which led to advanced liver fibrosis after 22 months in 1 patient. Seroconversion to anti-HEV occurred not before 4 months after the first detection of HEV RNA. The possibility of reverse zoonotic transmission was experimentally confirmed by the infection of 5 pigs with a patient's serum. The pigs showed histological inflammation in the liver, and HEV RNA was detectable in different organs, including muscle. In conclusion, the prevalence of HEV infection in Central European liver transplant recipients is low; however, chronic hepatitis E may occur and needs to be considered in the differential diagnosis of graft hepatitis. The diagnosis of HEV infection should be based on HEV RNA determination in immunosuppressed patients. We suggest that immunocompromised individuals should avoid eating uncooked meat and contact with possibly HEV-infected animals. Liver Transpl 16:74–82, 2010. © 2009 AASLD.
Hepatitis C virus infection after liver transplantation is associated with lower levels of activated CD4+CD25+CD45RO+IL-7rαhigh T cells
Authors: Ciuffreda Donatella , Codarri Laura , Buhler Leo , Vallotton Laure , Giostra Emiliano , Mentha Gilles , Morel Philippe , Pantaleo Giuseppe , Pascual Manuel
Published: October 2009

The expression of interleukin 7 receptor alphahigh (IL-7Rαhigh) discriminates between activated CD25+CD45RO+CD4+ T cells [IL-7Rαhigh and forkhead box P3–negative (FoxP3−)] and regulatory T cells (IL-7Rαlow and FoxP3+). The IL-7RαhighCD25+CD45RO+CD4+FoxP3− T cell population has been shown to be expanded in the blood and tissues of patients after kidney transplantation and to contain alloreactive T cells (activated T cells). In the present study, we analyzed the distribution of IL-7RαhighCD25+CD45RO+CD4+FoxP3− T cells in the blood of 53 patients after liver transplantation. The IL-7RαhighCD25+CD45RO+CD4+FoxP3− T cell population was significantly expanded (P < 0.0001) in stable transplant recipients versus healthy donors. However, the magnitude of the expansion was significantly higher (P < 0.0001) in liver transplant recipients with no hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in comparison with those with a preexisting HCV infection. Interestingly, effective suppression of HCV viremia after antiviral therapy was associated with an increase in the IL-7RαhighCD25+CD45RO+CD4+FoxP3− T cell population to levels comparable to those of liver transplant recipients not infected with HCV. The present results indicate that (1) the IL-7RαhighCD25+CD45RO+CD4+FoxP3− T cell population is expanded after liver transplantation, (2) it is a valuable immunological marker for monitoring activated and potential alloreactive CD4 T cells in liver transplantation, and (3) a preexisting HCV infection negatively influences the expansion of this population in liver transplant recipients. Liver Transpl 16:49–55, 2010. © 2009 AASLD.
Primary biliary cirrhosis after liver transplantation: Influence of immunosuppression and human leukocyte antigen locus disparity
Authors: Manousou Pinelopi , Arvaniti Vasiliki , Tsochatzis Emmanuel , Isgro Graziella , Jones Kate , Shirling Graham , Dhillon Amar P. , O'Beirne James , Patch David , Burroughs Andrew K.
Published: October 2009

Patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), despite excellent outcomes after liver transplantation (LT), may develop recurrent primary biliary cirrhosis (rPBC). The impact of immunosuppression and HLA mismatches on rPBC is unclear. We evaluated 103 consecutive PBC patients who underwent transplantation (follow-up ≥ 10 months) with serial protocol biopsies. Cox regression was used to evaluate factors associated with rPBC: the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score pre-LT, year of transplantation, age and gender of the recipient and donor, cold and warm ischemic times, HLA mismatches, rejection, infections, and immunosuppression (initial/maintenance). The mean follow-up was 108 months (10-239 months), rPBC occurred in 36, and the mean was 44 months (10-200 months). Immunosuppression was cyclosporine-based in 38 (10 initially on monotherapy) and tacrolimus-based in 62 (19 initially on monotherapy). Steroids were discontinued in all but 7. Azathioprine was part of the initial immunosuppression in 70, 26 discontinued it, and 33 were never exposed to it. rPBC was associated independently with nonuse/discontinuation of azathioprine (P = 0.015, hazard ratio = 0.046, 95% confidence interval = 0.008-0.261). The mean time to rPBC was 74 months with azathioprine, 43 months when AZA was discontinued, and 31 months if no azathioprine was used. Cyclosporine or tacrolimus alone had no impact on rPBC, but cyclosporine with azathioprine was protective for rPBC in comparison with tacrolimus/azathioprine (0/18 versus 7/25, respectively; P < 0.001). rPBC was not affected by HLA mismatches. Azathioprine use in PBC patients who underwent transplantation was associated with less disease recurrence and a longer time to rPBC. Tacrolimus or cyclosporine individually had no effect, but cyclosporine and azathioprine in combination resulted in the least rPBC. Liver Transpl 16:64–73, 2010. © 2009 AASLD.
Characterizing and correcting gradient errors in non‐cartesian imaging: Are gradient errors linear time‐invariant (LTI)?
Authors: Brodsky Ethan K. , Samsonov Alexey A. , Block Walter F.
Published: October 2009

Non‐Cartesian and rapid imaging sequences are more sensitive to scanner imperfections such as gradient delays and eddy currents. These imperfections vary between scanners and over time and can be a significant impediment to successful implementation and eventual adoption of non‐Cartesian techniques by scanner manufacturers. Differences between the k‐space trajectory desired and the trajectory actually acquired lead to misregistration and reduction in image quality. While early calibration methods required considerable scan time, more recent methods can work more quickly by making certain approximations. We examine a rapid gradient calibration procedure applied to multiecho three‐dimensional projection reconstruction (3DPR) acquisitions in which the calibration runs as part of every scan. After measuring the trajectories traversed for excitations on each of the orthogonal gradient axes, trajectories for the oblique projections actually acquired during the scan are synthesized as linear combinations of these measurements. The ability to do rapid calibration depends on the assumption that gradient errors are linear and time‐invariant (LTI). This work examines the validity of these assumptions and shows that the assumption of linearity is reasonable, but that gradient errors can vary over short time periods (due to changes in gradient coil temperature) and thus it is important to use calibration data matched to the scan data. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Improved technique for measurement of regional fractional ventilation by hyperpolarized 3He MRI
Authors: Emami Kiarash , Kadlecek Stephen J. , Woodburn John M. , Zhu Jianliang , Yu Jiangsheng , Vahdat Vahid , Pickup Stephen , Ishii Masaru , Rizi Rahim R.
Published: October 2009

Quantitative measurement of regional lung ventilation is of great significance in assessment of lung function in many obstructive and restrictive pulmonary diseases. A new technique for regional measurement of fractional ventilation using hyperpolarized 3He MRI is proposed, addressing the shortcomings of an earlier approach that limited its use to small animals. The new approach allows for the acquisition of similar quantitative maps over a shortened period and requires substantially less 3He gas. This technique is therefore a better platform for implementation in large species, including humans. The measurements using the two approaches were comparable to a great degree, as verified in a healthy rat lung, and are very reproducible. Preliminary validation is performed in a lung phantom system. Volume dependency of measurements was assessed both in vivo and in vitro. A scheme for selecting an optimum flip angle is proposed. In addition, a dead space modeling approach is proposed to yield more accurate measurements of regional fractional ventilation using either method. Finally, sensitivity of the new technique to model parameters, noise, and number of included images were assessed numerically. As a prelude to application in humans, the technique was implemented in a large animal study successfully. Magn Reson Med, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A 2D MTF approach to evaluate and guide dynamic imaging developments
Authors: Chao Tzu‐Cheng , Chung Hsiao‐Wen , Hoge W. Scott , Madore Bruno
Published: October 2009

As the number and complexity of partially sampled dynamic imaging methods continue to increase, reliable strategies to evaluate performance may prove most useful. In the present work, an analytical framework to evaluate given reconstruction methods is presented. A perturbation algorithm allows the proposed evaluation scheme to perform robustly without requiring knowledge about the inner workings of the method being evaluated. A main output of the evaluation process consists of a two‐dimensional modulation transfer function, an easy‐to‐interpret visual rendering of a method's ability to capture all combinations of spatial and temporal frequencies. Approaches to evaluate noise properties and artifact content at all spatial and temporal frequencies are also proposed. One fully sampled phantom and three fully sampled cardiac cine datasets were subsampled (R = 4 and 8) and reconstructed with the different methods tested here. A hybrid method, which combines the main advantageous features observed in our assessments, was proposed and tested in a cardiac cine application, with acceleration factors of 3.5 and 6.3 (skip factors of 4 and 8, respectively). This approach combines features from methods such as k‐t sensitivity encoding, unaliasing by Fourier encoding the overlaps in the temporal dimension‐sensitivity encoding, generalized autocalibrating partially parallel acquisition, sensitivity profiles from an array of coils for encoding and reconstruction in parallel, self, hybrid referencing with unaliasing by Fourier encoding the overlaps in the temporal dimension and generalized autocalibrating partially parallel acquisition, and generalized autocalibrating partially parallel acquisition–enhanced sensitivity maps for sensitivity encoding reconstructions. Magn Reson Med, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A hybrid method for simulation factor screening
Authors: Shen Hua , Wan Hong , Sanchez Susan M.
Published: October 2009

Factor screening is performed to eliminate unimportant factors so that the remaining important factors can be more thoroughly studied in later experiments. Controlled sequential bifurcation (CSB) and controlled sequential factorial design (CSFD) are two new screening methods for discrete‐event simulations. Both methods use hypothesis testing procedures to control the Type I Error and power of the screening results. The scenarios for which each method is most efficient are complementary. This study proposes a two‐stage hybrid approach that combines CSFD and an improved CSB called CSB‐X. In Phase 1, a prescreening procedure will estimate each effect and determine whether CSB‐X or CSFD will be used for further screening. In Phase 2, CSB‐X and CSFD are performed separately based on the assignment of Phase 1. The new method usually has the same error control as CSB‐X and CSFD. The efficiency, on the other hand, is usually much better than either component method. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2010
The Meul Index: A non‐destructive method for estimating the cortical index in skeletal samples
Authors: Meulendyk T. , Dewar G. , Schillaci M. A.
Published: October 2009

The study of osteoporosis in past populations provides insight into the history and evolution of this condition. The Cortical Index is a relative measure of cortical bone often used for identifying individuals with age‐related bone loss associated with osteoporosis. Current methods of measuring the Cortical Index involve radiography or cutting actual sections of long bones at the mid‐shaft. We propose a new index, the Meul Index as means for estimating the Cortical Index without the use of radiography. Based on a preliminary study of 13 individuals consisting of 9 males, 3 females and one unknown sex, ranging in age from young to older adult, the Meul Index is highly correlated with the Cortical Index (r = 0.903). The proposed Meul Index provides a non‐destructive and inexpensive means for studying age‐related bone loss in prehistoric and historic populations represented by skeletal samples. Our research builds on the recent publication of Silva, A.M., Crubezy, E. and Cunha, E. 2008. Bone weight: new reference values based on a modern Portuguese identified skeletal collection.Int. J. Osteoarchaeol.DOI: 10.1002/oa.998. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Pre‐transplant lung function is predictive of survival following pediatric bone marrow transplantation
Authors: Ginsberg Jill P. , Aplenc Richard , McDonough Joseph , Bethel James , Doyle John , Weiner Daniel J.
Published: October 2009

Background

Pulmonary toxicity is well described in recipients of bone marrow transplants (BMT), and accounts for a sizeable proportion of post‐transplant mortality. The majority of the data on post‐transplant pulmonary function is from adults, although several small pediatric case series have been described. In adults, pre‐transplant lung function has been predictive of post‐transplant respiratory failure and mortality. This use of pulmonary function testing, that is, for pre‐transplant risk counseling, is novel but has never been applied to pediatric patients. We hypothesized that in children, as in adults, pre‐transplant pulmonary function would also be predictive of outcome post‐transplantation morbidity.

Procedure

Retrospective database analysis of pulmonary function tests of patients undergoing first myeloablative BMT at two large children's hospitals.

Results

Two hundred seventy‐three subjects had at least one pre‐transplant PFT, and 317 subjects had at least one post‐transplant PFT available for analysis. While the majority of patients had normal or mildly reduced pre‐transplant flows and lung volume, 25% had moderately or severely reduced diffusion. All lung function parameters decreased post‐transplant with a slow improvement over ensuing years. The Lung Function Score, a combined measurement of FEV1 and DLCO, was highly associated with post‐transplant survival. Hazard ratios for mortality (compared to the best LFS) ranged from 1.654 to 2.454.

Conclusions

Lung function prior to bone marrow transplant, especially diffusing capacity, is frequently abnormal. Lung function frequently decreases shortly post‐transplant and tends to improve over time, but frequently remains abnormal even years after transplant. Post‐transplant survival is related to pre‐transplant lung function. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2010;54:454–460. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Metabolic response of tomato leaves upon different plant–pathogen interactions
Authors: López‐Gresa M. Pilar , Maltese Federica , Bellés José María , Conejero Vicente , Kim Hye Kyong , Choi Young Hae , Verpoorte Robert
Published: October 2009

Introduction – Plants utilise vaious defence mechanisms against their potential biotic stressing agents such as viroids, viruses, bacteria or fungi and abiotic environmental challenges. Among them metabolic alteration is a common response in both compatible and incompatible plant–pathogen interactions. However, the identification of metabolic changes associated with defence response is not an easy task due to the complexity of the metabolome and the plant response. To address the problem of metabolic complexity, a metabolomics approach was employed in this study.

Objective – To identify a wide range of pathogen (citrus exocortis viroid, CEVd, or Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato)‐induced metabolites of tomato using metabolomics.

Methodology – Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in combination with multivariate data analysis were performed to analyse the metabolic changes implicated in plant–pathogen interaction.

Results – NMR‐based metabolomics of crude extracts allowed the identification of different metabolites implicated in the systemic (viroid) and hypersensitive response (bacteria) in plant–pathogen interactions. While glycosylated gentisic acid was the most important induced metabolite in the viroid infection, phenylpropanoids and a flavonoid (rutin) were found to be associated with bacterial infection.

Conclusions – NMR metabolomics is a potent platform to analyse the compounds involved in different plant infections. A broad response to different pathogenic infections was revealed at metabolomic levels in the plant. Also, metabolic specificity against each pathogen was observed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mental health care ‐ let's focus on the person, not the disease
Authors: Walton Ian
Published: October 2009

When something does not work, we have a tendency to believe we just need to do more of the same, ie try harder. Mental health treatment is an example of this. When our patients fail to heed what we are saying, we often blame them for not listening, instead of asking why they are not compliant to our best intentions. The reality is that, for our patients and society in general, we lack credibility, as there is a general belief that treatments for mental health problems do not work. We reinforce this by maintaining people in secondary care services, rather than actively working to discharge them back into primary care services and the community. Copyright © 2009 Wiley Interface Ltd
Thermodynamic and structural insights into CSL‐DNA complexes
Authors: Friedmann David R. , Kovall Rhett A.
Published: October 2009

The Notch pathway is an intercellular signaling mechanism that plays important roles in cell fates decisions throughout the developing and adult organism. Extracellular complexation of Notch receptors with ligands ultimately results in changes in gene expression, which is regulated by the nuclear effector of the pathway, CSL (C‐promoter binding factor 1 (CBF‐1), suppressor of hairless (Su(H)), lin‐12 and glp‐1 (Lag‐1)). CSL is a DNA binding protein that is involved in both repression and activation of transcription from genes that are responsive to Notch signaling. One well‐characterized Notch target gene is hairy and enhancer of split‐1 (HES‐1), which is regulated by a promoter element consisting of two CSL binding sites oriented in a head‐to‐head arrangement. Although previous studies have identified in vivo and consensus binding sites for CSL, and crystal structures of these complexes have been determined, to date, a quantitative description of the energetics that underlie CSL‐DNA binding is unknown. Here, we provide a thermodynamic and structural analysis of the interaction between CSL and the two individual sites that comprise the HES‐1 promoter element. Our comprehensive studies that analyze binding as a function of temperature, salt, and pH reveal moderate, but distinct, differences in the affinities of CSL for the two HES‐1 binding sites. Similarly, our structural results indicate that overall CSL binds both DNA sites in a similar manner; however, minor changes are observed in both the conformation of CSL and DNA. Taken together, our results provide a quantitative and biophysical basis for understanding how CSL interacts with DNA sites in vivo.
Comparative NEXAFS examination of single‐wall carbon nanotubes produced by different methods
Authors: Bulusheva L. G. , Okotrub A. V. , Lavskaya Yu. V. , Vyalikh D. V. , Dettlaff‐Weglikowska U. , Fonseca A. , Hata K.
Published: October 2009

Three types of single‐wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have been comparatively studied using near C K‐edge X‐ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. The samples have been produced by laser vaporization, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and super growth methods and contained SWCNTs with the average diameter of 1.2, 2.4, and 4.0 nm, respectively. The π* resonance of the NEXAFS spectra of the samples showed four features slightly distinguished in the intensity and energy position. Quantum‐chemical calculations revealed that these features could be determined by unoccupied partial density of states of the core‐hole‐exited carbon atoms.
Metallic single‐wall carbon nanotubes separated by density gradient ultracentrifugation
Authors: Chernov Alexander I. , Obraztsova Elena D.
Published: October 2009

A density gradient ultracentrifugation (DGU) technique recently applied for separation of single‐wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) over diameter also appeared to be efficient for the nanotube separation according to their electronic structure. In this work we used DGU for extraction of a highly metallic (>97 wt%) nanotube fraction from a raw soot of arc‐discharge SWNTs. The process parameters (the surfactant type and concentration, the treatment time, the approach to the gradient formation) have been optimized. A variation of surfactant concentration allowed obtaining the highly metallic nanotube fractions with different dominant diameter distribution resulting in the “blue” or “green” top fractions. Sodium taurodeoxycholate (TDOC) was efficiently used for DGU separation of raw, non‐purified SWNTs. The fractions have been studied with the UV–Vis–NIR absorption and Raman spectroscopy.

magnified image

Photograph of the SWNT solution after DGU.
Electronic properties of extended graphene nanomaterials from GW calculations
Authors: Taioli S. , Umari P. , De Souza M. M.
Published: October 2009

A description of the electronic properties of model zigzag carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and chiral‐edge graphene nanoribbon using a computational method for accelerating first‐principles Green function calculations is presented. This approach utilizes an optimal basis set for representing the polarization propagator lowering the computational cost without loss of accuracy. The electronic structures and the equilibrium geometries were obtained within the pseudopotential implementation of ab initio total energy density functional theory. Accurate calculations to determine quasiparticle excitations in carbon nanostructures, notably electronic band gap, are performed in the framework of GW treatment of self‐energy. The obtained results on band gaps for (7,0), (8,0) CNTs at Gamma point and calculations on (4,2) nanoribbon with edge irregularities show the potential of this method to perform accurate calculations on large carbon‐based systems of technological interest and structures with localized defects, otherwise difficult to address with conventional approaches. This method, recently implemented by Umari et al. [Umari et al., Phys. Rev. B 79, 201104 (2009)], may be used as a predictive tool of spectral properties, excited states and optical response in extended systems.
Polymorphism of In5S5Cl – X‐ray and HRTEM‐Investigations
Authors: Nickel Vera , Deiseroth Hans‐Jörg , Kienle Lorenz , Duppel Viola , Reiner Christof
Published: October 2009

In5S5Cl belongs to the group of mixed valence indium compounds with indium occurring simultaneously in three oxidation states (In5S5Cl = In+(In2)4+2In3+5S2–Cl–). It was shown in an earlier work that In5S5Cl obtained from InCl3, indium and sulfur at 550 °C, crystallises in a monoclinic structure type in contrast to the orthorhombic bromide, In5S5Br. The main difference of both structure types is an ordered mutual exchange of In+ and (In2)4+ in specific crystallographic positions. This exchange is possible due to the almost identical coordination pattern of both ions. A closer inspection of the real structure of monoclinic In5S5Cl by High Resolution Transmission Microscopy (HRTEM) already showed the presence of small orthorhombic domains in the real structure of this compound. Now we also obtained macroscopic quantities of orthorhombic In5S5Cl by the reaction of InCl3, indium and sulfur at reaction temperatures below 500 °C (Pmn21, a = 3.907(1) Å, b = 9.021(2) Å, c = 14.866(3) Å, Z = 2). The new polymorph is analysed by X‐ray single crystal and X‐ray powder diffraction and HRTEM investigations.
Developing Priorities for Addressing Surgical Conditions Globally: Furthering the Link Between Surgery and Public Health Policy
Authors: Mock Charles , Cherian Meena , Juillard Catherine , Donkor Peter , Bickler Stephen , Jamison Dean , McQueen Kelly
Published: October 2009

Background

Efforts to promote wider access to surgical services globally would be aided by developing consensus among clinicians, the public health policy community, and other stakeholders as to which surgical conditions warrant the most focused attention and investment. This would add value to other, ongoing efforts, especially in helping to define unmet need and effective coverage.

Methods

In this concept paper, we introduce preliminary ideas on how priorities for surgical care could be better defined, especially as regards the interface between the surgical and public health worlds. Factors that would come into play in this process include the public health burden of the condition and the successfulness and feasibility of the procedures to treat those conditions.

Results and conclusions

The implications of the prioritization process are that those conditions with the highest public health burden and that have procedures that are highly successful and feasible to promote globally, including in the most resource‐constrained environments, should be the main focus of national and international efforts.
Intraneural Perineurioma of the Median Nerve: Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Sachanandani Neil S. , Brown Justin M. , Zaidman Craig , Brown Stephanie S. , Mackinnon Susan E.
Published: October 2009

Intraneural perineurioma is a benign peripheral nerve sheath tumor of perineurial cell origin. We present the case of an intraneural perineurioma of the median nerve in a 23-year-old woman which posed a diagnostic challenge. Ultrasonography was found to be a quick, easy, and effective screening tool for identifying the source of the deficit followed by MRI to further elucidate the lesion. We discuss surgical management options for optimizing functional outcomes when addressing such lesions.
Hierarchical Cd4SiS6/SiO2 Heterostructure Nanowire Arrays
Authors: Liu Jian , Wang Chunrui , Xie Qingqing , Cai Junsheng , Zhang Jing
Published: October 2009

Novel hierarchical Cd4SiS6/SiO2 based heterostructure nanowire arrays were fabricated on silicon substrates by a one-step thermal evaporation of CdS powder. The as-grown products were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. Studies reveal that a typical hierarchical Cd4SiS6/SiO2 heterostructure nanowire is composed of a single crystalline Cd4SiS6 nanowire core sheathed with amorphous SiO2 sheath. Furthermore, secondary nanostructures of SiO2 nanowires are highly dense grown on the primary Cd4SiS6 core-SiO2 sheath nanowires and formed hierarchical Cd4SiS6/SiO2 based heterostructure nanowire arrays which stand vertically on silicon substrates. The possible growth mechanism of hierarchical Cd4SiS6/SiO2 heterostructure nanowire arrays is proposed. The optical properties of hierarchical Cd4SiS6/SiO2 heterostructure nanowire arrays are investigated using Raman and Photoluminescence spectroscopy.
Transfer RNA processing in archaea: Unusual pathways and enzymes
Authors: Heinemann Ilka U. , Söll Dieter , Randau Lennart
Published: October 2009

Transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules are highly conserved in length, sequence and structure in order to be functional in the ribosome. However, mostly in archaea, the short genes encoding tRNAs can be found disrupted, fragmented, with permutations or with non‐functional mutations of conserved nucleotides. Here, we give an overview of recently discovered tRNA maturation pathways that require intricate processing steps to finally generate the standard tRNA from these unusual tRNA genes.
Effects of organically and conventionally produced feed on biomarkers of health in a chicken model
Authors: Huber Machteld , van de Vijver Lucy P. L. , Parmentier Henk , Savelkoul Huub , Coulier Leon , Wopereis Suzan , Verheij Elwin , van der Greef Jan , Nierop Dré , Hoogenboom Ron A. P.
Published: October 2009

Consumers expect organic products to be healthier. However, limited research has been performed to study the effect of organic food on health. The present study aimed to identify biomarkers of health to enable future studies in human subjects. A feeding experiment was performed in two generations of three groups of chickens differing in immune responsiveness, which were fed identically composed feeds from either organic or conventional produce. The animals of the second generation were exposed to an immune challenge and sacrificed at 13 weeks of age. Feed and ingredients were analysed on macro- and micronutrients, i.e. vitamins, minerals, trace elements, heavy metals and microbes. The chickens were studied by general health and immune parameters, metabolomics, genomics and post-mortem evaluation. The organic and conventional feeds were comparable with respect to metabolisable energy. On average, the conventionally produced feeds had a 10 % higher protein content and some differences in micronutrients were observed. Although animals on both feeds were healthy, differences between the groups were found. The random control group of chickens fed conventional feed showed overall a higher weight gain during life span than the group on organic feed, although feed intake was mostly comparable. The animals on organic feed showed an enhanced immune reactivity, a stronger reaction to the immune challenge as well as a slightly stronger ‘catch-up growth’ after the challenge. Biomarkers for future research were identified in the parameters feed intake, body weight and growth rate, and in immunological, physiological and metabolic parameters, several of these differing most pronounced after the challenge.
Jonathan Lethem's Genre Evolutions
Authors: PEACOCK JAMES
Published: October 2009

This article proceeds from the observation that all of Lethem's novels subvert traditional genres in some way, and argues that the way genres mutate or evolve reflects one of his central ethical concerns – evolution itself. Many of the characters in Gun, with Occasional Music (1994) are “evolved animals” that have undergone “evolution therapy” and can now talk, walk upright, and carry weapons. As the narrator Metcalf observes, these animals are characteristically reluctant to acknowledge their animal lineage. Here one sees evolution's contradiction: it purports to be progress, but is also a melancholic forgetting of origins. In a world where a drug called Forgettol abstracts people from their own memories, it is the detective's job, though he is despised for it, to continue asking questions and remind people of shared culpability and connected narratives. Metcalf, this paper suggests, is engaged in a struggle to maintain the novel as detective fiction, to resist the encroaching sci-fi elements which symbolize the death of community through increasing dependence on an unethical science of forgetting. Amnesia Moon (1995) depicts a postapocalyptic America in which the typical “evolutionary” reaction to the unspecified catastrophe is a retreat into a blinkered regionalism which, like Forgettol or evolution therapy, encourages the individual to forget any sense of wider responsibility. The article concludes with reflections on literary influence and the evolution of Lethem's own work in subsequent novels.
Politics, Passion, Prejudice: Alice Childress's Wedding Band: A Love/Hate Story in Black and White
Authors: CASHMAN NICKY
Published: October 2009

Last night I dreamed of the dead slaves – all the murdered black and bloody men silently gathered at the foot-a my bed. Oh, that awful silence. I wish the dead could scream and fight back. What they do to us …

Julia Augustine, Wedding Band

Historical and universal issues of love and hate, patriarchy and bigotry prevail in Alice Childress's tragic drama Wedding Band: A Love/Hate Story in Black and White. Originally written in the early 1960s, the play was not printed or performed professionally until 1966, despite some interest in producing the play on Broadway. Hence, due to its alleged controversial subject matter, the play remained largely unknown to mainstream audiences. Childress, it seems, unfashionably portrays a long-standing, committed interracial relationship set in 1918 South Carolina. This representation conflictingly juxtaposes with the well-documented fervent civil rights period of the mid-1960s. Additionally, with predominantly black and white male civil rights activists peacefully enforcing laws upholding desegregation in the South, Childress demonstrates segregation's insidious nature primarily through the insightfulness and experience of black women. This perceptiveness introduces what Childress herself penned as “anti-woman laws,” patriarchal norms that made living incredibly difficult for black and white women alike.
A numerical study of the relaxation and breakup of an elongated drop in a viscous liquid
Authors: QUAN SHAOPING , SCHMIDT DAVID P. , HUA JINSONG , LOU JING
Published: October 2009

The relaxation and breakup of an elongated droplet in a viscous and initially quiescent fluid is studied by solving the full Navier–Stokes equations using a three-dimensional finite volume method coupled with a moving mesh interface tracking (MMIT) scheme to locate the interface. The two fluids are assumed incompressible and immiscible. The interface is represented as a surface triangle mesh with zero thickness that moves with the fluid. Therefore, the jump and continuity conditions across the interface are implemented directly, without any smoothing of the fluid properties. Mesh adaptations on a tetrahedral mesh are employed to permit large deformation and to capture the changing curvature. Mesh separation is implemented to allow pinch-off. The detailed investigations of the relaxation and breakup process are presented in a more general flow regime compared to the previous works by Stone & Leal (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 198, 1989, p. 399) and Tong & Wang (Phys. Fluids, vol. 19, 2007, 092101), including the flow field of the both phases. The simulation results reveal that the vortex rings due to the interface motion and the conservation of mass play an important role in the relaxation and pinch-off process. The vortex rings are created and collapsed during the process. The effects of viscosity ratio, density ratio and length ratio on the relaxation and breakup are studied. The simulations indicate that the fluid velocity field and the neck shape are distinctly different for viscosity ratios larger and smaller than O(1), and thus a different end-pinching mechanism is observed for each regime. The length ratio also significantly affects the relaxation process and the velocity distributions, but not the neck shape. The influence of the density ratio on the relaxation and breakup process is minimal. However, the droplet evolution is retarded due to the large density of the suspending flow. The formation of a satellite droplet is observed, and the volume of the satellite droplet depends strongly on the length ratio and the viscosity ratio.
Genetic modelling of childhood social development and personality in twins and siblings with schizophrenia
Authors: Picchioni M. M. , Walshe M. , Toulopoulou T. , McDonald C. , Taylor M. , Waters-Metenier S. , Bramon E. , Regojo A. , Murray R. M. , Rijsdijk F.
Published: October 2009

Background

Abnormalities in early social development and personality are present in patients with schizophrenia and their unaffected relatives. This study aimed to establish the degree to which these childhood and adolescent developmental abnormalities are genetically determined.

Method

We used a combined twin and family study design (n=531) to assess childhood and adolescent social adjustment and schizotypal personality traits in 98 twin pairs (n=196) varying in their zygosity and concordance for schizophrenia and 156 sibling clusters (n=335) varying in their concordance for schizophrenia.

Results

Schizophrenia was significantly associated with childhood and adolescent deficits in social adjustment and personality, with additive genetic effects being the main source of these phenotypic correlations.

Conclusions

Abnormalities of social adjustment and personality are present in children and adolescents who later develop schizophrenia, reflecting the influence of common genetic risk.
Sanctifying evidentialism
Authors: FAIRLAMB HORACE
Published: October 2009

In contemporary epistemology of religion, evidentialism has been included in a wider critique of traditional foundationalist theories of rational belief. To show the irrelevance of evidentialism, some critics have offered alternatives to the foundationalist approach, prominent among which is Alvin Plantinga's ‘warrant as proper function’. But the connection between evidentialism and foundationalism has been exaggerated, and criticisms of traditional foundationalism do not discredit evidentialism in principle. Furthermore, appeals to warranted belief imply that the heart of evidentialism – the proportioning of belief to rational grounds – has not been discredited but assimilated to the reliabilist view of knowledge by expanding the concept of evidence to include religious experience. In the end, the warrant concept extends the reach of evidentialism, thereby enhancing rather than diminishing its relevance for rational belief.
Future roles of the UK intelligence system
Authors: GIBSON STEVYN D.
Published: October 2009

The UK intelligence system is engaged in three distinct roles – producing strategic assessments in the traditional way; acting as a ‘global policeman’ by monitoring terrorist and criminal networks; and raising the capability of other countries to defeat terrorist and insurgency groups. Counter-intuitively, it is perhaps the first role that is most questionable. The use of single source intelligence reporting, drawn from individuals selected principally for their willingness to share secrets, may not be the best way to analyse emerging issues such as climate change, energy security and financial stability. The Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) may be drawing on too narrow a range of reporting to compete with increasingly sophisticated assessments from the private sector, academia and NGOs. In any event, the JIC has less impact on policy than is often imagined. The second task of ‘global networker’ is better-suited to the intelligence community's ability to combine human intelligence with communications intelligence and bulk data gathering, and is producing results. The third task of helping other countries to enforce the law and resist insurgency is proceeding on an ad hoc basis with occasional successes, but requires co-ordination across Whitehall so that improvements in the capabilities of other countries' intelligence services are accompanied by improved police and justice systems and enhanced oversight. Joint Intelligence Committee perhaps ought to be a Joint Action Committee.
Changing the rules of the game: some necessary legal reforms to United Kingdom intelligence
Authors: LEIGH IAN
Published: October 2009

This article argues that there is a need to modernise the law governing accountability of the UK security and intelligence agencies following changes in their work in the last decade. Since 9/11 the agencies have come increasingly into the spotlight, especially because of the adoption of controversial counter-terrorism policies by the government (in particular forms of executive detention) and by its international partners, notably the US. The article discusses the options for reform in three specific areas: the use in legal proceedings of evidence obtained by interception of communications; with regard to the increased importance and scle of collaboration with overseas agencies; and to safeguard the political independence of the agencies in the light of their substantially higher public profile. In each it is argued that protection of human rights and the need for public accountability requires a new balance to be struck with the imperatives of national security.
The (Arrested) Development of UK Special Forces and the Global War on Terror
Authors: FINLAN ALASTAIR
Published: October 2009

The use of force in international relations by the West is increasingly witnessing a greater reliance on Special Forces. This trend has profound implications for state action because Special Forces represent a very different kind of soldier and they possess the inherent ability to transgress traditional boundaries in peace and war. The development and participation of UK Special Forces in the Global War on Terror provides a microcosm of the positive and negative dimensions of using secret military units as the force of choice against insurgents and terrorists in Afghanistan, Iraq and indeed on the streets of London.
Populus Interruptus: Self-Determination, the Independence of Kosovo, and the Vocabulary of Peoplehood
Authors: OKLOPCIC ZORAN
Published: October 2009

This article uses the contested independence of Kosovo as an opportunity to re-examine the theoretical imagery behind the concept of self-determination, and then confront those findings with the more recent approaches to polity formation from other theoretical genres: normative theories of secession, on the one hand, and the global governance approach to self-determination, on the other. What emerges from the encounter between these bodies of thought is not a new interpretation, or a theory of self-determination and its relationship to uti possidetis, but rather a plea for an approach to polity formation which is simultaneously critical and prudential. That is, an approach which would accept the role of external actors as inevitable, but goes further and unmasks them as complicit in labelling certain projects as ‘civic’ and ‘multicultural’ on the one hand and ‘ethno-nationalist’ on the other. Equally, the proposed approach reveals the ever-present aspiration to unanimity as a concealed ideal of polity formation, shared by both the ‘civic’ and the ‘ethnic’ variants of self-determination. Finally, this approach to polity formation sketches the contours of an alternative, thin vision of a political community – one not wearing the badge of peoplehood – one glued together not by normative imperatives of participation and solidarity, but rather by the acknowledgement of geopolitical fiat.
Rosalyn Higgins: Judge and President of the International Court of Justice (1995–2009)
Authors: BUERGENTHAL THOMAS
Published: October 2009

This article was prompted by the retirement of Dame Rosalyn Higgins as judge and president of the International Court of Justice in February 2009. It reviews her brilliant career as law professor, barrister, advocate before various international courts, and international arbitrator. The major part of the article deals with her role as judge and president of the ICJ and her impact on the elaboration and development of international law by the Court.