bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE TRUTHINESS HURTS
Authors: Carden Art , Hammock Mike
Published: June 2010

This essay applies some of the key insights in Bryan Caplan's The Myth of the Rational Voter. We discuss the relevance of cheap signals in political systems as well as the relevance of ideas in public policy with ‘rationally irrational’ voters. We add a fifth bias, ‘stick‐it‐to‐the‐man bias’, to Caplan's proposed anti‐market, anti‐foreign, make‐work and pessimistic biases, and we apply them all to environmental policy.
LIBERAL ECONOMICS AND THE RISE OF LAISSEZ‐FAIRE ECOLOGY
Authors: Ryder Andrew
Published: June 2010

The shift in thinking about how to manage national economies and economic systems in the 1980s was part of a broader revolution in intellectual thought. This is seen in ecology, where a shift in thinking about how to manage environments took place at the same time. Traditionally, the environment was viewed in determinist (structuralist) terms, as a system which was susceptible to management and manipulation. Ecosystems were thought to evolve through predictable stages, reaching a climax state. From the late 1980s, ecologists became increasingly convinced that ecosystems, like economic systems, are complex. They argued that while human intervention is often necessary, wherever possible it should be replaced with more natural controls, which can often fulfil policy aims as well if not better than deliberate intervention. Like economies, the best ecosystems are those which largely manage themselves.
DEFERRED FEES FOR UNIVERSITIES
Authors: Shephard Neil
Published: June 2010

Each English university should be allowed to introduce its own ‘deferred fees’ on top of the existing national funding structure. Each graduate would only have to pay these fees to its university if their income rises beyond the point of paying off their maintenance and state tuition loans. I show these new fees are fiscally neutral, highly progressive and have no impact on the state or the financial position of the universities which do not introduce such fees. They have the potential to provide a long‐run solution to the repeated underfunding of undergraduate education at a number of English universities and reduce the fiscal pressure the state is under.
LACK OF RIGOUR IN DEFENDING FAIRTRADE: A REPLY TO ALASTAIR SMITH
Authors: Griffiths Peter
Published: June 2010

Alastair Smith (2009) claims to refute a few criticisms of Fairtrade. It is shown that his empirical evidence consists of anecdotes with no statistical or other evidential value, and that his economics is wrong. Though Fairtrade is an agricultural marketing system, he appears not to be aware of the literature on agricultural marketing or co‐operatives. Accordingly he makes statements not in accord with the accepted theory or evidence. He assumes, for instance, backward‐sloping supply curves and that the prices offered by state marketing boards are not affected by markets. There are ethical trading alternatives which avoid all the criticisms of Fairtrade.
Secondary dystonia – clinical clues and syndromic associations
Authors: Schneider S. A. , Bhatia K. P.
Published: June 2010

Dystonic syndromes can be divided into primary and secondary forms. Diagnosis of secondary dystonic syndromes can be challenging as causes are multifold. They include brain lesions of various origins, metabolic disease, neurodegenerative conditions, or following exposure to drugs or toxins. However, characteristic investigational findings may be directive in the diagnostic process and facilitate making the correct diagnosis and thus allow initiating the ideal treatment. In this article, we point out some clinical clues and syndromic associations which may be helpful in the approach to a patient with dystonia.
Lay Magistrates' Interpretations of ‘Substantial Grounds’ for Denying Bail
Authors: DHAMI MANDEEP K.
Published: June 2010

Abstract: The main goal was to capture how decision makers interpret the phrase ‘substantial grounds’ for denying bail stated in the Bail Act 1976. It was found that magistrates who remanded the defendant into custody, judged the mean risks of the defendant absconding, offending on bail, and obstructing justice to be significantly greater than did those who bailed the defendant. Thus, the mean interpretation of ‘substantial grounds’ across magistrates was from 46% to 51% (on a 0% to 100% scale). However, there was great variability across magistrates. We discuss the implications of the present findings for encouraging consistent, transparent and justifiable interpretations of bail law.
Making Offenders Visible
Authors: THOMAS TERRY , THOMPSON DAVID
Published: June 2010

Abstract: The UK Home Office has announced (December 2009) a new policy to publicise the criminal court judgments on individual offenders to the local communities in which those offenders live. The Home Office believes that this is public information obtained fairly from the public forum of the criminal court and that such publicising is merely boosting the job previously carried out by local reporters and newspapers covering the local criminal court. The initiative follows the Casey (2008) report that sought to find ways to reassure the general public on matters of confidence in the criminal justice system. This article considers how this initiative might work in practice based on earlier experiences of making offenders more visible to the communities from which they come.
Transcendence, transmission and transformation: the transcendent function in infant observation
Authors: Humphrey Virginia , Barmack Beth
Published: June 2010

Abstract:  This article discusses the activation of the transcendent function as it operates through a series of complex parallel processes occurring within a Tavistock Model Infant Observation Group whose location is Palo Alto, California. We follow the observer, a seasoned female analyst, through her final two observations as she is caught initially in the central family complex that does not allow for a conscious ending to this three‐year observational period. Subsequently through the work of the transcendent function within the group, a discussion of the observer's ensuing paradoxical enactment takes place as we watch how this observer becomes able to help the family reach a termination not previously possible. Moving within a dynamic field that includes the infant observation group, the observed baby and his family, we experience the numinosity of the transformation that is activated. We will explore the ongoing encounter between the group mind, the observer and the observed as mutations within this dynamic field enable a genuine experience of mourning that has a profound effect on the observed baby and family.
Jung as psychologist of religion and Jung as philosopher of religion
Authors: Segal Robert A.
Published: June 2010

Abstract:  Is it possible to be both a psychologist and a philosopher? Is it possible for a psychologist, or more generally a social scientist, to use social scientific findings to make philosophical claims? Specifically, is it possible for a social scientist to use social scientific findings to determine the existence of God? Did Jung profess to be only a psychologist or also a philosopher? If he professed to be both, did he enlist his psychological findings to make philosophical claims? Specifically, did he enlist his psychological findings to determine the existence of God?
Opicinus de Canistris: some notes from Jung's unpublished Eranos Seminar on the medieval Codex Palatinus Latinus 1993
Authors: Quaglino Gian Piero , Romano Augusto , Bernardini Riccardo
Published: June 2010

Abstract:  Jung held an informal seminar for a limited number of students after the end of the Eranos Conference in August, 1943. All traces of this seminar were lost until the notes taken on it by one of the students, Alwine von Keller, were found in 2006. Jung's talk consisted of a psychological commentary on a series of images in the medieval Codex Palatinus Latinus 1993, attributed to Opicinus de Canistris (1296‐c.1352), a fourteenth‐century Italian clergyman, mystic, miniaturist, and cartographer. Jung interpreted Opicinus’ images as a series of mandalas in which the Shadow, the dark principle, does not manage to be integrated into a balanced system. Opicinus tried to settle this division into opposites, which constitutes the main problem in modern times, while remaining inside the system of Christian doctrine. However, he did not succeed in his attempt to integrate the principle of the Shadow on the doctrinal level because he was not aware of the very same division in his own unconscious. Our article points out the features in the seminar where Jung seemed to show much more originality in his interpretation than other psychoanalytic studies on Opicinus or other analytical‐psychological readings of medieval Christian art.
Investment Timing when External Financing is Costly
Authors: Hirth Stefan , Uhrig‐Homburg Marliese
Published: June 2010

Abstract:  This paper analyzes the investment timing of firms facing two dimensions of financing constraints: Liquidity constraints and capital market frictions inducing financing costs. We show that liquidity constraints are not sufficient to explain voluntary investment delay. However, when additionally considering financing costs, we can explain both voluntary delay and acceleration of investment. More precisely, we find that investment thresholds are U‐shaped in liquid funds. For high‐liquidity firms, investment thresholds are decreasing (i.e., accelerated investment takes place) in either dimension of financing constraint. In contrast, investment thresholds are increasing (i.e., investment is further delayed) in either form of financing constraint for low‐liquidity firms. For intermediate levels of liquidity, investment thresholds are U‐shaped in market frictions.
Tax‐Induced Dividend Capturing
Authors: Li Oliver Zhen
Published: June 2010

Abstract:  I examine how institutions and individuals trade shares around ex‐dividend days. I predict that institutions are more likely than individuals to capture dividends for tax purposes by buying shares of a stock before it goes ex‐dividend. I infer the directions of trades and the identities of traders using trade and quote data. I find that both institutions and individuals increase their net buying activities on the last cum‐dividend days, especially in high dividend yield stocks; and that institutions buy significantly more shares than individuals. There is no excess buying or selling of shares on the ex‐dividend days. Further analysis suggests that dividend capturing activities are likely heavily driven by corporations. Finally, cum‐ and ex‐day investor trading intensity, especially that from institutions, impacts the ex‐day pricing of dividend in the predicted direction. These results suggest that institutions trade around ex‐dividend days consistent with their tax preference.
Research Review: The neurobiology and genetics of maltreatment and adversity
Authors: McCrory Eamon , De Brito Stephane A. , Viding Essi
Published: June 2010

The neurobiological mechanisms by which childhood maltreatment heightens vulnerability to psychopathology remain poorly understood. It is likely that a complex interaction between environmental experiences (including poor caregiving) and an individual’s genetic make‐up influence neurobiological development across infancy and childhood, which in turn sets the stage for a child’s psychological and emotional development. This review provides a concise synopsis of those studies investigating the neurobiological and genetic factors associated with childhood maltreatment and adversity. We first provide an overview of the neuroendocrine findings, drawing from animal and human studies. These studies indicate an association between early adversity and atypical development of the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis stress response, which can predispose to psychiatric vulnerability in adulthood. We then review the neuroimaging findings of structural and functional brain differences in children and adults who have experienced childhood maltreatment. These studies offer evidence of several structural differences associated with early stress, most notably in the corpus callosum in children and the hippocampus in adults; functional studies have reported atypical activation of several brain regions, including decreased activity of the prefrontal cortex. Next we consider studies that suggest that the effect of environmental adversity may be conditional on an individual’s genotype. We also briefly consider the possible role that epigenetic mechanisms might play in mediating the impact of early adversity. Finally we consider several ways in which the neurobiological and genetic research may be relevant to clinical practice and intervention.
Blunted cardiac reactions to acute psychological stress predict symptoms of depression five years later: Evidence from a large community study
Authors: Phillips Anna C. , Hunt Kate , Der Geoff , Carroll Douglas
Published: June 2010

We recently reported a cross‐sectional negative relationship between cardiovascular reactivity and depressive symptoms. The present analyses examined the prospective association between reactivity and symptoms of depression 5 years later. At the earlier time point, depressive symptoms, measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and cardiovascular reactions to a standard mental stress were measured in 1,608 adults comprising three distinct age cohorts: 24‐, 44‐, and 63‐year‐olds. Depression was reassessed using the HADS 5 years later. Heart rate reactions to acute psychological stress were negatively associated with subsequent depressive symptoms; the lower the reactivity the higher the depression scores. This association withstood adjustment for symptom scores at the earlier time point and for sociodemographic factors and medication status. The mechanisms underlying this prospective relationship remain to be determined.
Childhood abuse and caesarean section among primiparous women in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study
Authors: Lukasse M , Vangen S , Øian P , Schei B
Published: June 2010

Please cite this paper as: Lukasse M, Vangen S, Øian P, Schei B. Childhood abuse and caesarean section among primiparous women in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study. BJOG 2010;117:1153–1157.

We examined the association between a history of childhood abuse and caesarean section in the population‐based Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). Our sample consisted of 26 923 primiparous women with singleton pregnancies at term. Of all women, 18.8% (5060) had experienced any childhood abuse, 14.3% (3856) reported emotional abuse, 5.2% (1413) reported physical abuse and 6.4% (1730) reported sexual abuse. The proportion of caesarean sections before labour was not affected by any childhood abuse. Any childhood abuse was associated with a slightly increased risk of caesarean sections during labour (adjusted odds ratio 1.16; 95% CI 1.03–1.30).
Mechanical calibration and alignment of an aerial photogrammetric film scanner based on a 2D array camera
Authors: Comolli Lorenzo , Sala Remo
Published: June 2010

Mechanical calibration and alignment are fundamental steps in the development of any new aerial photogrammetric scanner. One aim of a film scanner in the digital era is to digitise the accumulated historic archives of images belonging to photogrammetric institutes. The present analysis is centred on a scanner with a translating 2D array camera. Two phases of equal importance can be outlined: the first phase is the alignment of all the mechanical parts inside the scanner, and the second is mechanical calibration, when the systematic effects in the camera positioning are measured and compensated. Among the design requirements of this scanner was to avoid the need for geometrical modification of the scanned images: they should be acquired in the correct position and not require a posteriori correction with a software routine. The proposed solutions lead to a final result of a metrologically satisfactory scanner with a geometric uncertainty of 2 μm or less throughout the frame (250 mm × 250 mm), a value definitely smaller than the pixel size (10 μm/pixel).
The Practical Effect of a Diffraction‐Limited Image for Photogrammetry
Authors: Thomson Grant H.
Published: June 2010

The smallest image patch produced by an optical unit at the focal plane of a camera can be appreciably larger than the size of pixels in the CCD used to record the image. This optical limit on spatial resolution, when taken into consideration together with the sensor’s influence on image quality, should always be a part of any estimation made of the ground sample distance (GSD) attributed to a camera. A list is given of the GSDs obtained by five examples of high‐resolution satellite cameras when full allowance is made for the effect of an optical unit in a camera system.
New insights into Holocene atmospheric circulation dynamics in central Scandinavia inferred from oxygen‐isotope records of lake‐sediment cellulose
Authors: ST. AMOUR NATALIE A. , HAMMARLUND DAN , EDWARDS THOMAS W.D. , WOLFE BRENT B.
Published: June 2010

St. Amour, N. A., Hammarlund, D., Edwards, T. W. D. & Wolfe, B. B. 2010: New insights into Holocene atmospheric circulation dynamics in central Scandinavia inferred from oxygen‐isotope records of lake‐sediment cellulose. Boreas, Vol. 39, pp. 770–782. 10.1111/j.1502‐3885.2010.00169.x. ISSN 0300‐9843

Cellulose‐inferred lakewater oxygen‐isotope records have been obtained from two hydrologically open basins (Lake Spåime and Lake Svartkälstjärn), located on a west–east transect across central Sweden, to investigate changes in atmospheric circulation patterns during the Holocene. The Lake Spåime δ18O record is sensitive to changes in the seasonal distribution of precipitation in the Scandes Mountains of west‐central Sweden, and thus generally portrays variations in δ18O of precipitation (δ18OP) that are governed predominantly by the influence of air masses originating from the North Atlantic. In contrast, the Lake Svartkälstjärn δ18O record appears to reflect the varying influence of air masses delivering moisture from the North Atlantic and the Baltic Sea. A comparison of inferred changes in δ18OP over the Holocene between the two sites reveals systematic patterns of variability over widely different time scales. These include: (1) a previously recognized long‐term regional decline in δ18OP, possibly in response to the declining vigour of Northern Hemisphere atmospheric circulation related to decreasing summer solar insolation; (2) newly identified inverse centennial‐ to millennial‐scale δ18OP fluctuations at the two sites that may be linked to changes in modes of atmospheric circulation analogous to those described at interannual to multidecadal time scales by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index; and (3) a prolonged interval of apparent climatic stability in the mid‐Holocene (c. 6300–4200 cal. yr BP) characterized by persistently negative NAO‐like circulation.
Planting Seedlings in Tree Islands Versus Plantations as a Large‐Scale Tropical Forest Restoration Strategy
Authors: Holl Karen D. , Zahawi Rakan A. , Cole Rebecca J. , Ostertag Rebecca , Cordell Susan
Published: June 2010

Planting tree seedlings in small patches (islands) has been proposed as a method to facilitate forest recovery that is less expensive than planting large areas and better simulates the nucleation process of recovery. We planted seedlings of four tree species at 12 formerly agricultural sites in southern Costa Rica in two designs: plantation (entire 50 × 50 m area planted) and island (six patches of three sizes). We monitored seedling survival, height, and canopy area over 3 years. To elucidate mechanisms influencing survival and growth, we measured soil and foliar nutrients, soil compaction, and photosynthesis. Survival of all species was similar in the two planting designs. Seedling height and canopy area were greater in plantations than islands at most sites, and more seedlings in islands decreased in height due to damage incurred during plot maintenance. Survival, height, and canopy area were both site‐ and species‐specific with the two N‐fixing species (Inga edulis and Erythrina poeppigiana) greater than the other species (Terminalia amazonia and Vochysia guatemalensis). Foliar N was higher in Terminalia and Vochysia in sites where Inga growth was greater. Soil nutrients, however, explained a small amount of the large differences in growth across sites. Leaf mass per area was higher in islands, and P use efficiency was higher in plantations. Our results show advantages (good seedling survival, cheaper) and disadvantages (more seedling damage, slightly lower growth) to the island planting design. Our study highlights the importance of replicating restoration strategies at several sites to make widespread management recommendations.
Restoration Potential in Seed Banks of Acidic Fen and Dry‐Mesophilous Meadows: Can Restoration Be Based on Local Seed Banks?
Authors: Valkó Orsolya , Török Péter , Tóthmérész Béla , Matus Gábor
Published: June 2010

A crucial question in ecological restoration is whether target species that are missing from aboveground vegetation are represented in the seed bank. We evaluated the role of persistent seed banks in the restoration of species richness, and the relative value of managed and unmanaged grasslands, by studying closely located and floristically similar mown and abandoned stands of fen and dry‐mesophilous meadows. We found that a higher proportion of the target species detected in aboveground vegetation possessed persistent seed banks in fen meadows than in dry‐mesophilous ones (44 and 29%, respectively). The proportion of target species found exclusively in the seed bank was much lower (11% for both meadow types). Conversely, common rushes (Juncus conglomeratus and J. effusus), mostly missing from the vegetation, dominated the seed banks in all fen meadow plots (50–94% of total seed densities) and were also detected in seed banks of dry‐mesophilous meadows. We found that resumed mowing on previously abandoned meadows has promoted species richness and the flowering success of several species in comparison with unmanaged ones in both meadow types. Vegetation type had a stronger influence on seed bank richness and density than management status and we detected much higher seed bank densities in fen meadows (64,000–94,000 seeds/m2) than in dry‐mesophilous ones (4,400–6,300 seeds/m2). Therefore, restoration of former richness could not be based exclusively on the local seed banks in the studied meadow types. Further management, such as hay transfer or seeding of target species, is required to increase species richness.
Design considerations for a multicenter randomized controlled trial of early surgery for mesial temporal lobe epilepsy
Authors: Engel Jr Jerome , McDermott Michael P. , Wiebe Samuel , Langfitt John T. , Erba Giuseppe , Gardiner Irenita , Stern John , Dewar Sandra , Sperling Michael R. , Jacobs Margaret , Kieburtz Karl ,   for the Early Randomized Surgical Epilepsy Trial (ERSET) Study Group
Published: June 2010

Purpose:  To describe the trial design for the multicenter Early Randomized Surgical Epilepsy Trial (ERSET). Patients with pharmacoresistant epilepsy are generally referred for surgical treatment an average of two decades after onset of seizures, often too late to avoid irreversible disability. ERSET was designed to assess the safety and efficacy of early surgical intervention compared to continued pharmacotherapy.

Methods:  ERSET is a randomized controlled, parallel group clinical trial with blinded outcome adjudication. Participants are patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) older than the age of 12 who have had pharmacoresistant seizures for not >2 years and are determined by detailed evaluation to be surgical candidates prior to randomization. The primary outcome measure is seizure freedom in the second year of a 2‐year follow‐up period. Health‐related quality of life (HRQOL), neurocognitive function, ancillary outcomes, and adverse events were also measured.

Results:  Significant methodologic problems addressed by the study design included the following: recruitment of participants early in the course of epilepsy; establishment of operational definitions for “pharmacoresistant” and “early”; and standardization of diagnostic testing, medical treatment, and surgical interventions across multiple centers.

Discussion:  Rigorous trial designs to assess surgical interventions in epilepsy are necessary to provide evidence to guide treatment. This article is the first of a series; trial results will be reported in subsequent publications.
Recent Research on Impulsivity in Individuals With Drug Use and Mental Health Disorders: Implications for Alcoholism
Authors: Rogers Robert D. , Moeller Frederick G. , Swann Alan C. , Clark Luke
Published: June 2010

Alcohol misuse and dependence, and many of its accompanying psychological problems, are associated with heightened levels of impulsivity that both accelerate the development of clinically significant illness and complicate clinical outcome. This article reviews recent developments in our understanding of impulsivity as they relate to brain circuitry that might underlie these comorbid factors, focusing upon the clinical features of substance use (and dependence), bipolar disorder, and pathological gambling. Individuals who are affected by these disorders exhibit problems in several domains of impulsive behavior including deficient response or “motor” control, and the tolerance of prolonged delays prior to larger rewards at the expense of smaller rewards (“delay‐discounting”). These populations, like alcoholic dependents, also exhibit impairments in risky decision‐making that may reflect dysfunction of monoamine and catecholamine pathways. However, several areas of uncertainty exist including the specificity of impairments across disorders and the relationship between impulse control problems and altered evaluation of reward outcomes underlying observed impairments in action selection.
An fMRI Study of Number Processing in Children With Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Authors: Meintjes Ernesta M. , Jacobson Joseph L. , Molteno Christopher D. , Gatenby J. Christopher , Warton Christopher , Cannistraci Christopher J. , Hoyme H. Eugene , Robinson Luther K. , Khaole Nathaniel , Gore John C. , Jacobson Sandra W.
Published: June 2010

Background:  Number processing deficits are frequently seen in children exposed to alcohol in utero.

Methods:  Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to examine the neural correlates of number processing in 15 right‐handed, 8‐ to 12‐year‐old children diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) or partial FAS (PFAS) and 18 right‐handed, age‐ and gender‐matched controls from the Cape Coloured (mixed ancestry) community in Cape Town, South Africa, using Proximity Judgment and Exact Addition tasks.

Results:  Control children activated the expected fronto‐parietal network during both tasks, including the anterior horizontal intraparietal sulcus (HIPS), left posterior HIPS, left precentral sulcus, and posterior medial frontal cortex. By contrast, on the Proximity Judgment task, the exposed children recruited additional parietal pathways involving the right and left angular gyrus and posterior cingulate/precuneus, which may entail verbally mediated recitation of numbers and/or subtraction to assess relative numerical distances. During Exact Addition, the exposed children exhibited more diffuse and widespread activations, including the cerebellar vermis and cortex, which have been found to be activated in adults engaged in particularly challenging number processing problems.

Conclusions:  The data suggest that, whereas control children rely primarily on the fronto‐parietal network identified in previous studies to mediate number processing, children with FAS/PFAS recruit a broader range of brain regions to perform these relatively simple number processing tasks. Our results are consistent with structural neuroimaging findings indicating that the parietal lobe is relatively more affected by prenatal alcohol exposure and provide the first evidence for brain activation abnormalities during number processing in children with FAS/PFAS, effects that persist even after controlling statistically for group differences in total intracranial volume and IQ.
Detection of blood‐transmissible agents: can screening be miniaturized?
Authors: Fournier‐Wirth Chantal , Jaffrezic‐Renault Nicole , Coste Joliette
Published: June 2010

Transfusion safety relating to blood‐transmissible agents is a major public health concern, particularly when faced with the continuing emergence of new infectious agents. These include new viruses appearing alongside other known reemerging viruses (West Nile virus, Chikungunya) as well as new strains of bacteria and parasites (Plasmodium falciparum, Trypanosoma cruzi) and finally pathologic prion protein (variant Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease). Genomic mutations of known viruses (hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, human immunodeficiency virus) can also be at the origin of variants susceptible to escaping detection by diagnostic tests. New technologies that would allow the simultaneous detection of several blood‐transmissible agents are now needed for the development and improvement of screening strategies. DNA microarrays have been developed for use in immunohematology laboratories for blood group genotyping. Their application in the detection of infectious agents, however, has been hindered by additional technological hurdles. For instance, the variability among and within genomes of interest complicate target amplification and multiplex analysis. Advances in biosensor technologies based on alternative detection strategies have offered new perspectives on pathogen detection; however, whether they are adaptable to diagnostic applications testing biologic fluids is under debate. Elsewhere, current nanotechnologies now offer new tools to improve the sample preparation, target capture, and detection steps. Second‐generation devices combining micro‐ and nanotechnologies have brought us one step closer to the potential development of innovative and multiplexed approaches applicable to the screening of blood for transmissible agents.
Differences in quality between privately and publicly banked umbilical cord blood units: a pilot study of autologous cord blood infusion in children with acquired neurologic disorders
Authors: Sun Jessica , Allison June , McLaughlin Colleen , Sledge Linda , Waters‐Pick Barbara , Wease Stephen , Kurtzberg Joanne
Published: June 2010

BACKGROUND: A pilot study was conducted to determine the safety and feasibility of intravenous administration of autologous umbilical cord blood (CB) in young children with acquired neurologic disorders. Most CB units (CBUs) were electively stored in private CB banks. Unlike public banks, which utilize specific criteria and thresholds for banking, private banks generally store all collected CBUs.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: CBUs of eligible patients containing more than 1 × 107 cells/kg were shipped to Duke from the banks of origin after confirming identity by HLA typing. On the day of infusion, CBUs were thawed and washed in dextran‐albumin and infused intravenously. Patients were medicated with acetaminophen, diphenhydramine, and methylprednisolone before transfusion. Data regarding patients, infusions, and CBUs were collected retrospectively. Characteristics of CBUs were compared to existing data from CBUs publicly banked at the Carolinas Cord Blood Bank.

RESULTS: From March 2004 to December 2009, 184 children received 198 CB infusions. Three patients had infusion reactions, all responsive to medical therapy and stopping the infusion. Median precryopreservation volume (60 mL vs. 89 mL, p < 0.0001), total nucleated cell count (4.7 × 108 vs. 10.8 × 108, p < 0.0001), and CD34 count (1.8 × 106 vs. 3.0 × 106, p < 0.0001) were significantly lower than publicly stored CBUs. Postthaw sterility cultures were positive in 7.6% of infused CBUs.

CONCLUSION: IV infusion of autologous CB is safe and feasible in young children with neurologic injuries. Quality parameters of privately banked CBUs are inferior to those stored in public banks. If efficacy of autologous CB is established clinically, the quality of autologous units should be held to the same standards as those stored in public banks.
Staphylococcus aureus Infective Endocarditis Mimicking a Hydatid Cyst
Authors: Walpot Jeroen , Shivalkar Bharati , Pasteuning W. Hans , Hokken Raymond
Published: June 2010

We report an atypical echocardiographic presentation of Staphylococcus aureus infective endocarditis (IE) of the mitral valve in an octogenarian female. Echocardiography revealed perforation of the anterior mitral valve leaflet (AMVL), with a large cystic mass seemingly attached to the AMVL and surrounded by a thin membranous structure. These images were strongly reminiscent of a hydatid cyst. The significant comorbidity of the patient did not justify an urgent surgical approach, and the patient subsequently expired of cardiogenic and septic shock. Autopsy revealed a large vegetation attached to the interatrial septum in the immediate proximity of the AMVL, without signs of the membranous structure and without pathological evidence for septic embolism. This atypical presentation of IE prompted us to discuss a brief review of intracardiac cystic masses. (Echocardiography 2010;27:E80‐E82)
Left Ventricular Lateral Annulus and Left Atrial Free‐Wall Velocity Time Integral Indicate Thromboembolism in Patients with Rheumatic Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Arokiaraj Mark C. , Pislaru Cristina , Vellayappan Shanmugam , Subramanian Sitalakshmi , Varghese Kiron , Patil Chandrakanth B. , Shetty Gurappa G. , George Cherian , Gupta Vishal , Iyengar Shamanna S.
Published: June 2010

Background: Low wall motion and stasis increase the likelihood of clot formation. We hypothesized that tissue Doppler indices of left atrial (LA) motion are reduced in the presence of LA thrombi and may be predictive for clot formation in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods: We did an observational study for 3 years in 118 patients with rheumatic mitral valve disease in chronic AF who had not received anticoagulation, with (Group 1, n = 36) and without (Group 2, n = 82) thromboembolism. Pulsed tissue Doppler systolic velocities and velocity time integrals (VTIs) were measured in all four chambers. A mean LA VTI was calculated. LA strain during ventricular systole was calculated using VTI and distance between two LA locations. Results: Logistic regression analysis showed that, after adjusting for age, gender, diabetes, hypertension, LA size, and left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction, mean LA VTI [Odds ratio (OR) 0.69, 95%CI (0.56–0.86, P = 0.03)] and lateral mitral annulus VTI [OR 0.15 (0.04–0.56, P = 0.03)] were associated with clot formation. The addition of these two parameters to the conventional risk factors increased the ability to predict thromboembolism (Nagelkerke R2= 0.32–0.50, P = 0.01; area under the curve 0.83 by receiver operating characteristic analysis, P = 0.01). LA strain also had potential to indicate clot formation (0.9 ± 13.8 vs. −8.2 ± 15.1%, group 1 vs. 2, respectively, P = 0.01). Conclusion: Patients with chronic AF and thromboembolism have reduced LA and LV motion independently of LA size and LV ejection fraction. Tissue Doppler parameters may have potential to predict clot formation in these patients. (Echocardiography 2010;27:1038‐1048)
Safety and Efficacy of Bivalirudin for Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with Rotational Atherectomy
Authors: DELHAYE CEDRIC , WAKABAYASHI KOHEI , MALUENDA GABRIEL , BEN‐DOR ITSIK , TORGUSON REBECCA , XUE ZHENYI , SUDDATH WILLIAM O. , SATLER LOWELL F. , PICHARD AUGUSTO D. , KENT KENNETH M. , LINDSAY JOSEPH , WAKSMAN RON
Published: June 2010

Background: Although bivalirudin use in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) results in less bleeding compared to unfractionated heparin (UFH) use, its safety in patients undergoing rotational atherectomy (RA) is unknown.

Methods: A cohort of 503 patients who underwent PCI with RA from 2000 to 2009 was studied. Patients receiving bivalirudin (n = 322) were compared to those (n = 181) treated with UFH ± glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor (GPI) as PCI anticoagulation. Safety was assessed by the frequency of major bleeding (hematocrit drop ≥15%, intracerebral or gastro‐intestinal bleeding) and need for transfusion. Efficacy was assessed by a composite end‐point of in‐hospital death, Q wave myocardial infarction (MI) or urgent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG).

Results: Those in the bivalirudin group were older, more hypertensive, and had greater body mass index. The UFH group was more likely to have prior MI, prior CABG, and an acute coronary syndrome at baseline. GPI was used in 93 patients (52%) of the UFH group. No difference was found between groups for the composite of death/Q wave MI/urgent CABG (1.9% vs. 1.7%, respectively, in bivalirudin vs. UFH group; P = 0.2). The frequency of major bleeding (2.2% vs. 1.7%; P = 0.8) or transfusion (5.6% vs. 8.7%; P = 0.9) was also similar between groups. After adjustment, bivalirudin use was not associated with a reduction in death/Q wave MI/urgent CABG, major bleeding, or transfusion compared to UFH.

Conclusion: Bivalirudin use seems to be as safe and effective as UFH in patients undergoing RA. (J Interven Cardiol 2010;23:223–229)
Aggressive Plaque Modification with Rotational Atherectomy and/or Cutting Balloon before Drug‐Eluting Stent Implantation for the Treatment of Calcified Coronary Lesions
Authors: VAQUERIZO BEATRIZ , SERRA ANTONIO , MIRANDA FAUSTINO , TRIANO JOSÉ LUIS , SIERRA GILBERTO , DELGADO GUILLERMO , PUENTES ANGEL , MOJAL SERGI , BRUGERA JORDI
Published: June 2010

Introduction: Calcified coronary lesions may be associated with stent underexpansion, malapposition, and high rates of restenosis. The use of drug‐eluting stents (DES) in such lesions has not been fully addressed in the major trials. We sought to examine the outcomes of patients who were treated with plaque modification (PM) to facilitate DES implantation.

Methods: We analyzed 164 calcified coronary lesions in 145 consecutive patients who underwent aggressive PM with either rotational atherectomy (RA) and/or cutting balloon (CB) before DES implantation. CB was used in moderate calcified lesions and RA alone or followed by CB in severe calcified lesions.

Results: Patients were 68.7 ± 10.1 years old, 47% were diabetic, 34% had left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤50%, and 39% had 3‐vessel disease. Ninety‐five percent of lesions were classified as B2/C, 100% as moderately/severely calcified. PM was achieved by using CB in 57% and by RA alone or followed by CB in 43%. In 100%, a DES was implanted. There was no failure to deliver a stent. At 15 ± 11 months follow‐up, the overall major adverse cardiac events (MACE) rate was 9.6% (3.4% cardiac death, 2.3% myocardial infarction, and 3.4% target lesion revascularization [TLR]). The only independent predictor of MACE was LVEF ≤50% (odds ratio 3.88; 95% confidence interval: 1.15–13.1; P = 0.03). The incidence of stent thrombosis (ST) was 2.1%. There were no significant differences in MACE and TLR based on the type of PM used.

Conclusions: In this population at high risk of restenosis, aggressive PM by CB and/or RA before DES implantation provides excellent mid‐term outcomes with only 3.4% TLR and 2.1% ST. (J Interven Cardiol 2010;23:240–248)
Heavily Calcified Coronary Arteries: The Bane of an Interventionalist's Existence
Authors: CAMNITZ WILL M. , KEELEY ELLEN C.
Published: June 2010

(J Interven Cardiol 2010;23:254–255)
An Enhanced Device for Transluminal Retrieval of Vascular Stents Without Surgical Procedures: Experimental Studies
Authors: TSUCHIDA MASAYUKI , KAWASHIRI MASA‐AKI , UCHIYAMA KATSUHARU , SAKATA KENJI , NAKANISHI CHIAKI , TSUBOKAWA TOSHINARI , TAKABATAKE SHU , KONNO TETSUO , INO HIDEKAZU , YAMAGISHI MASAKAZU
Published: June 2010

Background: Although efforts have been focused on developing endovascular procedures by which intravascular devices such as stents could be effectively deployed, few data exist regarding devices for the nonsurgical retrieval of deployed stents. Therefore, we designed to enable retrieval of deployed stents without a surgical procedure.

Methods: The device consisted of four components: ultra‐low profile forceps with 2.0 mm in diameter, conducting shaft with 1.8 mm in diameter, control handle by which the forceps is opened or closed, and a covering sheath. This device was designed to advance into the vessel lumen along a 0.014‐inch guidewire by over the wire fashion.

Results: The forceps could firmly catch nonexpanded as well as expanded tubular‐type stents with open cells in an in vitro model that was 4.0 mm in diameter. Then, we used this device in porcine renal arteries with 2.5–5.0 mm in diameter. At first, a fragmented 0.014‐inch guidewire could be safely removed without vessel damage that was confirmed by intravascular ultrasound. This device could successfully remove four of five inappropriately and 11 of 14 appropriately deployed stents. Under these conditions, intravascular ultrasound demonstrated minor vessel wall dissection in two‐third of cases.

Conclusions: These results demonstrate that the present device can be used for transluminal removal of foreign bodies such as nonexpanded as well as expanded stents in acute phase. Further miniaturization may enable using this type of device in the renal as well as coronary arteries. (J Interven Cardiol 2010;23:264–270)
The Association of Serum Uric Acid Levels with Outcomes Following Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Authors: SPOON DANIEL B. , LERMAN AMIR , RULE ANDREW D. , PRASAD ABHIRAM , LENNON RYAN J. , HOLMES DAVID R. , RIHAL CHARANJIT S.
Published: June 2010

Background: Serum uric acid may serve as a marker for the activation of oxidative stress and may therefore be a marker for subsequent cardiovascular events. Our goal was to assess the association of serum uric acid levels and the outcomes of patients who have undergone percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent PCI between 1/1/2000 and 12/31/2007. Data were retrieved from the Cardiac Lab Interventional Clinical Database as well as the medical records. Outcomes of mortality as well as major adverse cardiac events (MACE) that include death, myocardial infarction (MI), and target vessel revascularization were obtained. There were 10,632 unique patients who had a PCI at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester and allowed use of their records for research. During this time, 1,916 had a uric acid measure within 2 years prior to the day of PCI.

Results: Of the 1,916 patients in our cohort, 1,353 had normal uric acid levels and 563 had elevated uric acid. After multivariable analysis, there was a strong trend in association with follow‐up mortality in patients with elevated uric acid (HR = 1.25, 95% CI 0.98–1.59, P = 0.07). The association with mortality or MI (HR = 1.15, 95% CI 0.93–1.43, P = 0.20) and the association with MACE (HR = 1.04, CI 0.86– 1.25, P = 0.71) were not significant.

Conclusions: In a large single‐center database with complete follow‐up, elevated serum uric acid was associated with increased mortality in PCI patients. These data show a trend for uric acid in the pathophysiology of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease and highlight the need for further research. (J Interven Cardiol 2010;23:277–283)
Transient Neurological Symptoms During Contrast Transcranial Doppler Right‐to‐Left Shunt Testing in Patients with Cryptogenic Neurological Disease
Authors: SORENSEN SHERMAN G. , AGUILAR HEATHER , REICHERT WALTER , GOLDSTEIN MICHAEL , THOEN DENNIS , THOMAS HEIDI , MUHLESTEIN JOSEPH B.
Published: June 2010

Background: Paradoxical embolization from right‐to‐left shunt (RLS) resulting in neurological events is well described and patients with cryptogenic neurological disease are commonly evaluated for this condition. In the course of testing for RLS by bubble contrast transcranial Doppler (TCD), we observed that some patients developed transient neurological symptoms. This report describes our findings.

Methods: We performed diagnostic TCD on 445 consecutive patients with cryptogenic neurological disease (cerebral vascular accident, 21%; transient ischemic attack, 30%; migraine, 48%; and abnormal magnetic resonance brain imaging, 68%). Immediately following the procedure, patients were questioned about neurological symptoms.

Results: One hundred and sixty‐three (37%) of the 445 patients had absent or minimal shunting (Spencer grades 0–1) and 233 of 445 (52%) had severe RLS (Spencer grades 4–5+). One or more TCD‐associated neurological symptoms (TCD‐SX) developed in 95 of 445 (21%) of the patients. Compared to patients with absent or minimal shunting, patients with shunt grades 2–5+ were two and one half times more likely to develop TCD‐SX (18/164 [11%] vs. 77/283 [27%], P < 0.001). TCD‐SX were fourfold more common among patients with a history of migraine compared to history‐negative subjects (35 vs. 8.7%, P < 0.0001).

Conclusions: Diagnostic bubble‐contrast TCD provoked transient neurological symptoms. The symptoms correlated with the severity of RLS and were more common in migraine patients, suggesting that migraine patients are sensitized to chemical and/or microembolic shunt factors. There was no significant residual morbidity, and bubble‐contrast echocardiograph continues to be a safe and valuable diagnostic procedure. (J Interven Cardiol 2010;23:284–290)
Retrieval Devices and Techniques for the Extraction of Intravascular Foreign Bodies in the Coronary Arteries
Authors: PAULUS BASIL M. , FISCHELL TIM A.
Published: June 2010

(J Interven Cardiol 2010;23:271–276)
Dubai Camel Market Transnational Workers: An Ethnographic Portrait
Authors: KHALAF SULAYMAN N.
Published: June 2010

The paper presents an ethnographic documentation of life conditions and work patterns of transnational camel workers in the UAE. The ethnographic evidence presented is based on field work carried out in 2005 in Dubai Nad Al‐Sheba camel market and in the adjacent camel racetrack and camel farms. Intermittent field visits were also carried out during 2007and 2008. The data is presented in the form of short synopses of kin‐related workers who come from Asian and Arab countries, such as Pakistan, Sudan and Syria. The main thesis of this study revolves around how members of the various ethnic groups working in the market managed in spite of the transitory, precarious and underclass globalized life conditions at the margins of Dubai city to reconstruct numerous aspects of their local communities. They activated traditional multiplex relationships as survival mechanisms. These included the utilization of traditional social capital, symbiotic economic networks, family nesting, kinship bonding and mutual support for fellow ethnic migrants. Locality here is equated with the activation of village/tribal social habitus.
Facile Synthesis of Heterostructured ZnO–ZnS Nanocables and Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity
Authors: Lin Dandan , Wu Hui , Zhang Rui , Zhang Wei , Pan Wei
Published: June 2010

An efficient photocatalyst consisting of heterostructured ZnO–ZnS nanocables was synthesized via a template‐assisted method. The ZnS shell with an adjustable thickness around 10 nm can be synthesized in a sodium sulfide solution from electrospun zinc oxide (ZnO) nanofibers, resulting in the core–shell nanostructures. The morphology and structure of the samples during the conversion process were characterized, and the corresponding ultraviolet photocatalytic activity was evaluated by using rhodamine B degradation as a probe reaction. The coupling of the two photocatalysts suggests a higher photon efficiency and an enhanced exciton separation, which lead to a remarkable improvement of the photocatalytic activity by ∼10 times as compared with pure ZnO nanofibers.