bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of Clinical Environment on Embolus Detection: A Comparison of Automated and Manual Detection of Doppler Embolic Signals
Authors: Chung Emma M.L. , Fan Lingke , Naylor A. Ross , Evans David H.
Published: May 2008

Background: Transcranial Doppler ultrasound detection of weak embolic signals is inhibited by intrinsic limitations within the human auditory system. Psychoacoustics effects are likely to be exacerbated in a clinical environment, where automated embolus detection has potential to surpass manual detection. In this study we quantify the impact of clinical environment on manual detection of Doppler embolic signals following carotid surgery. We also discuss the implications of psychoacoustics considerations for the evaluation of automated detection systems. Method: Concurrent monitoring by vascular technologists and an automated embolus detection system were performed for 50 consecutive patients during postoperative recovery. Both detection methods were evaluated against a majority decision human expert panel analyzing under ideal conditions. Results: Clinical environment reduced the overall sensitivity of manual monitoring by ∼23%, mainly due to a ∼2-dB increase in the lower threshold for detection. Clinical environment was also associated with a reduction in positive predictive value for manual detection of ∼9% compared to ideal conditions. Automated monitoring, which is not affected by environment, was marginally more sensitive for detection of weaker embolic signals. Conclusions: One in 4 weak embolic signals was missed during routine clinical monitoring compared to ideal conditions. Automated detection (in this study) performed slightly better than human observers but did not approach the performance of the majority decision panel.
Spontaneous Recanalization of Occluded Standard Extracranial-Intracranial Arterial Bypass
Authors: Scharf Johann , Schmiedek Peter , Kemmling Andre , Gerigk Lars , Groden Christoph , Horn Peter
Published: May 2008

Background: In the event of early failure of standard extracranial-intracranial arterial bypass, elective but prompt revision surgery is generally attempted under the assumption that early occlusion is permanent. However, little is known about the occurrence of spontaneous revascularization. Objective: To estimate the frequency and time course of spontaneous recanalization in primary extracranial-intracranial arterial bypass occlusion and re-evaluate diagnostic and therapeutic options facing spontaneous development. Methods and Results: In a retrospective analysis 176 patients with standard superficial temporal artery/middle cerebral artery bypass were included. Twenty-three patients had primary bypass occlusion. In 7 cases spontaneous recanalization was observed. Follow-up of these cases is presented. Conclusions: Early bypass occlusion has a high incidence of spontaneous recanalization within the first year. In stable patients the first choice may be noninvasive follow-up and postponing revision operation.
Rapid Genetic Analysis in Congenital Hyperinsulinism
Authors: Christesen Henrik B.T. , Brusgaard Klaus , Alm Jan , Sjöblad Sture , Hussain Khalid , Fenger Claus , Rasmussen Lars , Hovendal Claus , Otonkoski Timo , Jacobsen Bendt Brock
Published: May 2008

Backgound: In severe, medically unresponsive congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI), the histological differentiation of focal versus diffuse disease is vital, since the surgical management is completely different. Genetic analysis may help in the differential diagnosis, as focal CHI is associated with a paternal germline ABCC8 or KCNJ11 mutation and a focal loss of maternal chromosome 11p15, whereas a maternal mutation, or homozygous/compound heterozygous ABCC8 and KCNJ11 mutations predict diffuse-type disease. However, genotyping usually takes too long to be helpful in the absence of a founder mutation. Methods: In 4 patients, a rapid genetic analysis of the ABBC8 and KCNJ11 genes was performed within 2 weeks on request prior to the decision of pancreatic surgery. Results: Two patients had no mutations, rendering the genetic analysis non-informative. Peroperative multiple biopsies showed diffuse disease. One patient had a paternal KCNJ11 mutation and focal disease confirmed by positron emission tomography scan and biopsies. One patient had a de novo heterozygous ABBC8 mutation and unexplained diffuse disease confirmed by positron emission tomography scan and biopsies. Conclusion: A rapid analysis of the entire ABBC8 and KCNJ11 genes should not stand alone in the preoperative assessment of patients with CHI, except for the case of maternal, or homozygous/compound heterozygous disease-causing mutations.
Daptomycin Clearance during Modeled Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy
Authors: Churchwell Mariann D. , Pasko Deborah A. , Mueller Bruce A.
Published: May 2008

Background/Aims: Pharmacotherapy in critically ill patients receiving continuous renal replacement therapies (CRRT) is challenging due to the lack of published information to base dosing regimens. Methods: Daptomycin’s transmembrane clearance during continuous hemofiltration and hemodialysis was assessed using an in vitro model with AN69 and polysulfone hemodiafilters at varying ultrafiltrate and dialysate flow rates (1, 2, 3 and 6 l/h). Results: During continuous hemofiltration, mean daptomycin sieving coefficient ranged from 0.14 to 0.20. Transmembrane clearances were significantly different between filter types for ultrafiltration rates of 2, 3 and 6 l/h. For continuous hemodialysis, mean daptomycin saturation coefficient ranged from 0.05 to 0.15. AN69-based daptomycin clearances were significantly lower than polysulfone values at dialysate flow rates of 2, 3 and 6 l/h. Conclusion: The extent of daptomycin’s transmembrane clearance is dependent on hemodiafilter type, dialysate and ultrafiltration rates. CRRT with high ultrafiltrate or dialysate rates may result in substantial daptomycin clearances.
Dialysis-Related Genotoxicity: Sister Chromatid Exchanges and DNA Lesions in T and B Lymphocytes of Uremic Patients. Genomic Damage in Patients on Hemodiafiltration
Authors: Buemi M. , Floccari F. , Costa C. , Caccamo C. , Belghity N. , Campo S. , Pernice F. , Bonvissuto G. , Coppolino G. , Barillà A. , Criseo M. , Crascì E. , Nostro L. , Arena A.
Published: May 2008

Background/Aims: Patients with chronic renal failure show the presence of massive oxidative genome damage but the role played by dialysis is still a controversial issue. The aim of our study was to verify the genomic damage in B- and T-lymphocyte subpopulations of uremic patients after a single hemodiafiltration session. Methods: We enrolled 30 patients on maintenance acetate-free biofiltration and 25 age-matched healthy volunteers and studied chromosomal alterations. Results: Our data show that the basal levels of DNA damage, the number of sister chromatid exchanges and basal high-frequency cells levels are significantly higher in patients on hemodiafiltration than in controls and in T lymphocytes than in B cells. Conclusions: These findings suggest that hemodialytic treatment could represent a potential source of damage, maybe through the oxidative action of the extracorporeal circuit components, which might explain the well-known T-specific immunodeficiency correlated with uremia.
Acylated Ghrelin Secretion Is Acutely Suppressed by Oral Glucose Load or Insulin-Induced Hypoglycemia Independently of Basal Growth Hormone Secretion in Humans
Authors: Kim Sang Wan , Kim Kyung Won , Shin Chan Soo , Park Do Joon , Park Kyong Soo , Cho Bo Youn , Lee Hong Kyu , Kim Seong Yeon
Published: May 2008

Background: Ghrelin has been reported to be the natural ligand of growth hormone (GH) secretagogue receptor, and it is known that exogenous ghrelin administration strongly stimulates GH release in humans. However, the effects of endogenous ghrelin on GH secretion and changes in ghrelin levels during dynamic changes in GH levels are not well understood. Methods: Therefore, we measured circulating acylated ghrelin concentrations during oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs) in patients with active acromegaly (AA, n = 9) and in age/sex/BMI-matched group A controls (n = 12), and during insulin tolerance testing (ITT) in patients with GH deficiency (GHD, n = 10) and in group B controls (n = 10). Plasma acylated ghrelin, serum GH, insulin and glucose levels were measured during each test. Results: Fasting plasma ghrelin levels correlated negatively with serum insulin levels in both group A and B controls (r = –0.665; p < 0.05) but not in patients with AA or GHD. During OGTTs, circulating ghrelin levels decreased significantly with a nadir at 30 min in both patients with AA (p < 0.05) and group A controls (p < 0.01). Also, ITTs were followed by a significant decrease in circulating ghrelin levels with a nadir at 30 min in patients with GHD (p < 0.05) and in group B controls (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The results of the study show that at baseline acylated ghrelin levels do not differ with respect to the GH status (GH excess or GH deficiency) and, furthermore, the suppression of acylated ghrelin levels during OGTT or ITT is independent of the GH response to the tests.
Neuroglobin in the Rat Brain (II): Co-Localisation with Neurotransmitters
Authors: Hundahl Christian Ansgar , Kelsen Jesper , Dewilde Sylvia , Hay-Schmidt Anders
Published: May 2008

In an accompanying article, we found that neuroglobin (Ngb) was expressed in a few well-defined nuclei in the rat brain. Here, we show by use of immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridisation (ISH) that Ngb co-localise with several specific neurotransmitters. Ngb co-localise consistently with tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the noradrenergic/adrenergic A1/C1 and A2/C2; the noradrenergic A5, A6 and A7. Ngb were not observed to co-localise TH in the dopaminergic A8-A16 cell populations. Ngb were only seen to co-localise with choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) in the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus (LDTg) and in the pontine tegmental nucleus (PPTg). Many Ngb-ir neurones co-localised with neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in the LDTg, whereas fewer Ngb-ir neurones co-localise nNOS in the anterior basomedial (BMA) and the posterodorsal medial (MePD) amygdaloid nucleus, in the medial preoptic area (MPA) and in part of the lateral hypothalamus (LH). Ngb-ir neurones co-localise heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) in the LDTg and locus coeruleus. Ngb-ir neurones co-localise hypocretin-1 (Hcrt1) in the perifornical (PeF) and perifornical lateral hypothalamus (PeFLH). Within the LH, Ngb-ir neurones co-localised melanin concentration hormone (MCH). A few Ngb-ir perikarya in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN) co-localised arginine vasopressin (aVP). Ngb were not observed to co-localise with serotonin, vasointestinal peptide (VIP), or cocaine amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) at any places. In the present study, we found no evidence that one or more particular neurotransmitters are coupled 100% to Ngb or that Ngb is coupled 100% to a specific neurotransmitter. Based on these findings, we suggest that Ngb could be involved in some sort of regulation of the sleep-wake cycle. Secondly, that Ngb in some neurones is involved in regulation of gaseous neurotransmission, and that this in any given case only involves a subset of neurones. To us this indicates that the cellular and physiological function of Ngb in different subsets of neurones might not be identical, or that all neurones containing Ngb has one thing in common that we at presently not are aware of.
Effects of Sex Steroids on the Neurotransmitter-Specific Aromatic Amino Acids Phenylalanine, Tyrosine, and Tryptophan in Transsexual Subjects
Authors: Giltay Erik J. , Bunck Mathijs C. , Gooren Louis J. , Zitman Frans G. , Diamant Michaela , Teerlink Tom
Published: May 2008

Background/Aims: Phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan are essential aromatic amino acids and precursors of dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine and serotonin. The aim of this study was to assess whether sex steroids affect plasma levels of these aromatic amino acids. Methods: 15 male-to-female (M-F) transsexuals were treated with 100 µg/day ethinyl estradiol and 100 mg/day cyproterone acetate, and 14 female-to-male (F-M) transsexuals were treated with testosterone esters 250 mg i.m. per 2 weeks. Plasma levels of hormones and amino acids were measured at baseline and after 4 and 12 months of cross-sex hormone administration, and analyzed by general linear models for repeated measures. Results: Plasma phenylalanine decreased by 7.5% (SD 3.0; p = 0.01); tyrosine by 18.3% (SD 4.6; p < 0.001), and tryptophan by 7.8% (SD 4.7; p = 0.03) after 12 months of estrogen + anti-androgen administration to M-F transsexuals. Administration of testosterone in F-M transsexuals did not induce significant changes in plasma levels of phenylalanine and tyrosine, but increased plasma tryptophan by 18.2% (SD 20.6; p = 0.001). Conclusion: Estrogens and anti-androgens reduce circulating levels of phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan in men, whereas testosterone administration increases plasma tryptophan levels in women. Sex steroids may influence the availability of neurotransmitter precursors.
Reevaluation of the Role of VEGF-B Suggests a Restricted Role in the Revascularization of the Ischemic Myocardium
Authors: Li Xuri , Tjwa Marc , Van Hove Inge , Enholm Berndt , Neven Elke , Paavonen Karri , Jeltsch Michael , Juan Toni Diez , Sievers Richard E. , Chorianopoulos Emmanuel , Wada Hiromichi , Vanwildemeersch Maarten , Noel Agnes , Foidart Jean-Michel , Springer Matthew L. , von Degenfeld Georges , Dewerchin Mieke , Blau Helen M. , Alitalo Kari , Eriksson Ulf , Carmeliet Peter , Moons Lieve
Published: May 2008

Objective—

The endogenous role of the VEGF family member vascular endothelial growth factor-B (VEGF-B) in pathological angiogenesis remains unclear.

Methods and Results—

We studied the role of VEGF-B in various models of pathological angiogenesis using mice lacking VEGF-B (VEGF-B
−/−
) or overexpressing VEGF-B
167
. After occlusion of the left coronary artery, VEGF-B deficiency impaired vessel growth in the ischemic myocardium whereas, in wild-type mice, VEGF-B
167
overexpression enhanced revascularization of the infarct and ischemic border zone. By contrast, VEGF-B deficiency did not affect vessel growth in the wounded skin, hypoxic lung, ischemic retina, or ischemic limb. Moreover, VEGF-B
167
overexpression failed to enhance vascular growth in the skin or ischemic limb.

Conclusion—

VEGF-B appears to have a relatively restricted angiogenic activity in the ischemic heart. These insights might offer novel therapeutic opportunities.
Smooth Muscle Expression of Lipoma Preferred Partner Is Mediated by an Alternative Intronic Promoter That Is Regulated by Serum Response Factor/Myocardin
Authors: Petit Marleen M.R. , Lindskog Henrik , Larsson Erik , Wasteson Per , Athley Elisabeth , Breuer Silke , Angstenberger Meike , Hertfelder David , Mattsson Erney , Nordheim Alfred , Nelander Sven , Lindahl Per
Published: May 2008

Lipoma preferred partner (LPP) was recently recognized as a smooth muscle marker that plays a role in smooth muscle cell migration. In this report, we focus on the transcriptional regulation of the LPP gene. In particular, we investigate whether LPP is directly regulated by serum response factor (SRF). We show that the LPP gene contains 3 evolutionarily conserved CArG boxes and that 1 of these is part of an alternative promoter in intron 2. Quantitative RT-PCR shows that this alternative promoter directs transcription specifically to smooth muscle containing tissues in vivo. By using chromatin immunoprecipitation, we demonstrate that 2 of the CArG boxes, including the promoter-associated CArG box, bind to endogenous SRF in cultured aortic smooth muscle cells. Electrophoretic mobility-shift assays show that the conserved CArG boxes bind SRF in vitro. In reporter experiments, we show that the alternative promoter has transcriptional capacity that is dependent on SRF/myocardin and that the promoter associated CArG box is required for that activity. Finally, we show by quantitative RT-PCR that the alternative promoter is strongly downregulated in SRF-deficient embryonic stem cells and in smooth muscle tissues derived from conditional SRF knockout mice. Collectively, our data demonstrate that expression of LPP in smooth muscle is mediated by an alternative promoter that is regulated by SRF/myocardin.
The Impact of Air–Sea Interactions on the Predictability of the Tropical Intraseasonal Oscillation
Authors: Pegion Kathy , Kirtman Ben P.
Published: May 2008

This study investigates whether air–sea interactions contribute to differences in the predictability of the boreal winter tropical intraseasonal oscillation (TISO) using the NCEP operational climate model. A series of coupled and uncoupled, “perfect” model predictability experiments are performed for 10 strong model intraseasonal events. The uncoupled experiments are forced by prescribed SST containing different types of variability. These experiments are specifically designed to be directly comparable to actual forecasts. Predictability estimates are calculated using three metrics, including one that does not require the use of time filtering. The estimates are compared between these experiments to determine the impact of coupled air–sea interactions on the predictability of the tropical intraseasonal oscillation and the sensitivity of the potential predictability estimates to the different SST forcings.

Results from all three metrics are surprisingly similar. They indicate that predictability estimates are longest for precipitation and outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) when the ensemble mean from the coupled model is used. Most importantly, the experiments that contain intraseasonally varying SST consistently predict the control events better than those that do not for precipitation, OLR, 200-hPa zonal wind, and 850-hPa zonal wind after the first 10 days. The uncoupled model is able to predict the TISO with similar skill to that of the coupled model, provided that an SST forecast that includes these intraseasonal variations is used to force the model. This indicates that the intraseasonally varying SSTs are a key factor for increased predictability and presumably better prediction of the TISO.
The Life Cycle of the South American Monsoon System
Authors: Raia Adma , Cavalcanti Iracema Fonsecade Albuquerque
Published: May 2008

The South American monsoon system (SAMS) life cycle plays an important role in the distribution and duration of the rainy season mainly over southwestern Amazonia, and the central west and southeast Brazil regions, affecting the economy through impacts on the agriculture and hydrology sectors. In this study a new criterion is applied to identify the monsoon onset and demise that was not used before in the SAMS region. This criterion is based on the atmospheric humidity flux over an area recognized as the monsoon core because of zonal wind reversal and changes in humidity from the transition seasons to summer and winter. Areas in Brazil that have a monsoon regime are identified, and several features associated with the life cycle are discussed. The climatological onset and demise are identified as the end of October and the end of March, respectively, and an interannual variability is found in the times of onset/demise. The main observed features in the two phases are discussed, such as the role of the South Atlantic subtropical high displacement, the northwestern moisture flux east of Andes and from the Atlantic Ocean, the zonal wind intensity and direction over central South America, the vertical motion over the continent, and the expansion/reduction of the Bolivian high circulation with associated high-level divergence. The frontal systems contribute to the pressure decrease, wind direction changes, and soil moisture increase previous to the onset. Low-frequency troughs with intraseasonal variability establish conditions favorable to the monsoon onset, and low-frequency ridges are related to late onset.
Interannual-to-Decadal Variability in the Oyashio and Its Influence on Temperature in the Subarctic Frontal Zone: An Eddy-Resolving OGCM Simulation
Authors: Nonaka Masami , Nakamura Hisashi , Tanimoto Youichi , Kagimoto Takashi , Sasaki Hideharu
Published: May 2008

Output of an eddy-resolving OGCM simulation is used to investigate mechanisms for interannual-to-decadal variability in the Oyashio and its influence on the subarctic frontal zone in the western North Pacific. Lag correlation analysis reveals that positive anomalies both in basin-scale wind stress curl and in local Ekman pumping can intensify the southward Oyashio almost simultaneously via barotropic and baroclinic Rossby wave propagations, respectively. The Oyashio strength can also be influenced by anomalous Ekman pumping that is exerted in the western portion of the basin through the baroclinic wave propagation with the lag of 3 yr, which appears to arise from a periodicity in the wind field. The intensification of the Oyashio is accompanied by negative anomalies both in the sea surface temperature and height off of Hokkaido Island of Japan and is followed by their eastward development along the southern branch of the Oyashio Extension and associated subarctic frontal zone in association with a southward displacement of their axes. These changes are associated with cool sea surface temperature anomalies and low potential vorticity anomalies at the thermocline level in the frontal zone. The surface cooling, thus induced in the frontal zone by those oceanic processes, accompanies anomalous downward surface heat fluxes, indicative of ocean-to-atmosphere feedback forcing associated with the Oyashio variations.
The Droplike Nature of Rain and Its Invariant Statistical Properties
Authors: Ignaccolo Massimiliano , De Michele Carlo , Bianco Simone
Published: May 2008

This study looks for statistically invariant properties of the sequences of inter-drop time intervals and drop diameters. The authors provide evidence that these invariant properties have the following characteristics: 1) large inter-drop time intervals (≳10 s) separate drops of small diameter (≲0.6 mm); 2) the rainfall phenomenon has two phases: a quiescent phase, whose contribution to the total cumulated flux is virtually null, and an active, nonquiescent, phase that is responsible for the bulk of the precipitated volume; 3) the probability density function of inter-drop time intervals has a power-law-scaling regime in the range of ∼1 min and ∼3 h); and 4) once the moving average and moving standard deviation are removed from the sequence of drop diameters, an invariant shape emerges for the probability density function of drop diameters during active phases.
Variability and Predictability of Central Asia River Flows: Antecedent Winter Precipitation and Large-Scale Teleconnections
Authors: Barlow Mathew A. , Tippett Michael K.
Published: May 2008

Warm season river flows in central Asia, which play an important role in local water resources and agriculture, are shown to be closely related to the regional-scale climate variability of the preceding cold season. The peak river flows occur in the warm season (April–August) and are highly correlated with the regional patterns of precipitation, moisture transport, and jet-level winds of the preceding cold season (November–March), demonstrating the importance of regional-scale variability in determining the snowpack that eventually drives the rivers. This regional variability is, in turn, strongly linked to large-scale climate variability and tropical sea surface temperatures (SSTs), with the circulation anomalies influencing precipitation through changes in moisture transport. The leading pattern of regional climate variability, as resolved in the operationally updated NCEP–NCAR reanalysis, can be used to make a skillful seasonal forecast for individual river flow stations. This ability to make predictions based on regional-scale climate data is of particular use in this data-sparse area of the world.

The river flow is considered in terms of 24 stations in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan available for 1950–85, with two additional stations available for 1958–2003. These stations encompass the headwaters of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya, two of the main rivers of central Asia and the primary feeders of the catastrophically shrinking Aral Sea. Canonical correlation analysis (CCA) is used to forecast April–August flows based on the period 1950–85; cross-validated correlations exceed 0.5 for 10 of the stations, with a maximum of 0.71. Skill remains high even after 1985 for two stations withheld from the CCA: the correlation for 1986–2002 for the Syr Darya at Chinaz is 0.71, and the correlation for the Amu Darya at Kerki is 0.77. The forecast is also correlated to the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI); maximum values exceed 0.8 at 8-km resolution, confirming the strong connection between hydrology and growing season vegetation in the region and further validating the forecast methodology.
A New Approach to Stochastically Generating Six-Monthly Rainfall Sequences Based on Empirical Mode Decomposition
Authors: McMahon Thomas A. , Kiem Anthony S. , Peel Murray C. , Jordan Phillip W. , Pegram Geoffrey G. S.
Published: May 2008

This paper introduces a new approach to stochastically generating rainfall sequences that can take into account natural climate phenomena, such as the El Niño–Southern Oscillation and the interdecadal Pacific oscillation. The approach is also amenable to modeling projected affects of anthropogenic climate change. The method uses a relatively new technique, empirical mode decomposition (EMD), to decompose a historical rainfall series into several independent time series that have different average periods and amplitudes. These time series are then recombined to form an intradecadal time series and an interdecadal time series. After separate stochastic generation of these two series, because they are independent, they can be recombined by summation to form a replicate equivalent to the historical data. The approach was applied to generate 6-monthly rainfall totals for six rainfall stations located near Canberra, Australia. The cross correlations were preserved by carrying out the stochastic analysis using the Matalas multisite model. The results were compared with those obtained using a traditional autoregressive lag-one [AR(1)], and it was found that the new EMD stochastic model performed satisfactorily. The new approach is able to realistically reproduce multiyear–multidecadal dry and wet epochs that are characteristic of Australia’s climate and are not satisfactorily modeled using traditional stochastic rainfall generation methods. The method has two advantages over the traditional AR(1) approach, namely, that it can simulate nonstationarity characteristics in the historical time series, and it is easy to alter the decomposed time series components to examine the impact of anthropogenic climate change.
Observed and Simulated Soil Moisture Variability over the Lower Mississippi Delta Region
Authors: Mostovoy Georgy V. , Anantharaj Valentine G.
Published: May 2008

To better understand error and spatial variability sources of soil moisture simulated with land surface models, observed and simulated values of soil moisture (using offline simulations with the Noah land surface model with four soil layers and approximately 1-km horizontal grid spacing) were compared. This comparison between observed and modeled daily values of soil moisture was performed over the Lower Mississippi Delta region during summer–fall months 2004–06. The Noah simulations covered the 2.5° × 2.5° latitude–longitude domain and were forced by the North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS) atmospheric forcing fields. Hourly soil moisture measurements and other data, including local meteorological and soil physical properties data from 12 Soil Climate Analysis Network (SCAN) sites, were used. The results show that both the observed and simulated level of soil moisture depend critically on the specified–sampled soil texture. Soil types with a relatively high observed clay content (more than 50% of weight) retain more water as a result of low water diffusivity than silty–sandy soils with 20% or less clay, provided that other conditions are the same. This fact is in agreement with previous studies and implies a strong soil texture control (through related hydraulic parameters) on the accuracy of simulated soil moisture. Sensitivity tests using the Noah model were performed to assess the effect of using the hydraulic parameters related to the site-specific soil texture on soil moisture quality. Indeed, at some SCAN sites, the errors (root-mean-square difference and bias) were reduced. Simulated soil moisture showed at least a 50% reduction when the site-specific soil texture was used in Noah simulations compared to those derived from the State Soil Geographic (STATSGO) data. The most significant improvement of simulated soil moisture was observed within the top 0–10 cm layer where an original positive bias (an excessive wetness) was almost eliminated. Meanwhile, excessive dryness (negative soil moisture bias), which was dominant within the second and third model layers, was also reduced. These improvements are expected to be valid at sites/regions with low (<0.3) vegetation fraction.
Implications of Regime Transitions for Mountain-Wave-Breaking Predictability
Authors: Doyle James D. , Reynolds Carolyn A.
Published: May 2008

A suite of high-resolution two-dimensional ensemble simulations are used to investigate the predictability of mountain waves, wave breaking, and downslope windstorms. For relatively low hills and mountains, perturbation growth is weak and ensemble spread is small. Gravity waves and wave breaking associated with higher mountains exhibit rapid perturbation growth and large ensemble variance. Near the regime boundary between mountain waves and wave breaking, a bimodal response is apparent with large ensemble variance. Several ensemble members exhibit a trapped wave response and others reveal a hydraulic jump and large-amplitude breaking in the stratosphere. The bimodality of the wave response brings into question the appropriateness of commonly used ensemble statistics, such as the ensemble mean, in these situations. Small uncertainties in the initial state within observational error limits result in significant ensemble spread in the strength of the downslope wind speed, wave breaking, and wave momentum flux. These results indicate that the theoretical transition across the regime boundary for gravity wave breaking can be interpreted as a finite-width or blurred transition zone from a practical predictability standpoint.
A Reduced Radiation Grid for the ECMWF Integrated Forecasting System
Authors: Morcrette Jean-Jacques , Mozdzynski George , Leutbecher Martin
Published: May 2008

A specific interface between the radiation transfer calculations and the rest of the ECMWF model was introduced in 2003, potentially providing substantial economy in computer time by reducing the spatial resolution at which radiation transfer is evaluated, without incurring some of the deficiencies produced by the sampling strategy previously used in the ECMWF model. The introduction of a new more-computer-intensive radiation package (McRad) in June 2007 has led to a differentiated use of this interface depending on the applications. The history of the interface, how it is used, and its impact when using the new radiation scheme are discussed here. For a given model resolution, the impact of a lower-resolution radiation grid on the model behavior is studied here, in the context of 10-day forecasts at high resolution (TL799L91), of medium-resolution forecasts (TL399L62) used in the Ensemble Prediction System (EPS), and of low-resolution simulations (TL159L91) as used for model development and seasonal forecasts with an interactive ocean. Results for the high-resolution forecasts are compared in terms of objective scores and of the quality of “surface” parameters (total cloud cover, 2-m temperature and specific humidity, and 10-m wind) usually verified in a meteorological context. For the medium-resolution forecasts, the impact of the radiation grid is studied in terms of the potential increase in the efficiency of the EPS system without deteriorating the probabilistic skill. The impact of changes in the radiation grid resolution on the low-resolution versions of model is discussed in terms of cloud–radiation interactions and ocean surface temperature. For these operational applications, a radiation grid with a coarsening factor even as large as 2.5 for TL799L91 and TL159L91 and 4.2 for the EPS TL399L62 is shown to give results free of any systematic differences linked to the spatial interpolation and to the coarser resolution of both the inputs to and the outputs from the radiation transfer schemes.
“Why Is It That I See Everything Differently?” Reading a 1933 Letter From Paula Heimann To Theodor Reik
Authors: Rolnik Eran J.
Published: May 2008

A letter from Paula Heimann to her training analyst, Theodor Reik, written shortly before her emigration from Berlin to London, sheds light on some of the technical controversies and personal animosities that shaped psychoanalytic clinical discourse in the early 1930s, as well as on Heimann's subsequent development as a clinician. A close reading of this letter highlights several distinctive aspects of psychoanalytic training and demonstrates the transgenerational transmission of psychoanalytic ideas.
Analyst as Teacher / Teacher as Analyst: A Confusion of Tongues?
Authors: Skorczewski Dawn
Published: May 2008

An ad hoc volunteer force, psychoanalytic educators must make do with little formal preparation in teaching methods before they enter the classroom. When they inevitably encounter common pedagogical problems, they often attribute their difficulty to a personal failure or the recalcitrance of candidates, but rarely to a lack of instruction in the craft of teaching. Given this situation, how can analysts who spend most of their time with patients learn to lead productive classroom discussions? How can they enhance participation when discussions become stale and strained? Most important, how can they determine whether candidates actually learn something in their classes? It is only slight exaggeration to say that the answers to these questions cannot be found in the thousands of pages that the profession has devoted to the subject of psychoanalytic education. A supplementary literature of psychoanalytic education is proposed that would directly address pedagogical issues through close attention to the goals and outcomes of courses and through case studies of moment-to-moment interactions in the classroom.
Psychoanalytic and Musical Perspectives on Shame in Donizetti's Lucia Di Lammermoor
Authors: Nagel Julie Jaffee
Published: May 2008

Two disciplines, psychoanalysis and music, are synthesized here with an eye to the origins and vicissitudes of shame and guilt as seen in the emotional disintegration of the eponymous heroine of Donizetti's opera Lucia di Lammermoor. Lucia's affects and her intrapsychic and interpersonal dynamics are heard in the music itself. A psychoanalytic and musical analysis of the opera, taking Lucia's dynamics as a quasi-substitute for clinical material, illuminates the intersections between certain theoretical aspects of the two disciplines. Both manifest and latent themes are expressed through the music of Donizetti's score.
The Fall of Fantasies: A Lacanian Reading of Lack
Authors: Ruti Mari
Published: May 2008

The purpose of this article is to explain to a non-Lacanian audience the broad philosophical foundations of Lacanian theory, particularly the relationship that Lacan draws between the human subject's ontological lack and his or her creative capacities. In an effort to explain Lacan's distaste for psychoanalytic approaches aimed at strengthening the ego, the article outlines the manner in which Lacan connects ego-driven fantasies to the constriction of the subject's psychic world. Lacan suggests that narcissistic fantasies are misleadingly seductive because they—in occluding the internal rifts and antagonisms of the subject's being—alleviate his or her anxieties about the contingent basis of existence. However, the illusory sense of plenitude and self-presence that such fantasies provide prevents the subject from effectively discerning the “truth” of his or her desire, thereby holding him or her captive in socially conventional psychic paradigms. In consequence, it is only the fall of the subject's most cherished fantasies that empowers him or her to pursue a degree of subjective singularity. The article also considers the clinical implications of Lacan's theory of lack, including the ways in which the analyst's lack enhances the patient's capacity to claim an increasingly autonomous and multidimensional mode of encountering the world.
Is There Life After Enactment? The Idea of a Patient's Proper Work
Authors: Friedman Lawrence
Published: May 2008

All talking therapies profit from a patient's deliberate work in treatment, for a number of reasons, each of which deserves separate study and reflection. This is as true for psychoanalysis as for other psychotherapies. But in psychoanalysis the idea of a patient's deliberate work is paradoxical and problematic, bringing special overt and covert benefits, but also risking countertransference hazards like those associated with the notion of therapeutic alliance. Many analysts today use the implicit idea of a patient's proper, deliberate work as a contrast in defining an enactment, and the idea of this proper work serves both parties as an image of aspiration when they are trying to climb out of an enactment. As always in these matters, that sort of usefulness carries the hazard of unrealistic and unpsychoanalytic expectations.
The Relational Consequences of Interpersonal Violence (IPV) for Adolescent Mothers
Authors: Kulkarni Shanti J.
Published: May 2008

Relationships are known to be vitally important for development, particularly in adolescence. Transcripts of semistructured interviews of 24 adolescent mothers who had experienced interpersonal violence (IPV) were analyzed to explore the effects of IPV on their important relationships. Mothers described feelings of loneliness and isolation; fears about trusting others; early and sometimes overwhelming family responsibilities; and disconnection from potential family support, as well as relationships with protective adults. These narratives captured during a critical developmental juncture reveal the influence that IPV has on young mothers' most important relationships and some of the attendant relational processes within these relationships. Findings suggest that shifting focus to the health of these relationships opens up innovative avenues for intervention with adolescent mothers.
Pharmacokinetics of High‐Dose Abetimus Sodium in Normal Subjects With Specific Assessment of Effect on Coagulation
Authors: Linnik Matthew D. , O'Rourke Anne M. , Crowther Mark A.
Published: May 2008

Abetimus sodium is an oligonucleotide‐based investigational drug designed to treat patients with lupus nephritis by specifically reducing anti‐double‐stranded DNA antibody levels. The safety and pharmacokinetics of abetimus were evaluated in 24 healthy volunteers at intravenous doses of 600 mg, 1200 mg, and 2400 mg. The mean half‐life ranged from 0.8 to 1.5 hours. Maximum exposure assessed by maximum observed plasma concentration was dose proportional. Total exposure assessed by area under the plasma concentration—time curve was dose proportional between 1200‐mg and 2400‐mg doses and greater than proportionate between the 600‐mg and 1200‐mg doses. Abetimus was well tolerated in all dose groups, with adverse events observed in 33.3% (2/6) of placebo subjects and 16.7% (3/18) subjects receiving abetimus. No clinically significant effects were observed on laboratory values, vital signs, or electrocardiogram, with the exception of a transient, dose‐dependent, prolongation in activated partial thromboplastin time. In vitro coagulation studies suggested that the effect on activated partial thromboplastin time was attributable to a nonspecific interaction rather than specific factor depletion. Exposure to abetimus at intravenous doses of 600 mg, 1200 mg, and 2400 mg was well tolerated. Total exposure assessed by area under the plasma concentration—time curve was greater than dose proportional across the dose range of 600 mg to 2400 mg.
Probenecid, but Not Cystic Fibrosis, Alters the Total and Renal Clearance of Fexofenadine
Authors: Liu Shanshan , Beringer Paul M. , Hidayat Levita , Rao Adupa P. , Louie Stan , Burckart Gilbert J. , Shapiro Bertrand
Published: May 2008

This study aims to evaluate renal P‐glycoprotein (P‐gp) activity in patients with cystic fibrosis. P‐gp efflux activity in peripheral T cells was measured by flow cytometry in 10 cystic fibrosis and 15 healthy volunteers. Eight cystic fibrosis patients and 8 healthy volunteers were recruited into a crossover pharmacokinetic study in which participants received 180 mg fexofenadine with or without 1 g probenecid twice a day. Genotyping was performed forABCB1 C1236T, G2677T, and C3435T. P‐gp efflux activity in peripheral T cells was not significantly different between cystic fibrosis patients and healthy volunteers. No difference in fexofenadine pharmacokinetic parameters was observed between cystic fibrosis patients and healthy volunteers when fexofenadine was administered with or without probenecid. Coadministration of probenecid significantly increased fexofenadine AUC and decreased the cumulative urinary excretion, total body clearance, and renal clearance.ABCB1 3435 C/T carriers showed increased basal P‐gp activity in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, increased R123‐induced efflux activity in CD4+ T cell, and decreased fexofenadine AUC. Fexofenadine disposition and P‐gp efflux activity in peripheral T cells was similar between cystic fibrosis patients and healthy volunteers. Probenecid administration significantly reduced the total body and renal clearance of fexofenadine.ABCB1 3435 C/T was associated with an elevated efflux activity compared with C/C subjects.
For the Love of Football
Authors: Wedgwood Nikki
Published: May 2008

The sexual attraction of some women specifically to sportsmen is such a taken-for-granted and commonplace phenomenon in Western society it receives little academic attention. This article first examines the handful of studies that have considered the relationship between heterosexual desire and Australian Rules footballers. Second, it reviews the few sociological studies of the groupies and wives of elite sportsmen. The article concludes that the social construction of sexual desire is an important but neglected element of the reproduction of the gender order. It is suggested that the concept cathexis may provide a useful conceptual framework for illuminating the ways in which women's heterosexual desires affect the maintenance, reproduction, and/or subversion of the existing gender order.
Democracy and Propaganda
Authors: Wolfgram Mark A.
Published: May 2008

Although democratic theorists recognize an independent media as central to the proper functioning of democratic institutions, democratic governments often exploit their citizens' faith in that independence to generate popular support or at least acquiescence for government policies. This article uses the examples of Operation Horseshoe and the fighting at Račak and Rugovo during the Kosovo conflict of 1998 and 1999 to illustrate how democratic governments in the US and Germany attempted to manipulate public perceptions of the Kosovo conflict to justify the 1999 war. The study reviews over 100 newspaper articles, found in the Lexis-Nexis database, and numerous scholarly articles to trace the development of these specific narratives. The article shows the construction of two illusions: the illusion of multiple sources and the illusion of independent confirmation. In the end, these `truths' and frameworks filter into scholarship, as many scholars begin to base their interpretations on these `facts'.
Politicians in the News: Media or Party Logic?
Authors: van Aelst Peter , Maddens Bart , Noppe Jo , Fiers Stefaan
Published: May 2008

This study departs from the finding that media attention contributed to the electoral success of candidates in the Belgian election campaign of 2003. While the authors do find an impact of media attention on the number of preferential votes for each candidate, in this study they take a closer look at the elements that determine this media attention. Do the media autonomously decide which candidate gets more attention than others or do they follow the hierarchy determined by the parties? In other words: is the media's interest in a politician a consequence of a media logic or of a party logic? As the study's multivariate analysis clearly indicates, both logics are relevant, with the party logic outweighing the media logic. However, the question remains to what extent the parties have already incorporated a media logic in the selection of their political personnel.
The Measurement of Psychopathy
Authors: Wright Emily M.
Published: May 2008

This article extends the debate over personality disorders as dimensional or taxonic phenomena to the study of psychopathy and relates this issue to questions surrounding whether behaviors or personality traits best represent psychopathy. Proponents of dimensional measurements of psychopathy consider personality traits to be important constructs of psychopathy, whereas proponents of taxometric measurements consider behaviors to be important characteristics of psychopathy. After a brief introduction to the measurement of psychopathy, taxometric and dimensional measurement techniques are explained, their assumptions addressed, and their strengths and weaknesses discussed. Empirical evidence for each technique is then critiqued, and methodological problems are described. It is argued that methodological problems of existing studies largely preclude conclusions regarding whether psychopathy is dimensional or taxonic. Suggestions for future research are provided to address some of these methodological limitations. This review informs readers about each measurement approach and identifies problems regarding the dimensional or taxonic measurement of psychopathy.
Planners Learning and Creating Power
Authors: Schweitzer Lisa A. , Howard Eric J. , Doran Ian
Published: May 2008

Learning networks, such as a community of practice, can be an important way for planners to gain access to, and power in, new professional knowledge domains. In this manuscript, the authors develop, implement, and evaluate a community of practice model for planning education and practice in energy and sustainability planning. The authors find that although this active, learner-centered method helps enable flexible, self-directed study for those learning new content, there is a strong need for leadership in heterogeneous learning networks to help participants overcome problems created by social position and structuration within the network. New knowledge formation within learning networks ultimately challenges some of the planning profession's fundamental assumptions about the validity of “moving knowledge into practice” in contexts with uncertainty.
An Update on Survey Measures of Web-Oriented Digital Literacy
Authors: Hargittai Eszter
Published: May 2008

This article presents a test of a recently developed method for studying people's digital literacy. Self-reported instruments pose a risk of misreporting by respondents. Participants in the study are presented with items that are used to construct a previously established digital literacy measure, interspersed with strategically developed bogus items, to test how the latter measure up against the former. The bogus terms score the least in comparison with other items suggesting that the majority of people do not make up their responses to these questions, thereby adding support to the utility of the formerly proposed instrument. Results also show a considerable discrepancy between familiarity of older Internet-related terms and newer web-based concepts offering a more nuanced instrument for studies of users' digital literacy.