bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Youth and Immigrants' Perspectives on Public Spaces
Authors: van Lieshout Maartje , Aarts Noelle
Published: November 2008

This article reports on perceptions and practices of youth and immigrants concerning public spaces in the Netherlands. Policy formation does not necessarily incorporate their interests, even though they form large and growing demographic groups in Dutch society. Data were collected in semi-structured conversations and group discussions and were analyzed using a set of concepts involving frames and framing. It is concluded that, despite the current context characterized by a decreasing availability of public space and an increasing use of virtual spaces via new media, public spaces remain important for both groups, especially for fulfilling important social functions such as the construction of identities. Furthermore, the interlocutors do not influence the design and use of public space via formal channels but, nevertheless, do have an effect via informal ways, by making use of informal networks, on one hand, and simply by being around, on the other.
The results of two multicenter, open-label studies assessing efficacy, tolerability and safety of protiramer, a high molecular weight synthetic copolymeric mixture, in patients with relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis
Authors: De Stefano N , Filippi M , Confavreux C , Vermersch P , Simu M , Sindic C , Hupperts R , Bajenaru O , Edan G , Grimaldi L , Marginean I , Medaer R , Orefice G , Pascu I , Pelletier J , Sanders E , Scarpini E , Mancardi GL
Published: November 2008

Objective

Two pilot studies were conducted to evaluate safety, tolerability, and efficacy of two doses of Protiramer (TV-5010) in patients with relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis.

Background

Both glatiramer acetate and TV-5010 are synthetic copolymers comprised the same four amino acids in a defined molar ratio. TV-5010 has higher average molecular weight than Glatiramer acetate and might be hypothesized that glatiramoids with higher molecular weight might be more immunoreactive than lower molecular weight peptides, thus increasing therapeutic potential and allowing for less frequent dosing.

Methods

In the two separate studies, after a 10 week pretreatment period, TV-5010 was given subcutaneously once weekly at 15 mg and 30 mg for 36 weeks. The primary end point was a reduction in the number of magnetic resonance imaging active lesions (i.e., T1-weigthed gadolinium-enhancing and new T2-weighted lesions) between the pretreatment period and the end of study.

Results

Both TV-5010 doses were generally well tolerated. The treatment with TV-5010 at a dose of 15 mg/wk did not show any significant effect. In contrast, in patients treated with at a dose of 30 mg/wk, a significant reduction in the mean number of gadolinium-enhancing (−58.8%; P = 0.0013) and new T2-W (−50%; P = 0.0002) lesions was observed. However, a large decrease in the mean number of both gadolinium-enhancing (−55%) and new T2-W (−40%) lesions during the pretreatment period made difficult the interpretation of the efficacy assessments.

Conclusions

Further studies are needed to confirm these preliminary data on safety and efficacy of TV-5010 at a weekly dose of 30 mg.
Brain atrophy evolution and lesion load accrual in multiple sclerosis: a 2-year follow-up study
Authors: Tedeschi G , Dinacci D , Comerci M , Lavorgna L , Savettieri G , Quattrone A , Livrea P , Patti F , Brescia Morra V , Servillo G , Orefice G , Paciello M , Prinster A , Coniglio G , Bonavita S , Di Costanzo A , Bellacosa A , Valentino P , Quarantelli M , Brunetti A , Salemi G , D’Amelio M , Simone I , Salvatore M , Bonavita V , Alfano B
Published: November 2008

Background

To investigate in a large cohort of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), lesion load and atrophy evolution, and the relationship between clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) correlates of disease progression.

Methods

Two hundred and sixty-seven patients with MS were studied at baseline and two years later using the same MRI protocol. Abnormal white matter fraction, normal appearing white matter fraction, global white matter fraction, gray matter fraction and whole brain fraction, T2-hyperintense, and T1-hypointense lesions were measured at both time points.

Results

The majority of patients were clinically stable, whereas MRI-derived brain tissue fractions were significantly different after 2 years. The correlation between MRI data at baseline and their variation during the follow-up showed that lower basal gray matter atrophy was significantly related with higher progression of gray matter atrophy during follow-up. The correlation between MRI parameters and disease duration showed that gray matter atrophy rate decreased with increasing disease duration, whereas the rate of white matter atrophy had a constant pattern. Lower basal gray matter atrophy was associated with increased probability of developing gray matter atrophy at follow-up, whereas gray matter atrophy progression over 2 years and new T2 lesion load were risk factors for whole brain atrophy progression.

Conclusions

In MS, brain atrophy occurs even after a relatively short period of time and in patients with limited progression of disability. Short-term brain atrophy progression rates differ across tissue compartments, as gray matter atrophy results more pronounced than white matter atrophy and appears to be a early phenomenon in the MS-related disease progression.
Clean intermittent self-catheterization in persons with multiple sclerosis: the influence of cognitive dysfunction
Authors: Vahter L , Zopp I , Kreegipuu M , Kool P , Talvik T , Gross-Paju K
Published: November 2008

Background

Bladder problems are very common in persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS).

Objective

The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of PwMS to learn clean intermittent self-catheterization (CISC).

Methods

The physical disability of 23 PwMS was evaluated with the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), and cognitive status was evaluated with the Brief Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Tests (BRB-N). CISC was taught by the same continence advisor who was blinded to the cognitive test results. The ability to learn CISC was evaluated immediately after sessions and 3 months later. Twenty-three consecutive PwMS participated in the study.

Results

In all, 87% (20/23) of the PwMS successfully finished CISC training. The number of lessons needed to acquire CISC skills differed significantly depending on the EDSS (Spearman r = 0.682, P = 0.0003), but the total cognitive decline subscore did not influence the ability to learn CISC. Only 13% (3/23) of the PwMS failed to learn CISC. The ability to learn CISC depended on the number of lessons needed to acquire CISC ( r = −0.499, P = 0.0313) and the EDSS score ( r = −0.433, P = 0.0390) but not on the course of the disease ( r = 0.125, P = 0.5696) or on cognitive decline ( r = −0.311, P = 0.1480). After 3 months of follow-up, 30% (6/20) of the PwMS had ceased performing CISC. A follow-up indicated no statistically significant correlations among any of the subscores of the cognitive test battery, the EDSS score, the course of the disease, and the time required to learn CISC and effective bladder management.

Conclusions

Our study thus confirmed that most (87%) PwMS were able to learn CISC in spite of cognitive dysfunction and therefore to improve their quality of life.
Reinvestment and Movement Disruption Following Stroke
Authors: Orrell A.J. , Masters R.S.W. , Eves F.F.
Published: November 2008

Background. Disruption of the automaticity of movement execution is commonly experienced by people with stroke and may result from the person consciously attempting to control the mechanics of his or her movements. This act of turning one's attention in toward the mechanics of an action is referred to as “reinvestment.” Objectives. This study aimed to explore the hypothesis that people with stroke have a greater propensity for reinvestment than the nondisabled population and to examine the relationship between reinvestment, functional impairment from stroke, and aspects of rehabilitation. Methods. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was used. A total of 148 people with stroke and 148 nondisabled adults completed the Movement Specific Reinvestment Scale. Correlational and multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between functional impairment and various potential predictors. Results. Compared with controls, people with stroke had a greater propensity for reinvestment. Conscious motor processing and time spent in rehabilitation were significant predictors of functional impairment following stroke. Conclusions. The association between functional impairment, propensity for reinvestment, and time spent in rehabilitation indicates that exclusive reliance on conscious motor processing strategies in the rehabilitation setting may be an impediment to regaining functional independence. There is a need to develop motor learning strategies for rehabilitation that restrain the propensity for reinvestment.
The Impact of Institutional Investors on Corporate Governance: A View of Swiss Pension Funds in a Changing Financial Environment
Authors: Theurillat Thierry , Corpataux Jose , Crevoisier Olivier
Published: November 2008

Theories on corporate governance have developed in line with the development of the financial markets and the increasing power of institutional investors. Indeed, the financial markets' power can be measured by the ability of shareholders, and of institutional investors in particular, to influence businesses and their managers. A number of reforms have been implemented in several countries, Switzerland included, in order to strengthen shareholders' powers. Making specific reference to Swiss case studies, this paper aims to create a better understanding of the role of institutional investors in corporate governance. Indeed, Switzerland is paradoxical in that it is generally considered Rhenish, with banks and families taking a leading role in controlling big business (David et al. 2004; Windolf & Nollert 2001), whilst developing a pension fund system which, since the mid-1980s, has attracted considerable funds and is still experiencing strong growth. How do these two approaches, traditionally at opposite ends of the spectrum as far as the subject's literature is concerned, reconcile themselves in the Swiss market?
Globalisation, Welfare and Competitiveness: The Impacts of Chinese Imports on the South African Clothing and Textile Industry
Authors: Morris Mike , Einhorn Gill
Published: November 2008

The rapid spread of Chinese clothing exports globally is analysed with respect to their competitiveness and welfare industrial policy dimensions, using a framework of complementary/competitive relationships and direct/indirect impacts. The dynamics governing the South African clothing sector, the role of retailers in driving domestic value chains, and the reasons for the huge increase of Chinese clothing imports is discussed. The significant welfare benefit of cheap clothing imports for consumers is detailed. The impact on local manufacturers, forcing them to meet the competitiveness challenge and upgrade their production capabilities, as well as the policy challenges this creates for local producers, is explored.
Institutions, Upgrading and Development: Evidence from North East Brazilian Export Horticulture
Authors: Selwyn Ben
Published: November 2008

The central concern of Global Commodity (or Value) Chain analysis is to identify upgrading possibilities for poor country (or region) producers as a mechanism for accelerating local-level development. Whilst the framework has made impressive progress in explaining how chain governance impacts upon suppliers' upgrading opportunities it has been relatively weak in integrating local-level institutions into its analysis and policy advice. This paper addresses this weakness by focusing on the interaction between suppliers' organisations and state development agencies in facilitating systematic upgrading for large numbers of producers. It is based on research on export grape production in North East Brazil, and finds that whilst exporters may be particularly well informed about changing market and buyer requirements, state agencies play a key role in both establishing initial conditions of production and assisting producers to overcome evolving technical gaps generated by fast-changing markets.
Red cell membrane: past, present, and future
Authors: Mohandas Narla , Gallagher Patrick G.
Published: November 2008

As a result of natural selection driven by severe forms of malaria, 1 in 6 humans in the world, more than 1 billion people, are affected by red cell abnormalities, making them the most common of the inherited disorders. The non-nucleated red cell is unique among human cell type in that the plasma membrane, its only structural component, accounts for all of its diverse antigenic, transport, and mechanical characteristics. Our current concept of the red cell membrane envisions it as a composite structure in which a membrane envelope composed of cholesterol and phospholipids is secured to an elastic network of skeletal proteins via transmembrane proteins. Structural and functional characterization of the many constituents of the red cell membrane, in conjunction with biophysical and physiologic studies, has led to detailed description of the way in which the remarkable mechanical properties and other important characteristics of the red cells arise, and of the manner in which they fail in disease states. Current studies in this very active and exciting field are continuing to produce new and unexpected revelations on the function of the red cell membrane and thus of the cell in health and disease, and shed new light on membrane function in other diverse cell types.
Stability of multiple alignments and phylogenetic trees: an analysis of ABC-transporter proteins family
Authors: Wagner Holger , Morgenstern Burkhard , Dress Andreas
Published: November 2008

Background

Sequence-based phylogeny reconstruction is a fundamental task in Bioinformatics. Practically all methods for phylogeny reconstruction are based on multiple alignments. The quality and stability of the underlying alignments is therefore crucial for phylogenetic analysis.

Results

In this short report, we investigate alignments and alignment-based phylogenies constructed for a set of 22 ABC transporters using CLUSTAL W and DIALIGN. Comparing the 22 "one-out phylogenies" one can obtain for this sequence set, some intrinsic phylogenetic instability is observed — even if attention is restricted to branches with high bootstrapping frequencies, the so-called safe branches. We show that this instability is caused by the fact that both, CLUSTAL W as well as DIALIGN, apparently get "confused" by sequence repeats in some of the ABC-transporter. To deal with such problems, two new DIALIGN options are introduced that prove helpful in our context, the "exclude-fragment" (or "xfr") and the "self-comparison" (or "sc") option.

Conclusion

"One-out strategies", known to be a useful tool for testing the stability of all sorts of data-analysis procedures, can successfully be used also in testing alignment stability. In case instabilities are observed, the sequences under consideration should be carefully checked for putative causes. In case one suspects sequence repeats to be the cause, the new "sc" option can be used to detect such repeats, and the "xfr" option can help to resolve the resulting problems.
Use of the probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum 299 to reduce pathogenic bacteria in the oropharynx of intubated patients: a randomised controlled open pilot study
Authors: Klarin Bengt , Molin Göran , Jeppsson Bengt , Larsson Anders
Published: November 2008

Introduction

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is usually caused by aspiration of pathogenic bacteria from the oropharynx. Oral decontamination with antiseptics, such as chlorhexidine (CHX) or antibiotics, has been used as prophylaxis against this complication. We hypothesised that the probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus plantarum 299 (Lp299) would be as efficient as CHX in reducing the pathogenic bacterial load in the oropharynx of tracheally intubated, mechanically ventilated, critically ill patients.

Methods

Fifty critically ill patients on mechanical ventilation were randomised to either oral mechanical cleansing followed by washing with 0.1% CHX solution or to the same cleansing procedure followed by oral application of an emulsion of Lp299. Samples for microbiological analyses were taken from the oropharynx and trachea at inclusion and at defined intervals thereafter.

Results

Potentially pathogenic bacteria that were not present at inclusion were identified in oropharyngeal samples from eight of the patients treated with Lp299 and 13 of those treated with CHX (p = 0.13). Analysis of tracheal samples yielded similar results. Lp299 was recovered from the oropharynx of all patients in the Lp299 group.

Conclusions

In this pilot study, we found no difference between the effect of Lp299 and CHX used in oral care procedures, when we examined the effects of those agents on colonisation of potentially pathogenic bacteria in the oropharynx of intubated, mechanically ventilated patients.
Boundary swapping in theDrosophilaBithorax complex
Authors: Iampietro Carole , Cléard Fabienne , Gyurkovics Henrik , Maeda Robert K. , Karch François
Published: November 2008

Although the boundary elements of the Drosophila Bithorax complex(BX-C) have properties similar to chromatin insulators, genetic substitution experiments have demonstrated that these elements do more than simply insulate adjacent cis-regulatory domains. Many BX-C boundaries lie between enhancers and their target promoter, and must modulate their activity to allow distal enhancers to communicate with their target promoter. Given this complex function, it is surprising that the numerous BX-C boundaries share little sequence identity. To determine the extent of the similarity between these elements, we tested whether different BX-C boundary elements can functionally substitute for one another. Using gene conversion, we exchanged the Fab-7 and Fab-8 boundaries within the BX-C. Although the Fab-8 boundary can only partially substitute for the Fab-7boundary, we find that the Fab-7 boundary can almost completely replace the Fab-8 boundary. Our results suggest that although boundary elements are not completely interchangeable, there is a commonality to the mechanism by which boundaries function. This commonality allows different DNA-binding proteins to create functional boundaries.
Attribution of vascular phenotypes of the murine Egfl7 locus to the microRNA miR-126
Authors: Kuhnert Frank , Mancuso Michael R. , Hampton Jessica , Stankunas Kryn , Asano Tomoichiro , Chen Chang-Zheng , Kuo Calvin J.
Published: November 2008

Intronic microRNAs have been proposed to complicate the design and interpretation of mouse knockout studies. The endothelial-expressed Egfl7/miR-126 locus contains miR-126 within Egfl7intron 7, and angiogenesis deficits have been previously ascribed to Egfl7 gene-trap and lacZ knock-in mice. Surprisingly,selectively floxed Egfl7Δ and miR-126Δ alleles revealed that Egfl7Δ/Δ mice were phenotypically normal, whereas miR-126Δ/Δ mice bearing a 289-nt microdeletion recapitulated previously described Egfl7 embryonic and postnatal retinal vascular phenotypes. Regulation of angiogenesis by miR-126 was confirmed by endothelial-specific deletion and in the adult cornea micropocket assay. Furthermore, miR-126 deletion inhibited VEGF-dependent Akt and Erk signaling by derepression of the p85β subunit of PI3 kinase and of Spred1,respectively. These studies demonstrate the regulation of angiogenesis by an endothelial miRNA, attribute previously described Egfl7 vascular phenotypes to miR-126, and document inadvertent miRNA dysregulation as a complication of mouse knockout strategies.
Application of risk assessment for the NASA Vision for Space Exploration
Authors: Putney B F , Fragola J R
Published: November 2008

Many quantitative reliability analyses and risk assessments of space systems have been criticized for unrealistic results. One reason for this may be that the analysis usually assumes that systems are mature. Unfortunately, limited budgets reduce the flight rates for systems to a level where maturity is never reached before a new design is proffered. If quantitative studies are to be depended upon for programmatic decisions, new methods must be applied to improve the usefulness and credibility of the analysis. Probabilistic risk analysis is becoming an integral part of decision making for NASA's Vision for Space Exploration (VSE). Since the Exploration Systems Architecture Study (ESAS), a number of high-level trade studies have been performed to evaluate options concerning NASA's architecture to support the transportation needs of the international space station and lunar missions including potential lunar bases. The risk analysis described here blended heritage information from existing systems and design features to create models that reflected mature reliability and assessed the effects of the flight manifest on maturing risk critical systems. This paper describes a multiple mission campaign model that illustrates the need for incorporating maturity into quantitative reliability and risk assessments.
Consideration of human actions in combination with the probabilistic dynamics method Monte Carlo dynamic event tree
Authors: Kloos M , Peschke J
Published: November 2008

The various accident sequences to be considered in the framework of a probabilistic safety analysis (PSA) for a nuclear power plant derive from interactions between the physical process, technical system functions, operator performance and stochastic influences along the time axis. Probabilistic dynamics methods have been developed to adequately account for these interactions. They can potentially cover the spectrum of event sequences which may actually evolve and achieve a realistic probabilistic safety assessment. The probabilistic dynamics method MCDET is a combination of Monte Carlo simulation and the discrete dynamic event tree (DDET) method. It was implemented as a module which can operate in tandem with any deterministic code simulating the system and process dynamics. MCDET was supplemented by a so-called Crew-Module which permits to simulate the dynamics of human actions depending on but also acting on the system and process dynamics as modelled in the deterministic code and on stochastic influences as modelled in MCDET. This paper presents the Crew-Module and gives an overview of the results which may be obtained from its combination with MCDET and a deterministic dynamics code.
Maintenance modelling and optimization integrating strategies and human resources: Theory and case study
Authors: Martorell S , Sánchez A , Villamizar M , Clemente G
Published: November 2008

Reliability centred maintenance is a systematic methodology to establish an efficient maintenance plan to cope with all of the equipment's dominant failure causes. Its main objective is to find out the best set of maintenance strategies (i.e. maintenance plan) that provide appropriate balance of equipment reliability and availability and associated costs. A weakness of the traditional method is that maintenance planning is formulated in terms of a multiple objective optimization problem where RAM+C act as decision criteria, and maintenance strategies (i.e. maintenance tasks intervals) act as the only decision variables. However, the appropriate development of each maintenance strategy depends not only on the maintenance intervals but also on the resources available to implement such strategies over a given period. This paper presents the development and a case of application of a model for maintenance planning that integrates maintenance strategies and human resources affecting RAM+C criteria.
Zooming In: Self-Emergence of Movements in New Product Growth
Authors: Goldenberg Jacob , Lowengart Oded , Shapira Daniel
Published: November 2008

In this paper, we propose an individual-level approach to diffusion and growth models. By zooming in, we refer to the unit of analysis, which is a single consumer (instead of segments or markets) and the use of granular sales data (daily) instead of smoothed (e.g., annual) data as is more commonly used in the literature. By analyzing the high volatility of daily data, we show how changes in sales patterns can self-emerge as a direct consequence of the stochastic nature of the process. Our contention is that the fluctuations observed in more granular data are not noise, but rather consist of accurate measurement and contain valuable information. By stepping into the noise-like data and treating it as information, we generated better short-term predictions even at very early stages of the penetration process. Using a Kalman-Filter-based tracker, we demonstrate how movements can be traced and how predictions can be significantly improved. We propose that for such tasks, daily data with high volatility offer more insights than do smoothed annual data.
Optimal Category Pricing with Endogenous Store Traffic
Authors: Fox Edward J. , Postrel Steven , Semple John H.
Published: November 2008

We propose a dynamic programming framework for retailers of frequently purchased consumer goods in which the prices affect both the profit per visit in the current period and the number of visitors (i.e., store traffic) in future periods. We show that optimal category prices in the infinite-horizon problem also maximize the closed form sum of a geometric series, allowing us to derive meaningful analytical results.

Modeling the linkage between category prices and future store traffic fundamentally changes optimal pricing policy. Optimal pricing must balance current profits against future traffic; under general conditions, optimal long-run prices are uniformly lower across all categories than those that maximize current profits. This result explains the empirical generalization that category demand in grocery stores is inelastic. Parameterizing profit per visit and store traffic reveals that, as future traffic becomes more sensitive to price, retailers should increasingly lower current prices and sacrifice current profits. We also determine how the burden of drawing future traffic to the store should be distributed across categories; this is the foundation for a new taxonomy of category roles.
Dynamic Pricing in the Presence of Strategic Consumers and Oligopolistic Competition
Authors: Levin Yuri , McGill Jeff , Nediak Mikhail
Published: November 2008

We present a dynamic pricing model for oligopolistic firms selling differentiated perishable goods to multiple finite segments of strategic consumers who are aware that pricing is dynamic and may time their purchases accordingly. This model encompasses strategic behavior by both firms and consumers in a unified stochastic dynamic game in which each firm's objective is to maximize its total expected revenues, and each consumer responds according to a shopping-intensity-allocation consumer choice model. We prove the existence of a unique subgame-perfect equilibrium, provide equilibrium optimality conditions, and prove monotonicity results for special cases. The model provides insights about equilibrium price dynamics under different levels of competition, asymmetry between firms, and multiple market segments with varying properties. We demonstrate that strategic behavior by consumers can have serious impacts on revenues if firms ignore that behavior in their dynamic pricing policies. Moreover, ideal equilibrium responses to consumer strategic behavior can recover only a portion of the lost revenues. A key conclusion is that firms may benefit more from limiting the information available to consumers than from allowing full information and responding to the resulting strategic behavior in an optimal fashion.
Manufacture of laminated strand veneer (LSV) composite. Part 2: Elastic and strength properties of laminate of thin strand veneers
Authors: Weight Shilo W. , Yadama Vikram
Published: November 2008

Laminated strand veneer (LSV) is a new engineered wood-strand composite consisting of laminated thin (3 mm) strand veneers (see Part 1 of this study). Advantages include utilization of low-density small-diameter timber, good mechanical properties for structural applications, and the ability to engineer the lay-up of laminates for specific end uses. In the present paper, the feasibility of the concept of engineering laminated composites made of thin strand veneers is scrutinized. Properties of individual strand plies and laminated products manufactured with strand plies were determined and compared with traditional wood composite panel properties and predictions based on the classical lamination theory (CLT). Elastic and strength properties of LSV composites compare favorably with plywood and laminated veneer lumber composites made of veneer, and exceeded those of oriented strand board and particleboard. It was shown that the CLT model was useful in engineering composite lay-ups to give an approximation of LSV composites properties. Strength and stiffness of LSV are 100–150% higher than that of the small-diameter parent wood from which it was formed.
Effect of autohydrolysis of Eucalyptus globulus wood on lignin structure. Part 2: Influence of autohydrolysis intensity
Authors: Leschinsky Moritz , Zuckerstätter Gerhard , Weber Hedda K. , Patt Rudolf , Sixta Herbert
Published: November 2008

Three different levels of autohydrolysis intensity, expressed as the prehydrolysis (P)-factor, were applied to Eucalyptus globulus wood at a liquor/wood ratio of 5:1. Lignin fractions were isolated from the wood residue as milled wood lignin (MWL), from the hydrolysate by centrifugation (insoluble fraction) and by ethyl acetate extraction (soluble fraction), and from the reactor wall as precipitate. With increasing autohydrolysis duration, a decrease in the content of aliphatic hydroxyl groups and of β-O-4 structures was detected in all lignin fractions, whereas the content of phenolic hydroxyl groups increased in the same order. MWL isolated from wood residue after autohydrolysis at the highest P-factor contained only half the β-O-4 structures contained in native lignin. Molecular weight distribution measurements revealed that fragmentation reactions dominated over condensation reactions in all lignin samples investigated. However, low-molecular-weight lignin dissolved in autohydrolysate exhibited extremely high reactivity towards acid-catalysed condensation reaction, which inevitably leads to the formation of sticky precipitates during storage at elevated temperature under the acid conditions prevailing.
Allergologische Diagnostik von Überempfindlichkeitsreaktionen auf Arzneimittel / Allergological approach to drug hypersensitivity reactions Leitlinie der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft (DDG) und der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Allergologie und klinische Immunologie (DGAKI) in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Ärzteverband Deutscher Allergologen (ÄDA) und dem Berufsverband Deutscher Dermatologen (BVDD)Entwicklungsstufe 1 (S 1) Erstellungsdatum: 30.09.2007Nächste Überprüfung geplant: 1.10.2011
Authors: Przybilla Bernhard , Aberer Werner , Bircher Andreas J. , Brehler Randolph , Brockow Knut , Dickel Heinrich , Fuchs Thomas , Hertl Michael , Mockenhaupt Maja , Pfaar Oliver , Ring Johannes , Sachs Bernhardt , Vieluf Dieter , Wedi Bettina , Worm Margitta , Zuberbier Torsten , Merk Hans F.
Published: November 2008

Überempfindlichkeitsreaktionen auf Arzneimittel müssen ausreichend geklärt werden mit dem Ziel, den Auslöser zu identifizieren. Die Anamnese umfasst neben der allgemeinen Anamnese auch Informationen zu angewandten Arzneimitteln, zur Klassifikation und zu den Umständen der Reaktion. Hauttests erfolgen bei allen Reaktionen mit Symptomen allergischer Überempfindlichkeiten mit geeigneten Testkonzentrationen, möglichst zwischen 4 Wochen und 6 Monate nach Abheilung der Reaktion durch Pricktest, Intrakutantest, Epikutantest oder Photopatchtest. Validierte Tests zum Nachweis spezifischer IgE-Antikörper im Serum sind nur für wenige Arzneistoffe (vor allem Betalaktamantibiotika) verfügbar; andere immunologische Labormethoden, z.B. der Basophilen-Aktivierungstest, werden nur in ausgewählten Fällen angewendet. Provokationstests sind indiziert, wenn der Auslöser durch bisherige Untersuchungen nicht mit Sicherheit identifiziert werden kann. Die Bewertung der Ergebnisse von Provokationstests sollte möglichst anhand objektiver Parameter erfolgen. Das Ergebnis der abschließenden Gesamtbeurteilung wird mit dem Patienten ausführlich besprochen und in einem Allergiepass niedergelegt.
Cytology of body cavity effusions / Zytologie der Körperhöhlenergüsse
Authors: Engels Marianne
Published: November 2008

Body cavity effusions are symptoms of different diseases. The microscopic examination of effusion fluid is a technically simple method, which in many cases may facilitate further diagnostic workup. In selected cases, a definitive diagnosis can be established.
Vitamin D und Parathormon: Ein Weg zur Bestimmung methodenabhängiger unterer Grenzwerte für Vitamin D / Vitamin D and parathyroid hormone: a tool to determine assay-specific cutoff values for vitamin D
Authors: Thierfelder Wulf , Roth Heinz J. , Laussmann Detlef , Pientka Ludger , Schumacher Jochen , Schulz Jörg , Scheidt-Nave Christa
Published: November 2008

Vitamin D wird eine Rolle in der Pathogenese zahlreicher chronischer Erkrankungen zugesprochen. Als Indikator des endogenen Vitamin D Status dient die Bestimmung von 25-Hydoxyvitamin D (25(OH)D). Eine suboptimale Versorgung mit möglichen gesundheitlichen Langzeitfolgen liegt möglicherweise bereits bei Serum-Konzentrationen vor, die weit über einem skelettsensitiven Schwellenwert liegen. Bisher besteht keine Einigung hinsichtlich eines klinisch relevanten Grenzwertes. Erschwerend für die klinische Diagnostik, aber auch die Interpretation von Forschungsergebnissen, wirken sich Standardisierungsdefizite bei den Messmethoden aus. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurden drei 25(OH)D-Assays miteinander verglichen: eine In-house High-Performance-Liquid-Chromatography (HPLC)-Methode und zwei Lumineszenzassays verschiedener Hersteller (DiaSorin, Nichols). Zusätzlich wurde intaktes Parathormon (iPTH) im Serum mit zwei verschiedenen Methoden bestimmt (Lumineszenzassay, DiaSorin; Elektrochemilumineszenz-Immunoassay, Roche). Basierend auf der gegenläufigen Beziehung zwischen Vitamin D und intaktem Parathomon in der engmaschigen Regulation des Serum-Kalziums wurden mit Hilfe von ROC-Analysen testspezifische Schwellenwerte für Serum-25(OH)D ermittelt, die eine optimale Differenzierung zwischen erhöhten und innerhalb des vom Hersteller angegebenen Referenzbereichs liegenden iPTH-Serumkonzentrationen erlauben. Für die HPLC-Methode lag dieser Wert bei 22,9 μg/L, für den Lumineszenzassay (Nichols) bei 19,5 μg/L und den Lumineszenzassay (DiaSorin) bei 14,4 μg/L. Diese Schwellenwerte sind als untere Alarmgrenze zu verstehen und belegen zugleich, dass sie zum Teil bereits in die etablierten Referenzbereiche der hier untersuchten Methoden für Serum-25(OH)D fallen. Am iPTH-orientierte methodenspezifische Grenzwerte für Serum-25(OH)D ersetzen nicht die Erstellung von Referenzbereichen für die verschiedenen möglichen gesundheitlichen Langzeitfolgen einer Vitamin D Unterversorgung.
Familiäres Antiphospholipidsyndrom / Familial antiphospholipid syndrome
Authors: Schambeck Christian M.
Published: November 2008

Von einer familiären Häufung von Lupusantikoagulanz und Anticardiolipin-Antikörper wurde immer wieder berichtet. Der Nachweis von Antiphospholipid-Antikörpern innerhalb einer Familie war nur gelegentlich mit klinischen Ereignissen verknüpft. Verlässliche Daten zu Häufigkeit und klinischer Relevanz dieses Phänomens fehlen. Eine Assoziation von HLA DR4, DR7, DRw53 und DQw7 zum primären APS, die sich vom HLA-Muster eines SLE unterscheidet, weisen auf eine immungenetische Prädisposition hin. Das β2-Glycoprotein I ist ein wichtiger Bindungspartner von Anticardiolipin-Antikörpern. Der Val247Leu-Polymorphismus in der fünften Domäne des β2-Glycoprotein I scheint sich auf die Antigenität des β2-Glycoprotein I auszuwirken.
Nahrungsmittelallergien durch immunologische Kreuzreaktionen / Food allergies caused by immunological cross reactions Leitlinie der Arbeitsgruppe Nahrungsmittelallergie der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Allergologie und klinische Immunologie (DGAI) und des Ärzteverbandes Deutscher Allergologen (ÄDA) (Stand: 16.08.2004)
Authors: Henzgen Margot , Vieths Stefan , Reese Imke , Erdmann Stephan , Fuchs Thomas , Jäger Lothar , Kleine-Tebbe Jörg , Lepp Ute , Niggemann Bodo , Saloga Joachim , Vieluf Ines , Zuberbier Torsten , Werfel Thomas
Published: November 2008

Grundlage für die Mehrzahl IgE-vermittelter Nahrungsmittelallergien im Erwachsenenalter sind kreuzreagierende Allergene. Ähnliche Molekülstrukturen in Inhalations- und Nahrungsmittelallergenen bedingen die Bildung kreuzreagierender IgE-Antikörper. Damit wird infolge der Sensibilisierung gegen ein Kreuzallergen, meist primär ein Inhalationsallergen, ein ganzes Spektrum an Sensibilisierungen ausgelöst, und bereits der Erstkontakt mit dem Nahrungsmittel kann eine anaphylaktische Reaktion provozieren. Die größte Bedeutung haben pollenassoziierte Nahrungsmittelallergien, wobei die baumpollenassoziierten Allergien am besten untersucht sind.

Für die klinische Praxis reicht es nicht aus, mittels immunologischer Tests eine Kreuzreaktion nachzuweisen, sondern es muss zwischen einer Sensibilisierung ohne klinische Relevanz und einer klinischen Manifestation der Allergie unterschieden werden, weswegen bei unklarer Anamnese die Durchführung oraler Provokationstests notwendig wird.

Dass baumpollenassoziierte Nahrungsmittelallergien durch die spezifische Immuntherapie mit Baumpollen eine Besserung erfahren können, zeigen einige offene Studien an Baumpollenallergikern. Wenigstens 50% dieser Patienten mit zusätzlichen Symptomen auf Nahrungsmittel beobachteten unter der Immuntherapie neben einer Besserung der polleninduzierten Beschwerden auch einen positiven Einfluss auf die Nahrungsmittelallergie. Allerdings stehen plazebokontrollierte Studien aus.

Angesichts der Zunahme der Pollenallergien, der Verschiebung des Sensibilisierungsspektrums und einer Änderung unserer Essgewohnheiten muss mit neuen, bisher unbekannten Kreuzreaktionen gerechnet werden.
Envelope Remediation—A Case Study in Support of an Over-Cladding Approach
Authors: Lawrence Jared B. , Johnson Paul G.
Published: November 2008

This paper addresses a case study in which a contemporary, high-performance glass curtain wall and a composite metal panel cladding system were installed over an existing failed 1960s masonry wall with aluminum windows. In addition to consideration of the typical performance requirements for air and water infiltration and thermal insulation, the new wall systems were designed to meet glass shard retention requirements and to accommodate improvements to the structural frame required by the General Services Administration. These performance requirements were all met while creating a more inviting exterior appearance, improving the interior work environment, extending the building’s service life, and reducing energy consumption. Problems of the original design and construction, extent of previous remediation attempts, findings of the investigation of the existing building, and the development of remediation options are discussed to provide background to selection of the over-cladding approach for remediation. Opportunities and limitations posed by the existing building, LEED requirements, glass shard retention, construction strengthening, full and uninterrupted occupancy, as well as other challenges inherent in the over-cladding of an existing high-rise building on a tight urban site are identified and discussed, and positive results are identified.
Application of thermodynamics and kinetics in the designing of new type TRIP steels concerning Al and P effects
Authors: Li L. , Huang S. G. , Wang L. , He Y. L. , Vleugels J. , Van der Biest O.
Published: November 2008

The influence of C and Al content on phase transformation temperatures is investigated by dilatometric analysis. With the new set of experimental data, an updated thermodynamic description of the Fe-Al-C system is presented, using the thermodynamic data of the limiting binaries and the parameters for the Fe-Al-C ternary system optimized by some of the present authors. A well reproduced vertical section of the Fe-Mn-Si-Al-C system is also presented according to the thermodynamic description of the lower order systems. For the development of P containing transformation induced plasticity steel, the possibility of phosphorous segregating at grain boundary is discussed by thermodynamics as well as kinetics. Lower critical temperature is estimated for the steel to obtain the starting temperature of fast cooling. To understand the minimum rate of fast cooling, pearlite growth kinetics is calculated with self-developed diffusion coefficients of elements at the grain boundary. Over-aging temperature is tentatively determined through the calculation of T0 temperature by both equilibrium and para-equilibrium assumptions.
An Efficient Numerical Algorithm for the Prediction of Thermal and Microstructure Fields during Quenching of Steel Rods
Authors: Ali S. K. , Hamed M. S. , Lightstone M. F.
Published: November 2008

This paper presents a new, more efficient numerical algorithm that has been developed to predict thermal and microstructure fields during quenching of steel rods. The present algorithm solves the full nonlinear heat conduction equation using a central finite-difference scheme coupled with a fourth-order Runge-Kutta nonlinear solver. Numerical results, obtained using the present algorithm, have been validated using experimental data and numerical results available in the literature. In addition to its accurate predictions, the present algorithm does not require iteration; hence, it is computationally more efficient than previous numerical algorithms.
Euripides' Heracles in the Flesh
Authors: Holmes Brooke
Published: November 2008

In this article, I analyze the role of Heracles' famous body in the representation of madness and its aftermath in Euripides' Heracles. Unlike studies of Trachiniae, interpretations of Heracles have neglected the hero's body in Euripides. This reading examines the eruption of that body midway through the tragedy as a part of Heracles that is daemonic and strange, but also integral to his identity. Central to my reading is the figure of the symptom, through which madness materializes onstage. Symptoms were contested sites of interpretation in the late fifth century, supporting both conventional narratives about human suffering and new stories advanced by contemporary medicine and ethics. In exploring the imaginative possibilities of these new stories, I do not privilege a “secular” over a “divine” reading. Rather I aim to offer a model of interaction between medicine and tragedy that sees the cross-breeding of worldviews as productive of innovative drama.
Greek Verse Inscriptions in Roman Egypt: Julia Balbilla's Sapphic Voice
Authors: Rosenmeyer Patricia
Published: November 2008

In 130 ce, Hadrian and Sabina traveled to Egyptian Thebes. Inscriptions on the Memnon colossus document the royal visit, including fifty-four lines of Greek verse by Julia Balbilla, an elite Roman woman of Syrian heritage. The poet's style and dialect (Aeolic) have been compared to those of Sappho, although the poems' meter (elegiac couplets) and content are quite different from those of her archaic predecessor. This paper explores Balbilla's Memnon inscriptions and their social context. Balbilla's archaic forms and obscure mythological variants showcase her erudition and allegiance to a Greek past, but while many of the Memnon inscriptions allude to Homer, Balbilla aligns herself closely with Sappho as a literary model. The main question raised here is what it means for Julia Balbilla to imitate Sappho while simultaneously honoring her royal patrons in the public context of dedicatory inscriptions.
Nostalgia and Cultural Memory in Barber's Knoxville: Summer of 1915
Authors: Taylor Benedict
Published: November 2008

Samuel Barber's “lyric rhapsody” for soprano and orchestra, Knoxville: Summer of 1915 (1947), is one of his most celebrated and complicated pieces. The most ostensibly backward-looking, nostalgic work of this “conservative,” neoromantic composer, Knoxville is yet atypical of Barber in that by most accounts it is the most American piece in an oeuvre otherwise rarely seen as touched by national flavor. Dating from an era just recovering from the cataclysm of World War II, Knoxville can be seen as conjuring a gentler age, a state of lost innocence, which as its subsequent reception has showed proved an enduring site of cultural memory. And this work that appeals to so many as an embodiment of collective national identity is simultaneously wrapped up in a highly personal response by Barber to a text of James Agee with a deeply autobiographical meaning for author and composer. Knoxville: Summer of 1915 offers a rich source of insight into Barber's music and aesthetics, in its constructions of memory and nostalgia at both a personal, autobiographical level and broader cultural one. Excavating these layers reveals a fuller picture of the composer and what his music has been taken to mean, exposing the relationship between Barber's private world and wider cultural movements and his often understated politics.
Who Wrote Hermann Abert's W. A. Mozart?
Authors: Solomon Maynard
Published: November 2008

In undertaking his 1919–21 revision of Otto Jahn's monumental W. A. Mozart, Hermann Abert argued the case for a complete overhaul of that book's allegedly outmoded methodology and content; and in keeping with the purportedly sweeping extent of his revision, Abert represented himself, confusingly, as both author and editor of the new edition. The stage was thus set for general acceptance of an erroneous notion that Abert had all but completely dismantled Jahn's book and erected a new one in its place. Reinforcing this persisting yet patently false impression, the recently published English edition, prepared by Cliff Eisen and translated by Stewart Spencer, omits the original author's name altogether from the title page, effectively completing the unjustified transfer of authorship from Jahn to Abert—unjustified in that despite Abert's claims of drastic revision, unacknowledged correspondences with the original are virtually ubiquitous. Comparison of pre- and post-Abert editions reveals the previously unrecognized extent of the later scholar's reliance on his predecessor. In addition to retaining Jahn's many-layered, elegant structure for the book, Abert has lifted many passages almost verbatim; and there are numerous others where he has merely rephrased Jahn's ideas without significantly altering the original content. Paradoxically, given Abert's wholesale expropriations, we may regard his celebrated endeavor to modernize Jahn as evidence for the enduring vitality of Jahn's extraordinary accomplishment.
The Engineering of Herbert Hoover
Authors: Mouat Jeremy , Phimister Ian
Published: November 2008

This article offers a revisionist account of Herbert Hoover's career as a mining engineer, looking particularly at his activities in Australia and China where he first established his reputation and his fortune. The young Hoover went to Western Australia in 1897 to work for the British firm of Bewick, Moreing. Hoover's employers sent him to China in early 1899. He became a partner two years later and returned to Australia to direct Bewick, Moreing's operations there. After his return to London, he grew increasingly involved in financial dealings and gradually withdrew from the business of mining. Hoover's career as a mining engineer coincided with a period when the authority of engineers assumed a new significance; American mining engineers in particular became trusted experts. Hoover was one such engineer, although this article argues that his role was more ambiguous and compromised than earlier studies have acknowledged.