bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Albumin‐bound basal insulin analogues (insulin detemir and NN344): comparable time‐action profiles but less variability than insulin glargine in type 2 diabetes
Authors: Klein O. , Lynge J. , Endahl L. , Damholt B. , Nosek L. , Heise T.
Published: December 2006

Aim:  This study compared the time‐action profiles of the novel albumin‐bound basal insulin analogue NN344 with those of insulin detemir and insulin glargine in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Methods:  Twenty‐seven insulin‐treated men with type 2 diabetes [body mass index 30.8 ± 2.6 kg/m2 (mean ± s.d.), haemoglobin A1c 7.6 ± 1.1%] were enrolled in this randomized, double‐blind trial and participated in six euglycaemic glucose clamp experiments [target blood glucose (BG) 5 mmol/l] each. Participants received NN344 in three experiments at a dose of 0.8, 1.6 and 2.8 dosing units (DU) (1 DU corresponds to 6 nmol NN344) per kilogram of body weight. In the other three experiments, the participants received 0.4, 0.8 and 1.4 U/kg of either insulin detemir or insulin glargine. The insulin preparations were characterized with regards to their effects on glucose infusion rates (GIRs) (in particular duration of action and within‐subject and between‐subject variabilities), BG, C‐peptide, free fatty acids (FFA), endogenous glucose production (EGP) and peripheral glucose uptake (PGU) over 24 h post‐dose.

Results:  The mean GIR profiles for all three preparations were similar in shape/flatness and showed increasing effect (area under the curve for GIR: AUC–GIRtotal) with increasing dose [low dose: 647 ± 580, 882 ± 634, 571 ± 647 mg/kg (insulin detemir vs. NN344 vs. insulin glargine]; medium dose: 1203 ± 816, 1720 ± 1109, 1393 ± 1203 mg/kg and high dose: 2171 ± 1344, 3119 ± 1549, 2952 ± 2028 mg/kg; p = 0.48]. The duration of action increased with rising doses of all insulin preparations, without major differences between treatments. BG remained below 7 mmol/l in nearly all the experiments. Within‐subject variability was lower for the albumin‐bound insulin analogues, insulin detemir and NN344, than for insulin glargine (p < 0.0001). Between‐subject variability did not differ between treatments, nor did the effects on BG, C‐peptide, FFA, EGP or PGU.

Conclusions:  In individuals with type 2 diabetes, the time‐action profiles and the duration of action of the albumin‐bound insulin analogues, insulin detemir and NN344, were comparable with those of insulin glargine, whereas within‐subject variability in the metabolic effect was significantly lower. Therefore, insulin detemir and NN344 seem to be as well suited as insulin glargine for once‐daily administration in type 2 diabetes. The better predictability may be an important characteristic of the albumin‐bound analogues as insulin detemir has already been shown to improve hypoglycaemia.
Assessing the body mass index of patients might help to predict blood loss during radical retropubic prostatectomy in Korean men
Authors: Chang In Ho , Byun Seok‐Soo , Hong Sung Kyu , Lee Sang Eun
Published: December 2006

OBJECTIVE

To examine the intraoperative blood loss and patient characteristics in patients treated with radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP), to determine the independent risk factors that predict increased blood loss and transfusion requirements in Korean men.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We retrospectively analysed the records of 264 consecutive patients who had RRP; all medical records were reviewed for various factors before RRP, including prostate volume and body mass index (BMI), and during RRP, e.g. operative duration, estimated blood loss (EBL), calculated blood loss (CBL) and neurovascular bundle preservation. We evaluated differences in clinical characteristics and intraoperative factors in patients categorised by BMI. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to establish the relationship between preoperative independent variables and endpoints related to a high CBL.

RESULTS

The mean EBL was lower than the CBL (387.3 vs 716.9 mL). When the group of men was stratified by BMI, although the difference in mean EBL (P = 0.160) and transfusion rate (P = 0.511) among normal, overweight and obese categories were not statistically significant, the difference in mean CBL (P = 0.011) and operative duration (P = 0.022) was statistically significantly higher in overweight and obese men. Patients who had their neurovascular bundles preserved had no statistically differences in CBL, EBL and operative duration from those with did not. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that BMI was the only preoperative variable that predicted a high CBL.

CONCLUSIONS

The EBL was underestimated by the CBL, and the BMI was the only predictor before RRP of blood loss during RRP in these Korean men.
Laparoscopic augmentation cystoplasty: a comparison between native ileum and small intestinal submucosa in the porcine model
Authors: Wang David S. , Anderson David A. , Fretz Peter C. , Nguyen Thai T. , Winfield Howard N.
Published: December 2006

OBJECTIVES

To determine the feasibility of laparoscopic augmentation cystoplasty (LAC) in the porcine model and to compare LAC using standard bowel vs a small intestinal submucosa (SIS) allograft.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Fourteen female pigs underwent LAC; six had standard ileal AC and eight AC with SIS. All the pigs had limited cystometrogram studies before surgery to determine bladder capacity. At 6 weeks after surgery the pigs were anaesthetized, the bladder capacities were re‐assessed and then the pigs were killed; the bladders were harvested and examined histologically.

RESULTS

In all, 12 of 14 pigs completed the 6‐week survival period; two pigs from the SIS group died from urinary ascites secondary to anastomotic leaks at the cystoplasty site. There were no complications in the ileal augmentation group. The operative duration was similar in both groups. The bladder capacities increased significantly in both groups, although more reliably in the native ileum group. In two pigs in the SIS group there was no increase in bladder capacity.

CONCLUSIONS

LAC is feasible in the porcine model and results in a significant increase in bladder capacity. AC using SIS does not appear to increase bladder capacity as reliably as native ileum, and has a higher complication rate.
Markup Variation and Productivity Measurement in Singapore*
Authors: Lam Raphael W. K.
Published: December 2006

Conventional measures of total factor productivity using growth accounting may not be appropriate when there is variation in markups across industries. The existence of market power implies that total factor productivity contains an endogenous component related to the variation in markups. I examine the variation of markups at the industry level for the manufacturing and services sectors in Singapore from 1983 to 2003. Using two different measures, I find that the markups in Singapore are significant in most industries, at around 28 and 55percent for the manufacturing and services sectors, respectively. Markups for the services sector declined during the period, while the markups for the key manufacturing industries increased after the Asian financial crisis in 1997. Accounting for variation in markups suggests that improvement in technological progress tends to be underestimated by 0.5–1.0percent per year. The underestimation is more severe in industries with relatively high markups.
Determinants of Female Fertility in Taiwan, 1966–2001: Empirical Evidence from Cointegration and Variance Decomposition Analysis*
Authors: Narayan Paresh Kumar
Published: December 2006

This study investigates the determinants of the fertility rate in Taiwan over the period 1966–2001. Consistent with theory, the key explanatory variables in Taiwan's fertility model are real income, infant mortality rate, female education and female labor force participation rate. The test for cointegration is based on the recently developed bounds testing procedure while the long‐run and short‐run elasticities are based on the autoregressive distributed lag model. Among our key results, female education and female labor force participation rate are found to be the key determinants of fertility in Taiwan in the long run. The variance decom‐position analysis indicates that in the long run approximately 45percent of the variation in fertility is explained by the combined impact of female labor force participation, mortality and income, implying that socioeconomic development played an important role in the fertility transition in Taiwan. This result is consistent with the traditional structural hypothesis.
Export Activity, Firm Size and Wage Structure: Evidence from Taiwanese Manufacturing Firms*
Authors: Tsou Meng‐Wen , Liu Jin‐Tan , Huang Cliff J.
Published: December 2006

This study adopts a semiparametric smooth coefficient model to evaluate the export–wage premiums, firm size–wage premiums, and the wage gap between skilled and unskilled labor. Particular focus is placed upon widespread evidence indicating that pay levels in ‘large’ and ‘export‐oriented’ firms are higher than in their ‘small’ and ‘domestic‐oriented’ counterparts. Applying the firm‐level data for Taiwanese manufacturing firms, we find a positive export–wage premium for skilled workers and a negative export–wage premium for unskilled workers. The hypothesis of a constant export premium across firm size is rejected. While most of the export–wage premiums for skilled labor can be attributed to the small and medium firms, the large exporting firms have a significant adverse effect on wages for unskilled labor. Moreover, our results suggest that the firm size–wage premiums for skilled workers are larger than those for unskilled workers. The wage gap between the two skill groups is also sensitive to size categories.
Trade, Investment and Economic Interdependence between South Korea and China*
Authors: Kim Joon‐Kyung , Kim Yangseon , Lee Chung H.
Published: December 2006

The Korean economy has been significantly affected by the emergence of China. It is now the largest market for Korean exports and a major supplier of its low‐cost imports but has at the same time become a serious challenger to Korea in the world markets for manufacturing exports. This paper investigates changes in China's export structure and its effect on Korea, and bilateral trade between the two. It also examines the motives for Korean investment in China and its effect on bilateral trade and cross‐border production networks.
A Rule‐Based Subset Generation Method for Product Data Models
Authors: Yang Donghoon , Eastman Charles M.
Published: December 2006

Abstract:  A neutral product model facilitates data exchange and integration. Particularly in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction product domains, neutral product models have been developed to support integration across segments of the product lifecycle and thus support a range of applications. Because of this, only subsets of the neutral data structures are utilized in any one exchange. Subsets are also called conformance classes (ISO‐STEP, CIS/2) or views (IFC), and include subtle conceptual and intentional differences. In current practice, the subset definition method ranges from just selecting entity data types, to defining a sub schema (data model), or to describing the purpose of the subset in natural language. This diversity in defining a subset comes from the complexity of reference relationships and subtyping capabilities of current product data models defined in the EXPRESS product modeling language. This article presents a formal method for defining a schema subset using set theory. It introduces the concept of a base set. A base set works as a building block of a subset with identified rules. It also identifies subset generation rules and a classification of rules according to schema versus instance, and semantic versus syntactic characteristics of subsets. The presented capabilities are intended to facilitate the generation of views within a product model schema supporting specific exchanges.
Capturing a Scheme Design for Rainscreen Cladding
Authors: Watson Alastair , Kalian Abdulla , Gibb Alistair , Anumba Chimay , Agbasi Emeka
Published: December 2006

Abstract:  This article reports on the exploratory application of product modeling techniques to the cladding of buildings. More specifically, it focuses on the development of a product model to formally capture the scheme design for a building that is clad with “rainscreen cladding.” Such a model would enable the cladding scheme design to be conveyed in digital form throughout the subsequent procurement process. Rainscreen cladding was selected as being an exemplar of the cladding types used on buildings, although the resulting product model provides for the capture of visual and functional requirements. The article introduces the wider context of the research, explains the particular focus adopted for the modeling, describes the as‐developed product model and includes an outline of prototype software that was developed specifically to help validate the model. The resulting product model could readily be reworked as a cladding extension to the IFC or the CIS/2.
Tend and Befriend
Authors: Taylor Shelley E.
Published: December 2006

In addition to fight-or-flight, humans demonstrate tending and befriending responses to stress—responses underpinned by the hormone oxytocin, by opioids, and by dopaminergic pathways. A working model of affiliation under stress suggests that oxytocin may be a biomarker of social distress that accompanies gaps or problems with social relationships and that may provide an impetus for affiliation. Oxytocin is implicated in the seeking of affiliative contact in response to stress, and, in conjunction with opioids, it also modulates stress responses. Specifically, in conjunction with positive affiliative contacts, oxytocin attenuates psychological and biological stress responses, but in conjunction with hostile and unsupportive contacts, oxytocin may exacerbate psychological and biological stress responses. Although significant paradoxes remain to be resolved, a mechanism that may underlie oxytocin's relation to the health benefits of social support may be in view.
Neural Mechanisms in Dyslexia
Authors: Shaywitz Sally E. , Mody Maria , Shaywitz Bennett A.
Published: December 2006

Within the last two decades, evidence from many laboratories has converged to indicate the cognitive basis for dyslexia: Dyslexia is a disorder within the language system and, more specifically, within a particular subcomponent of that system, phonological processing. Converging evidence from a number of laboratories using functional brain imaging indicates that there is a disruption of left-hemisphere posterior neural systems in child and adult dyslexic readers when they perform reading tasks. The discovery of a disruption in the neural systems serving reading has significant implications for the acceptance of dyslexia as a valid disorder—a necessary condition for its identification and treatment. Brain-imaging findings provide, for the first time, convincing, irrefutable evidence that what has been considered a hidden disability is “real,” and these findings have practical implications for the provision of accommodations, a critical component of management for older children and young adults attending postsecondary and graduate programs. The utilization of advances in neuroscience to inform educational policy and practices provides an exciting example of translational science being used for the public good.
Implicit Cognition and Addiction
Authors: Wiers Reinout W. , Stacy Alan W.
Published: December 2006

Extensive recent research has begun to unravel the more implicit or automatic cognitive mechanisms in addiction. This effort has increased our understanding of some of the perplexing characteristics of addictive behaviors. The problem, often, is not that substance abusers do not understand that the disadvantages of continued use outweigh the advantages; rather, they have difficulty resisting their automatically triggered impulses to use their substance of abuse. Existing interventions may help to moderate these impulses. In addition, new techniques aimed at directly modifying implicit cognitive processes in substance abuse are being developed.
Analogical Processes in Language Learning
Authors: Gentner Dedre , Namy Laura L.
Published: December 2006

The acquisition of language has long stood as a challenge to general learning accounts, leading many theorists to propose domain-specific knowledge and processes to explain language acquisition. Here we review evidence that analogical comparison is instrumental in language learning, suggesting a larger role for general learning processes in the acquisition of language.
Is Optimism Always Best?
Authors: Sweeny Kate , Carroll Patrick J. , Shepperd James A.
Published: December 2006

Although people generally appear optimistic about the future, they shift from optimism under certain circumstances. Drawing from a recent review of the literature, we describe how both optimism and shifts from optimism serve the common goal of preparedness, which includes a readiness to deal with setbacks and a readiness to take advantage of opportunities. Shifts from optimism occur in response to available information and to the possibility that things may not turn out as hoped. People tend to shift from optimism when feedback is anticipated in the near future, when the outcome is important, when negative outcomes are easily imagined, and when the outcomes are uncontrollable. In addition, people with low self-esteem shift from optimism more readily than do people with high self-esteem. Finally, both optimism and shifts from optimism have unique benefits in terms of preparedness.
Affective Influences of Selective Attention
Authors: Fenske Mark J. , Raymond Jane E.
Published: December 2006

Processes of selective attention and emotion operate together in prioritizing thoughts and actions. Abundant evidence suggests that emotionally salient stimuli and affective states can determine how visual attention is allocated. However, the brain regions mediating the effects of attention and emotion include shared and reciprocally connected structures. This raises an intriguing question about a reciprocal effect: Does attention also influence emotional responses? Here we review a series of studies that show that indeed it does. The results indicate that attention has a negative affective impact for otherwise neutral visual stimuli (abstract patterns and unfamiliar faces) that must be ignored or otherwise inhibited during the performance of a task. Finding that selective attention has distinct affective consequences for visual stimuli represents a new, fundamental discovery about the relation between the two main systems of prioritization in the human brain.
Risk Perception and Affect
Authors: Slovic Paul , Peters Ellen
Published: December 2006

Humans perceive and act on risk in two fundamental ways. Risk as feelings refers to individuals' instinctive and intuitive reactions to danger. Risk as analysis brings logic, reason, and scientific deliberation to bear on risk management. Reliance on risk as feelings is described as “the affect heuristic.” This article traces the development of this heuristic and discusses some of the important ways that it impacts how people perceive and evaluate risk.
Object Substitution Masking Interferes With Semantic Processing
Authors: Reiss Jason E. , Hoffman James E.
Published: December 2006

Object substitution masking (OSM) refers to impaired target identification caused by common onset, but delayed offset, of a surrounding dot mask. This effect has been hypothesized to reflect reentrant processes that result in the mask replacing the target representation. However, little is known about the depth of processing associated with masked targets in this paradigm. We investigated this issue by examining the effect of OSM on the N400 component of the event-related potential, which reflects the degree of semantic mismatch between a target and its context. Participants read a context word followed by a semantically related or unrelated target word surrounded by dots. As expected, delayed dot offset significantly reduced accuracy in identifying the target. The N400 amplitude was also diminished by OSM. These findings offer the first evidence that substitution interferes with target processing prior to semantic analysis, demonstrating an important difference between OSM and other visual phenomena, such as the attentional blink, in which semantic processing is independent of awareness.
The Time Course of Orthographic and Phonological Code Activation
Authors: Grainger Jonathan , Kiyonaga Kristi , Holcomb Phillip J.
Published: December 2006

The present study used event-related potentials (ERPs) to examine the time course of orthographic and phonological priming in the masked priming paradigm. Participants monitored visual target words for occasional animal names, and ERPs to nonanimal critical items were recorded. These critical items were preceded by different types of primes: Orthographic priming was examined using transposed-letter (TL) primes (e.g., barin-BRAIN) and their controls (e.g., bosin-BRAIN); phonological priming was examined using pseudohomophone primes (e.g., brane-BRAIN) and their controls (e.g., brant-BRAIN). Both manipulations modulated the N250 ERP component, which is hypothesized to reflect sublexical processing during visual word recognition. Orthographic (TL) priming and phonological (pseudohomophone) priming were found to have distinct topographical distributions and different timing, with orthographic effects arising earlier than phonological effects.
Power and Perspectives Not Taken
Authors: Galinsky Adam D. , Magee Joe C. , Inesi M. Ena , Gruenfeld Deborah H
Published: December 2006

Four experiments and a correlational study explored the relationship between power and perspective taking. In Experiment 1, participants primed with high power were more likely than those primed with low power to draw an E on their forehead in a self-oriented direction, demonstrating less of an inclination to spontaneously adopt another person's visual perspective. In Experiments 2a and 2b, high-power participants were less likely than low-power participants to take into account that other people did not possess their privileged knowledge, a result suggesting that power leads individuals to anchor too heavily on their own vantage point, insufficiently adjusting to others' perspectives. In Experiment 3, high-power participants were less accurate than control participants in determining other people's emotion expressions; these results suggest a power-induced impediment to experiencing empathy. An additional study found a negative relationship between individual difference measures of power and perspective taking. Across these studies, power was associated with a reduced tendency to comprehend how other people see, think, and feel.
Vision Following Extended Congenital Blindness
Authors: Ostrovsky Yuri , Andalman Aaron , Sinha Pawan
Published: December 2006

Animal studies suggest that early visual deprivation can cause permanent functional blindness. However, few human data on this issue exist. Given enough time for recovery, can a person gain visual skills after several years of congenital blindness? In India, we recently had an unusual opportunity to work with an individual whose case history sheds light on this question. S.R.D. was born blind, and remained so until age 12. She then underwent surgery for the removal of dense congenital cataracts. We evaluated her performance on an extensive battery of visual tasks 20 years after surgery. We found that although S.R.D.'s acuity is compromised, she is proficient on mid- and high-level visual tasks. These results suggest that the human brain retains an impressive capacity for visual learning well into late childhood. They have implications for current conceptions of cortical plasticity and provide an argument for treating congenital blindness even in older children.
Sex Differences in Intellectual Performance
Authors: Chabris Christopher F. , Glickman Mark E.
Published: December 2006

Only 1% of the world's chess grandmasters are women. This underrepresentation is unlikely to be caused by discrimination, because chess ratings objectively reflect competitive results. Using data on the ratings of more than 250,000 tournament players over 13 years, we investigated several potential explanations for the male domination of elite chess. We found that (a) the ratings of men are higher on average than those of women, but no more variable; (b) matched boys and girls improve and drop out at equal rates, but boys begin chess competition in greater numbers and at higher performance levels than girls; and (c) in locales where at least 50% of the new young players are girls, their initial ratings are not lower than those of boys. We conclude that the greater number of men at the highest levels in chess can be explained by the greater number of boys who enter chess at the lowest levels.
Try It, You'll Like It
Authors: Lee Leonard , Frederick Shane , Ariely Dan
Published: December 2006

Patrons of a pub evaluated regular beer and “MIT brew” (regular beer plus a few drops of balsamic vinegar) in one of three conditions. One group tasted the samples blind (the secret ingredient was never disclosed). A second group was informed of the contents before tasting. A third group learned of the secret ingredient immediately after tasting, but prior to indicating their preference. Not surprisingly, preference for the MIT brew was higher in the blind condition than in either of the two disclosure conditions. However, the timing of the information mattered substantially. Disclosure of the secret ingredient significantly reduced preference only when the disclosure preceded tasting, suggesting that disclosure affected preferences by influencing the experience itself, rather than by acting as an independent negative input or by modifying retrospective interpretation of the experience.
Scaling of Theory-of-Mind Understandings in Chinese Children
Authors: Wellman Henry M. , Fang Fuxi , Liu David , Zhu Liqi , Liu Guoxiong
Published: December 2006

Prior research demonstrates that understanding of theory of mind develops at different paces in children raised in different cultures. Are these differences simply differences in timing, or do they represent different patterns of cultural learning? That is, to what extent are sequences of theory-of-mind understanding universal, and to what extent are they culture-specific? We addressed these questions by using a theory-of-mind scale to examine performance of 140 Chinese children living in Beijing and to compare their performance with that of 135 English-speaking children living in the United States and Australia. Results reveal a common sequence of understanding, as well as sociocultural differences in children's developing theories of mind.
Lending a Hand
Authors: Coan James A. , Schaefer Hillary S. , Davidson Richard J.
Published: December 2006

Social contact promotes enhanced health and well-being, likely as a function of the social regulation of emotional responding in the face of various life stressors. For this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, 16 married women were subjected to the threat of electric shock while holding their husband's hand, the hand of an anonymous male experimenter, or no hand at all. Results indicated a pervasive attenuation of activation in the neural systems supporting emotional and behavioral threat responses when the women held their husband's hand. A more limited attenuation of activation in these systems occurred when they held the hand of a stranger. Most strikingly, the effects of spousal hand-holding on neural threat responses varied as a function of marital quality, with higher marital quality predicting less threat-related neural activation in the right anterior insula, superior frontal gyrus, and hypothalamus during spousal, but not stranger, hand-holding.
Stages of Abstraction and Exemplar Memorization in Pigeon Category Learning
Authors: Cook Robert G. , Smith J. David
Published: December 2006

It has been proposed that human category learning consists of an early abstraction-based stage followed by a later exemplar-memorization stage. To investigate whether similar processing stages extend to category learning in a nonverbal species, we applied a prototype-exception paradigm to investigating pigeon category learning. Five birds and 8 humans learned six-dimensional perceptual categories constructed to include prototypes, typical items, and exceptions. We evaluated the birds' and humans' categorization strategies at different points during learning. Early on in both species, prototype performance improved rapidly as exception performance remained below chance, indicating an initial mastery of the categories' general structure. Later on, exception performance improved selectively and dramatically, indicating exception-item resolution and exemplar memorization. Abstraction- and exemplar-based formal models reinforced these interpretations. The results suggest a psychological transition in pigeon category learning from abstraction- to exemplar-based processing similar to that found in humans.
TELEOFUNCTIONALISM AND PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPLANATION
Authors: BRIDGES JASON
Published: December 2006

Fred Dretske's teleofunctional theory of content aims to simultaneously solve two ground‐floor philosophical puzzles about mental content: the problem of naturalism and the problem of epiphenomenalism. It is argued here that his theory fails on the latter score. Indeed, the theory insures that content can have no place in the causal explanation of action at all. The argument for this conclusion depends upon only very weak premises about the nature of causal explanation. The difficulties Dretske's theory encounters indicate the severe challenges involved in arriving at a robust naturalistic understanding of content.
EMPIRICAL EQUIVALENCE IN THE QUINE‐CARNAP DEBATE
Authors: LOOMIS ERIC J.
Published: December 2006

Abstract: Alexander George has put forward a novel interpretation of the Quine‐Carnap debate over analyticity. George argues that Carnap's claim that there exists an analytic‐synthetic distinction was held by Carnap to be empty of empirical consequences. As a result, Carnap understood his position to be empirically indistinguishable from Quine's. Although George defends his interpretation only briefly, I show that it withstands further examination and ought to be accepted. The consequences of accepting it undermine a common understanding of Quine's criticism of Carnap, and I argue that it is difficult to find a perspective from which Quine can criticize Carnap in a non‐question‐begging way.
JOHN LOCKE AND THE PROBLEMS OF MORAL KNOWLEDGE
Authors: MATHEWSON MARK D.
Published: December 2006

Abstract:  In this paper, I argue that John Locke's account of knowledge coupled with his commitments to moral ideas being voluntary constructions of our own minds and to divine voluntarism (moral rules are given by God according to his will) leads to a seriously flawed view of moral knowledge. After explicating Locke's view of moral knowledge, highlighting the specific problems that seem to arise from it, and suggesting some possible Lockean responses, I conclude that the best Locke can do is give us a trivial account of moral knowledge which cannot avoid problems with subjectivity and relativism.
INDIRECT CONSEQUENTIALISM, SUBOPTIMALITY, AND FRIENDSHIP1
Authors: TEDESCO MATTHEW
Published: December 2006

Abstract:  Critics have persistently charged that indirect consequentialism, despite the best efforts of its defenders, ultimately fails to appropriately account for friendship in the face of the alienation generated by the harsh demands of consequentialism. Robert F. Card has recently alleged that the dispositional emphasis of indirect consequentialism renders its defender incapable of rejecting problematic friendships that are seriously suboptimal. I argue that Card's criticism not only fails to undermine indirect consequentialism, but in fact provides considerations that both help us to better understand the theory and ultimately weigh in favor of it over Card's own brand of sophisticated consequentialism.
Tactile orientation constancy: Do proprioception and attention affect the tactile vertical?1
Authors: HIGASHIYAMA ATSUKI , HOLLINS MARK , MAIXNER WILLIAM
Published: December 2006

Abstract:  Tactile vertical, defined as the edge orientation that participants perceive to be vertical, was examined in four experiments. In Experiment 1, we touched the participants’ cheek, lips, or hand with an edge and asked them to judge its orientation with regard to gravitational vertical, both when the stimulated body part was upright (or, in the case of the lips, aligned), and when it was tilted (lips, distorted). We found that when the head or hand was tilted forward 30°, or when the lower lip was distorted approximately 38° to the left or right, the tactile vertical shifted in the same direction by only a fraction (8.7, 8.6, and 36.3% for the cheek, lips, and hand, respectively) of the change in orientation of the stimulated region. The results indicated considerable, but usually incomplete, orientation constancy. In Experiment 2, we measured tactile vertical on the hand for forward tilts from 0° to 45°. We found that as the hand was tilted, the tactile vertical increasingly shifted in the same direction as the hand (i.e., a tactile Aubert effect). In Experiment 3, the effect of attentional focus on tactile vertical was examined by comparing the tactile vertical of participants who attended to body‐centered coordinates, and others who attended to gravitation‐centered coordinates. We found that focusing on body‐centered coordinates caused a decrease in orientation constancy. We sought to examine the role of attention further in Experiment 4, measuring tactile vertical on the cheek of persons with temporomandibular disorders. Compared with normal participants, these participants displayed significantly lower constancy. The results were accounted for by a narrowing of attention to painful signals, so that proprioceptive information was attended to less. In conclusion, the degree of tactile orientation constancy that participants demonstrate varies as a function of body site and attentional focus.
Balance of blood pressure equivalents as a new quantitative scale for identifying cardiac versus vascular reactor: Comparisons with Gregg, Matyas and James’ (2002) hemodynamic profile scale
Authors: SAWADA YUKIHIRO
Published: December 2006

Abstract:  A quantitative scale for identifying cardiac versus vascular reactor, balance of blood pressure equivalents (BE), was newly advocated and compared with a very recently advocated one, hemodynamic profile (HP), by Gregg, Matyas and James (2002). BE was defined as “(ΔQ/Q0)P0′ − (ΔR/R0)P0.” Here, P0, Q0, and R0 were mean blood pressure (P), cardiac output (Q), and total peripheral resistance (R) during baseline, and ΔQ and ΔR were the difference scores of Q and R from baseline to stress, respectively. This was named as BE because the two terms in the formula indicated changes in Q and R in their blood pressure equivalents. Comparisons of the BE and HP scales were carried out, theoretically, in a newly introduced pressor space, on orthogonality with the extent of elevation of P (ΔP); and then, practically, by using hypothetical data. In summary, it was shown that data points in the neighborhood in the pressor space can be judged as having not so different hemodynamic balance whether the BE or HP scale was used. As a merit, the BE scale seemed helpful to an intuitive understanding of the hemodynamics during stress. As a demerit, it cannot maintain the quasi‐orthogonal relationship with ΔP when Q or R changes profoundly in the face of stress.
A new method for quantifying three‐dimensional interactions between biological structures
Authors: Travençolo Bruno A. N. , Debat Claudio Martínez , Beletti Marcelo E. , Silveira José R. Sotelo , Ehrlich Ricardo , Costa Luciano da F.
Published: December 2006

In this paper we examine a new distance‐based method for identifying and characterizing possible interactions between biological structures and objects, with respect to the initial developmental stages of Echinococcus granulosus. By adopting the surface of the foramen as the distance reference, several interesting results have been identified, including the fact that the cell nuclei tend to be organized with respect to the foramen surface as well as the stability of the spatial distribution of these nuclei along the development stages.
Effect of α‐asarone and a derivative on lipids, bile flow and Na+/K+‐ATPase in ethinyl estradiol‐induced cholestasis in the rat
Authors: Garduño‐Siciliano Leticia , Labarrios Fernando , Tamariz Joaquín , Moreno Mario G. , Chamorro Germán , Muriel Pablo
Published: December 2006

Administration of ethinyl estradiol (EE), a widely used component of oral contraceptives, has been associated with impairment of bile flow and the capacity to excrete organic anions in man and experimental animals. α‐Asarone (2,4,5‐trimethoxypropenylbenzene) and 2‐methoxy‐4‐(2‐propenyl) phenoxyacetic acid (MPPA) have shown hypolipidemic effects. In addition to these effects, we decided to evaluate the properties of these compounds on EE‐induced cholestasis. Wistar male rats were injected subcutaneously with 10 mg/kg of EE for 5 days; simultaneously, α‐asarone or MPPA were also administered and appropriate controls were performed. α‐asarone and MPPA decreased plasma and bile cholesterol. EE diminished triglycerides total, low‐density lipoprotein, high‐density lipoprotein and bile cholesterol. MPPA further decreased these lipid parameters. Alkaline phosphatase (an enzyme marker of cholestasis) was increased after administration of EE, but this effect was prevented significantly by α‐asarone or MPPA administration. Bile flow was importantly decreased by EE and increased by α‐asarone alone. Furthermore, α‐asarone or MPPA preserved the normal bile flow in EE‐treated rats. EE inhibited the activity of the Na+/K+‐ATPase, while both α‐asarone and MPPA preserved this enzyme activity. Na+/K+‐ATPase is involved in Na+‐coupled uptake of bile acids into hepatocytes and, therefore, ultimately is the driving force for the generation of bile flow. Therefore, the anticholestatic effects of α‐asarone and MPPA, described herein by the first time, may be due to its ability to preserve ATPase activity. This enzyme is negatively regulated by membrane cholesterol, thus the hypolipidemic effects of the compounds tested may be responsible for Na+/K+‐ATPase activity and bile flow maintenance.
Anandamide: an update
Authors: Smita K. , Sushil Kumar V. , Premendran J.S.
Published: December 2006

Endocannabinoid system has attracted the researchers to investigate into its ever fascinating roles governing many of the physiological functions in the human body. The prime endogenous cannabinoids are arachidonoylethanolamide also called anandamide and 2‐arachidonoylglycerol. Recent pharmacological advances point out that this system of molecules are in initial stages and by updating our current knowledge, we could innovatively design molecules for suitable interventions that could be potentially beneficial to the mankind.
Preclinical and clinical pharmacology of alcohol dependence
Authors: Tambour Sophie , Quertemont Etienne
Published: December 2006

In recent years, advances in neuroscience led to the development of new medications to treat alcohol dependence and especially to prevent alcohol relapse after detoxification. Whereas the earliest medications against alcohol dependence were fortuitously discovered, recently developed drugs are increasingly based on alcohol's neurobiological mechanisms of action. This review discusses the most recent developments in alcohol pharmacotherapy and emphasizes the neurobiological basis of anti‐alcohol medications. There are currently three approved drugs for the treatment of alcohol dependence with quite different mechanisms of action. Disulfiram is an inhibitor of the enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase and acts as an alcohol‐deterrent drug. Naltrexone, an opiate antagonist, reduces alcohol craving and relapse in heavy drinking, probably via a modulation of the mesolimbic dopamine activity. Finally, acamprosate helps maintaining alcohol abstinence, probably through a normalization of the chronic alcohol‐induced hyperglutamatergic state. In addition to these approved medications, many other drugs have been suggested for preventing alcohol consumption on the basis of preclinical studies. Some of these drugs remain promising, whereas others have produced disappointing results in preliminary clinical studies. These new drugs in the field of alcohol pharmacotherapy are also discussed, together with their mechanisms of action.
Telomerase activity coevolves with body mass not lifespan
Authors: Seluanov Andrei , Chen Zhuoxun , Hine Christopher , Sasahara Tais H. C. , Ribeiro Antonio A. C. M. , Catania Kenneth C. , Presgraves Daven C. , Gorbunova Vera
Published: December 2006

In multicellular organisms, telomerase is required to maintain telomere length in the germline but is dispensable in the soma. Mice, for example, express telomerase in somatic and germline tissues, while humans express telomerase almost exclusively in the germline. As a result, when telomeres of human somatic cells reach a critical length the cells enter irreversible growth arrest called replicative senescence. Replicative senescence is believed to be an anticancer mechanism that limits cell proliferation. The difference between mice and humans led to the hypothesis that repression of telomerase in somatic cells has evolved as a tumor‐suppressor adaptation in large, long‐lived organisms. We tested whether regulation of telomerase activity coevolves with lifespan and body mass using comparative analysis of 15 rodent species with highly diverse lifespans and body masses. Here we show that telomerase activity does not coevolve with lifespan but instead coevolves with body mass: larger rodents repress telomerase activity in somatic cells. These results suggest that large body mass presents a greater risk of cancer than long lifespan, and large animals evolve repression of telomerase activity to mitigate that risk.
Implications for management of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in adult‐to‐adult live donor liver transplantation
Authors: Chan Albert C Y , Lo Chung Mau , Ng Kelvin Kwok Chai , Chan See Ching , Fan Sheung Tat
Published: December 2006

Background: Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) infection is a serious opportunistic infection especially in live donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Hepatotoxicity of antituberculous agents and hazardous drug interaction with immunosuppressants may render the graft more susceptible to injury.

Aim of study: To review our experience of management of TB infection in liver transplant recipients including LDLT.

Patients and methods: A total of 397 liver transplantations were performed in the University of Hong Kong Medical Centre from January 1991 to December 2004. Eight patients (2.0%) developed TB infection after transplantation (LDLT: n=6, DDLT: n=2) and their clinical courses were reviewed.

Result: The mean time of developing TB infection after liver transplantation was 9 months (range 4–20 months). Anti‐TB treatment was administered for a mean duration of 12.7 months (11–18 months). None of our patients developed antituberculous drug‐induced hepatotoxicity or had unwanted drug interaction. With a mean follow‐up of 65 months (range 18–102 months), one patient died due to the recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Conclusion: High index of suspicion for TB infection should be warranted for a history of cough and fever after liver transplantation. No notable difference was observed in the natural history and management of TB infection between LDLT and DDLT. The use of antituberculous drugs is safe in liver transplant recipients provided that liver function is closely monitored and the dosage of immunosuppressants is adjusted accordingly.
Artificial liver support with the molecular adsorbent recirculating system: activation of coagulation and bleeding complications
Authors: Bachli Esther B. , Schuepbach Reto A. , Maggiorini Marco , Stocker Reto , Müllhaupt Beat , Renner Eberhard L.
Published: December 2006

Background: Numerous, mostly uncontrolled, observations suggest that artificial liver support with the Molecular Adsorbent Recirculating System (MARS) improves pathophysiologic sequelae and outcome of acute and acute‐on‐chronic liver failure. MARS is felt to be safe, but extracorporeal circuits may activate coagulation.

Objective: To assess the frequency of and risk factors for activation of coagulation during MARS treatment.

Patients/Methods: Retrospective analysis of coagulopathy/bleeding complications observed during 83 consecutive MARS sessions in 21 patients (11 men; median age 46 years; median three sessions per patient; median duration of session 8 h).

Results: Nine clinically relevant episodes of coagulopathy/bleeding were observed in eight patients, forced to premature cessation of MARS in seven and ended lethal in four. Four complications occurred during the first, five during later (third to seventh) MARS sessions and two bleeders tolerated further sessions without complications. Coagulation parameters worsened significantly also during MARS sessions not associated with bleeding (P≤0.004). In univariate analysis, patient's age, vasopressor therapy, pretreatment INR, fibrin D–dimer and fibrinogen concentrations, but not severity of underlying disease (MELD, Child‐Pugh, SAPS II scores), were significantly associated with coagulopathy (P<0.05). Only patient's age, fibrin D‐dimer level and INR were retained in a multivariate model correctly classifying 98% of sessions without, but only 33% with complications.

Conclusion: Coagulation is frequently activated during MARS therapy, potentially leading to bleeding complications and mortality.
Incidence of needle tract seeding and responses of soft tissue metastasis by hepatocellular carcinoma postradiotherapy
Authors: Tung Wei‐Chih , Huang Yu‐Jie , Leung Stephen Wan , Kuo Fang‐Ying , Tung Hung‐Da , Wang Jing‐Houng , Hung Chao‐Hung , Lee Chuan‐Mo , Changchien Chi‐Sin , Yeh Shih‐An , Sun Li‐Min , Huang Eng‐Yen , Hsu Hsuan‐Chih , Wang Chong‐Jong , Lu Sheng‐Nan
Published: December 2006

Aim: To determine the incidence of needle tract seeding after fine needle aspiration (FNA) or percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) and compare iatrogenic or spontaneous soft tissue metastasis (STM) by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) postradiotherapy (RT) in responses.

Methods: From November 1997 to January 2006, those who presented with STM by HCC after our invasive procedures or developed spontaneously were enrolled into this retrospective study. Metastatic lesions could be divided into procedure related (PR), which were located at the liver span and were related to invasive procedures, and non‐procedure related (NPR), which were in extrahepatic areas. STM was treated with an electron or photon beam.

Results: A total of 39 HCC cases with developed STM were referred for RT, including 17 in the PR group and 22 in the NPR group. During the same period, a total of 18 227 person‐times of FNA or PEI were performed on these HCC patients. The overall incidence of HCC with STM that was caused by invasive procedures was estimated at 0.13%. According to the Cox' regression model, the initial treatment modality influences the time duration after the initial diagnosis of HCC when STM has not occurred. None of these patients' soft tissue tumor increased in size during RT. The PR group had lower rates of bone metastasis (P=0.003) and coexisting extrahepatic metastasis (P=0.011) and a longer survival rate (P=0.003) than the NPR group. The estimated rates of 18‐gauge and 22‐gauge needle‐induced HCC‐related STM were 0.60% and 0.11%, respectively (P=0.064).

Conclusion: The PR group bears a better prognosis than the NPR group post‐RT.