bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Jamāl al-Dīn al-Qāsimī and the Salafi Approach to Sufism
Authors: Sirry Mun'im
Published: March 2011

This article problematizes the general assumption about the inherent anti-Sufi tendency of the Salafiyya by looking closely at the thought of the Syrian Salafi thinker Jamāl al-Dīn al-Qāsimī. The primary text analysed in this article is a brief chapter of Qāsimī's book Dalā'il al-tawhīd, entitled Butlān al-hulūl wa-l-ittihād (The Invalidity of Incarnation and Union). Here Qāsimī discusses the notions of hulūl (incarnation) and ittihād (union), and defends the idea of wahdat al-wujūd (unity of being) attributed to the shaykh akbar Ibn 'Arabī which led Qāsimī to stand up against the shaykh al-islām Ibn Taymiyya who accused Ibn 'Arabī of being a heretic. This article discusses Qāsimī's defense of Ibn 'Arabī within a broader context of the Salafi approach to Sufism. In this context, the case of Qāsimī presents us with an insight that the Salafis took a more nuanced position than is sometimes supposed. We will conclude with a brief reflection on how we could situate Qāsimī's view of Ibn 'Arabī within the ongoing debate about the relationship between the Salafiyya and Sufism in more recent scholarship.
The Noetic Turn in Jewish Thought
Authors: Giulea Dragoş A.
Published: March 2011

The noetic turn—perhaps the most important development in Jewish theological discourse after that from prophetic literature to apocalypticism—denotes the translation of the biblical and particularly apocalyptic ontological and epistemological categories, generally conceived according to the norms and categories of everyday knowledge, into noetic categories. God, his throne, light, angels and heavens are re-conceived from a noetic perspective. Noetic perception takes the place of direct vision, hearing and dreams in apprehending the heavenly mysteries of the apocalyptic literature. The noetic turn introduces new ontological layers and degrees in heaven, new doctrines regarding the levels of divine concealment and manifestation and new theories about human epistemic capacities. This turn exerts a momentous influence on philosophically educated authors of Jewish and Christian cultures, on such classics as Philo, Clement, Origen, Halevi, Maimonides and Gersonides and many other thinkers of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages.
The Reading & Interpretation of Matthew 18:21-22 in Relation to Multiple Reconciliations: The Zimbabwean Experience
Authors: Machingura Francis
Published: March 2011

The mention of the terms ‘healing, truth and reconciliation’, conjure up different meanings across religio-political, social and economical divide in Zimbabwe. This paper seeks to explore the possible implications of the reading of Matthew 18:21-22 in relation to reconciliation in the face of continual and structural violence in Zimbabwe. This rose as a result of the multiple reconciliation undertakings that have been witnessed by the Zimbabweans since the attainment of Independence in 1980. These healing whistles have been sounded in 1980, 1987 and recently 2008 after the brutal violence that took place in different shapes and depth. Most of the victims belonged to both political parties but mostly opposition parties save the violence before Independence as shall be shown in this paper. What is interesting is that, the recent 24-26 July 2009 healing calls by Mugabe are no longer a new phenomenon in Zimbabwe, as they do not produce any positive change on people’s behaviour and attitude; when it comes to how Zimbabwean people should relate and integrate each other without resorting to violence in the face of different political views. Surprisingly the calls for peace, unity, reconciliation, integration and forgiveness have left the Zimbabwean society more: wounded, divided and polarised than healed; and more disintegrated than integrated. How does one reconcile with someone who murdered your father, raped your mother or sister in your face; and that person is not made accountable for his actions but is only asked to apologize? This paper seeks to argue that healing or any reconciliation without the seeking of truth and justice is a goose chasing as it still leaves Zimbabwe a ‘violence infested’ country. I also take issue with Religious Leaders who quote Matthew 18:21-22; as a precursor for unconditional forgiveness on the part of the victim when it comes to reconciliation and healing in Zimbabwe.
When Consent Doesn't Work: A Rights-Based Case for Limits to Consent's Capacity to Legitimise
Authors: Hyams Keith
Published: March 2011

Consent's capacity to legitimise actions and claims is limited by conditions such as coercion, which render consent ineffective. A better understanding of the limits to consent's capacity to legitimise can shed light on a variety of applied debates, in political philosophy, bioethics, economics and law. I show that traditional paternalist explanations for limits to consent's capacity to legitimise cannot explain the central intuition that consent is often rendered ineffective when brought about by a rights violation or threatened rights violation. I argue that this intuition is an expression of the same principles of corrective justice that underlie norms of compensation and rectification. I show how these principles can explain and clarify core intuitions about conditions which render consent ineffective, including those concerned with the consenting agent's option set, his mental competence, and available information.
Kazakhstan as the OSCE Chairman-in-Office 2010: success or failure for the organization?
Authors: van Lohuizen Matthias
Published: March 2011

The decision to grant Kazakhstan the chairmanship of the OSCE during 2010 has been a disputed one. The reason why this appointment has been contested was that the country was considered not to live up to the OSCE standards in the field of human rights and fundamental freedoms, while it should be the very CiO that should actively defend and preferably further these standards. This article now will reflect on the question if Kazakhstan as the OSCE CiO 2010 has de facto strengthened or weakened the organization. Subsequently, the article will among others concentrate on how Kazakhstan ensured the CiO position, up to what level it upheld pledges made in the field of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the eve of being entrusted the chairmanship, as well as on the first OSCE Summit in eleven years, organized by Kazakhstan.
Editor's column: The introduction of a new type of subscription to Entomologica scandinavica
Authors: Cederholm Lennart
Published: March 2011

Readers of scientific journals in taxonomy normally find relatively few pages in each issue dealing with their particular field of interest. Anyone who wants to buy his own journals has to pay a high price for the pages he is really interested in. The economic burden, especially for the non-professional taxonomists thus could become unbearable with clearly unfavourable consequences for the economy of the journals. Ent. scand. therefore is offering an alternative subscription to the members, a subscription covering one or several of specified taxonomic fields. In connection herewith the annual number of pages is increased from 320 to 480.
The larvae of Tipula (Arctotipula) salicetorum Siebke, 1870 (Diptera: Tipulidae)
Authors: Hofsvang Trond
Published: March 2011

The larvae of Tipula (Arctotipula) salicetorum Siebke, 1870, is described. No differences in position of setae and numbers of protuberances were found between larvae of instars 2, 3 and 4. Arctotipula is the only European subgenus of Tipula with larvae not previously described.
The South African species of Neotabuda Kröber (Diptera: Therevidae)
Authors: Lyneborg Leif
Published: March 2011

Neotabuda Kröber (1931) is a widespread genus of therevids in southern Africa. Its possible monophyly is discussed, and a sister-group relationship with the Palaearctic genus Salentia A. Costa is motivated. Twenty species are recognized, only five of which were described previously. All species are keyed, described and figured. They are arranged in two species-groups, each with two subgroups, and the phylogenetic relationships of these are discussed. The fifteen new species are: incrassaia (Cape Prov.), latifrons (Cape Prov.), longestylata (Cape Prov.), lanigera (Cape Prov.), pilosa (Cape Prov.), subpilosa (Cape Prov.), turneri (Cape Prov.), multisetosa (Cape Prov.), longicornis (Cape Prov.), tomentosa (Namibia), major (Namibia), natalensis (Natal Prov.), diversicornis (Natal Prov.), truncata (Mozambique, Natal Prov.), and nigropilusa (Cape Prov.). The five previously described species are (in their original combination): Thereva anthracina Loew, 1858; Orthactia nigra Kröber, 1912; Pachygenia nitida Kröber, 1912; Actorthia capensis Kröber, 1931; and Neotabuda ater Kröber, 1931. Pachygenia Kröber, 1912 and Neotabuda Kröber, 1931 are placed in new synonymy, but Pachygenia Kröber cannot be used because of its preoccupation by Pachygenia Motschulsky (1874).
Taxonomy and ecology of European species of the Cloeon simile Eaton group (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae)
Authors: Sowa Ryszard
Published: March 2011

The nomenclatural analysis of Cloeon simile Eaton and C. praetextum Bengtsson stat.nov. and the discussion of morphological differences between these species for all development stages were carried out on the basis of material from Middle and Western Europe. A neotype of C. praetextum was designated from Bengtsson's original collection. The description of nymphs and imagines of C. schoenemundi Bengtsson and imago male of C. degrangei n.sp. are given on the basis of material from France. The taxonomic validity and systematic position of the species C. hovassei (Verrier), C. rabaudi (Verrier) and C. languidum Grandi are discussed. Remarks on the distribution and ecology of some of the more abundant species are included.
A new genus and five species of Protura from Alaska
Authors: Nosek Josef
Published: March 2011

Fjellbergiella tuxeni n.gen., n.sp. from Bushkana River E of Cantwell and Eosentomon aquilinum n.sp., E. copelandi n.sp., Yamatentomon greenhergi n.sp. and Nosekiella hoogstraali n.sp. from Mt. McKinley National Park in Alaska are described and figured.
Ooctonus dovrensis n.sp. from Norway (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae)
Authors: Sveum Per , Solem John
Published: March 2011

A new species of the genus Ooctonus Haliday, 1833, O. dovrensis n.sp. from Norway, is described and figured.
Taxonomic notes on Atheta kaiseriana Brundin (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), with lectotype designation
Authors: Baranowski Rickard
Published: March 2011

The sexual characters of Atheta kaiseriana Brd. are presented, including illustrations of tergite 8 and sternite 6 of both sexes, the male median lobe and paramere of aedeagus and the female ventral plate. The lectotype of Atheta kaiseriana is designated.
Connection between the Solar Cycle and the QBO: The Missing Link
Authors: Salby Murry , Callaghan Patrick
Published: March 2011

Evidence of the solar cycle in stratospheric polar temperature rests on a connection to the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) of equatorial wind. New evidence reported here establishes a mechanism for how the solar signature in polar temperature follows from the QBO, which itself is shown to vary with the solar cycle. Equatorial westerlies below 30 mb vary systematically with solar activity, as do equatorial easterlies above 30 mb. Changes in their duration introduce a systematic drift into the QBO's phase relative to winter months, when the polar vortex is sensitive to equatorial wind. Corresponding changes in the polar-night vortex are consistent with the solar signature observed in wintertime records of polar temperature that have been stratified according to the QBO.
A Further Study of the Tropical Western Hemisphere Warm Pool
Authors: Wang Chunzai , Enfield David B.
Published: March 2011

Variability of the tropical Western Hemisphere warm pool (WHWP) of water warmer than 28.5°C, which extends seasonally over parts of the eastern North Pacific, the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, and the western tropical North Atlantic (TNA), was previously studied by Wang and Enfield using the da Silva data from 1945–93. Using additional datasets of the NCEP–NCAR reanalysis field and the NCEP SST from 1950–99, and the Levitus climatological subsurface temperature, the present paper confirms and extends the previous study of Wang and Enfield. The WHWP alternates with northern South America as the seasonal heating source for the Walker and Hadley circulations in the Western Hemisphere. During the boreal winter a strong Hadley cell emanates northward from the Amazon heat source with subsidence over the subtropical North Atlantic north of 20°N, sustaining a strong North Atlantic anticyclone and associated northeast (NE) trade winds over its southern limb in the TNA. This circulation, including the NE trades, is weakened during Pacific El Niño winters and results in a spring warming of the TNA, which in turn induces the development of an unusually large summer warm pool and a wetter Caribbean rainy season. As the WHWP develops in the late boreal spring, the center of tropospheric heating and convection shifts to the WHWP region, whence the summer Hadley circulation emanates from the WHWP and forks into the subsidence regions of the subtropical South Atlantic and South Pacific. During the summers following El Niño, when the warm pool is larger than normal, the increased Hadley flow into the subtropical South Pacific reinforces the South Pacific anticyclone and trade winds, probably playing a role in the transition back to the cool phase of ENSO.

Seasonally, surface heat fluxes seem to be primarily responsible for warming of the WHWP. Interannually, all of the datasets suggest that a positive ocean–atmosphere feedback through longwave radiation and associated cloudiness seems to operate in the WHWP. During the winter preceding a large warm pool, there is a strong weakening of the Hadley cell that serves as a “tropospheric bridge” for transferring El Niño effects to the Atlantic sector and inducing warming of the warm pool. Associated with the warm SST anomalies is a decrease in sea level pressure anomalies and an anomalous increase in atmospheric convection and cloudiness. The increase in convective activity and cloudiness results in less longwave radiation loss from the sea surface, which then reinforces SST anomalies. This data-inferred hypothesis of the longwave radiation feedback process needs to be further investigated for its validation in the WHWP.
Comparing Oceanic Heat Uptake in AOGCM Transient Climate Change Experiments
Authors: Sokolov Andrei P. , Forest Chris E. , Stone Peter H.
Published: March 2011

The transient response of both surface air temperature and deep ocean temperature to an increasing external forcing strongly depends on climate sensitivity and the rate of the heat mixing into the deep ocean, estimates for both of which have large uncertainty. In this paper a method for estimating rates of oceanic heat uptake for coupled atmosphere–ocean general circulation models from results of transient climate change simulations is described. For models considered in this study, the estimates vary by a factor of 2½. Nevertheless, values of oceanic heat uptake for all models fall in the range implied by the climate record for the last century. It is worth noting that the range of the model values is narrower than that consistent with observations and thus does not provide a full measure of the uncertainty in the rate of oceanic heat uptake.
A Global Database of Land Surface Parameters at 1-km Resolution in Meteorological and Climate Models
Authors: Masson Valéry , Champeaux Jean-Louis , Chauvin Fabrice , Meriguet Christelle , Lacaze Roselyne
Published: March 2011

Ecoclimap, a new complete surface parameter global dataset at a 1-km resolution, is presented. It is intended to be used to initialize the soil–vegetation–atmosphere transfer schemes (SVATs) in meteorological and climate models (at all horizontal scales). The database supports the “tile” approach, which is utilized by an increasing number of SVATs. Two hundred and fifteen ecosystems representing areas of homogeneous vegetation are derived by combining existing land cover maps and climate maps, in addition to using Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) satellite data. Then, all surface parameters are derived for each of these ecosystems using lookup tables with the annual cycle of the leaf area index (LAI) being constrained by the AVHRR information. The resulting LAI is validated against a large amount of in situ ground observations, and it is also compared to LAI derived from the International Satellite Land Surface Climatology Project (ISLSCP-2) database and the Polarization and Directionality of the Earth's Reflectance (POLDER) satellite. The comparison shows that this new LAI both reproduces values coherent at large scales with other datasets, and includes the high spatial variations owing to the input land cover data at a 1-km resolution. In terms of climate modeling studies, the use of this new database is shown to improve the surface climatology of the ARPEGE climate model.
Design and Analysis of Climate Model Experiments for the Efficient Estimation of Anthropogenic Signals
Authors: Sexton David M. H. , Grubb Howard , Shine Keith P. , Folland Chris K.
Published: March 2011

Presented herein is an experimental design that allows the effects of several radiative forcing factors on climate to be estimated as precisely as possible from a limited suite of atmosphere-only general circulation model (GCM) integrations. The forcings include the combined effect of observed changes in sea surface temperatures, sea ice extent, stratospheric (volcanic) aerosols, and solar output, plus the individual effects of several anthropogenic forcings. A single linear statistical model is used to estimate the forcing effects, each of which is represented by its global mean radiative forcing. The strong colinearity in time between the various anthropogenic forcings provides a technical problem that is overcome through the design of the experiment. This design uses every combination of anthropogenic forcing rather than having a few highly replicated ensembles, which is more commonly used in climate studies. Not only is this design highly efficient for a given number of integrations, but it also allows the estimation of (nonadditive) interactions between pairs of anthropogenic forcings.

The simulated land surface air temperature changes since 1871 have been analyzed. The changes in natural and oceanic forcing, which itself contains some forcing from anthropogenic and natural influences, have the most influence. For the global mean, increasing greenhouse gases and the indirect aerosol effect had the largest anthropogenic effects. It was also found that an interaction between these two anthropogenic effects in the atmosphere-only GCM exists. This interaction is similar in magnitude to the individual effects of changing tropospheric and stratospheric ozone concentrations or to the direct (sulfate) aerosol effect. Various diagnostics are used to evaluate the fit of the statistical model. For the global mean, this shows that the land temperature response is proportional to the global mean radiative forcing, reinforcing the use of radiative forcing as a measure of climate change. The diagnostic tests also show that the linear model was suitable for analyses of land surface air temperature at each GCM grid point. Therefore, the linear model provides precise estimates of the space–time signals for all forcing factors under consideration. For simulated 50-hPa temperatures, results show that tropospheric ozone increases have contributed to stratospheric cooling over the twentieth century almost as much as changes in well-mixed greenhouse gases.
Ocean Radiant Heating in Climate Models
Authors: Ohlmann J. Carter
Published: March 2011

A computationally simple, double exponential, chlorophyll-dependent solar transmission parameterization for ocean general circulation models used in climate studies is presented. The transmission parameterization comes from empirical fits to a set of in-water solar flux profiles calculated with an atmosphere–ocean radiative transfer model system, run with chlorophyll concentration values over the range observed in oligotrophic, open ocean waters. Transmission parameters are available from a lookup table, or can be written as logarithmic and square root functions of chlorophyll concentration, available globally from remotely sensed ocean color data. The rms and maximum errors introduced by curve fitting are less than 3 × 10−3 and 1.5 × 10−2, respectively. Error associated with neglect of second-order cloud and solar zenith angle influences is mostly a few percent. An extension to account for second-order processes in cases where they are large (>10%) is given. The double exponential form enables solar transmission to be resolved at depths beyond 2 m. Only the first exponential term need be considered to accurately determine transmission at depths greater than 8 m. The transmission parameterization is validated with in situ optical and biological data collected in the eastern equatorial Pacific during the Eastern Pacific Investigation of Climate Processes in the Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere System (EPIC) field program, and in the western equatorial Pacific during the Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Response Experiment (TOGA COARE). The rms (maximum) errors between parameterized transmission and the mean transmission profile computed from in situ values are 0.5 (1.5) and 1.9 (6.6) W m−2, for the eastern and western equatorial Pacific regions, respectively. For comparison, rms (maximum) errors between transmission from a commonly used Jerlov water type–based parameterization and mean measured values are 7.3 (26.7) and 5.0 (8.8) W m−2 for the eastern and western Pacific, respectively (both cases assume a climatological surface flux of 200 W m−2). Proper use of the solar transmission parameterization should increase the accuracy of modeled SST and upper ocean stratification. The parameterization allows ocean radiant heating in climate models to be discussed in terms of chlorophyll concentration, the physical parameter on which solar transmission most heavily depends.
Daily Precipitation Statistics for South America: An Intercomparison between NCEP Reanalyses and Observations
Authors: Silva Viviane B. S. , Kousky Vernon E. , Higgins R. Wayne
Published: March 2011

In this study, the authors document the extent to which the precipitation statistics of the new CFS reanalysis (CFSR) represent an improvement over the earlier reanalyses: the NCEP–NCAR reanalysis (R1) and the NCEP–DOE Second Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP-II) reanalysis (R2). An intercomparison between the CFSR, R1, R2, and observations over South America was made for the period 1979–2006. The CFSR shows notable improvements in the large-scale precipitation patterns compared with the previous reanalyses (R1 and R2). In spite of these improvements, the CFSR has substantial biases in intensity and frequency of occurrence of rainfall events. Over west-central Brazil, the core region of the South American monsoon system (SAMS), the CFSR displays a dry bias during the onset phase of the SAMS wet season and a wet bias during the peak and decay phases of the SAMS wet season. The CFSR also displays a dry bias along the South American coast near the mouth of the Amazon and along the east coast of northeastern Brazil. A wet bias exists in all seasons over southeast Brazil and over the Andes Mountains.
Modeling and simulation of distributed computing workflows in heterogeneous network environments
Authors: Wu Qishi , Gu Yi
Published: March 2011

Next-generation computation- and network-intensive collaborative applications in various science, engineering, and e-commerce fields feature large-scale computing workflows of complex structures. Efficient algorithms are needed for task scheduling, module deployment, and service provisioning to support the execution of such distributed workflows in heterogeneous network environments and optimize their end-to-end performance for fast system response or smooth data flow. However, deploying large-scale distributed applications in real network environments is extremely challenging due to the inherent dynamics in the reliability, availability, accessibility, and capacity of massively distributed system resources, which are typically shared among a broad community of users over the Internet or dedicated connections. We propose a simulation system to study the execution dynamics of distributed computing workflows and evaluate the network performance of workflow scheduling or mapping algorithms before actual deployment and experimentation. The proposed simulation system visually illustrates the dynamic execution process of workflows in network environments by simulating module execution on computer nodes and data transfer over network links in a completely distributed and parallel manner. Furthermore, the simulation system takes background traffic and workload into consideration to achieve a high level of simulation accuracy for distributed applications deployed in shared production network environments. We implement the simulation system using multi-threaded programming and conduct extensive testings on various mapping schemes using a large number of simulated workflows and networks. The simulation-based performance measurements are quantitatively confirmed by both the experimental observations collected in real networks and the theoretical results obtained by rigorous performance analysis based on well-defined mathematical models.
The Relationships Between Human Capital, Implicit Views of Intelligence, and Literacy Performance
Authors: Williams Rihana S. , Ari Omer , Dortch Cedrick
Published: March 2011

African American adolescents from families with low levels of human capital (i.e., caregiver level of education) are at risk for poor early adult outcomes. The current study examined the relationships among 48 African American high school students’ literacy performance (e.g., reading and vocabulary), their implicit views of intelligence, their caregivers’ implicit views of intelligence, and their caregivers’ level of education. Results indicated positive correlations between literacy performance and students’ implicit views of intelligence only for those students whose caregivers were not college educated. Implications for investments in human capital in the current political era are discussed.
Residents’ Attitudes toward Existing and Future Tourism Development in Rural Communities
Authors: Látková Pavlína , Vogt Christine A.
Published: March 2011

Building on the model by Perdue, Long, and Allen, this study examined residents’ attitudes toward existing and future tourism development in several rural areas at different stages of tourism and economic development. Social exchange theory and destination life cycle model were used to examine the impacts of tourism development on residents’ attitudes when considered in conjunction with a community’s total economic activity. New social predictors and endogenous factors were tested in the model. Overall, residents of three distinct rural county-level areas were supportive of tourism development, and little evidence was found that suggests that attitudes toward tourism become negative with higher levels of tourism. After considering the level of tourism development in conjunction with the total economic activity, residents of the three county-level areas showed some signs of destination life cycle influencing their own relationship with tourism.
Modeling the Onset and Offset of Dental Pain Relief by Ibuprofen
Authors: Li Hanbin , Mandema Jaap , Wada Russell , Jayawardena Shyamalie , Desjardins Paul , Doyle Geraldine , Kellstein David
Published: March 2011

Onset and offset of dental pain relief by ibuprofen following third molar extraction were modeled in a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, parallel‐group, 8‐hour study of patients receiving either a novel effervescent ibuprofen tablet (400 mg; N = 30), standard ibuprofen tablets (Nurofen® 2 × 200 mg; N = 22), or placebo (N = 37). An Emax model was fit to pain relief scores. Linear hazard models were used to analyze the time to first perceptible relief (TFPR), the time to meaningful pain relief (TMPR), and time to remedication (REMD). Nomograms were created to correlate TFPR, TMPR, and REMD with different ibuprofen pharmacokinetic profiles. Effervescent ibuprofen was absorbed rapidly with 95% completion within 15 minutes. Maximum pain relief score by ibuprofen was 1.8 units greater than placebo, with an EC50 (effect‐site) for ibuprofen concentration of 10.2 μg·mL−1. The likelihood to achieve TFPR and TMPR was doubled for every 10 μg·mL−1 increase in ibuprofen plasma concentration. REMD risk decreased 40‐fold as the categorical pain relief score increased from 0 to 3. Rapid absorption of ibuprofen effervescent resulted in an earlier TFPR and TMPR, and a lower REMD rate than standard ibuprofen. The nomograms may be useful in predicting the onset and offset of new faster acting ibuprofen formulations, based on pharmacokinetic profiles.
Lack of Association of OPRM1 and ABCB1 Single‐Nucleotide Polymorphisms to Oxycodone Response in Postoperative Pain
Authors: Zwisler Stine T. , Enggaard Thomas P. , Mikkelsen Soeren , Verstuyft Céline , Becquemont Laurent , Sindrup Soeren H. , Brosen Kim
Published: March 2011

Purpose: The aim of the study was to search for an association between the single‐nucleotide polymorphisms A118G in OPRM1 and C3435T and G2677T/A in ABCB1 and the analgesic effect of intravenous oxycodone in postoperative pain. Methods: There were 268 patients with postoperative pain after, primarily, thyroidectomy. At given times during the first 24 hours postoperatively, their pain was rated at rest and during activity according to a numeric rating scale (0 = no pain, 10 = worst possible pain) and calculated as pain time area under the curve0–24 hours. A negative answer in a final questionnaire and/or the use of rescue medication categorized a patient as a nonresponder. Results: For OPRM1, there was no difference found between the wild type and the variant allele in the percentages of nonresponders (118AA = 16.4% vs 118AG/118GG = 17.0%, P = 1.0) or in the pain ratings. For ABCB1, no difference was found between the wild type and the variant alleles for single‐nucleotide polymorphism tested as percentages of nonresponders (3435CC = 17.5% vs 3435CT/3435TT = 15.8%, P = .85; 2677GG = 17.8% vs 2677GT/2677TT = 15.8%, P = .74) or pain ratings. Conclusion: No association was found between the tested single‐nucleotide polymorphisms in OPRM1 and ABCB1 and changes in the analgesic effect of oxycodone.
Self-Ambivalence and Resistance to Subtle Self-Change Attempts
Authors: DeMarree Kenneth G. , Morrison Kimberly Rios , Wheeler S. Christian , Petty Richard E.
Published: March 2011

Recent research has demonstrated the malleability of self-views to subtle situational influence but has not uncovered features of the self-concept representation that make it susceptible to such change. Using research on attitude ambivalence as a foundation, the current article predicted that the self would be most likely to respond to a subtle change induction when the targeted self-beliefs were objectively ambivalent (e.g., possessed both positive and negative features). Using self-esteem conditioning (Experiment 1) and outgroup stereotype priming (Experiment 2), it was found that people were more susceptible to subtle change inductions as objective self-ambivalence increased. Notably, the consistency between dominant self-views (positive or negative) and the change induction did not influence these results. These effects held for objective ambivalence, but not subjective ambivalence, and only when the objective ambivalence measure was relevant to the change induction. Mechanisms of the observed moderation and the implications of self-ambivalence for understanding self-change are discussed.
Hypersensitivity Reaction to Parenteral Nutrition in an Intrauterine Growth‐Restricted Newborn
Authors: Babakissa Corentin , Lemire Chantal , Beaulieu Genevieve , Ferretti Emanuela
Published: March 2011

Hypersensitivity reaction to parenteral nutrition (PN) in infants is a rare condition, especially in the neonatal period. The authors report the case of a neonate with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) who presented symptoms of anaphylaxis while receiving standard PN. Given the very common practice of neonatal PN use, especially in newborns with IUGR, clinicians should be alerted about possible acute reactions to this useful therapy.
The redemption of experience: On Walter Benjamin’s ‘hermeneutical materialism’
Authors: Loveluck Benjamin
Published: March 2011

The aim of this article is to show how philosopher and critic Walter Benjamin related to the hermeneutical tradition — and tried to move beyond it by ‘redeeming’ human experience, while avoiding the pitfalls of the philosophy of ‘authenticity’. Though convinced that questions relating to historicity were central to any understanding of modern human experience, Benjamin explicitly rejected the Heideggerian alternative, and chose a path closer to Hans-Georg Gadamer’s. He attempted to combine theological interpretation with dialectical materialism, always grounding hermeneutics in the concrete manifestations of social life, inaugurating a method which I suggest could be called ‘hermeneutical materialism’. At stake was a politically motivated defence of the ‘mimetic faculty’ — understood as (re)interpretation — in the modern, technologically organized world.
Marx’s sketch of communist society in The German Ideology and the problems of occupational confinement and occupational identity
Authors: Furner James
Published: March 2011

The sketch of communist society in The German Ideology is often dismissed for lacking seriousness or coherence. Thorough philological, contextual and philosophical inquiry reveals otherwise. The final version of the sketch enjoys a systematic place within Marx’s thought, as a description of activity in developed communism, and advances a provocative thesis of the negation of vocation. This thesis is composed of two distinct claims: occupational confinement is abolished, and occupational identities disappear. These claims recommend communist society on grounds of autonomy and recognition.
Supported community exercise in people with long-term neurological conditions: a phase II randomized controlled trial
Authors: Elsworth Charlotte , Winward Charlotte , Sackley Cath , Meek Charmaine , Freebody Jane , Esser Patrick , Izadi Hooshang , Soundy Andy , Barker Karen , Hilton-Jones David , Lowe Catherine Minns , Paget Sandra , Tims Martin , Parnell Richard , Patel Smitaa , Wade Derick , Dawes Helen
Published: March 2011

Objective: Adults with long-term neurological conditions have low levels of participation in physical activities and report many barriers to participation in exercise. This study examines the feasibility and safety of supporting community exercise for people with long-term neurological conditions using a physical activity support system.

Design: A phase II randomized controlled trial using computer-generated block randomization, allocation concealment and single blind outcome assessment.

Setting: Oxfordshire and Birmingham community Inclusive Fitness Initiative gyms.

Subjects: Patients with a long-term neurological condition.

Interventions: The intervention group (n = 51) received a 12-week, supported exercise programme. The control group (n = 48) participants received standard care for 12 weeks and were then offered the intervention.

Main measures: Physical activity, adherence to exercise, measures of mobility, health and well-being.

Results: Forty-eight patients (n = 51) completed the intervention, achieving 14 gym attendances (range 0–39) over the 12 weeks. Overall activity did not increase as measured by the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (change score mean 14.31; 95% confidence interval (CI) −8.27 to 36.89) and there were no statistically significant changes in body function and health and well-being measures.

Conclusions: People with long-term neurological conditions can safely exercise in community gyms when supported and achieve similar attendance to standard exercise referral schemes, but may reduce other life activities in order to participate at a gym.
Benefits of starting rehabilitation within 24 hours of primary total knee arthroplasty: randomized clinical trial
Authors: Labraca Nuria Sánchez , Castro-Sánchez Adelaida Maria , Matarán-Peñarrocha Guillermo A , Arroyo-Morales Manuel , Sánchez-Joya María del Mar , Moreno-Lorenzo Carmen
Published: March 2011

Objective: To compare the benefits of initiating rehabilitation treatment within 24 hours versus 48–72 hours after total knee arthroplasty for osteoarthritis.

Design: Experimental study with clinical trial design.

Subjects: Patients undergoing primary total knee arthroplasty for osteoarthritis were randomly assigned to experimental (n = 153) and control (n = 153) groups.

Interventions: Rehabilitation was started within 24 hours post surgery in the experimental group and between 48 hours and 72 hours post surgery in the controls.

Main measures: Measurement variables included joint range of motion, muscle strength, pain, autonomy, gait and balance.

Results: In comparison with the controls, the experimental group showed significantly shorter hospital stay (by (mean ± standard deviation) 2.09 ± 1.45 days; P < 0.001), fewer rehabilitation sessions until medical discharge (by 4.95 ± 2.34; P < 0.001), lesser pain (by 2.36 ± 2.47 points; P < 0.027), greater joint range of motion in flexion (by 16.29 ± 11.39 degrees; P < 0.012) and extension (by 2.12 ± 3.19; P < 0.035), improved strength in quadriceps (by 0.98 ± 0.54; P < 0.042) and hamstring muscles (by 1.05 ± 0.72; P < 0.041), and higher scores for gait (P < 0.047) and balance (P < 0.045).

Conclusion: Initiation of rehabilitation within 24 hours after total knee arthroplasty reduces the mean hospital stay and number of sessions required to achieve autonomy and normal gait and balance.
Potential of Snoezelen room multisensory stimulation to improve balance in individuals with dementia: a feasibility randomized controlled trial
Authors: Klages Kelsey , Zecevic Aleksandra , Orange Joseph B , Hobson Sandra
Published: March 2011

Objective: To investigate the influence of multisensory stimulations in a Snoezelen room on the balance of individuals with dementia.

Design: Randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Canadian long-term care home.

Participants: Twenty-four residents (average age 86 years), in a long-term care home diagnosed with dementia, were assigned randomly to intervention and control groups. Nineteen participants completed the study.

Interventions: Nine intervention group participants completed 30-minute Snoezelen room sessions twice a week for six weeks. Sessions were guided by participants’ preferences for stimulation. Interactions with tactile, visual and proprioceptive sensations were encouraged. Ten control group participants received an equal amount of volunteer visits.

Main outcome measures: The Functional Reach Test, the eyes-open Sharpened Romberg and the Timed Up and Go Test with and without dual task, assessed static and dynamic balance at baseline and after the intervention. Falls frequencies were recorded six weeks before, during and after intervention. A journal was kept of observations in Snoezelen room.

Results: Split-plot MANOVA analyses revealed no significant effects of unstructured Snoezelen room sessions on participants’ balance. There were no multivariate effects of time (F(4,14) = 1.13, P = 0.38) or group (F(4,14) = 0.63, P = 0.65). Group membership did not alter falls frequency. However, observations of participants’ interactions with elements of the Snoezelen room, such as imagery-induced head and eye movements, vibrating sensations and kicking activities, captured events that can be used to create specific multisensory balance-enhancing stimulations.

Conclusions: Although the null hypothesis was not rejected, further investigation of a potential to influence balance in individuals with dementia through Snoezelen room intervention in long-term care homes is warranted.
Social services homecare for people with motor neurone disease/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Why are such services used or refused?
Authors: O’Brien Mary R , Whitehead Bridget , Murphy Philip N , Mitchell J Douglas , Jack Barbara A
Published: March 2011

Many patients with the terminal condition motor neurone disease/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (MND/ALS) do not access social service homecare, which may have implications for the location of end-of-life care. We aimed to identify factors related to uptake of such care in MND/ALS. A case note review of patients at a UK MND/ALS clinic ( N = 97) provided data concerning disease onset and severity, demographic variables and care received. Narrative interviews with people with MND/ALS ( N = 24) and family carers ( N = 18) explored their perspectives on social services homecare.

Quantitative analyses highlighted the role of increasing disease severity and age for social services homecare uptake. However, qualitative findings revealed a number of barriers delaying the uptake of such care. ‘Internal’ issues focused on retaining control and normality within the home. ‘External’ issues arose from limited understanding of the disease amongst service providers and lack of awareness of service entitlement amongst patients and carers. Multiple factors are implicated in the uptake of social services homecare. Uncertainties surrounding service entitlement must be addressed, including the simplification of bureaucratic procedures and clarification of the roles of health and social care professionals. Service providers need a greater awareness of the nature of the disease and their role in its management.
Clinical and Pathologic Responses of American Crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) and Fish Crows (C ossifragus) to Experimental West Nile Virus Infection
Authors: Nemeth N. M. , Thomsen B. V. , Spraker T. R. , Benson J. M. , Bosco-Lauth A. M. , Oesterle P. T. , Bright J. M. , Muth J. P. , Campbell T. W. , Gidlewski T. L. , Bowen R. A.
Published: March 2011

West Nile virus (WNV)-associated disease has a range of clinical manifestations among avian taxa, the reasons for which are not known. Species susceptibility varies within the avian family Corvidae, with estimated mortality rates ranging from 50 to 100%. We examined and compared virologic, immunologic, pathologic, and clinical responses in 2 corvid species, the American crow ( Corvus brachyrhynchos) and the fish crow ( C ossifragus), following experimental WNV inoculation. Unlike fish crows, which remained clinically normal throughout the study, American crows succumbed to WNV infection subsequent to dehydration, electrolyte and pH imbalances, and delayed or depressed humoral immune responses concurrent with marked, widespread virus replication. Viral titers were approximately 3,000 times greater in blood and 30,000 to 50,000 times greater in other tissues (eg, pancreas and small intestine) in American crows versus fish crows. Histologic lesion patterns and antigen deposition supported the differing clinical outcomes, with greater severity and distribution of lesions and WNV antigen in American crows. Both crow species had multiorgan necrosis and inflammation, although lesions were more frequent, severe, and widespread in American crows, in which the most commonly affected tissues were small intestine, spleen, and liver. American crows also had inflammation of vessels and nerves in multiple tissues, including heart, kidney, and the gastrointestinal tract. WNV antigen was most commonly observed within monocytes, macrophages, and other cells of the reticuloendothelial system of affected tissues. Collectively, the data support that WNV-infected American crows experience uncontrolled systemic infection leading to multiorgan failure and rapid death.
Amyloid Deposition in 2 Feline Thymomas
Authors: Burrough E. R. , Myers R. K. , Hostetter S. J. , Fox L. E. , Bayer B. J. , Felz C. L. , Waller K. R. , Whitley E. M.
Published: March 2011

Two cases of feline thymoma with amyloid deposition were encountered between 1982 and 2010. Neoplastic cells were separated by abundant, pale eosinophilic, homogeneous material that was congophilic and birefringent. Ultrastructurally, the neoplastic cells were connected by desmosomes, and the extracellular deposits were composed of nonbranching, hollow-cored fibrils, 8–10 nm in diameter. In the case with sufficient archived tissue for additional sections, the amyloid remained congophilic following potassium permanganate incubation, and the neoplastic cells were immunoreactive for pancytokeratin. The histologic, histochemical, ultrastructural, and immunohistochemical features of both neoplasms are consistent with epithelial-predominant thymoma with the unusual feature of intratumoral amyloid deposition. The affinity of the amyloid for Congo red following potassium permanganate incubation is consistent with non-AA amyloid. The ultrastructural findings were consistent with amyloid production by the neoplastic epithelial cells.
Tumor-Specific Diagnostic Marker for Transmissible Facial Tumors of Tasmanian Devils
Authors: Tovar C. , Obendorf D. , Murchison E. P. , Papenfuss A. T. , Kreiss A. , Woods G. M.
Published: March 2011

Devil facial tumor disease (DFTD) is a transmissible neoplasm that is threatening the survival of the Tasmanian devil. Genetic analyses have indicated that the disease is a peripheral nerve sheath neoplasm of Schwann cell origin. DFTD cells express genes characteristic of myelinating Schwann cells, and periaxin, a Schwann cell protein, has been proposed as a marker for the disease. Diagnosis of DFTD is currently based on histopathology, cytogenetics, and clinical appearance of the disease in affected animals. As devils are susceptible to a variety of neoplastic processes, a specific diagnostic test is required to differentiate DFTD from cancers of similar morphological appearance. This study presents a thorough examination of the expression of a set of Schwann cell and other neural crest markers in DFTD tumors and normal devil tissues. Samples from 20 primary DFTD tumors and 10 DFTD metastases were evaluated by immunohistochemistry for the expression of periaxin, S100 protein, peripheral myelin protein 22, nerve growth factor receptor, nestin, neuron specific enolase, chromogranin A, and myelin basic protein. Of these, periaxin was confirmed as the most sensitive and specific marker, labeling the majority of DFTD cells in 100% of primary DFTD tumors and DFTD metastases. In normal tissues, periaxin showed specificity for Schwann cells in peripheral nerve bundles. This marker was then evaluated in cultured devil Schwann cells, DFTD cell lines, and xenografted DFTD tumors. Periaxin expression was maintained in all these models, validating its utility as a diagnostic marker for the disease.