bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
French Identity: The National Search for Retrospective Legitimacy and Unanimity
Authors: Hayward Jack
Published: May 2007

The French sense of national identity derives from legitimizing myths and symbols rather than from the divergent realities that operate within shifting territorial frameworks of reference. National heroes are commemorated in the Pantheon, statues, and state funerals while the people are personified in the secular figure of Marianne as against the Right's Joan of Arc. Roman Catholicism's link with the Monarchy historically linked claims to religious universality and national specificity. Conscription and literacy in French language reinforced national-building.
Tensions and Trajectories: The Constituents of French Exceptionalism
Authors: Hayward Jack
Published: May 2007

Rival French conceptions of political representation with electable citizens limited to property owners, were implemented in a context of political destabilization and class conflicts. Roman Catholicism and Gallic secularism engaged in hostilities and the Left/Right dichotomy became established. Administrative centralization was embodied in the Prefect, while national assimilation was forcefully pressed. Attempts at alliance with Britain took the fitful form of the Entente Cordiale.
Enduring Conflicts and Elusive Consensus
Authors: Hayward Jack
Published: May 2007

The contrast between an urbanizing and industrializing society and an enduring peasant and artisan population is emphasized, while the business-political elite networks achieved maximum power by the late 19th century. The clerical-anti-clerical struggle for control of education results in the victory of secularism. Committed historians shaped the dominant political culture, although writers (Chateaubriand, Balzac, Stendhal, Lamartine, Baudelaire, Hugo) and artists (Delacroix, Daumier, Courbet) were influential.
A Liberal Democratic Republic Struggles to be Born, 1814–78
Authors: Hayward Jack
Published: May 2007

In the desperate search for uniformity, the French moved from regime instability to government instability. The July Monarchy, the Second Republic, and the Second Empire are successively discussed, with the Third Republic attaining relative regime stability but administrative instability was endemic. The press oscillated between long periods of repressive censorship and ephemeral orgies of uninhibited subversion.
The Economics of the European Patent System
Authors: Guellec Dominique , van Pottelsberghe de la Potterie Bruno
Published: May 2007

The patent system has been faced for more than ten years with an avalanche of patent filings, which puts into question its ability to fulfil its social mission of encouraging innovation and the diffusion of technology. This situation is due to the emergence of new technologies, the adoption of new and more aggressive IP strategies by the business sector, and progressive global harmonization of patent systems. This book aims at providing an analysis of patent systems in general, and the European patent system in particular. Through an emphasis on the historic, strategic, and legal context of patent systems the first part of the book shows how patents progressively have been designed as an incentive mechanism which allows their holder to charge a mark up over the marginal cost through restricted competition. Patents also involve the disclosure of inventions, and hence encourage the diffusion of knowledge. Over the past century patents have gradually become the currency of technology markets. The book demonstrates how the design of patent law and practice can benefit from economic analysis, regarding notably the patent subject matter (what should be patentable or not), the optimal inventive step, the scope of protection, and the duration. The second part of the book is devoted to the European patent system. Patenting procedures in Europe are complex, as national routes exist in parallel with the centralized procedure handled by the European Patent Office, triggering complex strategies by applicants in order to maximize their exclusive rights and reduce competition. The recent development of various filing strategies and their impact on the granting process are examined in the light of factual evidence. The recent explosion of the number and size of patent applications raises the issue of quality maintenance. The book puts forward issues to be addressed by patent policy in Europe: putting quality of patents first, making procedures stricter for applicants, reinforcing the integration of the system at the European level, and inscribing the economic mission of the system in the European Patent Convention so that the case law would integrate economic concerns.
Russell's Account of Classes
Authors: Potter Michael
Published: May 2007

Russell discovered his paradox while writing The Principles of Mathematics. When this book appeared in 1903, it contained a discussion of his paradox but no more than a sketch of a solution. He then began to work on a second volume, in which the formal development of mathematics from logic was to be presented. When it eventually appeared almost ten years later, this second volume had metamorphosed into a separate three-volume work called Principia Mathematica, which was intended to provide the complete logical derivation promised in the Principles of the foundations, not just of arithmetic, but of the whole of pure mathematics. The programme Russell was engaged in was thus in a sense a direct continuation of Frege's: his task was to repair the error in Frege's system and hence establish the logicist thesis.
Seneca's Defence
Authors: Sorabji Richard
Published: May 2007

Zeno of Citium, the Stoic founder, had tried out other definitions of emotion. One, defended by Chrysippus, was that emotion involves oscillating, like Medea, between accepting the right value judgement and disobeying it. But disobedience to reason is not the same as mistake. How can it be, and is it ever, combined with mistake? The Stoic Seneca (1st century CE) allows this by distinguishing three movements in anger. The first movement is the appearance that revenge is appropriate and the resulting shock to soul or body. The second is the mistaken assent to the appearance that revenge is appropriate. The third movement — the full emotion — moves from mistake to disobedience with the judgement that revenge is to be pursued, appropriate or not.
The Role Of Analytic Philosophy In Stoic Cognitive Therapy
Authors: Sorabji Richard
Published: May 2007

The Stoics invented cognitive therapy, in which: I attack my judgement that the situation is bad — e.g., by recalling that I am not the only one, or that things are only unexpected not bad, or by redescription of the situation. I attack my judgement that mourning or revenge is appropriate by reminding myself it makes me neglect the living, or that I have often behaved provocatively myself. But where, as Bernard Williams asked, does philosophical analysis come in? For example by showing that rethinking can remove emotion since it depends on judgement, by showing what two judgements are open to attack, and by telling us to avoid William James' phenomenon of judging, ‘I am crying, so I must have been maltreated’. The relevance of time, self, and the disutility of some emotion also needs to be considered. The Stoic connexion between philosophy and therapy is, rightly, seamless.
How the Ancient Exercises Work
Authors: Sorabji Richard
Published: May 2007

The ancients offered a huge range of therapeutic exercises. Some ward off future emotion, some deal with emotion that has already arisen from a past occurrence. Chrysippus' emphasis on re-evaluating situations is a therapy for emotions, whereas Posidonius' reversion to Plato would have helped with moods as well. Pythagoreans, Democritus, Epicureans, Cynics, Aristo of Ceos (Aristotelian), Plutarch, and Galen all make contributions. The poet Ovid parodies the philosophers' therapies. All this is echoed in Christianity, but the Stoics are outstanding, Epictetus the ex-slave sterner, Seneca the aristocrat more adapted to ordinary discomforts. In recent times, Epictetus enabled Admiral Stockdale to withstand torture and solitary confinement, and his account shows how even the sterner therapies could work in practice.
Puzzling over the Imagination: Philosophical Problems, Architectural Solutions
Authors: Weinberg Jonathan M. , Meskin Aaron
Published: May 2007

This chapter addresses three distinct philosophical issues concerning the imagination: the puzzle of emotions and fiction, imaginative resistance, and the distinction between imagination and supposition. Standard approaches to these issues, which restrict themselves to the resources of folk psychology and metaphysics, are shown to be inadequate. Instead, an alternative approach rooted in careful exploration of the cognitive architecture of the imagination is developed. This approach transforms the aforementioned puzzles about the imagination into explananda apt for a scientifically-informed explanation. The result is an account of the imagination which, in addition to explaining these three key imaginative phenomena, shows promise for solving other related issues such as the epistemic value of modal intuitions. Moreover, it is a vindication of a certain kind of naturalistic approach to philosophy, not just in the philosophy of mind but also in aesthetics and epistemology.
Introduction
Authors: Wolff Jonathan , De-Shalit Avner
Published: May 2007

Beginning with the story of Leah — an Israeli woman who suffers from lack of control over her life — this introductory chapter raises the key questions discussed in the book and discusses differences and similarities between the moral demands of priority to the least advantage, sufficiency, and equality. It is argued that redistributive policies which do not adequately reach the very worst off are likely to have destructive effects on many aspects of society, and that in practice, there is a consensus among egalitarians to search for priority to the least advantaged. In addition, the chapter locates the arguments of the book within the debate as to whether egalitarianism should focus on matters of distribution alone, or whether issues of social structure (often referred to as social equality) should instead be its focus. The rest of the chapter summarizes the book's argument and discusses the method of research.
Chapter 2 Functionings
Authors: Wolff Jonathan , De-Shalit Avner
Published: May 2007

This chapter deepens the discussion of the nature of disadvantage by asking: what categories of functionings exhaust those necessary to construct a full philosophical theory of disadvantage? Beginning with a list offered by Martha Nussbaum, and Sen's capability approach, the concepts of capability and functionings are further analysed, using the method of ‘dynamic public reflective equilibrium’. This involves a dialogue between the philosopher and the public, in this case a series of interviews with disadvantaged people and with professionals who take care of disadvantaged people in a variety of fields. The result is that while basically Nussbaum's list is shown to be intuitive, four additional categories are suggested. Thus, a new list of functionings is devised as part of the task of setting out a particular pluralist account of disadvantage.
Chapter 4 Opportunity and Responsibility
Authors: Wolff Jonathan , De-Shalit Avner
Published: May 2007

This chapter argues that the idea of ‘capability’ is too vague; it is replaced with the concept of ‘genuine opportunities’ for secure functioning. An opportunity for a functioning is genuine to the extent that the agent is not required to sacrifice the security of other important functionings to secure this particular functioning. It is argued that only in such cases can people be held responsible for failing to make use of their opportunities. Therefore, the government should guarantee genuine opportunities for secure functionings. The case in which an individual has achieved a functioning level that is higher than could be reasonably expected is briefly addressed.
Clustering of Disadvantage and Empirical Research
Authors: Wolff Jonathan , De-Shalit Avner
Published: May 2007

The previous chapters demonstrated that the issue of identifying the least advantaged reduces to the question of whether clustering of disadvantage can be identified among the ‘high-weight functionings’ identified in Chapter 5. It is argued that a series of empirical studies confirm that such clustering exists. In particular, work on the social determinants of health by Marmot and Wilkinson suggests that there is significant clustering of the relevant disadvantages. These results are reinforced by Klinenberg's work on the Chicago heatwave of 1985.
Addressing Disadvantage While Respecting People
Authors: Wolff Jonathan , De-Shalit Avner
Published: May 2007

Social policies designed to help people by securing a particular functioning might harm them by risking other functionings. One example is housing, where policies of slum clearance and rehousing, while improving people's housing conditions, disrupt their communities and social networks, often leading to severe problems in affiliation, mental health, and the ability to cope. Another example concerns means tested benefits, which while well-intentioned can be experienced as humiliating and stigmatizing, thereby risking a sense of autonomy and self esteem. This chapter argues that policy makers need to consider the total effects of their interventions, rather than simply concerning themselves with only their own policy areas. Remedies of ‘status enhancement’ are recommended, which improve an individual's genuine opportunities for secure functionings by changing the world around them, rather than identifying particular individuals as objects in need of help.
Forms of Rabbinic Literature and Thought
Authors: Samely Alexander
Published: May 2007

This book surveys the corpus of rabbinic literature, which was written in Hebrew and Aramaic about 1,500 years ago and which contains the foundations of Judaism, in particular the Talmud. The rabbinic works are introduced in groups, illustrated by shorter and longer passages, and described according to their literary structures and genres. Tables and summaries provide short information on key topics: the individual works and their nature, the recurrent literary forms which are used widely in different works, techniques of rabbinic Bible interpretation, and discourse strategies of the Talmud. Key topics of current research into the texts are addressed: their relationship to each other, their unity, their ambiguous and ‘unsystematic’ character, and their roots in oral tradition. The book explains why the character of the texts is crucial to an understanding of rabbinic thought, and why they pose specific problems to modern, Western-educated readers.
Parts and Wholes in Rabbinic Literature
Authors: Samely Alexander
Published: May 2007

This chapter examines if and how rabbinic literature constitutes a unified historical phenomenon. A number of observations supporting such a unity are presented. A crucial role is ascribed to the hermeneutic assumption of such a unity. This assumption is supported by the aggregate nature of rabbinic works. Some of the effects of the juxtaposition of individual statements are illustrated, and the unreliability of rabbinic general principles is emphasized. An account is given of the role which the assumption of an oral tradition might play in accounting for the aggregate nature of the texts.
How Statements are Linked to Each Other
Authors: Samely Alexander
Published: May 2007

This chapter examines the thematic discourse as it occurs in key rabbinic books on religious obligation: halakhah. Three main ways in which neighbouring statements can interact with each other in such works as the Mishnah and the Tosefta are described. It is shown that the individual halakhic statement is not as self-suffcient as it may seem, and yet its role within a larger whole is usually undefined. The resulting ambiguities are often fundamental, affecting the historical reconstruction of rabbinic Judaism, or Judaisms.
Putting the World into Rabbinic Words
Authors: Samely Alexander
Published: May 2007

This chapter suggests that the rabbis' large-scale use of the hypothetical legal case endows this format with a special significance. This is taken to imply that the world provides the space for human action in response to God's commandment. The hypothetical legal case as a mechanism by which (further) discourse on law is generated, and by which fuzzy social practices could be progressively transformed into more sharp-edged verbal norms, are considered. The chapter concludes with a survey of generative-hermeneutic patterns of thought and text composition.
Hermeneutic Models of Story and History
Authors: Samely Alexander
Published: May 2007

The midrashic engagement with the biblical past, as it is represented in biblical words, is substantial and detailed. This chapter explains some major types and their literary formats, using a chapter from Genesis Rabbah as illustration. Particular attention is given to the question of endings, both in stories and in history, as perceived by the rabbis. For the rabbis, their own past and present held little historical interest. This results from the fact that the midrashic practice intensifies the meaning of biblical events, reducing later events to the status of mere repetitions of biblical paradigms. This is seen as an expression of exile, that is, a state of waiting for redemption.
Pathological tau burden and distribution distinguishes progressive supranuclear palsy-parkinsonism from Richardson's syndrome
Authors: Williams David R. , Holton Janice L. , Strand Catherine , Pittman Alan , de Silva Rohan , Lees Andrew J. , Revesz Tamas
Published: May 2007

Clinical syndromes associated with progressive supranuclear palsy-tau pathology now include progressive supranuclear palsy-parkinsonism (PSP-P), in addition to classic Richardson's syndrome (RS) and pure akinesia with gait freezing (PAGF). Although pathological heterogeneity of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) has also been established, attempts to correlate this with clinical findings have only rarely provided conclusive results. The aim of this study was to investigate whether regional variations in the types of tau lesions or differences in overall tau load may explain the clinical differences between the RS, PSP-P and PAGF. Quantitative tau pathology assessment was performed in 17 brain regions in 42 cases of pathologically diagnosed PSP (22 RS, 14 PSP-P and 6 PAGF). Neurofibrillary tangles, tufted astrocytes, coiled bodies and thread pathology were quantitated and a grading system was developed separately for each region. Using these grades the overall tau load was calculated in each case. To establish a simplified system for grading the severity of tau pathology, all data were explored to identify the minimum number of regions that satisfactorily summarized the overall tau severity. The subthalamic nucleus, substantia nigra and globus pallidus were consistently the regions most severely affected by tau pathology. The mean severity in all regions of the RS group was higher than in PSP-P and PAGF, and the overall tau load was significantly higher in RS than in PSP-P (P = 0.002). Using only the grade of coiled body + thread lesions in the substantia nigra, caudate and dentate nucleus, a reliable and repeatable 12-tiered grading system was established (PSP-tau score: 0, mild tau pathology, restricted distribution; >7, severe, widespread tau pathology). PSP-tau score was negatively correlated with disease duration (Spearman's rho −0.36, P = 0.028) and time from disease onset to first fall (Spearman's rho −0.49, P = 0.003). The PSP-tau score in PSP-P (median 3, range 0–5) was significantly lower than in RS (median 5, range 2–10, Mann–Whitney U, P < 0.001). The two cases carrying the tau-H2 protective allele had the two lowest PSP-tau scores. We have identified significant pathological differences between the major clinical syndromes associated with PSP-tau pathology and the restricted, mild tau pathology in PSP-P supports its clinical distinction from RS. The grading system we have developed provides an easy-to-use and sensitive tool for the morphological assessment of PSP-tau pathology and allows for consideration of the clinical diversity that is known to occur in PSP.
Characterization of selective laser-sintered hydroxyapatite-based biocomposite structures for bone replacement
Authors: Hao L , Savalani M.M , Zhang Y , Tanner K.E , Heath R.J , Harris R.A
Published: May 2007

Integration of the bone into the implant is highly desirable for the long-term performance of the implant. The development of a bone–implant interface is influenced by the surface morphology and roughness, surface wettability and porosity of the implants. This study characterizes these important properties of a hydroxyapatite-based biocomposite structure fabricated by selective laser sintering (SLS) with a comparison to a moulded specimen. The sintered specimens exhibited a rougher surface with open surface pores and a highly interconnected internal porous structure. It was shown that the characteristics of the powder particles used in the SLS provided a more influential means to modify the surface morphology and the features of the internal pores than laser parameter variation. The correlation of wettability and porous structure shows that although surface open pores could help cell ingrowth and bone regeneration, they resulted in a poorer wettability of the materials, which may not encourage initial cell attachment and adhesion. The potential solution to improve the wettability and cell anchorage is discussed.
Generalization of learned predator recognition: an experimental test and framework for future studies
Authors: Ferrari Maud C.O , Gonzalo Adega , Messier François , Chivers Douglas P
Published: May 2007

While some prey species possess an innate recognition of their predators, others require learning to recognize their predators. The specific characteristics of the predators that prey learn and whether prey can generalize this learning to similar predatory threats have been virtually ignored. Here, we investigated whether fathead minnows that learned to chemically recognize a specific predator species as a threat has the ability to generalize their recognition to closely related predators. We found that minnows trained to recognize the odour of a lake trout as a threat (the reference predator) generalized their responses to brook trout (same genus as lake trout) and rainbow trout (same family), but did not generalize to a distantly related predatory pike or non-predatory suckers. We also found that the intensity of antipredator responses to the other species was correlated with the phylogenetic distance to the reference predator; minnows responded with a higher intensity response to brook trout than rainbow trout. This is the first study showing that prey have the ability to exhibit generalization of predator odour recognition. We discuss these results and provide a theoretical framework for future studies of generalization of predator recognition.
Do constructional constraints influence cichlid craniofacial diversification?
Authors: Hulsey C.D , Mims M.C , Streelman J.T
Published: May 2007

Constraints on form should determine how organisms diversify. Owing to competition for the limited space within the body, investment in adjacent structures may frequently represent an evolutionary compromise. For example, evolutionary trade-offs between eye size and jaw muscles in cichlid fish of the African great lakes are thought to represent a constructional constraint that influenced the diversification of these assemblages. To test the evolutionary independence of these structures in Lake Malawi cichlid fish, we measured the mass of the three major adductor mandibulae (AM) muscles and determined the eye volume in 41 species. Using both traditional and novel methodologies to control for resolved and unresolved phylogenetic relationships, we tested the evolutionary independence of these four structures. We found that evolutionary change in the AM muscles was positively correlated, suggesting that competition for space in the head has not influenced diversification among these jaw muscles. Furthermore, there was no negative relationship between change in total AM muscle mass and eye volume, indicating that there has been little effect of the evolution of eye size on AM evolution in Lake Malawi cichlids. The comparative approach used here should provide a robust method to test whether constructional constraints frequently limit phenotypic change in adaptive radiations.
Floral reward production is timed by an insect pollinator
Authors: Boisvert Michael J , Veal Anthea J , Sherry David F
Published: May 2007

Interval timing—sensitivity to elapsing durations—has recently been found to occur in an invertebrate pollinator, the bumble-bee (
Bombus impatiens
). Here, bumble-bees were required to time the interval between the start of foraging in a patch of low-quality artificial flowers providing 25% sucrose and the availability of a high-quality flower (HQF) that provided 50% sucrose after a fixed delay. The delay changed after every 20 foraging bouts in the order 30–150–30 s. Bees visited the HQF sooner when the delay was 30 s than when it was 150 s, and visits to the HQF peaked near the end of both delays. When the delay changed to 150 s, bees appeared to time both the previous 30 s delay and the new delay. To examine whether bees also learned what kind of reward was provided at the HQF, its usual reward was replaced with 25% sucrose in a final foraging bout. Bumble-bees rejected the HQF on the reward-replacement test. These results show that bumble-bees remembered both when reward was produced by the HQF and what type of reward was produced. These findings indicate that bumble-bees can learn both the timing and content of reward production.
Phenotypic determinants of individual fitness in female fur seals: larger is better
Authors: Beauplet Gwénaël , Guinet Christophe
Published: May 2007

Inter-individual differences in fitness in female vertebrates have often been related to phenotypic discrepancies, suggesting that bigger individuals exhibit greater fitness. However, the use of the temporally variable indices of quality, such as body mass/condition, may not represent the most reliable index over longer time intervals. Few studies have assessed the direct influence of body size (BS) on individual fitness. We addressed this knowledge gap using data from long-term monitoring of individually marked female subantarctic fur seals. The females of higher quality (i.e. higher lifetime reproductive success) were larger in BS than their counterparts, which correlated with their ability to provision their pup with greater and more regular energy supply, possibly through the maximization of foraging performance and body fat storage. We accordingly found that our study population could be divided into three contrasted categories of maternal quality, with 33% of the females producing over 71% of the viable offspring constituting the next generation. We suggest that a larger BS represents a crucial selective advantage for a central place forager, especially when exploiting remotely available resources.
The health and social situation of the mother during pregnancy and global quality of life of the child as an adult. Results from the prospective Copenhagen Perinatal Cohort 1959-1961
Authors: Ventegodt Søren , Flensborg-Madsen Trine , Andersen Niels Jørgen , Merrick Joav
Published: May 2007

A prospective cohort study (Copenhagen Perinatal Birth Cohort 1959-61) of 7,222 persons was used in order to explore the association between the social and health situation during pregnancy and the global quality of life (QOL) of the adult child 31-33 years later. Two sets of questionnaires were used with one filled out by physicians during pregnancy and one filled out by the adult children 31-33 years later. The questionnaires included mother's situation during pregnancy and global QOL of the child at follow-up: Well-being, life satisfaction, happiness, fulfilment of needs, experience of lifes temporal and spatial domains, expression of lifes potentials and objective measures. The only indicators to have clear connections with a reduced quality of life were the cases of mother's with syphilis (8.5%), mother's congenital malformations (8.8%), low social group (6.9%) and failing contraception (3.8%). The results obtained repudiate the common notion and hypothesis that the mother's situation during pregnancy is highly important for the quality of life that the child experience as an adult. This suggest that the aspects important for quality of life later on are not found solely in early conditions, but instead more dependent on later attitude towards life of that specific person.
Urolithiasis: Update on Metabolic Evaluation of Stone Formers
Authors: Park Sangtae , Pearle Margaret S.
Published: May 2007

Metabolic abnormalities are identified in over 90% of stone formers and the institution of preventative dietary and medical measures has resulted in substantial reduction in stone recurrence rates. We review the contemporary approach to metabolic evaluation of urolithiasis.

A careful medical and dietary history, stone analysis, serologic tests, and urinalysis constitute the initial screening regimen in patients who have been diagnosed with stones. Risk stratification of patients, based on the outcome of the initial screening tests, determines the need for and extent of urinary evaluation in individual stone formers. Conservative dietary measures or a simple metabolic evaluation and treatment has been described for first-time or low-risk stone formers, although the number of 24-h urine collections needed is debatable. A more extensive metabolic evaluation is recommended for recurrent or high-risk stone formers or for those in whom empiric treatment or medical therapy based on simplified evaluation is unsuccessful.

Regardless of etiology, all stone formers should be counseled on dietary measures for stone prevention. The need for medication is determined by the results of 24-h urine analysis and the risk level of the patient. Cost effectiveness of the metabolic evaluation and treatment is strongly influenced by recurrence rate and efficacy of therapy.

Metabolic evaluation and treatment has clearly been shown in randomized trials to reduce stone recurrence rates. Further study will determine the extent of evaluation necessary and the need for selective vs. empiric medical therapy for first-time and recurrent stone formers.
Parental Knowledge on car Safety for Children: An Israeli Survey
Authors: Hemmo-Lotem Michal , Urkin Jacob , Endy-Findling Liri , Merrick Joav
Published: May 2007

The objective of this study was to assess the level of parental car safety knowledge and actual behavior regarding their children under the age of 15 years. This study forms part of the National Center for Child Safety and Health in Israel (Beterem) program to examine awareness on child safety. Seven hundred and five Jewish families with at least one child at home younger than 15 years (a total of 1,345 children) were used as a randomized sample of the Jewish population. A telephone survey was conducted by professional interviewers using a questionnaire developed by injury prevention specialists consisting of seven knowledge questions and a diagram that described the usual seating positions and restraining method of the family members in the family car. Concerning knowledge about injury prevention, the rate of incorrect answers was high,64% in regard to the proper car seats for age and 84% in regard to the age for booster seats. Sixty five per cent of parents did not know what a booster seat was and 54% did not know that the proper place for children was in the back seat. The average of incorrect answers was 4.86 out of 7 (SD=1.45) correlated with low socioeconomic status. Concerning care safety behavior 60% per cent of babies and 38% of toddlers were not restrained properly. This study should alert planners and policy makers to the need of implementation of educational prevention programs for the Israeli public of parents concerning car safety for children in order to reduce childhood injury.
Neuroregulation of the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis in Humans: Effects of GABA-, Mineralocorticoid-, and GH-Secretagogue-Receptor Modulation
Authors: Giordano Roberta , Pellegrino Micaela , Picu Andreea , Bonelli Lorenza , Balbo Marcella , Berardelli Rita , Lanfranco Fabio , Ghigo Ezio
Published: May 2007

The hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis exerts a variety of effects at both the central and peripheral level. Its activity is mainly regulated by CRH, AVP, and the glucocorticoid-mediated feedback action. Moreover, many neurotransmitters and neuropeptides influence HPA axis activity by acting at the hypothalamic and/or suprahypothalamic level. Among them, GABA and Growth Hormone Secretagogues (GHS)/GHS-receptor systems have been shown to exert a clear inhibitory and stimulatory effect, respectively, on corticotroph secretion. Alprazolam (ALP), a GABA-A receptor agonist, shows the most marked inhibitory effect on both spontaneous and stimulated HPA axis activity, in agreement with its peculiar efficacy in panic disorders and depression where an HPA axis hyperactivation is generally present. Ghrelin and synthetic GHS possess a marked ACTH/cortisol-releasing effect in humans and the ghrelin/GHS-R system is probably involved in the modulation of the HPA response to stress and nutritional/metabolic variations. The glucocorticoid-mediated negative feedback action is mediated by both glucocorticoid (GR) and mineralocorticoid (MR) receptors activation at the central level, mainly in the hippocampus. In agreement with animal studies, MRs seem to play a crucial role in the maintenance of the circadian ACTH and cortisol rhythm, through the modulation of CRH and AVP release. GABA agonists (mainly ALP), ghrelin, as well as MR agonists/antagonists, may represent good tools to explore the activity of the HPA axis in both physiological conditions and pathological states characterized by an impaired control of the corticotroph function.
ECG Changes in 8-Year-Old Boy with Pulmonary Edema after Head Injury
Authors: Bjelakovic Bojko , Vukomanovic Vladislav , Saranac Ljiljana , Stefanovic Ivan
Published: May 2007

This is a case story of an 8-year-old boy with no prior history of cardiac disease who developed acute pulmonary edema with ECG changes similar to transmural myocardial infarction after basilar skull fracture. Biochemical evaluation showed elevated total creatine kinase activity –1,350 U/L with 12% MB isoenzyme fraction. The brain scan on admission showed cerebral edema with ethmoidal sinuses hemorrhage. Neurogenic pulmonary edema following CNS damage is an extremely rare entity in the pediatric population and there are few reports. There are many proposed mechanisms and explanations of its origin. Based on previous reports and experimental studies, the cause of “neurogenic” pulmonary edema may be of cardiac as well as of noncardiac origin.
Gene Array Studies in Renal Neoplasia
Authors: Higgins John P.T.
Published: May 2007

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is comprised of several distinct histologic subtypes many of which have characteristic cytogenetic abnormalities. The molecular pathogenesis of some of these neoplasms is beginning to be elucidated. Yet renal cell carcinoma is often discovered at an advanced clinical stage and effective pharmacologic therapies for this disease remain to be discovered. For these reasons, renal cell carcinoma is ideally suited to the genome scale investigation made possible by DNA microarrays. A number of DNA array studies of renal cell carcinoma have been published. Renal cell carcinomas have also been studied by array based comparative genomic hybridization. The purpose of this review will be to summarize these studies, to compare the results of the different studies, and to suggest future areas of investigation with a particular emphasis on clinically relevant advances.
Lipid Mediator Informatics and Proteomics in Inflammation-Resolution
Authors: Lu Yan , Hong Song , Gotlinger Katherine , Serhan Charles
Published: May 2007

Lipid mediator informatics is an emerging area denoted to the identification of bioactive lipid mediators (LMs) and their biosynthetic profiles and pathways. LM informatics and proteomics applied to inflammation, systems tissues research provides a powerful means of uncovering key biomarkers for novel processes in health and disease. By incorporating them with system biology analysis, we review here our initial steps toward elucidating relationships among a range of bimolecular classes and provide an appreciation of their roles and activities in the pathophysiology of disease. LM informatics employing liquid chromatography-ultraviolet-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-UV-MS/MS), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), computer-based automated systems equipped with databases and novel searching algorithms, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to evaluate and profile temporal and spatial production of mediators combined with proteomics at defined points during experimental inflammation and its resolution enable us to identify novel mediators in resolution. The automated system including databases and searching algorithms is crucial for prompt and accurate analysis of these lipid mediators biosynthesized from precursor polyunsaturated fatty acids such as eicosanoids, resolvins, and neuroprotectins, which play key roles in human physiology and many prevalent diseases, especially those related to inflammation. This review presents detailed protocols used in our lab for LM informatics and proteomics using LC-UV-MS/MS, GC-MS, ELISA, novel databases and searching algorithms, and 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis and LC-nanospray-MS/MS peptide mapping.
COX-2: A Pivotal Enzyme in Mucosal Protection and Resolution of Inflammation
Authors: Wallace John L.
Published: May 2007

The discovery of a second form of cyclooxygenase, COX-2, led to a burst of research aimed at the development of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that would not damage the gastrointestinal tract. In the years since, this promise has only been partially fulfilled. Selective COX-2 inhibitors cause less gastric damage than conventional, nonselective COX inhibitors, but their use is still associated with significant gastrointestinal injury, and with toxicity in the renal and cardiovascular systems. COX-2 is now recognized as a source of mediators that produce many beneficial and detrimental effects in the digestive system. In this review, the roles of COX-2 in mucosal defense and injury are discussed. Furthermore, contributions of COX-2derived products to the long-term consequences of intestinal inflammation, including cancer, are reviewed.
A Pilot Study: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Sensation Seeking, and Pubertal Changes
Authors: Martin Catherine A. , Guenthner Greg , Bingcang Christopher , Smith W. Jackson , Curry Thomas , Omar Hatim A. , Raynes Mary Kay , Kelly Thomas H.
Published: May 2007

This study was designed to examine the relationship of pubertal changes and sensation seeking (SS) in adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Patients with current or past histories of uncomplicated stimulant medication use for ADHD between the ages of 11 and 15 (13 ± 1.5) were recruited from a Child Psychiatry and a General Pediatric Clinic. SS was measured using the SS Scale for Children. Pubertal development was measured using Tanner staging, free testosterone, and DHEAS. Subjects and their parent were interviewed with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC). SS total score was correlated with Tanner stage, free testosterone, and DHEAS (p≤ 0.01). The combined parent and child reports of symptoms of Oppositional Defiant Disorder from the DISC were inversely related to age (p≤ 0.05). Understanding SS in ADHD adolescents as they move through puberty will aid clinicians in monitoring ADHD adolescents and their trajectory into high-risk behaviors.
Individual and Environmental Impacts on Sexual Health of Caribbean youth
Authors: Lerand Sarah J. , Ireland Marjorie , Blum Robert W.
Published: May 2007

Individual health risk behaviors among Caribbean youth account for the majority of adolescent morbidity and mortality in that area. This study explores the associations between individual factors, socioenvironmental factors, and sexual healthrelated behaviors in Caribbean youth. Data from the 1995 Caribbean Youth Health Survey, a nine-country, cross-sectional study completed by 15,695 in-school youth 10—18 years of age were analyzed. One-third of the sample (n = 5,060) reporting sexual activity was analyzed. This study examined age at first sexual intercourse, number of sexual partners, history of pregnancy, and condom use. The predictor variables were rage, depressed mood, expectation of early death, self-reported school performance, parental mental health or substance abuse problems, and family connectedness. Bi- and multivariate analyses were done separately for males and females, controlling for age, to examine associations between individual and socioenvironmental factors and sexual health behaviors. In the multivariate model, there were associations between rage, abuse, family mental health and substance use, anticipation of early death, and many of the outcome variables in males and females. Family connectedness and positive self-reported school status were correlated with greater condom use at last intercourse in males. Family connectedness was correlated with older age at first sexual intercourse. Depressed mood was not correlated with any of the outcome variables.The findings of the study demonstrate an association between individual and socioenvironmental factors and sexual health behaviors in the lives of Caribbean youth. Strong associations between rage and physical/sexual abuse and risky sexual behaviors are of notable concern.
Human development II: We Need an Integrated Theory for Matter, Life and Consciousness to Understand Life and Healing
Authors: Ventegodt Sören , Hermansen Tyge Dahl , Nielsen Maj Lyck , Clausen Birgitte , Merrick Joav
Published: May 2007

For almost a decade, we have experimented with supporting the philosophical development of severely ill patients to induce recovery and spontaneous healing. Recently, we have observed a new pattern of extremely rapid, spontaneous healing that apparently can facilitate even the spontaneous remission of cancer and the spontaneous recovery of mental diseases like schizophrenia and borderline schizophrenia. Our working hypothesis is that the accelerated healing is a function of the patients brain-mind and body-mind coming closer together due to the development of what we call “deep” cosmology. To understand and describe what happens at a biological level, we have suggested naming the processadult human metamorphosis, a possibility that is opened by the human genome showing full generic equipment for metamorphosis. To understand the mechanistic details in the complicated interaction between consciousness and biology, we need an adequate theory for biological information. In a series of papers, we propose what we call “holistic biology for holistic medicine”. We suggest that a relatively simple model based on interacting wholenesses instead of isolated parts can shed a new light on a number of difficult issues that we need to explain and understand in biology and medicine in order to understand and use metamorphosis in the holistic medical clinic. We aim to give a holistic theoretical interpretation of biological phenomena at large, morphogenesis, evolution, immune system regulation (self-nonself discrimination), brain function, consciousness, and health in particular. We start at the most fundamental problem: what is biological information at the subcellular, cellular, and supracellular levels if we presume that it is the same phenomenon on all levels (using Occam's razor), and how can this be described scientifically? The problems we address are all connected to the information flow in the functioning, living organism: function of the brain and consciousness, the regulations of the immune system and cell growth, the dynamics of health and disease. We suggest that life utilizes an unseen fine structure of the physical energy of the universe at a subparticular or quantum level to give information-directed self-organization; we give a first sketch of a possible fractal structure of the energy able to both contain and communicate biological information and carry individual and collective consciousness. Finally, thorough our analysis, we put up a model for adult human metamorphosis.
Prenatal Calcification of the Inferior Vena Cava and Renal Veins in a Normal Neonate
Authors: Ranch Daniel , Aigbe Michael O. , Gorospe Emmanuel C.
Published: May 2007

Prenatal calcification of the inferior vena cava (IVC) and renal veins is a rare condition with unclear etiology and prognosis. It occurs with renal vein thrombosis in utero and is associated with congenital anomalies and abnormal prenatal hemodynamic status. We report a rare case of prenatal IVC and renal vein calcification in a normal neonate without any history of compromised prenatal or perinatal condition, or significant deterioration of kidney function.
Physical Therapy Intervention for Individuals with Rett Syndrome
Authors: Lotan Meir , Hanks Susan
Published: May 2007

Individuals with Rett syndrome (RS) present a vast array of orthopedic and neurological difficulties. Typical problems, which may need to be addressed, when treating this population are functional limitations, low cardiovascular capacity, hypotonia, ataxia, apraxia, loss of transitional movements, spasticity, scoliosis and/or kyphosis, loss of ambulation, loss of hand function, foot deformities, and spatial disorientation. Coping with such difficulties and overcoming the associated limitations carry a wearisome task for the individual with Rett as well as for her family. An informed and intensely applied physical therapy regime can help the child and the family cope and even overcome the above-mentioned limitations. The present article presents some insights regarding the intervention with individuals with RS, an overview of typical neuromuscular problems associated with RS, and appropriate suggestions pertaining to clinical intervention that have been found to contribute to this populations well-being. The information presented is mainly based on the clinical knowledge of the authors.
The Association Between Inflammatory Markers and Hypertension. A Call for Anti-Inflammatory Strategies?
Authors: García Néstor H. , Juncos Luis I.
Published: May 2007

The most important goal of antihypertensive therapy is to prevent the complications associated with hypertension (stroke, myocardial infarction, end-stage renal disease, etc). For this, secondary targets such as left ventricular hypertrophy, proteinuria, dementia, and other signs of hypertension-induced organ damage help the physician to assess risks and monitor treatment efficacy. New treatment targets may be arising, however. One such target may be endothelial dysfunction. In effect, endothelial dysfunction not only may precede the elevation of blood pressure, but may also pave the way to conditions often associated with hypertension, such as diabetes, arteriosclerosis, microalbuminuria, congestive heart failure, and tissue hypertrophy. Because inflammation often accompanies endothelial dysfunction, approaches to counteract inflammation are now being evaluated. For this, antagonists of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, statins, and beta blockers are all being tested. All of these agents seem to prevent or delay the induction of proinflammatory molecules aside from, and in addition to, their specific effects on blood pressure. The focus of this review is to update some of the animal and human research showing that hypertension sets off an inflammatory state and also to consider some of the anti-inflammatory approaches that may prevent the development of endothelial dysfunction, and the subsequent renal and cardiovascular damage.