bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantitative Image Analysis of Nuclear Chromatin Distribution for Cytological Diagnosis
Authors: Jingu Ryotaro , Ohki Masafumi , Watanabe Sumiko , Tamiya Sadafumi , Sugishima Setsuo , Kaku Tsunehisa
Published: October 2011

Objective: We previously reported on the classification of the nuclear chromatin distribution into 3 types, that is peripheral (P), mixed (M) and central (C), which were related to the malignancy of cervical glandular lesions. However, the classification was subjective as it was performed by visual assessment. In the present study, quantitative assessment of nuclear chromatin distribution using image analysis by computer was applied for objective classification of cervical squamous epithelial lesions, which are the most common cervical lesions. Study Design: A total of 130 cells (44 cells of type P, 78 of type M and 8 of type C) from cytological specimens of cervical squamous epithelial lesions (dysplasia, squamous cell carcinoma) were analyzed. An image analysis program was developed as a plug-in macro program of an existing image processing software. The radial distribution (RD) value, which represents the gradient of the staining intensity from the center to the edge of a nucleus, was defined as an index of the chromatin distribution. Results: The RD values calculated in type P, type M and type C cells showed significant statistical differences as assessed by the t test (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Quantification of the nuclear chromatin distribution by image analysis is fast and highly objective. The RD value could be useful as an index for malignancy.
Key Cytological Findings in FNA from Infantile Digital Fibromatosis
Authors: Ojha Sandeep S. , Naik Leena P. , Fernandes Gwendolyn C. , Sathe Pragati A. , Kandalkar Bhuvaneshwari M.
Published: October 2011

Background: Infantile digital fibromatosis (IDF) or inclusion body fibromatosis is a benign proliferation of fibroblastic and myofibroblastic cells. Its most common site is the digits of young children and it is named for the intracytoplasmic inclusions that are detected in lesional cells. Case: A two and a half-year-old male child presented with a single flesh-colored nodule on the dorsal aspect of his right little toe since the sixth month of life. FNAC from the lesion showed characteristic cytomorphological features of IDF. Conclusion: IDF is a rare lesion occurring in children or infants. There are many case reports describing histopathological features of IDF. To our knowledge, the typical inclusion bodies as cytomorphological findings in IDF have not been described in the literature. This is a rare case diagnosed on cytology and confirmed on histopathology.
Evaluation of the Combination of Cytology and Hybrid Capture to Safely Predict the High-Grade Lesion Status of Patients Treated with Conization with Large Loop Excision of the Transformation Zone
Authors: Roncaglia Maria Teresa , Tacla Maricy , Vieira da Motta Eduardo , Caiaffa Hélio , Ab’Saber Alexandre , Alves Venâncio Avancini Ferreira , Longatto Filho Adhemar , Baracat Edmund C.
Published: October 2011

Objectives: This study aimed to verify whether human papillomavirus (HPV) testing after conization treatment has some potential usefulness for predicting patients’ outcome. Study Design: One hundred and twenty women were treated for HSIL by conization with large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ). Cytology, colposcopy-guided biopsy, and hybrid capture 2 (HC2) HPV DNA tests were performed before the surgical procedure and every 6 months for 2 years at follow-up. Results: More than 90% of the patients tested positive for high-risk HPV prior to the surgical intervention. Six months after the cervical conization, 74.75% of the patients tested negative for high-risk HPV DNA, and 19.41% were positive. Of the women who were HC2 negative, 72 showed normal cytological smears, 3 ASC-US, 2 LSIL, and 1 HSIL. Of those who were HC2 positive, 8 showed normal smears, 2 ASC-US, 2 ASC-H, 5 LSIL, and 1 case had HSIL, AGC, and squamous cells invasive carcinoma. Clinically, the HSIL case with a negative HPV test did not show any sign of high-grade lesions, and the clinical follow-up did not show residual lesions. Conclusions: Negative HPV tests correlated with freedom from high-grade disease after 2 years of postconization follow-up, which strongly suggests that negative HPV tests predict the absence of cervical disease.
Successful Treatment of Chemotherapy-Refractory Angioimmunoblastic T Cell Lymphoma with Cyclosporin A
Authors: Kobayashi Tsutomu , Kuroda Junya , Uchiyama Hitoji , Matsumoto Yosuke , Horiike Shigeo , Taniwaki Masafumi
Published: October 2011

Angioimmunoblastic T cell lymphoma (AITL) is a rare subtype of T cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The standard therapeutic strategy for AITL has not yet been established, and its prognosis remains poor. This report concerns the effect of cyclosporin A (CsA) on chemotherapy-refractory AITL. A 68-year-old female with AITL with systemic symptoms, such as high fever, skin rash andgeneralized lymphadenopathy, was initially treated with conventional cytotoxic chemotherapies using alkylators, anthracyclines and corticosteroids, which failed to induce remission. However, CsA (4 mg/kg/day) plus dexamethasone treatment resulted in a dramatic regression of the tumors and amelioration of systemic symptoms and induced complete remission (CR) within 2 weeks. Currently, the patient’s CR has continued for more than 18 months with CsA maintenance therapy. Our experience and previously reported findings suggest that CsA may constitute an alternative treatment option for AITL, even though the use of conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy continues to be the first-line therapy on an empirical basis.
Usefulness of CINtec® PLUS p16INK4a/Ki-67 Double-Staining in Cytological Screening of Cervical Cancer
Authors: Yoshida Tomomi , Sano Takaaki , Kanuma Tatsuya , Inoue Hiroshi , Itoh Teruko , Yazaki Chiaki , Obara Mitsuo , Fukuda Toshio
Published: October 2011

Objective: This study evaluated the usefulness of p16INK4a/Ki-67 as a new biomarker in the diagnosis of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cervical lesions. Study Design: From 69 women with previous positive cytology, clinician-collected (CC) samples were obtained using a Cervex-Brush®. One month later, self-collected (SC) material was acquired using a Rovers® Viba-Brush. Liquid-based cytology specimens were prepared from both samples, and then the grades of squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL) were determined; following immunostaining with CINtec® PLUS, HPV status was analyzed using a linear array. Results: The mean double-positive cell scores (SCORE) in the CC samples were 3.2 in samples negative for intraepithelial lesions or malignancy, 1.3 in atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance, 87.1 in low-grade SIL, and 367 in high-grade SIL. According to HPV risk type, the mean SCORE was 16 in samples negative for HPV, 8.4 in low-risk HPV, 143 in high-risk HPV other than type 16, and 420 in HPV16 – with a statistical significance between high-risk HPV and type 16 (p < 0.05). The SCORE of the SC group was lower than that of the CC group because of the limited number of cells collected. Conclusions: The SCORE showed a significant correlation with HPV16 compared with lesser-degree lesions. CINtec PLUS is useful as a diagnostic marker of progression of lesions and a surrogate marker of an elevated risk of high-grade lesions with HPV16.
Identifying Patients with Myasthenia for Epidemiological Research by Linkage of Automated Registers
Authors: Pedersen Emil Greve , Hallas Jesper , Hansen Klaus , Jensen Poul Erik Hyldgaard , Gaist David
Published: October 2011

Background: We validated a new method of identifying patients with incident myasthenia in automated Danish registers for the purpose of conducting epidemiological studies of the disorder. Methods: For residents of a Danish county (population 484,862) in 1993–2008, we identified any hospital contacts coded for myasthenia in a nationwide patient register and any prescriptions for pyridostigmine in the county prescription register. Results from an acetylcholine receptor antibody register were linked to the data. We verified the diagnosis by a review of medical records. Results: Subjects identified in the Patient Register (n = 83) were comparable with individuals found in the Prescription Register (n = 89) with regard to age and gender, but were more often seropositive (83.1 vs. 74.2%). Seropositivity increased to 91.6% by restricting the data to individuals recorded in both Patient and Prescription Registers (n = 71). We found that for subjects identified in both Patient and Prescription Registers the positive predictive value of the register diagnosis was 92.9% (95% confidence interval, CI, 84.3–97.7), the false-positive rate was low (2.8%), and the sensitivity was acceptable (81.2%; 95% CI 71.2–88.8). Conclusions: Our data indicate that this novel approach of combining diagnosis register and prescription register information provides a feasible and valid method to trace incident myasthenia patients for population-based epidemiological studies.
Evolution of Symptoms in Ménière’s Disease
Authors: Belinchon Antonio , Perez-Garrigues Herminio , Tenias Jose Maria
Published: October 2011

Objective: To investigate the sequence and correlation of symptoms of Ménière’s disease (MD) depending on their order of manifestation. Methods: Descriptive, longitudinal study of the symptoms in 237 tertiary hospital patients who had been diagnosed with definite MD according to the criteria of the American Academy of Otolaryngology. Patients were followed for 1–31 years. Results: Disease began with the three classic symptoms in only 40% of the patients. We recorded the mean, median and maximum time needed to complete the symptoms as well as the time elapsed in some patients from disease onset in one ear to bilateral involvement. Conclusions: We reckon that this study may be of great help in ruling out a diagnosis of MD when the patient presents with only one or two symptoms of the triad. Furthermore, regarding the planning of treatment, the time interval between unilateral and bilateral involvement (5–7 years) is very important since bilateral involvement has great repercussions on treatment, especially surgical treatment.
Local Coronary Flow Is Associated With an Unsuccessful Complete Block Line at the Mitral Isthmus in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Kurotobi Toshiya , Shimada Yoshihisa , Kino Naoto , Iwakura Katsuomi , Inoue Koichi , Kimura Ryusuke , Tosyoshima Yuko , Mizuno Hiroya , Okuyama Yuji , Fujii Kenshi , Nanto Shinsuke , Komuro Issei
Published: October 2011

Background—

The addition of a mitral isthmus (MI) block line after pulmonary vein isolation could lead to a favorable outcome of catheter ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, it is sometimes tough to create a complete MI block line, and the cooling effect because of the local coronary flow may prevent the creation of a successful MI block line.

Methods and Results—

This study enrolled 81 AF patients in whom the creation of an MI block line was attempted in those with persistent or pacing-inducible AF after pulmonary vein isolation. A local coronary artery (LCA) across the MI block line was observed in 43 (53%) of 81 patients, and a bidirectional MI block was successfully accomplished in 53 (65%) of 81 patients, at the estimated MI line. The ratio of a successful MI block line was significantly lower in the patients with an LCA than in those without an LCA (42% versus 92%;
P
<0.001). The mean diameter of the coronary sinus (0.59±0.18 versus 0.82±0.22 cm;
P
<0.001) and length of the estimated MI line (33.4±9.9 versus 29.4±7.1 mm;
P
=0.032) were significantly shorter in the patients with a successful MI block line than in those without a successful MI block line. In the multivariable analysis, an LCA at the MI and a larger coronary sinus diameter were independent risk factors for an unsuccessful MI block line.

Conclusions—

Local coronary flow at the MI is associated with an increased incidence of an unsuccessful MI block line.
Unique Properties of the ATP-Sensitive K
+
Channel in the Mouse Ventricular Cardiac Conduction System
Authors: Bao Li , Kefaloyianni Eirini , Lader Joshua , Hong Miyoun , Morley Gregory , Fishman Glenn I. , Sobie Eric A. , Coetzee William A.
Published: October 2011

Background—

The specialized cardiac conduction system (CCS) expresses a unique complement of ion channels that confer a specific electrophysiological profile. ATP-sensitive potassium (K
ATP
) channels in these myocytes have not been systemically investigated.

Methods and Results—

We recorded K
ATP
channels in isolated CCS myocytes using Cntn2-EGFP reporter mice. The CCS K
ATP
channels were less sensitive to inhibitory cytosolic ATP compared with ventricular channels and more strongly activated by MgADP. They also had a smaller slope conductance. The 2 types of channels had similar intraburst open and closed times, but the CCS K
ATP
channel had a prolonged interburst closed time. CCS K
ATP
channels were strongly activated by diazoxide and less by levcromakalim, whereas the ventricular K
ATP
channel had a reverse pharmacological profile. CCS myocytes express elevated levels of Kir6.1 but reduced Kir6.2 and SUR2A mRNA compared with ventricular myocytes (SUR1 expression was negligible). SUR2B mRNA expression was higher in CCS myocytes relative to SUR2A. Canine Purkinje fibers expressed higher levels of Kir6.1 and SUR2B protein relative to the ventricle. Numeric simulation predicts a high sensitivity of the Purkinje action potential to changes in ATP:ADP ratio. Cardiac conduction time was prolonged by low-flow ischemia in isolated, perfused mouse hearts, which was prevented by glibenclamide.

Conclusions—

These data imply a differential electrophysiological response (and possible contribution to arrhythmias) of the ventricular CCS to K
ATP
channel opening during periods of ischemia.
Electrogram Fractionation
Authors: Correa de Sa Daniel D. , Thompson Nathaniel , Stinnett-Donnelly Justin , Znojkiewicz Pierre , Habel Nicole , Müller Joachim G. , Bates Jason H.T. , Buzas Jeffrey S. , Spector Peter S.
Published: October 2011

Background—

Fractionated electrograms are used by some as targets for ablation in atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. Fractionation has been demonstrated to result when there is repetitive or asynchronous activation of separate groups of cells within the recording region of a mapping electrode(s).

Methods and Results—

Using a computer model, we generated tissue activation patterns with increasing spatiotemporal variation and calculated virtual electrograms from electrodes with decreasing resolution. We then quantified electrogram fractionation. In addition, we recorded unipolar electrograms during atrial fibrillation in 20 patients undergoing atrial fibrillation ablation. From these we constructed bipolar electrograms with increasing interelectrode spacing and quantified fractionation. During modeling of spatiotemporal variation, fractionation varied directly with electrode length, diameter, height, and interelectrode spacing. When resolution was held constant, fractionation increased with increasing spatiotemporal variation. In the absence of spatial variation, fractionation was independent of resolution and proportional to excitation frequency. In patients with atrial fibrillation, fractionation increased as interelectrode spacing increased.

Conclusions—

We created a model for distinguishing the roles of spatial and temporal electric variation and electrode resolution in producing electrogram fractionation. Spatial resolution affects fractionation attributable to spatiotemporal variation but not temporal variation alone. Electrogram fractionation was directly proportional to spatiotemporal variation and inversely proportional to spatial resolution. Spatial resolution limits the ability to distinguish high-frequency excitation from overcounting. In patients with atrial fibrillation, complex fractionated atrial electrogram detection varies with spatial resolution. Electrode resolution must therefore be considered when interpreting and comparing studies of fractionation.
Post-Genomic Update on a Classical Candidate Gene for Coronary Artery Disease:
ESR1
Authors: Lucas Gavin , Lluís-Ganella Carla , Subirana Isaac , Sentí Mariano , Willenborg Christina , Musameh Muntaser D. , Schwartz Stephen M. , O'Donnell Christopher J. , Melander Olle , Salomaa Veikko , Elosua Roberto
Published: October 2011

Background—

After age, sex is the most important risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD). The mechanism through which women are protected from CAD is still largely unknown, but the observed sex difference suggests the involvement of the reproductive steroid hormone signaling system. Genetic association studies of the gene-encoding Estrogen Receptor α (
ESR1
) have shown conflicting results, although only a limited range of variation in the gene has been investigated.

Methods and Results—

We exploited information made available by advanced new methods and resources in complex disease genetics to revisit the question of
ESR1
's role in risk of CAD. We performed a meta-analysis of 14 genome-wide association studies (CARDIoGRAM discovery analysis, N=≈87 000) to search for population-wide and sex-specific associations between CAD risk and common genetic variants throughout the coding, noncoding, and flanking regions of
ESR1
. In addition to samples from the MIGen (N=≈6000), WTCCC (N=≈7400), and Framingham (N=≈3700) studies, we extended this search to a larger number of common and uncommon variants by imputation into a panel of haplotypes constructed using data from the 1000 Genomes Project. Despite the widespread expression of ERα in vascular tissues, we found no evidence for involvement of common or low-frequency genetic variation throughout the
ESR1
gene in modifying risk of CAD, either in the general population or as a function of sex.

Conclusions—

We suggest that future research on the genetic basis of sex-related differences in CAD risk should initially prioritize other genes in the reproductive steroid hormone biosynthesis system.
Effect of protein content of the diet on scent marking and over-marking behavior in meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus
Authors: Ferkin Michael H. , Hobbs Nicholas J.
Published: October 2011

Differences in the protein content of individuals may affect their response to signals produced by opposite-sex conspecifics and how opposite-sex conspecifics respond to the individual's own signals. Many terrestrial mammals use over-marks to communicate with potential mates. In this study, we determined whether over-marking behavior is affected by the protein content of the top- and bottom-scent donors of an over-mark. We tested two hypotheses by performing two experiments on meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus, in which the top- or bottom-scent donors of an over-mark were fed a diet containing either 9, 13, or 22% protein; these protein concentrations are similar to those that voles may consume in free-living populations. In experiment 1, we varied the protein content of the top-scent voles but not that of the bottom-scent donor. We tested the hypothesis that top-scent donor voles fed a diet high in protein content deposit more scent marks and more over-marks than do top-scent donor voles fed diets lower in protein content. In experiment 2, the top-scent voles were fed a 22% protein diet but the protein content of the diet of the bottom-scent donor varied. We tested the hypothesis that the top-scent donor will deposit more scent marks if the bottom-scent vole was fed a diet high in protein content than if it was fed a diet lower in protein content. Protein content of the top-scent vole's diet did not affect the number of scent marks and over-marks it deposited. Likewise, the protein content of the bottom-scent vole did not affect the number of scent marks and over-marks deposited by the top-scent vole.
Male–male vocal interactions in a territorial neotropical quail: which song characteristics predict a territorial male's response?
Authors: Sandoval Luis
Published: October 2011

Males singing within their territories can change their song characteristics in order to interact with conspecifics; males may respond to territorial intrusions by vocalizing, approaching the intruder and/or displaying. I studied male–male interactions by quantifying vocal and behavioural responses of male spot-bellied bobwhites (Colinus leucopogon) toward playback of conspecific male songs. Male responses toward playback song depended on the quality of the territorial male's song relative to the playback stimulus. In this species males who sang songs with higher peak and low frequency, longer song duration, and lower song rate were less responsive to simulated territorial intrusions. Spot-bellied bobwhite males that sang in response to the playback increased the low frequencies of their songs relative to pre-playback song, a vocal behaviour related to dominance in males of other species. Males that approached the speaker sang longer songs, a characteristic associated with increased aggression or motivation to fight in other bird species. The results of this playback experiment suggest that male spot-bellied bobwhite song characteristics according to playback characteristics predict response to territorial intrusions and may, therefore, play an important role in male–male interactions.
Spawning behaviour of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus): risk of sperm competition and timing of milt release for sneaker and dominant males
Authors: Rudolfsen G. , Folstad I. , Sørum V. , Figenschou L.
Published: October 2011

A mismatch in timing between the release of male and female gametes in external fertilizers may lead to failed fertilization or, under sperm competition, reduced paternity. To quantify the actual synchrony of gamete release and the level of sperm competition we placed video cameras on two spawning grounds of a naturally spawning population of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus). Females release eggs in response to courting (quivering) in less than 1% of the cases, yet to both dominant and sneaker males. That is, females initiated spawning with dominant males in 73.3% of the recorded spawning events. Although the actual spawning seems to be largely under female control, 55.6% of spawning events occur under sperm competition. The average time delay between dominant and sneaker males milt release under sperm competition is 0.68 s. Thus, female reproductive decisions seem to be strongly influenced by male-male competition and this may have set the stage for the evolution and maintenance of the observed plasticity in ejaculate characteristics of male charr.
Lenin Reloaded: Towards a Politics of Truth
Authors: Williams Evan Calder
Published: October 2011

This review looks back at Lenin Reloaded: Towards a Politics of Truth, the 2007 collection of essays from Slavoj Žižek, Alain Badiou, Fredric Jameson, Sylvain Lazarus, Terry Eagleton, and others. Taking up the volume’s central questions, it moves through the problems posed explicitly and implicitly by an attempt to think the figure and politics of Lenin today. In so doing, the review takes on the Leninist conception of history and revolution, the position of dialectics as description and as method, the rôle of the partisan, the debate about voluntarism, and the status of the party as historical and contemporary form.
Althusser, el infinito adios Althusser: une lecture de Marx Althusser et la psychanalyse Machiavel et nous, suivi de ‘Des problèmes qu’il faudra bien appeler d’un autre nom et peut-être politique’, Althusser et la insituabilité de la politique et de ‘la recurrence du vide chez Louis Althusser’
Authors: Montag Warren
Published: October 2011

A review of recent French and Latin-American work on Althusser suggests that the received interpretations of the latter’s work may profitably be re-examined. The notion that there exists an early, middle and late Althusser, each distinct from the others in important ways, is called radically into question by this body of scholarship. Various authors show the presence of an aleatory dimension, usually associated with the late Althusser, in even his most ‘structuralist’ concepts (for example, structural causality). These works help us read Althusser in a new way.
Revisiting the Domestic-Labour Debate: An Indian Perspective
Authors: Hensman Rohini
Published: October 2011

The class-struggle under capitalism is shaped by the fact that for capital, labour-power is merely a factor of production and source of profit, whereas for workers it is an element of their own lives. Given the centrality of labour-power to the accumulation of capital, it is surprising that Marx nowhere describes or analyses its production. The domestic-labour debate of the 1970s was a useful attempt to fill this gap, but left many issues unresolved. This article attempts to carry forward this theoretical task, using examples mainly from India, and to draw practical conclusions for the working-class struggle.
Réflexions autour de la notion de rituel initiatique en Anatolie hittite. Au sujet de la fête haššumaš (CTH 633)
Authors: Mouton Alice
Published: October 2011

Depuis 1969, la fête haššumaš (CTH 633) a été considérée comme le seul exemple de rituel initiatique en Anatolie hittite. Mais est-ce réellement le cas? N’existe-t-il pas une autre manière d’interpréter cette cérémonie religieuse? Proposant, dans un premier temps, une réédition de la composition, qui peut être enrichie par les duplicats et joints identifiés après la parution de l’editio princeps, j’examine, en second lieu, les différentes caractéristiques de la cérémonie. Grâce à ce réexamen, je suggère une autre interprétation de cette composition.
The Ritual-Prayer Nisaba 1 and Its Function
Authors: Christopher Frechette S.J.
Published: October 2011

The Mesopotamian ritual-prayer Nisaba 1, a monolingual text in Akkadian addressed to the goddess of grain, blends the functionality of two genres: Akkadian Šuillas and Kultmittelbeschwörungen. Like Kultmittelbeschwörungen, it is addressed to a material (here, the flour identified with Nisaba) in order to activate it for ritual use. As do other Akkadian Šuilla-prayers, it serves to gain a favorable reception from an influential deity whose powerful intercession it requests for reconciling the speaker with his or her personal god and goddess. The royal ritual bīt salā’ mê provides important context for establishing functionality. An edition of the prayer is appended to the article.
Transformational Diplomacy: US Tactics for Change in the Islamic Republic of Iran, 2004-2006
Authors: Esposito Karin A. , Alaeddin Vahid Gharavi S.
Published: October 2011

Transformational diplomacy aims to alter — in whole or in part — elements of a foreign government’s structure, policies or laws, while traditional methods of diplomacy have more concrete political aims. Transformational diplomacy no longer works merely for the sake of bettering international relations through practical cooperative aims. Although coercion and diplomacy do not appear to be logically related, transformational diplomacy is essentially synonymous with coercive diplomacy. Without coercion, at least to some degree, the policies that aim for transformation would not succeed. The primary goal of transformational diplomacy is the enactment of change in a target country. However, the actual implementation methods may vary considerably, leading to divergent and varying consequences. A transformational strategy may cover an entire spectrum — from methods relating to cultural diplomacy to the violent overthrow of governments. Arguing that US policy towards Iran from 2004-2006 was an example of transformational diplomacy, this article presents an analysis of the general policy formulation that existed behind the US rhetoric during those years — with specific analysis of the role of the US Congress in contrast to the President. This article is based on US analyses, standpoints and perceptions of the Iranian government and political system.
American Public Diplomacy: Enduring Characteristics, Elusive Transformation
Authors: Gregory Bruce
Published: October 2011

Understanding, planning, engagement and advocacy are core concepts of public diplomacy. They are not unique to the American experience. There is, however, an American public diplomacy modus operandi with enduring characteristics that are rooted in the nation’s history and political culture. These include episodic resolve correlated with war and surges of zeal, systemic trade-offs in American politics, competitive practitioner communities and powerful civil society actors, and late adoption of communication technologies. This article examines these concepts and characteristics in the context of US President Barack Obama’s strategy of global public engagement. It argues that as US public diplomacy becomes a multi-stakeholder instrument and central to diplomatic practice, its institutions, methods and priorities require transformation rather than adaptation. The article explores three illustrative issues: a culture of understanding; social media; and multiple diplomatic actors. It concludes that the characteristics shaping the US public diplomacy continue to place significant constraints on its capacity for transformational change.
The Traditions and Travails of Career Diplomacy in the United States
Authors: Hanson Thomas
Published: October 2011

The US Department of State has embarked on a significant expansion of personnel, yet still grapples with the consequences of severe cutbacks in the 1990s that now hamper its ability to fulfill more expeditionary tasks in the wake of 9/11. Historical factors slowed the development of career diplomacy in the US up to 1924, and in recent decades the State Department has been impacted by greater Congressional assertiveness in foreign affairs, an expanded role for other US agencies and the military, and increased security restrictions in the face of terrorist threats. Numerous studies have called for a greater emphasis on civilian diplomacy amid US military involvements in Iraq and Afghanistan. Current US strategy documents evoke a ‘whole of government’ approach to nation-building as the primary context for devoting more resources to diplomacy and development. Over time, however, global trends toward multi-polarity and US fiscal limitations may require a more fundamental re-evaluation of the role and importance of career diplomacy in US foreign policy.
European Responses to US Diplomacy: ‘Special Relationships’, Transatlantic Governance and World Order
Authors: Smith Michael
Published: October 2011

This article explores the contrasting diplomacies of the United States and the European Union, drawing attention to the characteristics of the United States as a ‘warrior state’ and the European Union as a form of ‘trading state’ in which a complex and hybrid form of diplomacy is produced through the interplay of European and national foreign policies. It then pursues the argument that the interplay of US and EU diplomacies has generated an evolving EU-US diplomatic system, which in itself is hybrid and multidimensional. The article explores the context within which the EU-US diplomatic system has evolved and is evolving, and proposes three key patterns of diplomatic relations as the core of the system: ‘special relationships’ reflecting specific ties between the United States and key EU member states; ‘transatlantic governance’ reflecting the growth of transatlantic transactions and demands for their management; and ‘world order diplomacy’, which is centred on global governance institutions, patterns of intervention and crisis management. The article explores these patterns as they have manifested themselves during the George W. Bush and Obama presidencies, and concludes by asking whether the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty in the European Union is likely to bring about significant change in the patterns of EU-US diplomacy.
Course Corrections: The Obama Administration at the United Nations
Authors: Bosco David
Published: October 2011

Less has changed in US diplomacy at the United Nations than many observers expected when the Obama administration took office in January 2009. In the UN Security Council, the United States has pursued a generally steady course that in many respects builds on the accomplishments of the Bush administration. Unexpectedly, the Security Council’s pace of work diminished considerably during the first few years of the new administration. The most significant change is the atmospherics of US diplomacy, not its substance: the Obama administration has participated in processes that the Bush administration shunned and has toned down US criticism of the United Nations’ perceived shortcomings.
The Incapacitation of US Statecraft and Diplomacy
Authors: Freeman Chas W.
Published: October 2011

After the Second World War, the United States led the world in the reform of global governance. It also articulated and implemented a grand strategy to cope with the bipolar order that the war had brought into being. Confronted at present with a comparable crisis in global governance amid massive shifts in the global distribution of wealth and power, the United States has yet to articulate a vision, lead reform efforts, or reformulate its global strategy. This lapse from leadership reflects changes in the US political system that reinforce a militarized approach to foreign policy and make it difficult, if not impossible, for the United States to formulate strategic initiatives or to implement them through diplomacy and other measures short of war.
Quantum Diplomacy, German–US Relations and the Psychogeography of Berlin
Authors: Derian James Der
Published: October 2011

This article is inspired by a series of events that took place in February 2011 around the effort to negotiate a memorial in Berlin on the occasion of the one-hundredth anniversary of the birth of President Ronald Reagan. A thought experiment with images is constructed to consider whether these events — produced by the ubiquity, interconnectivity and reflexivity of global media — are symptomatic of a new quantum diplomacy.
Printing for Prestige? Publishing and Publications by Ming Princes Part 2
Authors: Kerlouégan Jérôme
Published: October 2011

Scattered throughout the realm in a great number of provincial courts, Ming imperial clansmen did not wield political or military power. Some among them therefore used their energies to publish books; indeed, the publishing activities of the Ming princes constitute one of many elements of what can be termed “princely culture.” Even though princely imprints formed an insignificant proportion of Ming publications, a large number of them have survived to our day. Based on the examination of approximately 240 such editions, this essay explores the relationships between the princes and the literati who assisted them. It raises questions central to princely publishing: How learned were the princes? What books did they publish? For which audiences and with what objectives? What are the main characteristics of princely publications? Did princes have well-defined publishing strategies? The last section of the essay addresses the heritage of Ming princely publications in the Qing dynasty.

This essay will be published in several installments in East Asian Publishing and Society.
Towards a Political Economy of the Early Modern Print Industry in Chosn
Authors: Shin Michael D.
Published: October 2011

This article examines the rise of a modern print industry in Chosn Korea in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The common view is that the beginning of Japanese rule in 1910 suppressed a nascent print industry, but after a “dark” period, it underwent a renaissance after the March First Movement in 1919. An examination of available statistics from the period suggests that this view needs to be slightly revised. Though it is true that print capitalism fully emerged in the 1920s, the production of print began to increase significantly after the mid 1910s. The article also discusses the print industry’s role in the formation of the bourgeoisie and how this process was affected by the dynamics of modernization under colonial rule.
Recent Warming in the Western North Pacific in Relation to Rapid Changes in the Atmospheric Circulation of the Siberian High and Aleutian Low Systems*
Authors: Park Young-Hyang , Yoon Jong-Hwan , Youn Yong-Hoon , Vivier Frédéric
Published: October 2011

On the basis of a new East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) index and by analyzing the relationship between sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies and different atmospheric and oceanic factors in winter, this study investigates the causes of the recent unusual warming in the western North Pacific Ocean. Analyses presented here emphasize the dual contribution from the atmosphere and ocean to the local SST variability, with the relative importance of each contributor varying with the period and place. During the period 1970–89, the EAWM, controlled mostly by the Siberian high, is predominantly responsible for the SST variability in most of the western North Pacific, whereas in the period 1990–2005 ocean dynamics become increasingly important in most places or even dominant in the Kuroshio–Oyasio Extension (KOE) region. The delayed response of the KOE SST to basinwide wind stress curl forcing via Rossby waves is epoch dependent and is significant at lags of 1, 3, and 4 yr before 1990 but only at 1 yr afterward. This epoch dependency of the impact of Rossby waves is related to the different locations of the centers of action of wind stress curl in the midlatitude North Pacific between the two epochs. In addition, mean advection of the EAWM-driven anomalous SST from the southern East China Sea, which can be transported into the KOE region in about a year by the Kuroshio, likely affects the KOE SST lagged by 1 yr. The strongest positive SST trend observed in the western North Pacific results from the combined effects of the abrupt weakening of the EAWM due to the unprecedented decline of the Siberian high and the increasing role of the ocean. The latter is best evidenced by the 1-yr delayed response of the western North Pacific via the gyre circulation adjustment to the basinwide decadal-scale wind stress curl change associated with the northward shift of the strengthened Aleutian low.
Developing versus Nondeveloping Disturbances for Tropical Cyclone Formation. Part II: Western North Pacific
Authors: Fu Bing , Peng Melinda S. , Li Tim , Stevens Duane E.
Published: October 2011

Global daily reanalysis fields from the Navy Operational Global Atmospheric Prediction System (NOGAPS) are used to analyze Northern Hemisphere summertime (June–September) developing and nondeveloping disturbances for tropical cyclone (TC) formation from 2003 to 2008. This is Part II of the study focusing on the western North Pacific (WNP), following Part I for the North Atlantic (NATL) basin. Tropical cyclone genesis in the WNP shows different characteristics from that in the NATL in both large-scale environmental conditions and prestorm disturbances.

A box difference index (BDI) is used to identify parameters in differentiating between the developing and nondeveloping disturbances. In order of importance, they are 1) 800-hPa maximum relative vorticity, 2) rain rate, 3) vertically averaged horizontal shear, 4) vertically averaged divergence, 5) 925–400-hPa water vapor content, 6) SST, and 7) translational speed. The study indicates that dynamic variables are more important in TC genesis in the WNP, while in Part I of the study the thermodynamic variables are identified as more important in the NATL. The characteristic differences between the WNP and the NATL are compared.
Osteochondral Lesion of the Talus
Authors: Choi Woo Jin , Kim Bom Soo , Lee Jin Woo
Published: October 2011

Background: Several studies have addressed the issue of the feasibility of arthroscopic surgery in older patients, usually by choosing an arbitrary age limit.

Hypothesis: Patient age is not associated with poor clinical outcome after arthroscopic surgery for osteochondral lesion of the talus (OLT), and other patient variables are the major determinants of clinical success/failure.

Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods: Between 2001 and 2008, 173 ankles underwent arthroscopic marrow stimulation treatment for OLT and were stratified into 6 age groups (<20, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, and ≥60 years). Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the effect of age on clinical outcome.

Results: There were no significant differences among the 6 age groups in the preoperative and postoperative visual analog scale (VAS) for pain or the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score. There was a significant increase in the duration of symptoms ( P < .001) and a significant decrease in the incidence of trauma ( P = .01) in the older group. Both the size of the osteochondral defect and the number of associated intra-articular lesions independently predicted a poor clinical outcome ( P < .001).

Conclusion: In contrast to some of the previous studies on this topic, we found that increased age was not an independent risk factor for poor clinical outcome after arthroscopic treatment for OLT. We did find that older patients were less likely to have a history of trauma and had a longer duration of symptoms, had smaller osteochondral defects, and had more associated intra-articular lesions.
Urban governance and disaster risk reduction in the Caribbean: the experiences of Oxfam GB
Authors: Pelling Mark
Published: October 2011

The reality of supporting community-based urban disaster risk reduction is daunting. This paper provides a cross-cultural analysis of the experiences of Oxfam GB in supporting urban community-based disaster risk reduction in Haiti, Guyana and the Dominican Republic. The paper focuses on the efforts of Oxfam GB and its local partners to overcome the determining influence of local governance on who benefits from interventions, and the longevity of positive outcomes. The most successful projects built on strong pre-existing partnerships with buy-in from local and municipal government, promoted longevity in physical and social infrastructure through dual use investments that had an everyday as well as a disaster risk reduction purpose, and integrated technological and lay focus exercises to generate local participation as well as provide baselines for project planning. Overall, however, disaster risk reduction was constrained by a lack of vision and funding constraints, which prevented root causes in the wider urban and regional environment or political economy to be tackled.
Constraints of pro-poor climate change adaptation in Chittagong city
Authors: Ahammad Ronju
Published: October 2011

This paper considers how to make pro-poor climate change adaptation more effective in the city of Chittagong. Drawing on discussions with residents in informal settlements and interviews with staff from government agencies, NGOs and donors, it shows the lack of connection between the formal institutional structure for disaster preparedness and the groups most at risk from extreme weather disasters and their community level actions. There is no clear definition of roles among local government agencies with regard to climate change adaptation. Although there is a donor-funded programme to reduce poverty and disaster risks, this is not being implemented in the settlements most at risk from landslides. Neither are there any measures underway to address the needs of the residents in these high risk settlements, in part because of the financial weakness of local government. Nor is there much support for this from national government – since national climate change adaptation policy does not consider urban adaptation and strengthening urban government capacity to reduce the vulnerability of the extreme poor as a priority. NGOs undertake programmes for community-based disaster risk reduction but their scale and scope are limited by not being integrated into local government.
The evolution of the microcredit programme of the OPP’s Orangi Charitable Trust, Karachi
Authors: Hasan Arif , Raza Mansoor
Published: October 2011

This paper describes how the microcredit programme of the Orangi Charitable Trust expanded and developed through supporting the capacity of local organizations to set up and manage credit programmes. It describes the Trust’s evolution from supporting producer and consumer cooperatives, to providing microcredit to small entrepreneurs in Orangi (one of the 18 towns in Karachi city district with around 1.4 million inhabitants), to microcredit in rural areas and other urban centres through 86 partner organizations. By 2010, 39,704 loans worth US$ 7.8 million had been provided in Orangi for small private schools (as government schools are not available), manufacturing units, traders, service providers, building component manufacturing yards and clinics. The Trust had also supported 117,115 loans worth US$ 18 million through partner organizations outside Orangi. Eighty-five per cent of loan repayments are made on time. The Trust and its partners have found that by keeping procedures and products simple and transparent, by supporting staff in partner organizations through learning-by-doing and by recruiting local staff, contact with potential borrowers and loan recovery have been made easier. Those who have taken out loans and those who are interested in loans meet often to discuss progress and difficulties. Initially, partner organizations require financial support, but within two years most generate sufficient funds to cover their overheads. The paper also discusses the new opportunities that the microcredit programmes have provided for women.
Land and revenue in a “traditional town” in Ghana: the case of the Nkwanta sub-division in Mpasatia
Authors: Andreasen Jørgen , Andersen Jørgen Eskemose , Inkoom Daniel K B
Published: October 2011

This narrative of governance and land issues in Mpasatia, a small traditional town in the Ashanti region of, Ghana focuses on the first “modern” plot sub-division project in the town, initiated in 1993. Land has always been a subject of interest in Ghana due to the belief that it belongs to three sets of people, namely the ancestors, those living now and future generations. This conceptualization provides some explanation of how land is delivered for development and how it complicates local governance of land, including land revenue, and also the difficulties associated with traditional settlements copying new urban development in cities like Kumasi. The paper discusses how the model of modernization of new sub-divisions was adopted in the Nkwanta Scheme within Mpasatia, reflecting the radical change seen over the last two decades in Kumasi and Accra, where recent developments have abandoned smaller plots for compound houses, providing big plots for detached villas. The paper provides possible reasons for the limited success of the scheme.
Kernels of change: civil society challenges to state-led strategies for recovery and risk reduction in Turkey
Authors: Johnson Cassidy
Published: October 2011

Disaster recovery and risk reduction are most effective when the state can provide an enabling environment to support community action. Following the 1999 earthquakes in Turkey, there were many initiatives undertaken by civil society to fill the gaps left by government programmes that did not reach tenants who had lost their homes nor support livelihoods and social recovery of the people. Now, 11 years later, this paper looks at how these community-based recovery initiatives have transformed into initiatives around larger issues of building resilience and risk reduction. It examines the nature of their relationships with the state and with each other. The research is based on a cross-case analysis of three civil society organizations that were active in Düzce, one of the disaster-affected regions. It finds that while the community-based initiatives working in this area have built up the capacity of groups to demand change from the government, the lack of government support has meant that these groups have not been able to effectively act in partnership or cooperation with the government, which has impacted on their ability to scale up.