bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Truth and Trust: Pierangelo Sequeri's Theology of Faith
Authors: Gallagher Michael Paul
Published: June 2008

Pierangelo Sequeri, one of Italy's most prominent contemporary theologians, has devoted many of his writings to enlarging the agenda for a renewed phenomenology and anthropology of faith. As against the incapacity of modernity and postmodernity to recognize the human depth of faith as knowledge, he seeks to restore such horizons as trust, affectivity and aesthetics to our understanding of faith. Central to his thought is the inseparable unity between truth and freedom. In fundamental theology he prefers the notion of a `trustworthy God' to the more classic debates on credibility, arguing that the primordial fiducial disposition of the self needs to be explored in order to respond to our postmodern culture. The theology of faith that emerges is explicitly Christological, focussing on the unique relationship of Jesus to his abbà-Father, which indeed offers a paradigm for our Christian faith.
Glimpsing Grace Phenomenologically: Prevenience and Posteriority
Authors: Purcell Michael
Published: June 2008

Grace is a fundamental theological category. In the history of theology it has been the focal point of theological argument. In postmodernity, with the proliferation of new articulations of notions of gift and donation (Marion) and the deconstruction of the sign (Derrida), as well as fresh understandings of the relation between freedom and responsibility (Levinas), the theology of grace may find a new language and grammar in which to be spoken. Largely, that voice will be both phenomenological and metaphysical. This article focuses on the notion of grace as prevenient (gratia praeveniens) and juxtaposes this with the notion of the `posteriority of the anterior' (Levinas).
Incarnation at the Crossroad: The Doctrine of the Pre-existence of Jesus Christ in Dialogue with Judaism and Islam
Authors: Gamberini Paolo
Published: June 2008

Renewed study of the doctrine of the pre-existence of Jesus Christ can advance mutual understanding between Christianity and the two other great monotheistic religions, Judaism and Islam, and at the same time contribute to the development of a comparative systematic theology. Christian and Jewish traditions offer remarkable ways of conceiving God's relationship to the world that seem to move in the direction of some kind of plurality in God. The Muslim doctrine of the pre-existent, eternal, and uncreated Qur'an, without questioning the oneness of Allah, may be a step in the direction of a more plural concept of God's nature. In particular, the Christian doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation may help develop a theology of encounter with Jews and Muslims.
Arius, Superman, and the Tertium Quid: When Popular Culture Meets Christology
Authors: Babka Susie Paulik
Published: June 2008

This article poses that the Christological problem of the tertium quid, or `third thing,' is exemplified in the comic book hero Superman, who is an alien `savior.' In this, the value of popular culture's contribution to academic theology is assessed, as is the value of the connection made in popular culture between Superman and Jesus Christ. Regarding Superman as a `Christ figure' is essentially a misunderstanding of the doctrine of the incarnation, in which the eternal Son of God has assumed the full reality of human nature, which includes its weakness, vulnerability, and ordinariness, as well as its potential for divine activity.
Quoting Feyerabend on Galileo
Authors: McMullin Ernan
Published: June 2008

Groups of faculty and students at the Roman university, La Sapienza, protested in January 2008 against the Pope's delivering an address to mark the opening of the school year, leading to the cancellation of the visit. The cause alleged was that, in an address given in 1990, the Pope (then Cardinal Ratzinger) had demonstrated `hostility' to science, in particular by quoting a claim that the Church's verdict on Galileo had been `rational and just.' Just what did the Cardinal say and why did he say it? In order to make a point about a change in the unquestioning way in which science has until recently been viewed, he quoted two well-known figures, Ernst Bloch and Paul Feyerabend, who argued that Galileo was not the wronged person that he has been made out to be. What historical weight did these views actually have and what role did they play in the Cardinal's overall argument?
The Aftermath of Civil War
Authors: Elbadawi Ibrahim , Hegre Håvard , Milante Gary J.
Published: June 2008

This article introduces the special issue on `The Aftermath of Civil War' and presents the research project from which the articles in this issue originate. The article presents a few empirical observations that demonstrate the increasing importance of the post-conflict situation for actors that engage to reduce the global incidence of armed conflict. The global incidence of conflict was reduced from 1992 to 2002, since there were more terminations than onsets. Although this trend seems to have halted, a scrutiny of the onsets shows that they increasingly are recurrences of conflicts that have been inactive for a period. In 2005 and 2006, there were no new conflicts. The article then briefly introduces the six contributions to the special issue. The articles investigate the importance of peacekeeping troops, elections, aid, capital flight, and exclusion of parties from peace agreements in post-conflict situations. The articles are also applicable to countries that have not had armed conflicts, as the authors investigate the relationship between ethnic diversity and military spending and the determinants of youths' decisions to participate in rebel groups.
Civil Conflict, Federalism and Strategic Delegation of Leadership
Authors: Jennings Colin , Roelfsema Hein
Published: June 2008

This article analyzes negative externalities that policymakers in one region or group may impose upon the citizens of neighboring regions or groups. These externalities may be material, but they may also be psychological (in the form of envy). The latter form of externality may arise from the production of `conspicuous' public goods. As a result, decentralized provision of conspicuous public goods may be too high. Potentially, a centralized legislature may internalize negative externalities. However, in a model with strategic delegation, we argue that the median voter in each jurisdiction may anticipate a reduction in local public goods supply and delegate to a policymaker who cares more for public goods than she does herself. This last effect mitigates the expected benefits of policy centralization. The authors' theory is then applied to the setting of civil conflict, where they discuss electoral outcomes in Northern Ireland and Yugoslavia before and after significant institutional changes that affected the degree of centralization. These case studies provide support for the authors' theoretical predictions.
Second-Class Citizens in the Making
Authors: Salazar Guadalupe
Published: June 2008

Despite the guarantees stemming from the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, children of different social classes in Chile are accorded differential protection of their basic human rights. Two cases of police violence in Santiago de Chile in 2001—a political protest demonstration by high-school students and a raid on a shelter for street children accused of kidnapping—highlight these discrepancies. Both cases received wide media attention, but the representations of the children involved were not the same. Whereas the students received the support of the media and the public for their political action, the street children were treated as criminals. The differences suggest that perceived social status determines the value assigned by society to the two categories of children and consequently the rights and protections they enjoy. In the process, the street children are being turned into second-class citizens. Restructuring of the government's approach to dealing with them is imperative.
Improving Oneself
Authors: Leinaweaver Jessaca B.
Published: June 2008

Among rural-to-urban migrants in Peru, the concept of “improving oneself” (superar ) refers to the process of overcoming poverty through dedicated efforts at self-improvement. This individual effort is situated as a moral act, occurring within a relational web of persons who should also benefit. It is described as a family project and a moral imperative for young people, and they internalize their role in this group effort. The concept is the economic, social, and moral foundation of the kinship strategy of child circulation, a practice in which children grow up outside of their natal homes. “Improving oneself” is a reason for relocating children into the homes of better-off urban relatives, as well as the justification for placing children with less-well-off rural relatives so that a parent can pursue the same goal.
When Mothers and Fathers Migrate North
Authors: Moran-Taylor Michelle J.
Published: June 2008

A substantial portion of Guatemala's population—about 10—15 percent of a population of 12 million—emigrates to the United States. Although this northward movement has produced significant social change, few studies have examined it from the perspective of the increasing involvement of household structures in transnational migration processes. Ethnographic research focused on transnational families reveals the social relationships that develop between caregivers and children and between parents and caregivers because of the necessity for transnational migration and identifies the emotional costs of these arrangements.
Safety and Sanctuary
Authors: Wolseth Jon
Published: June 2008

Ethnographic research on Pentecostal youth in a Honduran colonia reveals the ways in which they maneuver through the violence in their community. They maintain an uneasy relationship with gang members in which they claim exemption from everyday violence because of their belief in being saved. Drawing on Pentecostalism's doctrine of separation from community life, they exclude themselves from violent retribution by appealing to their rights to the sanctuary of the church. A call to the sanctuary of Pentecostalism also allows many gang members to escape the violence of street life. Pentecostal conversion is thus one way for young men to present a reformed persona that the larger community affirms.
Placing Elderly Parents in Institutions in Urban China
Authors: Zhan Heying Jenny , Xiaotian Feng  , Baozhen Luo
Published: June 2008

The authors examined changing attitudes about filial piety, or xiao, using data from intensive interviews with 20 elderly residents, 14 family members, and 9 staff members in Nanjing, China. The findings reveal that respondents interpreted the notion of xiao in terms of their own social worlds and on the basis of their own social locations and contexts. The increasing unavailability of adult children, various benefits of institutional care, and children's financial assistance for older parents are major explanations for xiao behaviors, even when elders are placed in institutions. The high cost of professional care in institutions is contributing to a shift in attitudes about institutional elder care from stigma to privilege. The authors argue that China can expect an increasing need and demand for elder care institutions as a large number of Chinese baby boomers retire.
Bilateral Symmetry Detection for Real-time Robotics Applications
Authors: Wai Ho Li  , Zhang Alan M. , Kleeman Lindsay
Published: June 2008

Bilateral symmetry is a salient visual feature of many man-made objects. In this paper, we present research that uses bilateral symmetry to identify, segment and track objects in real time using vision. Apart from the assumption of symmetry, the algorithms presented do not require any object models, such as color, shape or three-dimensional primitives. In order to counter the high computational cost of traditional symmetry detection methods, a novel computationally efficient algorithm is proposed. To investigate symmetry as an object feature, our fast detection scheme is applied to the tasks of object detection, segmentation and tracking. We find that objects with a line of symmetry can be segmented without relying on color or shape models by using a dynamic programming approach. Object tracking is achieved by estimating symmetry line parameters using a Kalman filter. The tracker operates at 40 frames per second on 640 x 480 video while running on a standard laptop PC. We use 10 difficult real-world tracking sequences to test our approach. We also quantitatively analyze symmetry as a tracking feature by comparing detected symmetry lines against ground truth. Color tracking is also performed to provide a qualitative comparison.
The barbarians of Fallujah
Authors: Carr Matt
Published: June 2008

The `global war on terror' is often represented as a struggle between incompatible opposites, of good versus evil, terror versus democracy and civilisation versus barbarism. The deployment of such dichotomies was part of the background to the onslaught on Fallujah in 2004, serving to provide the US military with the appearance of moral legitimacy, as it turned the city to rubble in order to `save' it. In the US media, the arrogant assumption that the US is civilisationally superior both to the `barbarians' its armies were fighting in the city and to the broader mass of the Iraqi population, was a recurring theme among neo-conservative and pro-war liberal ideologues. Yet, with the city's destruction presented as a moral imperative on behalf of civilised values, there has been scant examination of the allegations that US forces were guilty of war crimes. Moreover, the attack on Fallujah shows that civilisation and barbarism are not diametrically opposed concepts in a `global war on terror' which continues to cause more death and destruction than the violence it is supposedly intended to eliminate.
US imperialism after Iraq
Authors: Harris Jerry
Published: June 2008

The failure of its occupation of Iraq has provoked deep divisions among the US ruling elite over the future of foreign policy. The unilateralism promoted by the neoconservatives has been discredited, yet it is unclear whether the post-Bush era will be dominated by the `realists' or the `globalists', each of whom advocate different pathways for US imperialism. The `realists' — long the dominant trend in US foreign policy thinking — aim to maintain US leadership of the pro-western alliance formed during the cold war, whereas the `globalists', whose economic interests are those of transnational capital, seek to rethink US power within the context of an emerging polycentric world system, the parameters of which remain to be fully articulated. For the moment, there is a disconnect between the transnational economics of globalisation and the nationalist politics of the US ruling class, which remains committed to its belief that America has been uniquely chosen by history, culture and God to lead the world.
Language and the seizure of power: an interview with C. L. R. James
Authors: Searle Chris
Published: June 2008

In this hitherto unpublished wide-ranging and reflective interview from 1982 on the relationships between language, literature and political change, C. L. R. James examines what is specific to the Caribbean genus of imaginative writing in English. And he draws insightful comparisons between it and the rhetorical power embodied in Martin Luther King's great speech, `I have a dream'. As we go to press, the fortieth anniversary of King's death is being commemorated.
Book Review Essay: Institutions, Culture, and the Moral Economy: The Reconfiguration of Class in Theory and Politics
Authors: Lafferty George
Published: June 2008

This review essay draws on a discussion of the three books by Svallfors, Munck, and Milner to reflect on the continuing salience of class and Marxist analysis in the wake of neoliberalism, postmodernism, and post-Marxism. The essay explores the possibilities for a radicalization of the “moral economy” in the Anglophone nations, reversing the erosion of collectivist institutions. While claims of the “death of class” and the irrelevance of Marxism may be unsustainable, political issues such as working class conservatism require a radical re-examination of Marxist understandings of class in relation to gender, race, and ethnicity.
Low-wage Labor and the Geography of Production: A Qualified Defense of the “Pauper Labor Argument”
Authors: Larudee Mehrene , Koechlin Timothy
Published: June 2008

Does dismantling barriers to moving production offshore mean that jobs will actually flee to low-wage countries? The labor movement says yes, but many mainstream economists reject this “pauper labor argument,” insisting that wages are low only where productivity is low, and so low wages do not motivate firms to relocate. We argue that this mainstream view is wrong both empirically and theoretically. The available data strongly suggest that unit labor costs (ULCs) differ widely among countries, and ULCs appear on average to be lower in poor countries. We argue, further, that low wages are indeed an independent source of competitiveness, because firms often carry a significant portion of their productivity with them, allowing them to achieve ULCs in the host country below the existing average there. We also comment on Harrison and McMillan's (2006) paper on these issues, and sketch an alternative framework for analyzing relationships among wages, productivity, and the relocation of production.
On the Analytical and Methodological Significance of Microeconomic Theory
Authors: Katzner Donald W.
Published: June 2008

In responding to Guerrien and Benicourt's criticisms of, and reasons for abandoning, microeconomic theory, this article first discusses certain aspects of the general purpose and methodology of that theory. It then presents counter arguments to four specific Guerrien–Benicourt reasons for abandonment relating to problems with, respectively, the theory of price determination in general equilibrium theory, the standard analysis of a market in isolation, general equilibrium with imperfectly competitive markets, and the theory of firm decision making.
“Doing Religion” In a Secular World
Authors: Avishai Orit
Published: June 2008

Sociological studies of women's experiences with conservative religions are typically framed by a paradox that ponders women's complicity. The prevailing view associates agency with strategic subjects who use religion to further extra-religious ends and pays little attention to the cultural and institutional contexts that shape “compliance.” This paper suggests an alternative framing. Rather than asking why women comply, I examine agency as religious conduct and religiosity as a constructed status. Drawing on a study that examined how orthodox Jewish Israeli women observe, negotiate, and make sense of regulations of marital sexuality, this paper explains religious women's agency as religious conduct, or the “doing” of religion. I demonstrate that doing religion is associated with a search for authentic religious subjecthood and that religiosity is shaped in accordance with the logics of one's religion, and in the context of controlling messages about threatened symbolic boundaries and cultural Others.
Improvement of hand dexterity following motor cortex rTMS in multiple sclerosis patients with cerebellar impairment
Authors: Koch G , Rossi S , Prosperetti C , Codecà C , Monteleone F , Petrosini L , Bernardi G , Centonze D
Published: June 2008

We tested the effects of 5-Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the motor cortex in multiple sclerosis (MS) subjects with cerebellar symptoms. rTMS improved hand dexterity in cerebellar patients ( n = 8) but not in healthy subjects ( n = 7), as detected by a significant transient reduction of the time required to complete the nine-hole pegboard task. rTMS of the motor cortex may be a useful approach to treat cerebellar impairment in MS patients.
Autoimmune diseases in patients with multiple sclerosis and their first-degree relatives: a nationwide cohort study in Denmark
Authors: Nielsen NM , Frisch M , Rostgaard K , Wohlfahrt J , Hjalgrim H , Koch-Henriksen N , Melbye M , Westergaard T
Published: June 2008

Background

Multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases might cluster. Our aim was to estimate the relative risk (RR) of other autoimmune diseases among MS patients and their first-degree relatives in a population-based cohort study.

Methods

Using the Danish Multiple Sclerosis Register, the Danish Hospital Discharge Register, and the Danish Civil Registration System, we estimated RRs for 42 different autoimmune diseases in a population-based cohort of 12 403 MS patients and 20 798 of their first-degree relatives. Ratios of observed to expected numbers of autoimmune diseases, based on national sex-, age-, and period-specific incidence rates, served as measures of the RRs.

Results

Compared with the general population, MS patients were at an increased risk of developing ulcerative colitis (RR = 2.0 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.4–2.8), n = 29) and pemphigoid (RR = 15.4 (CI: 8.7–27.1), n = 12) but at reduced risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RR = 0.5 (CI: 0.4–0.8), n = 28) and temporal arteritis (RR = 0.5 (CI: 0.3–0.97), n = 11). First-degree relatives of MS patients were at increased risks of Crohn’s disease (RR = 1.4 (CI: 1.04–1.9), n = 44), ulcerative colitis (RR = 1.3 (CI: 0.99–1.7), n = 51), Addison’s disease (RR = 3.4 (CI: 1.3–9.0), n = 4), and polyarteritis nodosa (RR = 3.7 (CI: 1.4–10.0), n = 4).

Conclusion

Patients with MS and their first-degree relatives seem to be at an increased risk of acquiring certain other autoimmune diseases.
Factors associated with the risk of secondary progression in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Koch M , Uyttenboogaart M , van Harten A , De Keyser J
Published: June 2008

Objective

To investigate factors associated with the risk of secondary progression in relapsing-remitting onset multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods

We used Kaplan-Meier survival analyses and a multivariable Cox regression model to estimate the influence of the factors: gender, age at disease onset, use of immunomodulatory drugs (IMD), and clinical manifestation at disease onset on the time to secondary progression in a hospital-based cohort of 571 MS patients with a relapsing-remitting onset.

Results

Gender and onset manifestation had no significant influence on the timing of secondary progression. A higher age at disease onset was associated with a shorter time to secondary progression (multivariable hazard ratio per year increase: 1.02, 95% CI:1.01 - 1.03). The use of IMD was associated with a longer time to secondary progression (multivariable hazard ratio: 0.30, 95% CI: 0.15 - 0.61).

Conclusions

The inverse relationship between age at disease onset and onset of secondary progression is in keeping with previous natural history studies. The beneficial effect of IMD treatment on the time to secondary progression should be taken as hypothesis-generating rather than as proof of a treatment effect, and needs to be further evaluated in well-designed randomised controlled trials.
Memory decline evolves independently of disease activity in MS
Authors: Duque B , Sepulcre J , Bejarano B , Samaranch L , Pastor P , Villoslada P
Published: June 2008

Background

The natural history of cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis (MS) and its relationship with disease activity is not well known. In this study, we evaluate a prospective cohort of 44 MS patients who were followed every 3 months for 2 years. Cognitive evaluation was done at baseline and by the end of the study using the Brief Repeatable Battery-Neuropsychology. Clinical evaluation included assessment of new relapses and changes in disability (Extended Disability Status Scale (EDSS)) confirmed at 6 months.

Results

We found that verbal memory performance deteriorates after 2 years in patients with MS. These changes were observed in stable and active patients both in terms of relapses and disability progression, even at the beginning of the disease, and in patients with or without cognitive impairment at study entry. Attention and executive functions measured with the symbol digit modality test (SDMT) declined after 2 years in patients with confirmed disability progression. Furthermore, SDMT performance correlated with the EDSS change.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that verbal memory steadily declines in patients with MS from the beginning of the disease and independently of other parameters of disease activity.
Interferon β therapy increases serum ferritin levels in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis
Authors: Sena A , Pedrosa R , Ferret-Sena V , Cascais MJ , Roque R , Araújo C , Couderc R
Published: June 2008

Serum ferritin levels have been found to be increased in patients with active progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). However, its levels are reported to be unchanged in stable and in active relapsing-remitting (RR) form of the disease. No research to date has assessed the influence of interferon β (IFN-β) on ferritin concentrations. In this study, serum ferritin levels were measured in 43 individuals with RR-MS and 38 age- and sex-matched control volunteers. There were no significant differences between controls and patients under stable and untreated conditions. In patients at 12 months after the beginning of IFN-β therapy, ferritin levels were higher in women and in men, in comparison with baseline (71.4 ± 58.6 vs 43.4 ± 29.9 ng/mL, P = 0.0006 and 216.0 ± 124.3 vs 127.8 ± 74.9 ng/mL, P = 0.0022, respectively). These results suggest that larger prospective studies are required to evaluate the role of serum ferritin in MS and its potential usefulness in monitoring responses to immunomodulatory therapies.
Retinal nerve fiber layer atrophy is associated with physical and cognitive disability in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Toledo J , Sepulcre J , Salinas-Alaman A , García-Layana A , Murie-Fernandez M , Bejarano B , Villoslada P
Published: June 2008

Background

Studying axonal loss in the retina is a promising biomarker for multiple sclerosis (MS). Our aim was to compare optical coherence tomography (OCT) and Heidelberg retinal tomography (HRT) techniques to measure the thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in patients with MS, and to explore the relationship between changes in the RNFL thickness with physical and cognitive disability. We studied 52 patients with MS and 18 proportionally matched controls by performing neurological examination, neuropsychological evaluation using the Brief Repetitive Battery-Neuropsychology and RNFL thickness measurement using OCT and HRT.

Results

We found that both OCT and HRT could define a reduction in the thickness of the RNFL in patients with MS compared with controls, although both measurements were weakly correlated, suggesting that they might measure different aspects of the tissue changes in MS. The degree of RNFL atrophy was correlated with cognitive disability, mainly with the symbol digit modality test ( r = 0.754, P < 0.001). Moreover, temporal quadrant RNFL atrophy measured with OCT was associated with physical disability.

Conclusion

In summary, both OCT and HRT are able to detect thinning of the RNFL, but OCT seems to be the most sensitive technique to identify changes associated with MS evolution.
Patients with multiple sclerosis resisted to glucocorticoid therapy: abnormal expression of heat-shock protein 90 in glucocorticoid receptor complex
Authors: Matysiak M , Makosa B , Walczak A , Selmaj K
Published: June 2008

Objective

The majority of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) respond favorably to glucocorticoids (GS) for their relapse treatment (steroid-sensitive multiple sclerosis). Unfortunately, a small subset of patients with multiple-sclerosis fails to adequately respond even to high dose of GS (steroid-resistant multiple sclerosis). Mechanism of GS therapeutic unresponsiveness is not resolved.

Methods

Transcripts for glucocorticoid receptor (GR) was assessed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells by real-time polymerase chain reaction in patients with steroid-sensitive and steroid-resistant multiple sclerosis. GR expression was assessed by Western blotting. The amount of heat-shock protein 90 (hsp90) in GR cytoplasmic complex was assessed by immunoprecipitation. Hsp90 was shown to stabilize the GR complex, to prevent its translocation to nucleus, and to inhibit GR transcription.

Results

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells of steroid-resistant multiple sclerosis transcripts for all three isoforms of GR, α, β, and γ, were reduced by about two-folds compared with patients with steroid-sensitive multiple sclerosis. We have not found an increase in the β and γ transcripts of GR, which might serve as a dominant negative mutants, over GR α in steroid-resistant multiple sclerosis. The amount of hsp90 in the GR complex in cytoplasm was significantly higher in steroid-resistant multiple sclerosis compared with steroid-sensitive multiple sclerosis.

Conclusions

Molecular mechanism of GS unresponsiveness in some patients with multiple sclerosis might be related to increased presence of hsp90 in the GR cytoplasmic complex, leading to the inhibition of GR translocation to nucleus and reduction in its transcription.
Cognitive dysfunction 24–31 years after isolated optic neuritis
Authors: Nilsson P , Rorsman I , Larsson EM , Norrving B , Sandberg-Wollheim M
Published: June 2008

Objective

Cognitive dysfunction is common in multiple sclerosis (MS), but long-term data on cognition in patients with clinically isolated syndromes are sparse.

Methods

We determined cognitive functions in 22 patients 44–75 years old diagnosed with optic neuritis 24–31 years earlier but had no further clinical bouts and had not progressed clinically to MS. We used a neuropsychological test battery covering nine cognitive domains. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain had been performed earlier and was normal in six patients and showed two or more white matter abnormalities compatible with demyelinating lesions in 16 patients.

Results

On neuropsychological testing, one patient was within normal range on all tests, six subjects showed borderline results, and 15 patients (68%) showed significantly impaired performance in at least one cognitive domain. Seven patients showed significant impairment in two or more domains. Executive function, visuo-spatial ability, and information processing speed were the most frequently affected domains. There was no apparent correlation between MRI findings and cognitive function.

Conclusions

We conclude that cognitive dysfunction is common in patients many years after clinically isolated optic neuritis. Cognitive dysfunction was found even in patients who had no apparent demyelinating lesions on follow-up MRI.
Long-term follow-up of suspected though unconfirmed MS
Authors: Nielsen JM , Uitdehaag BMJ , Polman CH
Published: June 2008

Objective

There is no gold standard diagnostic test for MS, and evaluation of present diagnostic criteria has almost exclusively been done in populations of which the vast majority is prone to develop MS. Patients referred for a potential MS diagnosis in whom ultimately another or no diagnosis is made are seldomly reported in a systematic way. We report, after 7 years, on the diagnoses made in a cohort of patients with suspected though unconfirmed MS.

Methods

We retrieved information on the current diagnosis of all patients who had visited our center between 1998 and 2001 for a second opinion concerning a possible MS diagnosis and in whom no diagnosis had been made at that time.

Results

Seventy-five patients (86%) could be retrieved and cooperated. In seven patients, a diagnosis of MS, in eight patients another neurological diagnosis had been made. In the remaining 60 patients, still no neurological diagnosis had been made.

Conclusions

In potential MS patients seen in a tertiary referral center, the likelihood that a patient who is not diagnosed with MS will in the future develop a neurological disease is small. This study suggests that, in addition to playing a role in diagnosing MS, MRI can be helpful to exclude MS in clinically doubtful cases.
Tracking retinal nerve fiber layer loss after optic neuritis: a prospective study using optical coherence tomography
Authors: Costello F , Hodge W , Pan YI , Eggenberger E , Coupland S , Kardon RH
Published: June 2008

Introduction

Optic neuritis causes retinal nerve fiber layer damage, which can be quantified with optical coherence tomography. Optical coherence tomography may be used to track nerve fiber layer changes and to establish a time-dependent relationship between retinal nerve fiber layer thickness and visual function after optic neuritis.

Methods

This prospective case series included 78 patients with optic neuritis, who underwent optical coherence tomography and visual testing over a mean period of 28 months. The main outcome measures included comparing inter-eye differences in retinal nerve fiber layer thickness between clinically affected and non-affected eyes over time; establishing when RNFL thinning stabilized after optic neuritis; and correlating retinal nerve fiber layer thickness and visual function.

Results

The earliest significant inter-eye differences manifested 2-months after optic neuritis, in the temporal retinal nerve fiber layer. Inter-eye comparisons revealed significant retinal nerve fiber layer thinning in clinically affected eyes, which persisted for greater than 24 months. Retinal nerve fiber thinning manifested within 6 months and then stabilized from 7 to 12 months after optic neuritis. Regression analyses demonstrated a threshold of nerve fiber layer thickness (75μm), which predicted visual recovery after optic neuritis.

Conclusions

Retinal nerve fiber layer changes may be tracked and correlated with visual function within 12 months of an optic neuritis event.
Atorvastatin decreases high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Sellner J , Greeve I , Mattle HP
Published: June 2008

The anti-inflammatory potential of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors, as reflected by modulation of C-reactive protein (CRP), might be beneficial in the treatment of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). We evaluated serum levels of high-sensitivity (hs)-CRP in relapsing–remitting MS patients receiving interferon-β 1b and atorvastatin as add-on therapy. This study shows that interferon-β treatment is associated with increased serum levels of hs-CRP in MS patients ( P < 0.01). In contrast, when atorvastatin is added to interferon-β, hs-CRP serum levels decrease to the normal range ( P < 0.05), indicating an anti-inflammatory action of atorvastatin in MS. However, whether add-on treatment with atorvastatin modifies the course of MS remains to be investigated.
Impact of disease-modifying treatments in North African migrants with multiple sclerosis in France
Authors: Lebrun C , Debouverie M , Jeannin S , Pittion-Vouyovitch S , Bayreuther C , Berthier F
Published: June 2008

Background

Multiple Sclerosis in North African migrants (MS-NA) is more aggressive with mostly primary progressive forms and cerebellar symptoms. Despite an earlier onset in NA patients, the disease progresses more rapidly, with a higher proportion showing incomplete recovery from the first relapse, a shorter time between the first two relapses, a higher number of relapses in the first 5 years, and a shorter time to reach an EDSS of 4.0 and 6.0. We collected data and studied the impact of disease-modifying therapies (DMT) in NA patients with MS, among the 4144 MS patients treated in our MS clinics.

Methods

We performed a descriptive population-based study of MS-NA patients. Data were crossed with expected age- and gender-matched characteristics available in our EDMUS databases for the period 1995–2007.

Results

A total of 133 patients, representing 66% of the MS-NA patients included in the database were identified: mean age at the first documented symptom: 29.7 years; mean time from diagnosis to the beginning of DMT: 1.2 years. 40% of MS-NA patients had an EDSS >3 at the beginning of treatment (vs. 25%; P = 0.002). A majority of patients were treated initially with immunomodulatory drugs (MS-NA: 48% vs. CT: 51%, P = 0.8). NA patients were treated earlier after diagnosis (1.3 years vs. 4.5 years, P = 0.003), with the frequent use of immunosuppressive drugs: for remitting forms, mitoxantrone (18.5% vs. 7.8%, P = 0.0001) and for progressive forms, cyclophosphamide (38% vs. 28%, P = 0.003).

Conclusions

Considering EDSS follow-up during DMT, MS-NA patients appear as responsive as other MS patients to treatment, despite the earlier treatment prescription and the more frequent use of immunosuppressors.
Expansion of CD4+CD28− T cells producing high levels of interferon-γ in peripheral blood of patients with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Miyazaki Y , Iwabuchi K , Kikuchi S , Fukazawa T , Niino M , Hirotani M , Sasaki H , Onoé K
Published: June 2008

CD4+ T cells that lack surface expression of the CD28 co-stimulatory molecule (CD4+CD28− T cells) were expanded in peripheral blood of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) [5.20 ± 1.67% vs 13.00 ± 2.68% (healthy controls (HC) versus patients with MS)]. Both the CD4+CD28+ and CD4+CD28− T-cell populations of patients with MS produced higher levels of interferon (IFN)-γ compared with those in HC. In particular, the proportion of IFN-γ+ cells among CD4+CD28− T cells from patients with MS was considerably high. However, expression of co-stimulatory molecules including inducible costimulator (ICOS), activating natural killer receptors, or members of tumor necrosis factor receptor family that replace CD28 in CD4+CD28− T cells of patients with MS could not be identified. A unique subpopulation bearing the CD45RAhighCCR7− phenotype was identified among the CD4+CD28− T cells of some patients with MS. Because only MS samples contained this CD45RAhighCCR7− population attributed to terminally differentiated effector memory cells and lacked naive CD45RAhighCCR7+ cells, we suggest that CD4+CD28− T cells of patients with MS represent a cell population which is in more differentiated state than healthy subjects. In patients treated with IFN-β-1b, IFN-γ production from CD4+CD28+ T cells was suppressed compared with that in untreated patients. On the contrary, in the CD4+CD28− population, production of IFN-γ in IFN-β-1b-treated patients was not significantly suppressed compared with that in untreated patients with MS. Thus, an additional treatment strategy that specifically targets this cell population may enhance the beneficial effect of IFN-β on MS.
Referential communication in children with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Dahlgren Svenolof , Sandberg Annika Dahlgren
Published: June 2008

Referential communication was studied in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) including children with autism and Asperger syndrome. The aim was to study alternative explanations for the children's communicative problems in such situations. Factors studied were theory of mind, IQ, verbal ability and memory. The main results demonstrated diminished performance in children with autism spectrum disorder, mirroring performance in everyday life, in comparison to verbal IQ and mental age matched typically developing children. Among children with autism spectrum disorders, there was a positive relationship between performance in referential communication and theory of mind. Memory capacity also proved to play a role in success in the task.
Persons with acquired profound hearing loss (APHL): how do they and their families adapt to the challenge?
Authors: Hallam Richard , Ashton Paul , Sherbourne Katerina , Gailey Lorraine
Published: June 2008

The study examined the impact of acquired profound hearing loss (APHL) on the relationship between the hearing impaired person and their normally hearing close family member, usually a partner, and identified the kinds of adjustment leading to maintenance or deterioration of the relationship. The participants were 25 people with APHL and 25 family members, interviewed separately in their own home. Analysis of the interview transcripts adopted a grounded theory methodology. The different levels of analysis were linked in terms of a core category based on the social construction of a committed relationship. The conceptual codes were grouped as: (a) aural impairments giving rise to the need for adjustment; (b) pragmatic adjustments to spoken communication and family activities; (c) managing the adjustments without negative consequences; (d) adjustments leading to negative interaction. The results suggest that APHL places considerable strain on relationships and increases their vulnerability to failure, consistent with previous research. They highlight the need for professional support and suggest that a systemic conceptual framework is needed that includes the public response to profound hearing impairment.
Regional school development
Authors: Resinger Paul
Published: June 2008

After providing some insight into the historical background of school evaluation in Austria, this report introduces a possible reform model, and then describes the development processes, drawing on the example of a two-year pilot project, before evaluating its advantages and limitations.
Group-to-Individual Problem-Solving Transfer
Authors: Laughlin Patrick R. , Carey Harold R. , Kerr Norbert L.
Published: June 2008

Many scientific, educational, business, military, and political groups assume that people who solve problems in groups and teams will solve subsequent problems better as individuals than people without previous group problem-solving experience. In order to assess such group-to-individual transfer, sets of three people solved four letters-to-numbers decoding problems as groups (G) or individuals (I) in five conditions: GGGG, GGGI, GGII, GIII, or IIII. Results supported four hypotheses: (a) groups performed better than individuals, (b) positive group-to-individual transfer occurred, (c) one group experience was sufficient for transfer, (d) transfer was at the level of group performance (complete) on problems 2 and 3 but incomplete on problem 4, due to exceptional performance in the GGGG condition.
Populism, Localism and Environmental Politics: the Logic and Rhetoric of the Stop Stansted Expansion campaign
Authors: Griggs Steven , Howarth David
Published: June 2008

Proposed plans to build or expand large infrastructure projects such as airports, motorways or housing developments are often sites of intense political contestation and conflict management. This article explores the intersection between environmental planning processes and political practices by analysing the Stop Stansted Expansion (SSE) campaign to curtail the further development of Stansted Airport in the south-east of England. Highlighting a paradox of political engagement, the article builds upon recent poststructuralist theory to develop a novel grammar of concepts and logics with which to explore the dynamics of political campaigning. This grammar develops Ernesto Laclau's recent approach to populism by elaborating a spectrum of political forms of engagement, along which concrete manifestations can be located. We then characterize the logic of the SSE campaign surrounding New Labour's consultation exercise for the 2003 Air Transport White Paper, before problematizing strategies and tactics in the light of the available options. We conclude by sketching out the possibility of a dialectical connection between localism and populism, in which particular demands can be inscribed into a more universal rhetoric and strategy for change.
Democratic Assessment of Collaborative Planning Processes
Authors: Agger Annika , Löfgren Karl
Published: June 2008

Collaborative planning is often mentioned as one of the most appropriate planning theories in relation to the network society owing to its focus on creating fair and inclusive institutional settings for deliberations among public and private stakeholders. Even though this theoretical framework discusses potential outcomes, the actual democratic effects of collaborative planning processes are notably overlooked in the literature. The central question raised in this article is: how can we assess the democratic effects of collaborative planning processes? The article presents a tentative evaluative framework for assessing the different stages ( input, process and outcome) of collaborative planning processes deriving criteria from democratic theory, as well as from theories on collaborative planning, which can be deployed for empirical studies.
The Contribution of Assemblage Theory and Minor Politics for Democratic Network Governance
Authors: Van Wezemael Joris
Published: June 2008

This article starts from Sørensen and Torfing's (2004) notion that the field of network governance is `somewhat eclectic and confusing' and that it lacks a sound ontological foundation. I will argue that the lack of a proper conceptualization of intermediate-scale entities such as interpersonal networks, organizations or social movements in network governance hampers the introduction of post-liberal concepts of democracy into network governance. In the second part of the article I introduce DeLanda's theory of social complexity, which is a development of DeuleuzoGuattarian Assemblage Theory. I propose it as an ontological foundation for network governance research. Assemblage theory connects to concepts of minor and major politics. In the third part of the article I present a concept of `minor governance' in order to revisit democratic network governance.
Ideologies of Certainty in a Risky Reality: Beyond the Hauntology of Planning
Authors: Gunder Michael
Published: June 2008

Two perceptions of `risk' tend to dominate leading conceptualizations of this term. The first perspective is largely held by government and the scientific community. Risk, in this view, is something that can be measured, observed, mapped and generally controlled. Under this perspective, planning is often perceived as playing a central scientific role in the achievement of this `management' task. The second perspective is a poststructuralist one where risk is a constructed concept. This article explores this perspective from the position that risk is a fear of the repressed, undecidable and unknown that haunts social reality, for it may spring up at any time to create adversity and misfortune. In this view, risk is inherently an ideological spectre responding to a lack of knowledge, uncertainty and/or inherent unknowability, which in turn induces society to crave and then seek to generate further constructs of certainty, even if these are mere fantasies and illusions that purport to control and overcome the unknown. In contrast to the scientific realist perspective of `manageable' risk, this article argues that planning often produces just such an ideological response. Further, it argues that a desire for certainty to offset the haunting of this risky future, no matter how illusionary, underlies and empowers planning's very ontological purpose. It concludes by proposing an alternative ontology for planning, which actively engages with change and the unexpected.
Parental Rights: A role-based approach
Authors: Hannan Sarah , Vernon Richard
Published: June 2008

Both parents and children have strong interests associated with the childrearing process. Children have an interest in being raised in a particular manner, while parents have an interest in parenting in a particular manner. Whose interests should serve as the foundation for childrearing rights? Although parents have an interest in rearing their children as they see fit, no rights follow from that interest. Parental interests generate a right to become a parent, but they do not determine the scope and content of the childrearing rights that attach to this role.The rights that characterize the parental role are grounded solely on the interests of children. While childrearing rights allow parents latitude in interpreting how to parent, and exclude others from intervening, they are limited by the considerable constraint that they cannot undermine their children's future autonomy.