bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Size of Lipoprotein Particles in the Intestinal Lymph of Rats Fed on Corn Oil, Peanut Oil, Rapeseed Oil or Canbra Oil
Authors: Caselli Claude , Carlier Hélène , Bézard Jean
Published: November 2008

The release of chylomicrons (d > 0.1 µm) and very low density lipoprotein-like particles (d ≤ 0.1 µm) by the intestinal mucosa of rats was followed by means of electron microscopy of the intestinal lymph after ingestion of four oils: corn and peanut oils, both containing large amounts of C18 unsaturated fatty acids (85 and 82%, respectively), especially linoleic acid (50%) in the corn oil and oleic acid (53%) in the peanut oil, and two crucifer oils: rapeseed oil, with a high erucic content (53%) and canbra oil with alow erucic content but rich in oleic acid (62%). The absorption of rapeseed oil took place at a very early stage and was very rapid; practically within the first 6 h. The absorption of corn oil also began early but it took longer. As for canbra and peanut oils, their absorption occurred later and evolved in the same manner but with, however, greater rapidity for the canbra oil. The proportion of chylomicrons observed in lymph following the ingestion of canbra oil, especially those larger than 0.2 µm, was higher than the proportion observed after ingestion of peanut oil, but the release of chylomicrons during the course of absorption of either oil followed the same evolution. Most of the fatty acids of these two oils were thus transported by chylomicrons, especially after ingestion of canbra oil. A delayed release of chylomicrons occurred after the ingestion of rapeseed oil. Since the absorption of this oil began very early and increased rapidly, most of the fatty acids, particularly erucic acid, were carried in small chylomicrons and by very low density lipoprotein (VLDL)-like particles. The large proportion and the rapidity of the release of chylomicrons after ingestion of peanut oil and particularly canbra oil could be ascribed to the oleic acid content of these two oils. The results concerning the absorption of rapeseed oil could be explained by the saturated character of erucic acid. The incorporation of large amounts of this acid in the smaller lipoprotein particles of lymph could partly explain the abnormal metabolism of erucic acid in the tissues, especially in the myocardium, different from that observed for oleic acid in canbra oil, which is mainly transported in chylomicrons.
Occult Anticonvulsant Osteomalacia in North India
Authors: Marya R.K. , Khattar V.P. , Bansal R.K.
Published: November 2008

Serum calcium, inorganic phosphate and alkaline phosphatase, tubular reabsorption of phosphate (TRP) estimation and radiological examination of the skeleton were conducted in 40 cases (18–50 years of age) on anticonvulsant therapy and 20 controls. The epileptic group showed a statistically significant rise in serum alkaline phosphatase and a fall in TRP. In none of the cases, however, was there clinical or radiological evidence of osteomalacia. Biochemical abnormalities were seen mainly in the youngest individuals. It seems that the critical factor for the development of anticonvulsant osteomalacia is the lack of dietary vitamin D/solar exposure or increased body requirement of the vitamin.
Effect of Different Dietary Fats on Daily Loss of Sterols from the Skin of Man
Authors: Bhattacharyya Ashim.K. , Connor William.E.
Published: November 2008

We studied the effect of polyunsaturated dietary fat upon the 24-hour loss of cholesterol and other sterols from the skin surface of 4 human subjects. They were fed cholesterol-free diets which provided 40% of the total caloric intake from saturated fat (cocoa butter) and then a highly polyunsaturated fat (corn oil). In both dietary fat periods, the daily loss of cholesterol through the skin was similar, 91 and 87 mg in the saturated and polyunsaturated fat periods, respectively. 87 and 89% of the total cholesterol were in the esterified form in the saturated and polyunsaturated dietary fat periods. The sterol composition of the skin surface lipid was not altered. The study suggests that the plasma cholesterol-lowering effect of dietary polyunsaturated fat was not mediated by a change in the loss of cholesterol through human skin.
Simultaneous Correction of Ca Deficiency and Acidosis in Fasting Obese Patients as a Prevention of Bone Demineralisation
Authors: Kocián J. , Brodan V.
Published: November 2008

Short-term starvation in the obese induces metabolic acidosis and increased calciuria resulting in severe negative Ca balance. Oral administration of 5 g Ca-lactate daily is capable of correcting acidosis, reducing calciuria and providing the body with 650 mg Ca daily, thereby maintaining a positive Ca balance throughout the period of starvation. We therefore propose administering this amount of the preparation to obese individuals during starvation as a simple and cheap preventive measure against bone demineralisation.
Etude du coefficient d’épuration lipidique K2 chez les sujets atteints d’hyperlipoprotéinémie de type IV avant et après réduction de l’hypertriglycéridémie par un traitement diététique adapté
Authors: Drouin P. , Lambert D. , Mejean L. , Pointel J.P. , Debry G.
Published: November 2008

An intravenous fat tolerance test (IV FTT) was performed in a group of patients with type IV hyperlipoproteinemia before and after reduction of triglyceride level, the latter is obtained through a diet adapted to the nutritional sensitivity, body weight remaining constant. Before the diet the increase in cholesterol (CT) and triglycerides (TG) was related in both obese and non-obese patients to an increase in very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL), while other lipoprotein fractions were not affected. In these patients, K2 is significantly lower than in controls whatever the nutritional sensitivity. However, K2 is lower in obese patients than in patients with normal weight, VLDL-CT and VLDL-TG are tremendously reduced by the relevant diet and K2 is constantly and significantly increased, although it does not reach a normal value in obese subjects. There is a highly significant correlation between VLDL-TG levels and K2 in obese and non-obese subjects. Several physiopathological explanations are discussed to account for the variation of K2 according to TG levels. The results obtained support the view that the K2 defect is secondary to the hyperlipoproteinemia.
Studies on the Extent of Dietary Fiber Intake in West Germany
Authors: Kasper H. , Rabast U. , Ehl M.
Published: November 2008

By means of food diaries the volume of the average daily crude fiber and dietary fiber consumption and the percentage contribution of various groups of plant foods to the total dietary fiber consumption was determined in a group of 150 healthy subjects (89 males and 61 females) from four different occupational groups. It thus became apparent that the mean daily dietary fiber consumption was 22.0 ± 5.5 g in the artisans and workers of a large industrial plant (group I), 24.8 ± 8.4 g in students (group II), 21.7 ± 5.5 g in teachers (group III), and 17.6 ± 7.7 g in administrative employees (group IV). In groups I-III the mean daily dietary fiber consumption was significantly higher than in group IV. In 17% of the subjects, the mean daily dietary fiber consumption was ≤ 15 g. The mean dietary fiber intake per 1,000 kcal (4.18 MJ) in groups II and III, 8.5 ± 1.5 and 8.8 ± 2.2 g, respectively, was significantly higher than in group I with a mean fiber intake of 7.2 ± 1.4 g.
The Energy Requirement for Growth
Authors: Hommes Frits A.
Published: November 2008

The energy requirements for synthetic processes during growth in the male reference baby of 3,900 g at 3 weeks of age, growing along the 50th percentile have been recalculated, taking into account physiological values for P/O ratios of NAD- and FAD-linked substrates in oxidative phosphorylation and the processing and splicing of precursor RNA. An amount of 2.1% of the total energy intake is needed to cover the needs for synthetic processes associated with growth.
Plasma Glucose and Insulin Responses to Orally Administered Carbohydrate-Rich Foodstuffs
Authors: Vaaler Stein , Hanssen Kristian F. , Aagenæs Øystein
Published: November 2008

Healthy individuals were given different carbohydrate-rich test meals (each with an energy content of 300 kcal) after a standardization period. Plasma glucose and insulin were measured during the tests. When compared with an ordinary oral glucose load, potato had a post-prandial plasma glucose and insulin response not statistically different from the glucose load, the bread group had a weaker and slower response than the potato group, and rice had a response between the two other groups. Gastric emptying, the availability of the starch for digestion and differences in the carbohydrate content are discussed as possible explanations for these differences.
Effects of Undernutrition on Nucleic Acid Synthesis in Neuronal and Glial Cells from Different Regions of Developing Rat Brain
Authors: Giuffrida A.M. , Hamberger A. , Serra I. , Geremia E.
Published: November 2008

Rats were undernourished by being given half their normal diet from the 10th day of pregnancy. 10-, 15- and 30-day-old rats were studied. Incorporation of labelled precursors into brain DNA and RNA was carried out in vitro with slices from cerebral cortex, brain stem and cerebellum. Neuronal and glial cells were subsequently isolated and analyzed for specific radioactivity. The proliferation and differentiation of all brain cells were affected by undernutrition. Glial cells in particular and the small neuronal cells appeared most vulnerable probably because of their intense postnatal development.
Oral and Parenteral Nutrition with L-Valine: Mode of Action
Authors: Riederer P. , Jellinger K. , Kleinberger G. , Weiser M.
Published: November 2008

The intravenous application of the branched chain amino acid L-valine to patients with hepatic coma resulted in a specific drop of tryptophan, serotonin and 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid. Clinical improvement of hepatic encephalopathy and of the underlying neurotransmitter (serotonin) and ammonia derangements by administration of L-valine suggest a possible role of this competitive amino acid on intermediary metabolism and ammonia detoxification.
Einfluss verschiedener Spurenelemente auf die tryptische Hydrolyse
Authors: Wieninger-Rustemeyer Renate , Kirchgessner M. , Steinhart H.
Published: November 2008

The rate of hydrolysis of the synthetic trypsin substrate Nα-enzoyl-L-arginine-p-nitroanilide was determined from turnover rate curves, when the trace elements zinc, iron, cobalt, and nickel were added in the concentration range from 0.9 · 10–7 to 0.9 . 10–3 mol Men+/1. The enzyme substrate ratio was 1:50. An influence on the activity of trypsin, depending on the element used and on its concentration could be determined. Cobalt and iron accelerated the enzyme’s capacity of hydrolysis at all concentrations used, whereas addition of higher but not toxic amounts of zinc or nickel resulted in an inhibition.
Effects of HDL Subclasses on 3-Hydroxy-3-Methylglutaryl Coenzyme A Reductase in Human Fibroblasts
Authors: Daerr W.H. , Gianturco Sandra H. , Patsch J.R. , Smith L.C. , Gotto A.M.
Published: November 2008

Monolayer cultures of normal human fibroblasts were used to study the effects of the main subclasses of high-density lipoproteins, HDLa and HDL3, on 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase (EC 1.1.1.34) activity. In this system, HDL3 (d= 1.125–1.210 g/cm3) specifically induced HMG-CoA reductase activity. Evaluation of culture dynamics revealed that enzyme induction was restricted to the stationary phase of growth. When the cells were incubated with HDL2 (d = 1.063–1.125 g/cm3), suppression of reductase activity was observed. Mixtures of HDL2 and HDL3 suppressed reductase activity when HDL2 was greater than 35% of the total HDL. The suppressive effects of HDL2 were abolished by treatment with cyclohexanedione and restored by regeneration of the arginyl residues, suggesting an apoprotein-mediated suppressive mechanism. These observations show that the cellular effects of HDL depend upon the stage of cell growth and the ratio of HDL subclasses in HDL as usually isolated.
The effect of plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 on apoptosis
Authors: Chen Yabing , Sobel Burton E. , Schneider David J.
Published: November 2008

Plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1), an inhibitor of plasminogen activators, inhibits formation of plasmin and plasmin-mediated proteolysis. Apoptosis,or programmed cell death, is a potentially important phenomenon in mediating overall cell death. This review focuses on the influence of PAI-1 on apoptosis. Greater expression of PAI-1 has been associated with increased survival of cells and resistance to apoptosis. PAI-1 appears to influence apoptosis by decreasing cell adhesion (anoikis) as well as its effect on intracellular signaling. Mechanisms by which PAI-1 may render a cell resistant to apoptosis include its ability to inhibit generation of plasmin,its ability to inhibit caspase 3, and its ability to inhibit cell adhesion mediated by vitronectin. Inhibition of caspase 3 by PAI-1 may divert intracellular signalling from induction of apoptosis to induction of proliferation.
Peculiar whole blood rotation thromboelastometry (Rotem) profile in 40 sideropenic anaemia patients
Authors: Spiezia Luca , Radu Claudia , Marchioro Paolo , Bertini Diana , Rossetto Valeria , Castelli Monica , Pagnan Antonio , Sørensen Benny , Simioni Paolo
Published: November 2008

The ROtation ThromboElastoMetry analyser (ROTEM®, Pentapharm, Munich, Germany) is useful for studying whole blood (WB) clot formation and lysis.Reduction of haematocrit (HCT) has been reported to influence traditional thromboelastography parameters without compromising “in vitro” blood coagulation. We performed this case-control study to evaluate ROTEM profiles in sideropenic anaemia patients with different degrees of reduction of HCT levels. Forty consecutively referred patients with sideropenic anaemia were enrolled. A group of 40 healthy age and gender matched subjects acted as a control. The influence of HCT on ROTEM was assessed in the study population and in a model of artificially reconstituted blood with modified HCT values. Cases presented significantly increased levels of maximum clot firmness (MCF) as compared to controls (p<0.001) mimicking a sort of “hypercoagulable profile”. How-ever, thrombin generation tests failed to detect an increase in thrombin generation in cases as compared to controls. A statistically significant inverse linear correlation between HCT and MCF (p<0.0001) was found.In addition,ROTEM profiles following “in vitro” manipulation of HCT confirmed the inverse linear correlation between HCT and MCF found in the study population. In conclusion, the increased clot firmness found by ROTEM in anaemic patients is likely to be related to the method in itself rather than representing a marker of hypercoagulability “in vivo”.Since ROTEM is widely used by anaesthesiologists when deciding the optimisation of products supplementation during surgery,attention should be paid in the case of anaemic patients taking depending on the peculiar thrombo-elastography profile found.
Influence of haematocrit on international normalised ratio (INR) differences between a whole blood point-of-care coagulation monitor and reference prothrombin time in plasma
Authors: Witteveen Evelina , van der Meer Felix J. M. , van den Besselaar Anton M. H. P.
Published: November 2008

The CoaguChek S system is designed for use in patient self-testing. In this system a whole blood sample without sodium citrate is applied to a test strip containing thromboplastin and iron oxide particles. The detection principle is based on fibrin formation which inhibits and finally stops the movement of the iron oxide particles.In the classic prothrombin time (PT) test,ci-trate plasma is mixed with thromboplastin and an excess of calcium ions. In the monitoring of vitamin K-antagonist (VKA) treatment, all results are expressed on a common scale, i.e. international normalised ratio (INR). In patients on long-term VKA treatment, INRs were determined by the CoaguChek S system and reference methods for the classic PT. Four different CoaguChek S strip lots were evaluated.The difference in INR between the reference PT and the CoaguChek S system was negatively correlated to the haematocrit of the patients. We conclude that INR differences between CoaguChek S and plasma PT may be explained in part by the haematocrit.The magnitude of the effect of haematocrit,within the reference interval of 0.37 - 0.51,on the INR difference was not greater than approximately 10% for the combined data of the four strip lots.A bias of less than 10% seems to be acceptable clinically.
Effect of oral antiplatelet agents on major bleeding in users of coumarins
Authors: Klungel Olaf H. , Souverein Patrick C. , de Boer Anthonius , Schalekamp Tom
Published: November 2008

Treatment with vitamin K antagonists (coumarins) is associated with an increased risk of bleeding. In order to elucidate the bleeding risk of users of antiplatelet drugs among users of coumarins, we assessed the odds ratio of major bleeding associated with use of antiplatelet drugs in users of the coumarins acenocoumarol and phenprocoumon. We used data froma Dutch record linkage system, including pharmacy and linked hospitalization records for approximately two million subjects, to conduct a nested case control study in a cohort of new users of coumarins. Cases were patients who were hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of major bleeding while taking coumarin and were matched with up to four control subjects. Conditional logistic regression analysis was used to determine ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CI).We identified 1848 case patients who were matched to 5818 controls. Users of clopidogrel or aspirin showed a significantly increased risk of hospitalization because of major bleeding (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.2–6.9 and OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.3–1.9, respectively), whereas users of dipyridamole and combinations of antiplatelet drugs showed a strong trend (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.0–2.3 and OR 1.8, 95 % CI 1.0–3.3, respectively). In all cases, the risks were greater for upper gastrointestinal bleedings than for other bleedings. In conclusion, the use of any antiplatelet drug increases the risk of hospitalization for major bleeding among users of coumarins. Concurrent use of clopidogrel or dipyridamole and coumarins is probably not safer than concurrent use of aspirin and coumarins.
Clinical course and outcome of disseminated intravascular coagulation diagnosed by Japanese Association for Acute Medicine criteria
Authors: Gando Satoshi , Saitoh Daizoh , Ogura Hiroshi , Mayumi Toshihiko , Koseki Kazuhide , Ikeda Toshiaki , Ishikura Hiroyasu , Iba Toshiaki , Ueyama Masashi , Eguchi Yutaka , Otomo Yasuhiro , Okamoto Kohji , Endo Shigeatsu , Shimazaki Shuji , Kushimoto Shigeki ,   the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (JAAM DIC) Study Group
Published: November 2008

The Japanese Association for Acute Medicine (JAAM) disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) study group recently announced new diagnostic criteria for DIC. These criteria have been prospectively validated and demonstrated to progress to overt DIC as defined by the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH).Although an underlying condition is essential for the development of DIC, it has never been clarified if patients with different underlying disorders have a similar course. Among 329 patients with DIC diagnosed by the JAAM criteria, those with underlying sepsis (n=98) or trauma (n=95) were compared. The 28-day mortality rate was significantly higher in sepsis patients than trauma patients (34.7% vs. 10.5%, p<0.0001).Within three days of fulfilling the JAAM criteria, sepsis patients had a lower platelet count, higher prothrombin time ratio, higher systemic inflammatory response syndrome score, and higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score compared with trauma patients. On day 3, a significantly higher percentage of trauma patients than sepsis patients showed improvement of DIC (64.2% vs. 30.6%, p<0.001).These differences were mainly due to patients with lower JAAM DIC scores. More than 50% of the JAAM DIC patients with sepsis who died within 28 days could not be detected by ISTH DIC criteria during the initial three days. In contrast, most trauma patients who died within 28 days had DIC simultaneously diagnosed by JAAM and ISTH criteria, except for those with brain death. These findings suggest that coagulation abnormalities, organ dysfunction, and the outcome of JAAM DIC differ between patients with sepsis and trauma.
Multimerin 1 binds factor V and activated factor V with high affinity and inhibits thrombin generation
Authors: Jeimy Samira B. , Fuller Nola , Tasneem Subia , Segers Kenneth , Stafford Alan R. , Weitz Jeffrey I. , Camire Rodney M. , Nicolaes Gerry A. F. , Hayward Catherine P. M.
Published: November 2008

Multimerin 1 (MMRN1) is a polymeric, factorV (FV) binding protein that is stored in platelet and endothelial cell secretion granules but is undetectable in normal plasma. In human platelet α-granules, FV is stored complexed to MMRN1, predominantly by noncovalent binding interactions. The FV binding site for MMRN1 is located in the light chain, where it overlaps the C1 and C2 domain membrane binding sites essential for activated FV (FVa) procoagulant function. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR), circular dichroism (CD) and thrombin generation assays were used to study the binding of FV and FVa to MMRN1, and the functional consequences. FV and FVa bound MMRN1 with high affinities (KD:2 and 7 nM, respectively). FV dissociated more slowly from MMRN1 than FVa in SPR experiments, and CD analyses suggested greater conformational changes in mixtures of FV and MMRN1 than in mixtures of FV and MMRN1. SPR analyses indicated that soluble phosphatidylserine (1,2-Dicaproylsn-glycero-3-phospho-L-serine) competitively inhibited both FV-MMRN1 and FVa-MMRN1 binding. Furthermore, exogenous MMRN1 delayed and reduced thrombin generation by plasma and platelets, and it reduced thrombin generation by preformed FVa. Exogenous MMRN1 also delayed FV activation, triggered by adding tissue factor to plasma, or by adding purified thrombin or factor Xa to purified FV. The high affinity binding of FV to MMRN1 may facilitate the costorage of the two proteins in platelet α-granules. As a consequence, MMRN1 release during platelet activation may limit platelet dependent thrombin generation in vivo.
Absence of leptin resistance in platelets from morbidly obese individuals may contribute to the increased thrombosis risk in obesity
Authors: Dellas Claudia , Schäfer Katrin , Rohm Ilonka , Lankeit Mareike , Ellrott Thomas , Faustin Vivien , Riggert Joachim , Hasenfuss Gerd , Konstantinides Stavros
Published: November 2008

Clinical studies have shown that elevated leptin levels are an independent cardiovascular risk factor. However, little is known about the existence of platelet resistance to leptin in the setting of obesity. We examined the effects of leptin on platelet aggregation in morbidly obese subjects (n=40; BMI, 41.6 ± 1.1 kg/m2; leptin, 49.7 ± 3.4 ng/ml) in comparison to normal-weight controls (n=36; BMI, 23.3 ± 0.4 kg/m2; leptin, 6.5 ± 0.7 ng/ml).The aggregatory response to increasing concentrations of adenosine diphosphate (ADP) (2, 3, 4, and 5 µM) was significantly increased in platelets from obese compared to lean donors, reflecting a left shift in the dose-response curve. Plasma leptin levels, but not BMI, were significantly higher in subjects with stronger (above the median) compared to weaker (below the median) platelet aggregation at all ADP concentrations tested. In further experiments, stimulation (preincubation) with leptin (500 ng/ml) promoted ADP-induced platelet aggregation by approximately 25%, and there was no difference between platelets from obese and those from lean donors regarding the responsiveness to leptin (p=0.99). Western blotting revealed that leptin induced phosphorylation of JAK2 and STAT3 to a similar extent in platelets from both groups. Expression of potential mediators of leptin resistance (SOCS3 and PTP1B) also did not differ in platelets from obese and control subjects. In conclusion, our data indicate that platelets from obese donors show increased aggregatory response to ADP, and that this might partly be the consequence of increased circulating leptin levels. Platelets from obese donors are not resistant to the enhancing effects of leptin on ADPinduced platelet aggregation.
Are laboratories following published recommendations for lupus anticoagulant testing?
Authors: Moffat Karen , Ledford-Kraemer Marlies , Plumhoff Elizabeth , McKay Heather , Nichols William , Meijer Piet , Hayward Catherine
Published: November 2008

Laboratory tests for lupus anticoagulants (LA) are commonly performed to evaluate thrombosis or suspected phospholipid antibody syndromes. To determine current LA testing practices, and if they conform to published recommendations, two questionnaires were distributed to clinical laboratory members of the North American Specialized Coagulation Laboratory Association (NASCOLA) and the ECAT Foundation (ECAT). The first and second questionnaires were completed by 113 and 96 laboratories, respectively. Commonly performed LA tests included the dilute Russell’s viper venom time, LA sensitive activated partial thromboplastin time and hexagonal phospholipid test. Although some laboratories did single LA tests if requested, the majority complied with published recommendations: to use platelet poor plasma for LA tests; to use two or more screening tests, representing different assay principles, and one assay having a low phospholipid concentration to exclude LA; to confirm LA phospholipid dependency by the method giving an abnormal LA screen; to document the inhibitor activity on pooled normal plasma; and not to use phospholipid antibodies to confirm LA. A minority (<35%) followed the recommendations to exclude factor deficiencies and factor inhibitors as the cause of an abnormal LA test. After participating, 32% of laboratories had changed practices and 20% indicated that they would be changing practices. While most laboratories generally follow published guidelines for LA testing, few follow recommendations to evaluate for other coagulation abnormalities. Questionnaires may be helpful quality initiatives to improve compliance with laboratory testing guidelines and recommendations.
Self-management of oral anticoagulation reduces major outcomes in the elderly
Authors: Rakovac Ivo , Kleespies Caroline , Piso Brigitte , Didjurgeit Ulrike , Siebenhofer Andrea ,   for the SPOG 60+ Study Group
Published: November 2008

Although many patients with long-term oral anticoagulation (OAC) can manage their medication safely and reliably themselves, no study on elderly patients has as yet assessed the safety and efficacy of OAC self-management with major thromboembolic and haemorrhagic complications as primary outcomes. In this multi-centre trial, patients aged 60 years or more were randomised into a self-management (SMG) (N=99) or routine care group (RCG) (N=96).The primary outcome was the combined endpoint of all thromboembolic events requiring hospitalisation and all major bleeding complications. Mean follow-up was 2.9 ± 1.2 and 3.0 ± 1.1 years in the SMG and RCG, respectively. In intention-to-treat analysis, 12 patients in the SMG versus 22 patients in the RCG reached a primary endpoint (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.50; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.25 to 1.00; p=0.049).
Venous thromboembolism in critically ill patients
Authors: Williams Mark , Shorr Andrew
Published: November 2008

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a central concern in the intensive care unit (ICU). However, little is known about both current practices for VTE prevention in the ICU and the risk for VTE in persons with severe sepsis and septic shock. XPRESS was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of prophylactic heparin in patients with severe sepsis and higher disease severity who were treated with drotrecogin alfa (activated) (DAA). Subjects were randomized to unfractionated heparin, low-molecular-weight heparin, or placebo during the DAA infusion period. All patients underwent ultrasonography between days 4-6 to screen for VTE. We assessed baseline utilization of VTE prophylaxis along with application of these methods after completion of the DAA infusion. The study included 1,935 subjects and, prior to enrollment approximately half were given no form of prophylaxis. By day 6, 5% of subjects developed a VTE, and the rate of VTE did not vary based on type of heparin administered. The vast majority of VTE detected by day 6 were clinically silent. Of factors analyzed, history of VTE was the only variable independently associated with development of a VTE (odds ratio, 3.66, 95% confidence interval 1.77–7.56, p=0.005). Strikingly, patients who were initially receiving heparin prophylaxis prior to enrollment but who then had this discontinued because of randomization to placebo suffered more VTE that persons continuing on some form of heparin. Despite multiple guidelines, physicians do not uniformly prescribe VTE prophylaxis. Nonetheless, early VTE occurs even in persons given DAA. Most VTE in critically ill patients are clinically silent.
Discordant Short- and Long-Term Outcomes Associated With Diabetes in Patients With Heart Failure: Importance of Age and Sex
Authors: MacDonald Michael R. , Jhund Pardeep S. , Petrie Mark C. , Lewsey James D. , Hawkins Nathaniel M. , Bhagra Sai , Munoz Nuria , Varyani Fumi , Redpath Adam , Chalmers Jim , MacIntyre Kate , McMurray John J.V.
Published: November 2008

Background—

Diabetes and heart failure frequently coexist. Our aim was to assess the association between diabetes and short- and long-term outcomes in all patients admitted to the hospital for the first time with heart failure in Scotland between 1986 and 2003.

Methods and Results—

A total of 116 556 patients were studied, of whom 13% (n=15 161) had a diagnosis of diabetes. At 30 days, diabetes was associated with a lower case fatality. By 1 year, the association between diabetes and better outcome was reversed, and diabetes was a significant independent predictor of higher case fatality. The longer term risk of death associated with diabetes was greatest in younger patients. In patients aged 65 years or younger, the hazard ratio for mortality at 5 years associated with diabetes was 1.41 (95% CI, 1.31 to 1.52) for men and 1.64 (1.50 to 1.79) for women. The risk associated with diabetes was less in patients aged 75 years or older: a hazard ratio in men 1.16 (1.10 to 1.22) and in women 1.15 (1.10 to 1.20). In the younger age group the risk associated with diabetes was significantly greater in women than in men (
P
=0.005 for diabetes-sex interaction). Diabetes was also a significant independent predictor of heart failure readmission, and again the risk was greatest in younger women.

Conclusions—

Although diabetes was associated with a lower case fatality at 30 days, by 1 year it was a significant independent predictor of higher case fatality. The risk associated with diabetes was greatest in young patients, and in young patients the risk was greatest in women.
Noninvasive Separation of Large, Medium, and Small Myocardial Infarcts in Survivors of Reperfused ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Gjesdal Ola , Helle-Valle Thomas , Hopp Einar , Lunde Ketil , Vartdal Trond , Aakhus Svend , Smith Hans-J�rgen , Ihlen Halfdan , Edvardsen Thor
Published: November 2008

Background—

The objective of the study was to evaluate the ability of established and new parameters of global systolic left ventricle function to estimate myocardial infarct size.

Increasing infarct extent is associated with impaired prognosis in chronic ischemic heart disease. Systolic myocardial deformation is a complex 3D process that is mainly influenced by the amount and transmural distribution of viable myocardium. Speckle-tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) enables deformation assessment along the 3 main cardiac axes independent of insonation angle.

Methods and Results—

Global longitudinal, circumferential, and radial strain and left ventricle twist by 2D-STE, global longitudinal strain rate and strain by tissue Doppler imaging, and left ventricle ejection fraction and wall motion score index were assessed in 40 patients 8.5�5.4 months after a first myocardial infarct and compared with global myocardial infarct mass assessed by contrast-enhanced MRI. Longitudinal and circumferential strain by 2D-STE and longitudinal strain and strain rate by tissue Doppler imaging significantly separated medium-sized infarcts from small or large infarcts at the global level (
P
<0.05). All deformation indices correlated significantly with global infarct mass (
P
<0.01). Circumferential and longitudinal strains by 2D-STE demonstrated the best ability to identify medium-sized global myocardial infarcts.

Conclusions—

Circumferential and longitudinal strains by 2D-STE correlate with myocardial infarct mass and significantly differentiate among large, medium, and small myocardial infarcts.
Faith in Human Rights On 10 December 2008 Senior Religious Representatives State Support of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Authors: Naber Jonneke
Published: November 2008

On 10 December 2008 ten senior religious representatives of different world religions will assemble in the Peace Palace in The Hague to declare their support to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the presence of a large gathering of dignitaries. They will be the first signatories of the Statement Faith in Human Rights, open for endorsement by other prominent religious leaders around the world. This article describes the origin, purpose and preparatory stages of this International Inter-religious Conference.
Theocentrism and Human Rights: A Critical Argument
Authors: Fiala Andrew
Published: November 2008

Human rights discourse in the West has a deep connection to Christian theology and what might be called 'theocentrism.' This view locates human rights in the God-created order of the world—and not in the capacities of sentient beings. This article examines and criticizes some recent theocentric arguments. It focuses in particular on the claim made by some theocentric human rights defenders that secular individualism and democracy are wrong-headed and run counter to Christian theology. This article provides a critique of recent theocentric arguments about human rights and briefly discusses an alternative that locates rights in the capacities of sentient beings.
Toward Particular Declarations of Human Gifts: A Christian Reflection on Religions, Stories, and Untold Suffering
Authors: Alexander Paul
Published: November 2008

In this article, the author suggests that religious leaders and communities should speak freely of faith in God and spirituality in their own particular ways as they advocate for human rights. While recognizing the destruction wrought by religious people, he recommends that religions be received as gifts that can cultivate people who far exceed the minimal expectations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. He claims we do not expect too much when we ask religions and religious leaders to promote, teach, and uphold human rights, we expect too little. As a Pentecostal Christian ethicist, he argues for the significance of narrative, prophetic protest, and testimony as crucial aspects of receiving all people as gifts and of evoking empathy, action, and hope. Finally, the author warns against the political seizure of theistic and human rights discourse for the justification of military action, and he encourages the implementation of just peacemaking theory and practices.
"Justice Enacted Not These Human Laws" (Antigone): Religion, Natural Law and Women's Rights
Authors: Beattie Tina
Published: November 2008

Since the time of Aristotle, the character of Antigone in Sophocles' play of the same name has been cited as an example of natural law, in her appeal to the gods to justify her defiance of the law of the polis represented by Creon. With reference to interpretations of Antigone offered by Costas Douzinas and Ronnie Warrington and by Jacques Lacan, I challenge the association between Antigone and natural law, particularly with regard to the representation of women, rights and law. I argue that a feminist retrieval of the scholastic natural law tradition might offer a more holistic and integrated concept of female personhood in the context of human flourishing, natural reason and the goodness of nature. I conclude by considering Olympe de Gouges' Déclaration des Droits de la Femme et de la Citoyenne, as an example of an appeal for women's rights and sexual equality informed by pre-modern concepts of natural law.
Anti-Representationalism and Mystical Empiricism
Authors: Bagger Matthew
Published: November 2008

An anti-representationalist account of the relationship between experience and belief is preferable to that of empiricism because empiricism appears incapable of sustaining its characteristic theses without degenerating into an unpalatable idealism. Anti-representationalism directs the scholar's attention to the language and inferences presupposed by experience, mystical or otherwise. Consideration of a common mystical movement of thought bears out the need for a belated "linguistic turn" in the study of mysticism.
Coding and Quantifying Counterintuitiveness in Religious Concepts: Theoretical and Methodological Reflections
Authors: Barrett Justin
Published: November 2008

Boyer's theory of counterintuitive cultural concept transmission claims that concepts that ideas that violate naturally occurring intuitive knowledge structures enough to be attention-demanding but not so much to undermine conceptual coherence have a transmission advantage over other concepts (Boyer et al. 2001: 535-64). Because of the prominence of these counterintuitive concepts in religious belief systems, Boyer's theory features prominently in many cognitive treatments of religion. Difficulties in identifying what are and are not counterintuitive concepts in this technical sense, however, has made empirical treatment of Boyer's theory irregular and difficult to evaluate. Further, inability to quantify just how counterintuitive a given concept is has made ambiguous specifying where the alleged cognitive optimum lies. The present project attempts to clarify Boyer's theory and presents a formal system for coding and quantifying the "counterintuitiveness" of a concept, and hence, facilitates empirical scrutiny of the theory.
Beautiful Reflections: The Cognitive and Evolutionary Foundations of Paradise Representations
Authors: Närhi Jani
Published: November 2008

In addition to god beliefs, belief in life after death or in a nostalgic era when everything was perfect is a widespread phenomenon in world religions. In this paper, my aim is to explain how and why paradise beliefs have emerged and why they have survived over generations. Using recent theories and results from the cognitive and evolutionary study of religion as well as from studies of environmental preferences, I suggest that the answer lies in pan-human unconscious motivations, the architecture of mind, and the way human mind processes information.
Traces of History in St. Anselm
Authors: Levene Nancy
Published: November 2008

This paper is a schematic consideration of the relationship between reason and history through the figure of St. Anselm of Canterbury, the very exemplar, one might suppose, of the pre-modern absence of historical consciousness. I argue that while Anselm may offend a maximal number of contemporary scholarly habits of mind, whether historicist, secular, or simply argumentative, he is at the front lines of a classic question recently posed by Alain Badiou, namely how much can one think outside of one's time? This question expresses an anxiety concerning both what it is possible and/or permissible to think at any given time and what time or history have to do with thinking as such—an anxiety neatly symbolized, I claim, by the leaden specter of the ontological argument. What, it might rightly be asked, is Anselm's argument to us? A provocation, certainly; a theory, possibly.
Utopian History
Authors: Furey Constance
Published: November 2008

This paper analyzes how the "new" genre of Utopia (nominally invented by Thomas More in the sixteenth century) historicizes in a way that is not, strictly speaking, tied to history. More builds his imaginary world using details culled from life in sixteenth-century England, and Utopia—a fictional island society—is itself a commentary on the values and politics of More's society. This dual focus on the real and the ideal explains why this prosaic genre has intrigued so many commentators, notably Fredric Jameson, who (I argue) has written repeatedly about Utopia as a way to think through the unresolved implications of his own injunction to historicize. Working out of a commitment to historical materialism, Jameson has found it difficult to articulate hope for an alternative future that is itself appropriately historicized and not naively utopian. Analyzing More and Jameson in tandem thereby illuminates the theoretical dilemmas involved in critiquing history.
History and Vulnerability: A Response to Levene and Furey
Authors: Rein Nathan
Published: November 2008

The articles by N. Levene (writing on St. Anselm's Proslogion) and C. Furey (on Thomas More's Utopia) in this volume offer a nuanced critical perspective on historicist tendencies in the study of religion. While insisting on the importance of seeing primary texts as embedded in their historical context, both propose that scholars simultaneously seek to maintain an element of openness and vulnerability to the voices of the past. This can serve as a counterweight to the typical historicist strategy of debunking and unmasking the past's pretensions to authoritative discourse.
The Right to Seek – Revisited. On the UN Human Rights Declaration Article 14 and Access to Asylum Procedures in the EU
Authors: Gammeltoft-Hansen Hans , Gammeltoft-Hansen Thomas
Published: November 2008

This article compares the "right to seek and enjoy asylum" enshrined in Art. 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with the current EU policy developments to "externalize" or "extraterritorialise" migration control and refugee protection. Examining the genesis of Art. 14 during the negotiations of the Universal Declaration, it is argued that while Art. 14 clearly falls short of granting a substantive right to be granted asylum, its formulation was intended to maintain a procedural right – the right to an asylum process. While the Universal Declaration is not a legally binding instrument, going back to the fundamental norms expressed herein nonetheless provides an important starting point for evaluating current policies, especially in light of recent critiques against overly expansive interpretation of human rights law. As such, the article concludes that the current EU policies to shift migration control and refugee protection away from Europe in important respects contravenes "the right to seek asylum" as it was conceived exactly 60 years ago.
La jurisprudence de l'intendant en Hainaut français au XVIIIe siècle
Authors: Glineur Cédric
Published: November 2008

Referring to precedents in the eighteenth-century quasi-judicial practice of the intendant in French Hainault. – Following the practice already in use in the King's Council and government departments, the Commissioner in the French Hainault province (commissaire départi en Hainaut) started towards the beginning of the 18th century to keep all documents received or drafted by his offices. These documents included the orders he issued in adjudicating cases brought before him. As intendant, he had at his disposal the files of the proceedings in which he had had to reach a decision in his quasi-judicial capacity. Judgements rendered in previous cases could help him to solve new cases. As these precedents were documented in his records, he was able to develop a case law in particular areas, such as tax litigation.
“Flowers From the Same Soil”
Authors: Martinez Lisa M.
Published: November 2008

This article examines the effects of collective action on the development of Latino ethnic solidarity among immigrant, naturalized, and U.S.-born Latinos. The article reveals how ethnic solidarity came about from the perspective and with the help of grassroots organizers who coordinated the 2006 immigrant rights mobilizations. Through 55 interviews with grassroots organizers from immigrant and Latino rights groups, elected officials, and union and religious leaders throughout Colorado, it is shown that the immigrant rights marches strengthened a sense of ethnic solidarity among immigrant and native-born Latinos as the latter came to realize that they, too, were becoming targets of anti-immigrant rhetoric that became more pervasive in the midst of the immigration debate. The interview data show that the renewed sense of ethnic solidarity served to foment support for collective action. By building on prior work addressing the determinants of ethnic solidarity and collective action, these findings reveal the potential for organizers and political leaders to emphasize common goals among Latinos rather than ethnic, political, and class-based cleavages that are often the topic of political discourse.
Disobedient Bodies
Authors: Summers Sandoval Tomás F.
Published: November 2008

In scores of grassroots protest activities in 2006, immigrants and immigrant-rights supporters effectively derailed anti-immigrant legislation before Congress, as they meaningfully engaged with “the immigration debate.” Evaluating these events as moments of immigrant participation in the political sphere, as well as in the broader social one, this article analyzes the symbolic speech contained within these protests, in particular as communicated by “illegal immigrants.” I contend their mass participation provided a symbolic interjection of humanity, actively voicing disobedience to the current and proposed laws as well as the civic and social expectations informing immigrants' public interactions within the larger society. Locating this symbolic speech within contemporary and historic implementations of immigration policy, I argue, subverts the rationales of these structures, frames immigrant participation as a conscious and collective act of “disobedience” to the ideological and material systems constituting modern U.S. immigration, and acts to expose the longstanding tensions between the racial and economic concerns of the nation.
Political Protest, Ethnic Media, and Latino Naturalization
Authors: Félix Adrián , González Carmen , Ramírez Ricardo
Published: November 2008

In the spring of 2006, anti-immigrant legislation triggered historic immigrant rights protests in cities throughout the United States. In places like California, protest of immigrant-targeting legislation is not new. A hostile political context in California during the mid-1990s stimulated naturalization rates, voter registration, and turnout among Latinos therein. The spring 2006 immigrant rights protests provide a unique research opportunity to further examine the relationship between a contentious political climate and Latino immigrants' decision to naturalize. Earlier work highlights the role of Latino civic organizations in naturalizing and mobilizing co-ethnics to vote. This article considers an additional key variable: the ethnic media. Unpublished data from citizenship application workshops sponsored by a national Latino civic organization and a pilot survey of workshop participants were used to examine patterns of participation in the protests and use of Spanish-language media for political information among Latino naturalizers. Although this article examines an unfolding issue, it may hold implications for the future of Latino politics. A link between the recent immigrant protests and the decision to naturalize by Latino immigrants may suggest that a cohort of newly enfranchised Latinos will have high rates of participation.