bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mesoglycan: Clinical Evidences for Use in Vascular Diseases
Authors: Tufano Antonella , Arturo Claudia , Cimino Ernesto , Di Minno Matteo Nicola Dario , Di Capua Mirko , Cerbone Anna Maria , Di Minno Giovanni
Published: August 2010

Vascular glycosaminoglycans (GAG) are essential components of the endothelium and vessel wall and have been shown to be involved in several biologic functions. Mesoglycan, a natural GAG preparation, is a polysaccharide complex rich in sulphur radicals with strong negative electric charge. It is extracted from porcine intestinal mucosa and is composed of heparan sulfate, dermatan sulfate, electrophoretically slow-moving heparin, and variable and minimal quantities of chondroitin sulfate. Data on antithrombotic and profibrinolytic activities of the drug show that mesoglycan, although not indicated in the treatment of acute arterial or venous thrombosis because of the low antithrombotic effect, may be useful in the management of vascular diseases, when combined with antithrombotics in the case of disease of cerebral vasculature, and with antithrombotics and vasodilator drugs in the case of chronic peripheral arterial disease. The protective effect of mesoglycan in patients with venous thrombosis and the absence of side effects, support the use of GAG in patients with chronic venous insufficiency and persistent venous ulcers, in association with compression therapy (zinc bandages, multiple layer bandages, etc.), elastic compression stockings, and local care, and in the prevention of recurrences in patients with previous DVT following the standard course of oral anticoagulation treatment.
Scheduling for Improving System Capacity in Multiservice 3GPP LTE
Authors: Lima Francisco Rafael Marques , Wänstedt Stefan , Cavalcanti Francisco Rodrigo Porto , Junior Walter Cruz Freitas
Published: August 2010

We study the impact of scheduling algorithms on the provision of multiple services in the long term evolution (LTE) system. In order to measure how well the services are provided by the system, we use the definition of joint system capacity. In this context, we claim that scheduling strategies should consider the current satisfaction level of each service and the offered load to the system by each service. We propose a downlink‐scheduling strategy according to these ideas named capacity‐driven resource allocation (CRA). The CRA scheduler dynamically controls the resource sharing among flows of different services such as delay‐sensitive and rate demanding ones. Moreover, CRA scheduler exploits the channel‐quality knowledge to utilize the system resources efficiently. Simulation results in a multicell scenario show that the CRA scheduler is robust regarding channel quality knowledge and that it provides significant gains in joint system capacity in single and mixed service scenarios.
Innate Pathways of Immune Activation in Transplantation
Authors: Brennan Todd V. , Lunsford Keri E. , Kuo Paul C.
Published: August 2010

Studies of the immune mechanisms of allograft rejection have predominantly focused on the adaptive immune system that includes T cells and B cells. Recent investigations into the innate immune system, which recognizes foreign antigens through more evolutionarily primitive pathways, have demonstrated a critical role of the innate immune system in the regulation of the adaptive immune system. Innate immunity has been extensively studied in its role as the host's first-line defense against microbial pathogens; however, it is becoming increasingly recognized for its ability to also recognize host-derived molecules that result from tissue damage. The capacity of endogenous damage signals acting through the innate immune system to lower immune thresholds and promote immune recognition and rejection of transplant grafts is only beginning to be appreciated. An improved understanding of these pathways may reveal novel therapeutic targets to decrease graft alloreactivity and increase graft longevity.
Limited Utility of Routine Surveillance MRI Following Chemoradiation for Advanced-Stage Oropharynx Carcinoma
Authors: Kangelaris Gerald T. , Yom Sue S. , Huang Kim , Wang Steven J.
Published: August 2010

Objectives. To determine the utility of routine surveillance MRI in detecting locoregional recurrence following definitive chemoradiation in advanced-stage oropharynx carcinoma.Methods. We identified patients with Stage III-IV oropharynx carcinoma who were treated with chemoradiation between April 2000 and September 2004 and underwent longitudinal followup care at our institution. Patient charts were retrospectively reviewed for findings on MRI surveillance imaging, clinical signs and symptoms, and recurrence.Results. Forty patients received a total of 229 surveillance MRI scans with a minimum follow-up of three years (mean of 5.6 scans per patient). Six patients experienced false-positive surveillance studies that resulted in intervention. Four patients experienced recurrent disease, two of whom had new symptoms or exam findings that preceded radiographic identification of disease. Surveillance MRI scans identified recurrent disease in two asymptomatic patients who were salvaged, one of whom remains free of disease at follow-up. The overall sensitivity and specificity of the MRI surveillance program were 50 and 83 percent, respectively. The mean charge to each patient for the surveillance program was approximately $10,000 annually.Conclusion. In oropharyngeal cancer patients who have been treated with chemoradiation, an imaging surveillance program utilizing MRI produces limited opportunity for successful salvage.
Cytogenetic Instability in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Survivors
Authors: Brassesco María Sol , Xavier Danilo Jordão , Camparoto Marjori Leiva , Montaldi Ana Paula , de Godoy Paulo Roberto D′Auria Vieira , Scrideli Carlos Alberto , Tone Luiz Gonzaga , Sakamoto-Hojo Elza Tiemi
Published: August 2010

Contemporary anticancer therapies have largely improved the outcome for children with cancer, especially for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). Actually, between 78% and 85% of patients achieve complete remission and are alive after 5 years of therapy completion. However, as cure rates increase, new concerns about the late effects of genotoxic treatment emerge, being the risk of developing secondary neoplasias, the most serious life‐threatening rising problem. In the present paper, we describe and review the cytogenetic findings in peripheral lymphocytes from ALL survivors, and discuss aspects associated to the occurrence of increased chromosome rearrangements in this growing cohort.
Haemostatic safety of a unique recombinant plasmin molecule lacking kringles 2–5
Authors: Manyak Steve , Gruber Theresa , Goyal Abha , Moreno Guillermo , Hunt Jennifer , Bromirski John , Scuderi Philip , Petteway Stephen , Novokhatny Valery , Marder Victor
Published: August 2010

We previously demonstrated a significant margin of haemostatic safety for full-length plasmin in comparison with tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA). We now report studies that compare haemostatic safety of full-length plasmin with a novel recombinant plasmin derivative, (Δ K2–5) plasmin, consisting of kringle 1 linked to the serine protease domain of plasmin. Agent was administered intravenously in a randomised, blinded manner in a rabbit model of fibrinolytic haemorrhage. A dose-related decrease in α2-antiplasmin, factor VIII, and fibrinogen followed administration of 1.8, 2.7, 3.7 and 4.6 mg/kg of (Δ K2–5) plasmin, with nadir fibrinogen concentrations of 65%, 40%, 30%, and 0% of initial levels, respectively. Mean primary bleeding time was undisturbed at 1.8 mg/kg (2.2 ± 0.7 minutes), minimally prolonged at 2.7 or 3.7 mg/kg (5 ± 2.9 and 4.4 ± 2.2 minutes), and prolonged at the purposefully toxic 4.6 mg/kg dose (12.8 ± 18.8 minutes). Equimolar amounts of (Δ K2–5) plasmin and full-length plasmin had equal in vitro clot lysis efficacy, but in the bleeding model, (Δ K2–5) plasmin showed better haemostatic competency than full-length plasmin. This safety advantage may be explained by higher residual amounts of plasma fibrinogen in animals given (Δ K2–5) plasmin rather than full-length plasmin. We demonstrate that a unique recombinant plasmin mutant, (Δ K2–5) plasmin, possesses an advantage in hemostatic safety over an equimolar amount of full-length plasmin.
Cost-effectiveness of rivaroxaban versus enoxaparin for the prevention of postsurgical venous thromboembolism in Canada
Authors: Diamantopoulos Alexander , Lees Michael , Wells Philip , Forster Fiona , Ananthapavan Jaithri , McDonald Heather
Published: August 2010

This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of prophylaxis with rivaroxaban vs. enoxaparin in the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) after total hip replacement (THR) and total knee replacement (TKR) from the perspective of the Canadian healthcare system. A model was developed that included both acute VTE (represented as a decision tree) and long-term complications (represented as a Markov process with one-year cycles). Transition probabilities were derived from phase III clinical trials comparing rivaroxaban with enoxaparin and published literature. Costs were derived from the Ontario Case Costing Initiative and publicly available sources. Utilities were derived from published literature. The model reported VTE event rates, quality-adjusted life expectancy and direct medical costs over a five-year horizon. Costs are reported in 2007 Canadian Dollars (C$). When rivaroxaban and enoxaparin are compared in patients undergoing THR, rivaroxaban dominates enoxaparin. That is, rivaroxaban is associated with improved health outcomes as measured by increased quality-adjusted life years (QALYs; 0.0006) and fewer symptomatic VTE events (0.0061), and also with lower cost (savings of C$300) per patient. Similarly, rivaroxaban dominates enoxaparin in patients undergoing TKR, achieving a gain of 0.0018 QALYs, a reduction of 0.0192 symptomatic venous thromboembolic events and savings of C$129 per patient. Rivaroxaban is a cost-effective alternative to enoxaparin for VTE prophylaxis in patients undergoing THR and TKR. Over a five-year horizon, rivaroxaban dominated enoxaparin in the prevention of VTE events in patients undergoing THR and TKR, providing more quality-of-life benefit at a lower cost.
Allele-specific transcription of the PAI-1 gene in human astrocytes
Authors: Hultman Karin , Tjärnlund-Wolf Anna , Odeberg Jacob , Eriksson Per , Jern Christina
Published: August 2010

The 4G allele of the PAI-1 –675(4G/5G) insertion/deletion promoter polymorphism has been associated with elevated plasma levels of PAI-1 and an increased risk of myocardial infarction. However, this allele has also been associated with a reduced risk of ischaemic stroke. In the brain, PAI-1 is mainly produced by astrocytes, and can reduce the neurotoxic effects exerted by tissue-type plasminogen activator during pathophysiologic conditions. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the PAI-1 –675(4G/5G) polymorphism and the linked –844A/G polymorphism affect transcriptional activity of the PAI-1 gene in human astrocytes. Haplotype chromatin immunoprecipitation (haploChIP) was used in order to quantify allele-specific promoter activity in heterozygous cells. Protein-DNA interactions were investigated by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). A clear allele-specific difference in PAI-1 gene expression was observed in astrocytes, where the haplotype containing the 4G and the –844A alleles was associated with higher transcriptional activity compared to the 5G and –844G-containing haplotype. EMSA revealed an allele-specific binding of nuclear proteins to the 4G/5G site as well as to the –844A/G site. Supershift experiments identified specific binding of the transcription factors Elf-1 and Elk-1 to the –844G allele. The relative impact of the different sites on allele-specific PAI-1 promoter activity remains to be determined. We demonstrate that common polymorphisms within the PAI-1 promoter affect transcriptional activity of the PAI-1 gene in human astrocytes, thus providing a possible molecular genetic mechanism behind the association between PAI-1 promoter variants and ischaemic stroke.
Effect of apixaban, an oral and direct factor Xa inhibitor, on coagulation activity biomarkers following acute coronary syndrome
Authors: Alexander John , Newby L. Kristin , Yang Hongqiu , Barrett Yuchen , Mohan Puneet , Wang Jessie , Harrington Robert , Wallentin Lars , Becker Richard
Published: August 2010

Apixaban is an oral, direct factor Xa inhibitor under development for secondary prevention in acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Apixaban‘s effect on D-dimer and prothrombin fragment 1.2 (F1.2) (coagulation activity biomarkers ) was determined in a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, phase 2 study. Patients (n=1,715) with either ST-segment elevation or non-ST-segment elevation ACS received either placebo or apixaban 2.5 mg twice daily, 10 mg once daily, 10 mg twice daily or 20 mg once daily for six months. Samples were obtained at baseline (before study drug administration), week 3 and week 26. Apixaban plasma concentrations were measured directly by liquid chromatography/mass spectometry, and anti-Xa activity was determined using apixaban as a reference standard. D-dimer and F 1.2 were measured using ELISA-based methods. Most patients had elevated D-dimer and F1.2 levels at baseline. Both coagulation activity biomarkers decreased by week 3 in all treatment groups, but to a greater degree with apixaban than placebo (p<0.001). In a multivariable analysis, apixaban was independently associated with a change in biomarkers over time (p<0.0001). While the overall decrease did not differ significantly among the three highest apixaban doses, F1.2 was suppressed more rapidly by the 10 mg once daily than the 2.5 mg twice daily dose (p<0.05). There was a strong and direct relationship between apixaban plasma concentrations and anti-Xa-apixaban levels, and an inverse relationship for both measures with coagulation activity biomarkers. In conclusion, the oral direct factor Xa inhibitor apixaban significantly reduced coagulation activity biomarkers among patients with ACS. The 10 mg once daily dose reduced thrombin generation (F 1.2) and fibrin formation (D-dimer) more rapidly and robustly than the 2.5 mg twice daily dose. The effect on both D-dimer and F 1.2 was apixaban concentration-and factor Xa inhibition dependent, durable and provided general guidance for dose selection in phase 3 investigation.
BF0801, a novel adenine derivative, inhibits platelet activation via phosphodiesterase inhibition and P2Y12 antagonism
Authors: Zhang Si , Hu Liang , Du Hongguang , Guo Yan , Zhang Yan , Niu Haixia , Jin Jianguo , Zhang Jian , Liu Junling , Zhang Xiaohui , Kunapuli Satya , Ding Zhongren
Published: August 2010

Though antiplatelet drugs are proven beneficial to patients with coronary heart disease and stroke, more effective and safer antiplatelet drugs are still needed. In this study we report the antiplatelet effects and mechanism of BF0801, a novel adenine derivative. BF0801 dramatically inhibited platelet aggregation and ATP release induced by ADP, 2MeSADP, AYPGKF, SFLLRN or convulxin without affecting shape change in vitro. It also potentiated the inhibitory effects of adenosine-based P2Y12 antagonist AR-C69931MX or phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitor IBMX on platelet aggregation. The cAMP levels in both resting and forskolin-stimulated platelets were increased by BF0801 suggesting its PDE inhibitor activity, which is further confirmed by the concentration-dependent suppression of BF0801 on the native and recombinant PDE. Similar to AR-C69931MX, BF0801 drastically inhibited 2MeSADP-induced adenylyl cyclase inhibition in platelets indicating its P2Y12 antagonism activity, which is substantiated by the inhibition of BF0801 on the interaction between ADP and P2Y12 receptor expressed in CHO-K1 cells measured by atomic force microscopy. Moreover, we confirmed the antiplatelet effects of BF0801 using platelets from rats intravenously given BF0801. In summary, for the first time we developed a novel adenine derivative bearing dual activities of PDE inhibition and P2Y12 antagonism, which may have therapeutic advantage as a potential antithrombotic drug.
Maladaptive Aortic Properties in Children After Palliation of Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome Assessed by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Voges Inga , Jerosch-Herold Michael , Hedderich Jürgen , Westphal Charlotte , Hart Christopher , Helle Michael , Scheewe Jens , Pardun Eileen , Kramer Hans-Heiner , Rickers Carsten
Published: August 2010

Background—

The status of the reconstructed aorta in hypoplastic left heart syndrome is considered an important determinant of long-term prognosis. Therefore, we assessed the anatomy, elastic properties, and viability of the aorta and right ventricular function in patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome by cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging.

Methods and Results—

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 40 patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (age, 6.0±2.2 years) and 13 control subjects (age, 6.6±2.2 years). Aortic dimensions and distensibility were calculated at different locations of the aorta using gradient-echo cine imaging at 3.0 T. Additionally, pulse-wave velocity, right ventricular ejection fraction, and aortic late gadolinium enhancement for viability assessment were measured. Compared with control subjects, patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome had increased axial diameters of the aortic root (36.0±5.5 versus 24.1±2.7 mm/m
2
;
P
<0.01), ascending aorta (32.0±5.0 versus 21.3±1.5 mm/m
2
;
P
<0.01), and transverse aortic arch (22.7±5.2 versus 18.7±2.5 mm/m
2
;
P
<0.01). Wall distensibility was reduced in the ascending aorta (4.1±2.4 versus 13.5±7.2 10
−3
mm Hg
−1
;
P
<0.01) and transverse aortic arch (5.4±3.6 versus 10.3±3.5 10
−3
mm Hg
−1
;
P
<0.01). Pulse-wave velocity trended higher in patients (
P
=0.06). Reduced distensibility in the ascending aorta correlated with the amount of late gadolinium enhancement in a volume that included the aortic root and the ascending aorta (
r
=−0.72,
P
<0.01), and both parameters correlated with decreased right ventricular ejection fraction.

Conclusions—

Adverse aortic properties post palliation of hypoplastic left heart syndrome manifest themselves by aortic dilatation, decreased distensibility, and increased volume of nonviable aortic wall tissue. The negative association between aortic late gadolinium enhancement and right ventricular ejection fraction suggests unfavorable aortic-ventricular coupling. The potential impact of these findings on long-term right ventricular function should be evaluated in future studies.
Late Outcomes After Carotid Artery Stenting Versus Carotid Endarterectomy
Authors: Bangalore Sripal , Bhatt Deepak L. , Röther Joachim , Alberts Mark J. , Thornton Julie , Wolski Kathy , Goto Shinya , Hirsch Alan T. , Smith Sidney C. , Aichner Franz T. , Topakian Raffi , Cannon Christopher P. , Steg P. Gabriel
Published: August 2010

Background—

In patients with carotid artery disease, carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and carotid stenting (CAS) are treatment options. Controversy exists as to the relative efficacy of the 2 techniques in preventing late events.

Methods and Results—

The Reduction of Atherothrombosis for Continued Health (REACH) Registry recruited >68 000 outpatients ≥45 years of age with established atherothrombotic disease or ≥3 risk factors for atherothrombosis. Patients with CAS or CEA were chosen and followed up prospectively for the occurrence of cardiovascular events. Propensity score matching was performed to assemble a cohort of patients in whom all baseline covariates would be well balanced. Primary outcome was defined as death or stroke at the 2-year follow-up. Secondary outcome was stroke or transient ischemic attack. Tertiary outcome was a composite of death, myocardial infarction, or stroke and the individual outcomes. Of the 68 236 patients with atherothrombosis, 3412 patients (5%) had a history of carotid artery revascularization (70% asymptomatic carotid stenosis), 1025 (30%) with CAS and 2387 (70%) with CEA. Propensity score analyses matched 836 CAS patients with 836 CEA patients. At the end of 2 years of follow-up, in the propensity score–matched cohort, CAS was associated with a risk similar to CEA for the primary (hazard ratio [HR], 0.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.57 to 1.26), secondary (HR, 1.20; 95% CI, 0.73 to 1.96), and tertiary (HR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.51 to 1.01) composite outcome, death (HR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.40 to 1.00), and stroke (HR, 1.48; 95% CI, 0.79 to 2.80).

Conclusion—

In a real-world cohort of patients with a history of carotid artery revascularization, CAS was comparable to CEA for late outcomes.
Prevalence, Characteristics, and Outcomes of Patients Presenting With Cardiogenic Unilateral Pulmonary Edema
Authors: Attias David , Mansencal Nicolas , Auvert Bertran , Vieillard-Baron Antoine , Delos Aurélie , Lacombe Pascal , N'Guetta Roland , Jardin François , Dubourg Olivier
Published: August 2010

Background—

Cardiogenic unilateral pulmonary edema (UPE) is a rare entity, frequently leading to initial misdiagnosis. We sought to assess the prevalence of UPE and to determine its impact on prognosis compared with bilateral pulmonary edema.

Methods and Results—

We studied the characteristics and outcomes of patients admitted to our institution for cardiogenic pulmonary edema during an 8-year period. The study population included 869 consecutive patients. The prevalence of UPE was 2.1%: 16 right-sided UPE (89%) and 2 left-sided UPE (11%). In patients with UPE, blood pressure was significantly lower (
P
≤0.01), whereas noninvasive or invasive ventilation and catecholamines were used more frequently (
P
=0.0004 and
P
<0.0001, respectively). The prevalence of severe mitral regurgitation in patients with bilateral pulmonary edema and UPE was 6% and 100%, respectively (
P
<0.0001). In patients with UPE, use of antibiotic therapy and delay in treatment were significantly higher (
P
<0.0001 and
P
=0.003, respectively). In-hospital mortality was 9%: 39% for UPE versus 8% for bilateral pulmonary edema (odds ratio, 6.9; 95% confidence interval, 2.6 to 18;
P
<0.001). In multivariate analysis, unilateral location of pulmonary edema was independently related to death whatever the model used (adjusted odds ratio, 6.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.3 to 32;
P
=0.021 for model A; and adjusted odds ratio, 6.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.1 to 41;
P
=0.037 for model B).

Conclusions—

Unilateral pulmonary edema represented 2.1% of cardiogenic pulmonary edema in our study, usually appeared as an opacity involving the right lung, and was always associated with severe mitral regurgitation. Unilateral pulmonary edema is related to an independent increased risk of mortality and should be promptly recognized to avoid delays in treatment.
Modeling the Performance of Evolutionary Algorithms on the Root Identification Problem: A Case Study with PBIL and CHC Algorithms
Authors: Yeguas Enrique , Joan-Arinyo Robert , Victoria Luzón María
Published: August 2010

The availability of a model to measure the performance of evolutionary algorithms is very important, especially when these algorithms are applied to solve problems with high computational requirements. That model would compute an index of the quality of the solution reached by the algorithm as a function of run-time. Conversely, if we fix an index of quality for the solution, the model would give the number of iterations to be expected. In this work, we develop a statistical model to describe the performance of PBIL and CHC evolutionary algorithms applied to solve the root identification problem. This problem is basic in constraint-based, geometric parametric modeling, as an instance of general constraint-satisfaction problems. The performance model is empirically validated over a benchmark with very large search spaces.
Deng Xiaoping and China's Decision to Go to War with Vietnam
Authors: Zhang Xiaoming
Published: August 2010

The decision by the People's Republic of China (PRC) to launch a war against Vietnam in early 1979 has not been subject to scrutiny until now. The decision was shaped in part by the deteriorating relationship between Beijing and Hanoi, by Vietnam's new alliance with the Soviet Union, and by Vietnam's regional hegemony, but it also stemmed from the PRC's effort to improve its strategic position in the world. Three events took place in Beijing in December 1978 that also had an important impact on China's decision to go to war: Deng Xiaoping's reascendance to the top leadership at the Third Plenum of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Beijing's adoption of economic reform as the highest national priority, and the normalization of China's relationship with the United States. Deng Xiaoping, as a chief architect of China's national strategy in the immediate post-Mao era, played a dominant role in China's decision to go to war.
The Soviet Union's Partnership with India
Authors: Mastny Vojtech
Published: August 2010

The relationship between the Soviet Union and India was a hallmark of the Cold War. Over nearly forty years, Soviet-Indian relations passed through three distinct periods, coinciding with the ascendance of three extraordinary pairs of leaders, each extraordinary for different reasons—Jawaharlal Nehru and Nikita Khrushchev, Indira Gandhi and Leonid Brezhnev, and Rajiv Gandhi and Mikhail Gorbachev. The rise and decline of a political dynasty in India paralleled the trajectory seen in the Soviet Union. None of the periods ended well—the first in debacles with China, the second with Indira Gandhi's assassination, the third with the demise of the Soviet Union. The relationship in its heyday in the 1950s and 1960s was the product of a unique set of circumstances during the early Cold War. In the end, however, the relationship proved to be little more than a sideshow in the larger drama of the Cold War.
Soviet Campaigns against “Capitalist Ideological Subversives” during the Cold War: The Latvian Experience
Authors: Zake Ieva
Published: August 2010

This article discusses the Soviet Union's use of propaganda warfare during the Cold War, focusing on the specific case of Soviet Latvia. Archival materials from recently opened archives in the former USSR show that the Soviet Union pursued a methodical ideological campaign against certain groups of U.S. citizens, including the post-World War II political refugees from Latvia. The main institution charged with this task was the Liaison Committee for the Cultural Relations with Countrymen Abroad (LCCR), which was highly influential at the time. Archival materials allow scholars to examine the LCCR's history, methods, and goals, as well as its successes and failures. Among the findings in the article is the importance the Soviet Union attached to propaganda and to programs to counter and discredit “anti-Soviet” émigré organizations.
Representation of Action in Occipito-temporal Cortex
Authors: Wiggett Alison J. , Downing Paul E.
Published: August 2010

A fundamental question for social cognitive neuroscience is how and where in the brain the identities and actions of others are represented. Here we present a replication and extension of a study by Kable and Chatterjee [Kable, J. W., & Chatterjee, A. Specificity of action representations in the lateral occipito-temporal cortex. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 18, 1498–1517, 2006] examining the role of occipito-temporal cortex in these processes. We presented full-cue movies of actors performing whole-body actions and used fMRI to test for action- and identity-specific adaptation effects. We examined a series of functionally defined regions, including the extrastriate and fusiform body areas, the fusiform face area, the parahippocampal place area, the lateral occipital complex, the right posterior superior temporal sulcus, and motion-selective area hMT+. These regions were analyzed with both standard univariate measures as well as multivoxel pattern analyses. Additionally, we performed whole-brain tests for significant adaptation effects. We found significant action-specific adaptation in many areas, but no evidence for identity-specific adaptation. We argue that this finding could be explained by differences in the familiarity of the stimuli presented: The actions shown were familiar but the actors performing the actions were unfamiliar. However, in contrast to previous findings, we found that the action adaptation effect could not be conclusively tied to specific functionally defined regions. Instead, our results suggest that the adaptation to previously seen actions across identities is a widespread effect, evident across lateral and ventral occipito-temporal cortex.
Reduction of Door-to-Balloon Time by New Performance Processes in Patients With ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Authors: Young Hee Nam  , Kwang Soo Cha  , Jeong Hwan Kim  , Sun Yi Park  , Tae Ho Park  , Moo Hyun Kim  , Young Dae Kim
Published: August 2010

The aim of this study was to determine whether the adoption of new performance processes reduced the door-to-balloon time for primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). To reduce the door-to-balloon time, we adopted 3 new performance processes: concurrent activation at the emergency department rather than stepwise activation; direct phone call rather than using a pager or message; patient transferred to catheterization laboratory before the PCI team arrive. A total of 139 consecutive patients were compared before and after the new performance processes. After the adoption of the new processes, median door-to-balloon time reduced significantly from 133 to 76 minutes (P < .0001) and patients undergoing primary PCI within 90 minutes increased significantly from 16% to 72% (P < .0001). Among the subdivisions of the door-to-balloon time, door-to-consent time and door-to-laboratory arrival time decreased significantly (50.0 vs 20.5 minutes, P < .0001; 95.0 vs 40.0 minutes, P < .0001, respectively).
Conflict and Education Demand in the Basque Region
Authors: de Groot Olaf J. , Göksel Idil
Published: August 2010

The relationship between conflict and education has been studied before. However, previous authors have always focused strongly on the supply-side effects, whereas this article examines the influence of conflict on the demand for education. It is theoretically shown that, under relatively general conditions, individuals living in a conflict area have an incentive to increase their level of education and that this effect depends on the individual’s skill level. This hypothesis is tested using the conflict in the Basque Region as a case study, which is an example of a conflict in which one would not expect strong supply-side effects. Using other Spanish regions, an artificial region is created in which the population has a similar educational distribution as in the Basque Region. When comparing the true and artificial regions, individuals with a medium education level clearly show an increase in education during the conflict, as predicted by the theoretical model.
On the Analysis of Fraction Subtraction Data: The DINA Model, Classification, Latent Class Sizes, and the Q-Matrix
Authors: DeCarlo Lawrence T.
Published: August 2010

Cognitive diagnostic models (CDMs) attempt to uncover latent skills or attributes that examinees must possess in order to answer test items correctly. The DINA (deterministic input, noisy ‘‘and’’) model is a popular CDM that has been widely used. It is shown here that a logistic version of the model can easily be fit with standard software for latent class analysis. A partly Bayesian approach to estimation, posterior mode estimation, is used as a simple alternative to a fully Bayesian approach via Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. A latent-class analysis of a widely analyzed data set, the fraction subtraction data of K. K. Tatsuoka, reveals some neglected problems with respect to the classification of examinees; for example, examinees who get all of the items incorrect are classified as having most of the skills. It is also noted that obtaining large estimates of the latent class sizes can indicate misspecification of the Q-matrix, such as the inclusion of an irrelevant skill. It is shown, analytically and via simulations, that the problems are largely associated with the structure of the Q-matrix.
Parental Work Demands and Parent-Child, Family, and Couple Leisure in Dutch Families: What Gives?
Authors: Roeters Anne , Treas Judith K.
Published: August 2010

This study uses data on 898 Dutch couples with minor children to examine whether parental work demands are related differently to one-on-one parent—child, family, and couple leisure activities. The authors presume that the impact of working hours and work arrangements is smaller on activities that are prioritized highly and that are easier and more efficient to organize. A seemingly unrelated regression model and t tests show that the effects of the fathers’ working hours are similar for all types of family leisure. In contrast, for mothers, demanding earner types affect one-on-one mother— child leisure more than family leisure. Mothers may prioritize family leisure because of the high utility of these activities and because this is an efficient way to organize family interaction. Moreover, the authors find that couples in full-time/full-time arrangements participate more in couple leisure than single earner couples.
Drug-induced Hemolytic Anemia and Thrombocytopenia Associated with Alterations of Cell Membrane Lipids and Acanthocyte Formation
Authors: Poulet Frederique M. , Penraat Kelley , Collins Nathaniel , Evans Ellen , Thackaberry Evan , Manfra Denise , Engstrom Laura , Geissler Richard , Geraci-Erck Maria , Frugone Carlos , Abutarif Malaz , Fine Jay S. , Peterson Brianna L. , Cummings Brian S. , Johnson Robert C.
Published: August 2010

CXCR3 is a chemokine receptor, upregulated upon activation of T cells and expressed on nearly 100% of T cells in sites of inflammation. SCH 900875 is a selective CXCR3 receptor antagonist. Thrombocytopenia and severe hemolytic anemia with acanthocytosis occurred in rats at doses of 75, 100, and 150 mg/kg/day. Massively enlarged spleens corresponded histologically to extramedullary hematopoiesis, macrophages, and hemosiderin pigment and sinus congestion. Phagocytosed erythrocytes and platelets were within splenic macrophages. IgG and/or IgM were not detected on erythrocyte and platelet membranes. Ex vivo increased osmotic fragility of RBCs was observed. Lipid analysis of the RBC membrane revealed modifications in phosphatidylcholine, overall cholesterol, and/or sphingomyelin. Platelets exhibited slender filiform processes on their plasma membranes, analogous to those of acanthocytes. The presence of similar morphological abnormalities in acanthocytes and platelets suggests that possibly similar alterations in the lipid composition of the plasma membrane have taken place in both cell types. This phenotype correlated with alterations in plasma lipids (hypercholesterolemia and low triglycerides) that occurred after SCH 900875 administration, although other factors cannot be excluded. The increased cell destruction was considered triggered by alterations in the lipid profile of the plasma membranes of erythrocytes and platelets, as reflected morphologically.
Psychiatry in Britain, c. 1900
Authors: Freeman Hugh
Published: August 2010

At this period, British psychiatrists practised in a climate of opinion that was deeply pessimistic, influenced by the views of Henry Maudsley and by the accumulation in asylums of incurable patients. The inflexible Lunacy Act of 1890 tended to encourage chronicity. The terminology both of mental illness and of the doctors who dealt with it was uncertain. Management of these disorders was intimately involved with the operation of the Poor Law. Neurology, on the other hand, carried high prestige and advanced clinically; many patients with neurotic disorders came under the care of neurologists. Postgraduate education and training in psychiatry was practically non-existent, as was academic psychiatry, in contrast notably to Germany, though there was a small professional organization.
The face of madness in Romania: the origin of psychiatric photography in Eastern Europe
Authors: Buda Octavian
Published: August 2010

In 1870 the Romanian physician Nicolae G. Chernbach published a photographic atlas of the main types of mental alienation, a collection of twelve plates depicting mentally ill patients from the Marcutza Asylum in Bucharest. Each photograph included a diagnosis based on the clinical nosography and theories of the physiognomy of insanity acknowledged during the period. The publication of the atlas — just a few years after Hugh W. Diamond’s initial use of photography for this purpose in Britain in the 1850s — means that the photographs were not only the first taken in Romania, but among the first photographs of the mentally ill. This study provides an insight into the origins of modern clinical psychiatry and medical advances in Romania, and the contemporary personalities in Romanian and Eastern European medicine.
Classic Text No. 83
Authors: Engstrom Eric J , Weber Matthias M
Published: August 2010

Penned at the height of the debate on national regeneration in Germany after World War I, Emil Kraepelin’s study On Uprootedness sets out his views on social psychiatry. More than just a response to critics of his nosology, On Uprootedness outlines a larger political agenda of social governance and ‘inner colonization’. This introduction places Kraepelin’s understanding of social psychiatry in the broader context of social reform debates in the early Weimar Republic.
Common Law, Mountain Music, and the Construction of Community Identity
Authors: Jenkins David
Published: August 2010

This article suggests how law and the arts can shape a community’s identity over time, by exploring the unique parallels between the common law and the folk music of the Appalachian region of the United States — two cultural transplants from the British Isles to the early American frontier. Both preserve a backward-looking, cultural memory at the same time as they accommodate gradual changes in social conditions. Thus, this comparison argues that these essentially unwritten legal and musical traditions similarly transcend geographical and temporal distances, reflect and influence normative attitudes, and rely upon relatively open communicative processes in transmitting their core information. As living traditions, then, the common law and Appalachian folk music open small but important spaces for pluralistic discourse, where social conflicts can be reconciled over time and new identities forged from old ones.
‘It is Not for Me to Say Whether Consent Was Given or Not’: Forensic Medical Examiners’ Construction of ‘Neutral Reports’ in Rape Cases
Authors: Rees Gethin
Published: August 2010

Attrition rate studies have outlined the role the ‘real rape’ stereotype plays in prosecutor decisions concerning the progression of rape cases through the criminal justice system. According to the ‘real rape’ stereotype, the victim should attend the medical examination with significant physical injury, and therefore police, prosecutors and jurors take injury evidence into consideration when deciding the veracity of the complainant’s allegation. However, forensic medical studies have shown injuries to be rare, and even when present, consent cannot be dismissed. To this end, in nearly all cases Forensic Medical Examiners (FMEs) produce ‘neutral reports’; reports that neither confirm nor deny the complainant’s allegation. In this article I explore FMEs’ justifications for neutral reports, and find that their production reinforces FMEs’ expertise. FMEs construct boundaries, distancing themselves from contentious issues. While such boundaries ensure authority, they limit evidential significance, which in turn provides a space for the prosecution to dismiss evidence that does not conform to the popular understanding of rape. Such a ‘vicious cycle’ of prosecutorial decision-making removes the opportunity for FMEs to explain the limits of injury evidence to the police, prosecutors and the jury and reinforces the belief that injuries are a necessary outcome of rape assaults.
Waiting Before the Law: Kafka on the Border
Authors: van Houtum Henk
Published: August 2010

In Kafka’s parable ‘Before the Law’ the man from the country waits his entire life before the border, represented as the Law. In this article, the act of waiting before the Law is analysed in the context of a geopolitical border. More particularly, the question of why we b/order ourselves is investigated. And when do we dare to enter/ open the gate? I discuss how this act of b/ordering can be understood as balancing the desire to flee, migrate, move, escape — in short, to be freed (psychoid desire) and the desire to be, to be-long, to home oneself, to be bordered (paranoid desire). The border then is a dynamic result of our desires and of the reverse, our fears. More than a line in space, therefore, b/ordering is a strategic socio-political practice that will vary over time and space. A border is not an answer, it is a constant interrogation, for ourselves as well as others.
Screen Media and Young Children: Who Benefits?
Authors: Cardany Audrey Berger
Published: August 2010

Since the airing of Sesame Street in 1985, television produced for children has expanded to more television shows and educational media that includes videos, DVDs, and computer products. Viewing screen media is pervasive in the environments of young children, and companies are designing products for our youngest viewers—infants and toddlers. The educational benefits for children, parents, teachers, and music teachers are discussed. The benefits for commerce, however, seem to far outweigh what educational gains might occur for young children.
A History of the Society for General Music
Authors: Kenney Susan
Published: August 2010

In 1979, MENC President James Mason announced the intention to create a national council on elementary general music education to be organized within the framework of MENC. This action was the first important step toward creating what became the Society for General Music. This article is a brief history of the Society, including description of events leading to its formation, and contributions the Society has made to general music education.
Challenges and Dilemmas in Implementing Random Assignment in Educational Research
Authors: Ong-Dean Colin , Huie Hofstetter Carolyn , Strick Betsy R.
Published: August 2010

In the contentious debate over the use of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) in education research, little attention has been given to how methodological issues arise and/or are resolved in the implementation of random assignment. Following a review of the methodological-theoretical literature on RCTs and alternative research designs, this article analyzes qualitative and quantitative data on three years of random assignment in a multi-site literacy intervention for adolescents. Practical lessons are drawn about how researcher practices and learning by school staff contributed to random assignment compliance. Consideration of challenges encountered in implementing random assignment suggests that 1) researcher communication with program staff improves compliance, but may not overcome the need for learning through experience; 2) in keeping with arguments in favor of random assignment-based research, random assignment may control for diverse selection processes that would undermine valid treatment-control comparisons in some non-RCT research designs; and 3) in keeping with arguments against random assignment-based research, random assignment may lead to samples dissimilar to target populations. In concluding, the broader limitations of research that focus on a priori causes and quantifiable effects are noted.
Implementing children’s human rights education in schools
Authors: Covell Katherine , Howe R. Brian , McNeil Justin K.
Published: August 2010

Evaluations of a children’s rights education initiative in schools in Hampshire, England — consistent with previous research findings — demonstrate the effectiveness of a framework of rights for school policy, practice, and teaching, for promoting rights-respecting attitudes and behaviors among children, and for improving the school ethos. The value of rights-consistent schooling is seen not only in its contemporaneous benefits on children, but also in its capacity to have a long-term effect on the promotion and maintenance of a rights-supporting culture. To this end, we provide data on how Hampshire educators were able to successfully implement their program. We examine schools that were very successful in incorporating children’s rights across the curriculum and throughout all school policies and practices, and compare their implementation efforts and experiences with schools that were less successful. By identifying the key variables that differentiate success, we aim to facilitate the implementation of rights-consistent schooling.
Chinese consumers: The Romantic reappraisal
Authors: Griffiths Michael B , Chapman Malcolm , Christiansen Flemming
Published: August 2010

Drawing on evidence from Anshan City, Liaoning Province, the People’s Republic of China, we argue that the recent commodification and proliferation of idyllicized representations of rurality, a trend that runs directly counter to the symbolic infrastructure of China’s mass urbanization and industrialization, indicates a paradigm shift in Chinese consumer perceptions. We explore a theory of the ‘Romantic reappraisal of Chinese consumer values’, drawing upon the reappraisal of values ascribed to the ‘Romantic period’ which followed the industrial revolution in Britain and Western Europe in the late 18th century. Similarities and differences with this earlier shift are explored. One of the authors has spent several lengthy periods of ethnographic investigation in Anshan since 2005, drawing on networks from a wide range of social spheres.
Contacts and contracts: Economic embeddedness and ethnic stratification in London’s construction market
Authors: Thiel Darren
Published: August 2010

Debates over the constitution and operation of economic markets tend to neglect their empirical variability and frequently fail to recognize the specific qualities of labour and contract markets. Based on one year’s participant observation on a London construction site in 2003/4, this article demonstrates how labour and contract markets were informally regulated and reproduced, characterized by alternative exchange forms that sometimes involved illegitimate practices. Chains of informal social networks, their mores and methods of association and exchange, closed down the markets to competition and framed the development of ethnic stratification patterns. The patterns were locked in place by strong social ties that had formed in relation to the highly deregulated construction marketplace, and which came to constitute it. This revealed the construction economy as predominately socially embedded in a ‘moral economy’ that was ultimately underpinned by violence, putting into question numerous claims from the economic sociology of markets.
Portrait of a circus girl
Authors: Offen Julia Lynn
Published: August 2010

Drawn from many months of ethnographic research with a classic European Circus in Switzerland, this narrative traces the author’s close contact and experience with one young circus woman over a 24-hour period. Through this brief portrait witnessing one particular individual’s story, larger themes — language, hierarchy, family, circus/town divides, belonging and exclusion, performance, gender roles, national identity, and more — all arise as key practices and performances for understanding the experience of European circus life. ‘Alessandra’ is a real person, a friend, and to those who know her in or out of the circus world, a compelling character. Not an explicit reflection on, nor analysis of, ethnographic experience, this ‘tale from the field’ is instead in-the-moment narration and commentary written to immerse the reader, engaging them in the ethnographic imagination, evoking lived experience, and inviting as many worthwhile questions as it may answer.