bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Serum Levels of Glycoprotein Dickkopf-1 in Patients with Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma: A Prospective Pilot Study
Authors: Feldmann Robert , Schierl Michael , Fink Astrid M. , Sator Paul-Gunther , Maiweg Jacob , Steiner Andreas
Published: March 2011

Background: Dickkopf-1 (Dkk-1) glycoprotein is an inhibitor of the canonical Wnt pathway. Recent studies have demonstrated elevated Dkk-1 serum levels in patients with diverse malignancies. In vitro studies with melanoma cell lines showed that loss of Dkk-1 expression may contribute to tumor progression. Objective: The present study is the first in vivo investigation of Dkk-1 serum levels in patients with cutaneous malignant melanoma. Methods: We analyzed serum levels of Dkk-1 protein in 82 patients with cutaneous melanoma. Results: Serum levels were significantly increased (mean 83.01 pmol/l) in comparison to healthy controls (mean 29.36 pmol/l). No statistical difference in Dkk-1 serum levels neither between patients without or with lymph node metastases (p = 0.719) nor between patients with or without visceral metastases (p = 0.929) was found. Patients before excision had moderately higher Dkk-1 serum levels than after excision or with florid metastases. Conclusion: Our data suggest that increased Dkk-1 expression is an early event in melanoma, decreasing in later tumor stages. It was shown previously that Dkk-1 activates cell death in melanoma cells. Our in vivo data indicate that a decrease in Dkk-1 could be a sign of loss of tumor control.
Sodium Oxybate in Narcolepsy with Cataplexy: Zurich Sleep Center Experience
Authors: Poryazova R. , Tartarotti S. , Khatami R. , Baumann C.R. , Valko P. , Kallweit U. , Werth E. , Bassetti C.L.
Published: March 2011

Sodium oxybate (SO; Xyrem®) has been approved in most countries for treatment of narcolepsy and cataplexy. In this study, we present a single-center experience of a series of 18 patients with narcolepsy with cataplexy (18/18 DQB1*0602 positive, 17/17 with low/absent cerebrospinal fluid hypocretin) in whom SO was prescribed. After 26 ± 13 months, 13/18 patients were still on SO at a mean dosage of 6.1 ± 1.2 g (in 8 of them in combination with stimulants). The following significant effects were observed: improved subjective sleepiness (12/13), cataplexy (13/13; median number of attacks from 20 to 1/month), hallucinations (8/10) and sleep paralysis (8/8); increase in mean sleep latency on the Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (from 5.5 to 17.4 min) and sleep/rest efficiency on actigraphy (from 61 to 76%); decrease in Epworth Sleepiness Scale score (from 18 to 14), sleep onset REM periods on the Multiple Sleep Latency Test (from 3.6 to 2.4) and errors in the Steer-Clear Test (from 11 to 2%). Five patients discontinued SO because of insufficient compliance (n = 2), lack of efficiency (n = 1) and side effects (n = 1). These data confirm and expand previous reports on the good effects and tolerability of SO as a treatment for narcolepsy with cataplexy.
Intravitreal versus Sub-Tenon Posterior Triamcinolone Injection in Bilateral Diffuse Diabetic Macular Edema
Authors: Yalcinbayir Ozgur , Gelisken Oner , Kaderli Berkant , Avci Remzi
Published: March 2011

Purpose: To compare the efficacy of intravitreal and sub-Tenon (ST) posterior triamcinolone injection in the treatment of bilateral diabetic diffuse macular edema (DDME). Methods: 28 eyes of 14 diabetic patients with bilateral DDME were included in this prospective randomized study. One eye of each individual received a sub-Tenon (ST) posterior triamcinolone injection (ST group), whereas the fellow eye received an intravitreal triamcinolone injection (IV group). All eyes were treated with supplementary focal laser after the injections. Cases were evaluated 1, 2, 3 and 6 months after the initial treatment. Results: Both groups had visual improvement and macular edema reduction following the injections. This temporary effect was prominent for 24 weeks in the IV group and for 8 weeks in the ST group. Edema resorption and visual improvement were more pronounced in the IV group, although this difference was not statistically significant. No major complications were observed except for moderate and reversible intraocular pressure elevation in some cases. Conclusion: Both intravitreal and ST injections of triamcinolone appear to yield a significant visual recovery and prompt resolution of DDME. The beneficial outcome appears to be more longstanding with intravitreal injection.
S100A9 Differentially Modifies Phenotypic States of Neutrophils, Macrophages, and Dendritic Cells
Authors: Averill Michelle M. , Barnhart Shelley , Becker Lev , Li Xin , Heinecke Jay W. , LeBoeuf Renee C. , Hamerman Jessica A. , Sorg Clemens , Kerkhoff Claus , Bornfeldt Karin E.
Published: March 2011

Background—

S100A9 is constitutively expressed in neutrophils, dendritic cells, and monocytes; is associated with acute and chronic inflammatory conditions; and is implicated in obesity and cardiovascular disease in humans. Most of the constitutively secreted S100A9 is derived from myeloid cells. A recent report demonstrated that mice deficient in S100A9 exhibit reduced atherosclerosis compared with controls and suggested that this effect was due in large part to loss of S100A9 in bone marrow–derived cells.

Methods and Results—

To directly investigate the role of bone marrow–derived S100A9 in atherosclerosis and insulin resistance in mice, low-density lipoprotein receptor–deficient, S100A9-deficient bone marrow chimeras were generated. Neither atherosclerosis nor insulin resistance was reduced in S100A9-deficient chimeras fed a diet rich in fat and carbohydrates. To investigate the reason for this lack of effect, myeloid cells were isolated from the peritoneal cavity or bone marrow. S100A9-deficient neutrophils exhibited a reduced secretion of cytokines in response to toll-like receptor-4 stimulation. In striking contrast, S100A9-deficient dendritic cells showed an exacerbated release of cytokines after toll-like receptor stimulation. Macrophages rapidly lost S100A9 expression during maturation; hence, S100A9 deficiency did not affect the inflammatory status of macrophages.

Conclusions—

S100A9 differentially modifies phenotypic states of neutrophils, macrophages, and dendritic cells. The effect of S100A9 deficiency on atherosclerosis and other inflammatory diseases is therefore predicted to depend on the relative contribution of these cell types at different stages of disease progression. Furthermore, S100A9 expression in nonmyeloid cells is likely to contribute to atherosclerosis.
Trait Anxiety Modulates the Neural Efficiency of Inhibitory Control
Authors: Basten Ulrike , Stelzel Christine , Fiebach Christian J.
Published: March 2011

An impairment of attentional control in the face of threat-related distracters is well established for high-anxious individuals. Beyond that, it has been hypothesized that high trait anxiety more generally impairs the neural efficiency of cognitive processes requiring attentional control—even in the absence of threat-related stimuli. Here, we use fMRI to show that trait anxiety indeed modulates brain activation and functional connectivities between task-relevant brain regions in an affectively neutral Stroop task. In high-anxious individuals, dorsolateral pFC showed stronger task-related activation and reduced coupling with posterior lateral frontal regions, dorsal ACC, and a word-sensitive area in the left fusiform gyrus. These results support the assumption that a general (i.e., not threat-specific) impairment of attentional control leads to reduced neural processing efficiency in anxious individuals. The increased dorsolateral pFC activation is interpreted as an attempt to compensate for suboptimal connectivity within the cortical network subserving task performance.
Forming Tool Use Representations: A Neurophysiological Investigation into Tool Exposure
Authors: Mizelle John Christopher , Tang Teresa , Pirouz Nikta , Wheaton Lewis A.
Published: March 2011

Prior work has identified a common left parietofrontal network for storage of tool-related information for various tasks. How these representations become established within this network on the basis of different modes of exposure is unclear. Here, healthy subjects engaged in physical practice (direct exposure) with familiar and unfamiliar tools. A separate group of subjects engaged in video-based observation (indirect exposure) of the same tools to understand how these learning strategies create representations. To assess neural mechanisms engaged for pantomime after different modes of exposure, a pantomime task was performed for both tools while recording neural activation with high-density EEG. Motor planning–related neural activation was evaluated using beta band (13–22 Hz) event-related desynchronization. Hemispheric dominance was assessed, and activation maps were generated to understand topography of activations. Comparison of conditions (effects of tool familiarity and tool exposure) was performed with standardized low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography. Novel tool pantomime following direct exposure resulted in greater activations of bilateral parietofrontal regions. Activations following indirect training varied by tool familiarity; pantomime of the familiar tool showed greater activations in left parietofrontal areas, whereas the novel tool showed greater activations at right temporoparieto-occipital areas. These findings have relevance to the mechanisms for understanding motor-related behaviors involved in new tools that we have little or no experience with and can extend into advancing theories of tool use motor learning.
Pride and Paradox in IG I3 833bis
Authors: Biles Zachary P.
Published: March 2011

Building on research in recent years that emphasizes the cross-fertilization of ideas in epinician poetry and epigrammatic dedications, this article examines the poetics of a single victory epigram for a victory with a men’s chorus at Athens in the first quarter of the fifth century BC. The epinikian strategies that contribute to the poet’s self-presentation in this epigram are revealed by comparative evidence from epinician song and ritual dedication. Furthermore, an underlying paradox between agonistic and dedicatory modes of thought is revealed through ambiguities of expression, evidenced also in Homeric and later poetry.
A Linguistic Inquiry Solves an Ancient Crime: Re-examination of 2 Samuel 4:6*
Authors: Mastéy Emmanuel
Published: March 2011

Second Samuel 4 describes the assassination of Ish-Bosheth, the last successor of Saul, by two of his brigade commanders. Verse 6 in this chapter gives the account of the actual killing. The verse has long been reckoned as problematic from the linguistic and literary points of view. Traditional Jewish commentators tried to solve the textual problem by means of syntactical completions. The Septuagint gives a different account here, which most scholars have adopted as original. A few, however, have raised the possibility that the Greek version is actually an attempt to solve the difficulties in the Hebrew text. In this article, I attempt to show that the Masoretic text is accurate and completely comprehensible. Furthermore, it sheds light on the entire scene, and brings to the front the personal attitude of the biblical narrator towards David and his kingship.
Hortatory Discourse and Psalm 96
Authors: Tucker W. Dennis
Published: March 2011

Discourse analysis has been applied to numerous narrative texts in the Hebrew Bible, yet its use with poetic texts remains infrequent. This study tests the thesis that hortatory discourse in poetic texts resembles and reflects the structures of hortatory discourse present within narrative material. Frequently the word order and construction of lines within Hebrew poetry have been attributed to poetic style, free variation, or rhetorical structure, among other suggestions, yet this analysis of Psalm 96 suggests that word order may be explained based on the discourse employed in the psalm.
Rejuvenating American Journalism: Some Tentative Policy Proposals Workshop Presentation on Journalism, Federal Trade Commission Washington, D.C., March 10, 2010
Authors: McChesney Robert
Published: March 2011

Among those who care about serious journalism, some are counting on an economic comeback that will bring sufficient media advertising back to newspapers and Web sites to support quality reporting; others bet on the evolution of paywalls and a public that will change course and learn to buy news content; still others put their money on other kinds of news innovation, in which new kinds of outlets find ways to sustain themselves once the philanthropists are tapped out or move on. But what if none of these things work? What is left?Robert W. McChesney is one of those who argue that what is left is public policy and public funding that recognizes and sustains reporting as a public good. McChesney teaches in the Department of Communication at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is the co-author, with John Nichols, of The Death and Life of American Journalism: the Media Revolution That Will Begin the World Again.
Miguel de Cervantes, Early Modern Spain, and the Challenges to the Meaning of Islam
Authors:   Rouhi
Published: March 2011

Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616) wrote a number of texts, among them Don Quijote and El amante liberal [The generous lover], that critique the narrow optics and false binaries that govern the description of both Christian and Muslim identity. In this essay I show how the strategies of dismantling binaries work in the case of El amante liberal in particular, and how the current scholarship on early modern Spain's (and especially Cervantes') engagement with Islam is a fruitful place to challenge the monolithic visions that command depictions of Islam. Given Cervantes' role as a pioneer for modernity in fiction, his complex portrayals of Islam also relate to the advent of modernity in Western literature.
From Braudel to Derrida: Mohammed Arkoun's Rethinking of Islam and Religion
Authors: Kersten Carool
Published: March 2011

This article examines Mohammed Arkoun as one of the pioneers of a new Muslim intellectualism seeking new ways of engaging with Islam by combining intimate familiarity with the Islamic civilizational heritage (turath) and solid knowledge of recent achievements by the Western academe in the humanities and social sciences. It will show how his groundbreaking and agendasetting work in Islamic studies reflects a convergence of the spatiotemporal concerns of an intellectual historian inspired by the Annales School with an epistemological critique drawing on structuralist and poststructuralist ideas. Influenced by Paul Ricoeur's hermeneutics and the deconstructionist philosophy of Jacques Derrida, Arkoun evolved from a specialist in the intellectual history of medieval Islam into a generic critic of epistemologies, advocating a concept of so-called 'emerging reason' which transcends existing forms of religious reason, Enlightenment rationalism and the tele-techno-scientific reason of the postmodern globalizing world. This article concludes that Arkoun's proposals challenge the intellectual binary of the West versus Islam and the historical dichotomy between the northern and southern Mediterranean.
Tempering expectations: EU involvement with the Transdniestrian conflict
Authors: Scheffers Bart
Published: March 2011

Often portrayed as one of the most resolvable conflicts, home to hundreds of peacekeepers and various reported human rights abuses, the Transdniestrian conflict (just 100 kilometers from the EU's external border) is an interesting case for those interested in European security. For many years, negotiations for a political settlement have taken place under the OSCE's auspices. In recent years, however, the EU has emerged as a central actor in this process and seems to have taken a leadrole. This gives rise to the question of whether an effective EU strategy to this conflict is in place and, in light of discussions of civilian or normative power, if this demonstrates a distinct European approach to conflict management. Based on a qualitative research in which the author analyzed the EU's relevant policies with his findings on the ground in both Moldova and Transdniestria, it is argued that the EU has a huge potential to thaw this conflict. Yet, where OSCE diplomacy or (unilateral) Russian intervention have all failed thus far, also the EU is increasingly having difficulty to navigate its way on the patchy road to conflict settlement for Transdniestria. This study not only implies that geopolitical interests remain dominant for Transdniestria, but also asserts that the scope or use of normative power should be reconsidered in such, more antagonistic, environments.
Melangyna lucifera n.sp. from southern Norway (Diptera: Syrphidae)
Authors: Nielsen Tore
Published: March 2011

Melangyna lucifera n.sp. is described and figured in both sexes and characters separating them from simitar species are given. It has its flight period in early spring and closely resembles M. lasiophthalma (Zetterstedt, 1843).
Ethnic minorities and political representation: The case of Bulgaria
Authors: Todorov Antony , Krasteva Anna
Published: March 2011

The political representation of minority groups in Bulgaria is analyzed from three perspectives. The first relates to political socialization: the mechanisms of minority political preference, and their materialization into political behavior, mostly during elections or through party membership. The second relates to political actors' conduct towards minorities: their attitudes toward minority identities and the significance of minority representation in their practice. The third perspective relates to the institutional framework that politically regulates minority status. This third perspective raises questions of minimum representation, and the legal formalization of minority political parties. Bulgarian ethnic politics is analyzed regarding both the ethnic factors in constructing the political scene and the political factors in structuring the ethnic model. The present article questions the applicability of the distinction between the 'politics of ideas' and the 'politics of identities' to Southeastern Europe in general, and to Bulgaria in particular. This theoretical question is addressed through two empirical comparative analyses: the similarities and divergences of the minority management model in the Bulgarian Constitution and the one applied in the political practice, and the differences between minority representation in Bulgaria and in neighboring countries such as Romania.
A Semiempirical Downscaling Approach for Predicting Regional Temperature Impacts Associated with Climatic Change
Authors: Sailor David J. , Li Xiangshang
Published: March 2011

A statistical downscaling approach is developed for generating regional temperature change predictions from GCM results. The approach utilizes GCM free atmosphere output and surface observations in a framework conceptually similar to the model output statistics approach common in the forecasting community. The appropriateness of this approach is demonstrated through a comparison of GCM and observed free atmosphere variables. Seasonal downscaling models are presented for eight sites within four community climate model (CCM) grid cells in the United States. The majority of these models are capable of explaining more than 90% of the variance in the temperature time series. The results indicate a wide range of differences between downscaled climate change predictions and grid cell–level CCM predictions.
The Influence of Solar Zenith Angle and Cloud Type on Cloud Radiative Forcing at the Surface in the Arctic
Authors: Minnett Peter J.
Published: March 2011

Measurements of the long- and shortwave incident radiation taken from the USCGC Polar Sea during a research cruise to the Northeast Water Polynya during the summer of 1993 are analyzed together with observations of cloud type and amount to determine the effects of summertime Arctic clouds on the surface radiation budget. It is found that the solar zenith angle is critical in determining whether clouds heat or cool the surface. For large solar zenith angles (>∼80°) the infrared heating effect of clouds is greater than the reduction in insolation caused by clouds, and the surface is heated by the presence of cloud. For smaller zenith angles, cloud cover cools the surface, and for intermediate zenith angles, the surface radiation budget is insensitive to the presence of, or changes in, cloud cover.
A Comparison Study of EOF Techniques: Analysis of Nonstationary Data with Periodic Statistics
Authors: Kim Kwang-Y. , Wu Qigang
Published: March 2011

Identification of independent physical/dynamical modes and corresponding principal component time series is an important aspect of climate studies for they serve as a tool for detecting and predicting climate changes. While there are a number of different eigen techniques their performance for identifying independent modes varies. Considered here are comparison tests of eight eigen techniques in identifying independent patterns from a dataset. A particular emphasis is given to cyclostationary processes such as deforming and moving patterns with cyclic statistics. Such processes are fairly common in climatology and geophysics. Two eigen techniques that are based on the cyclostationarity assumption—cyclostationary empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) and periodically extended EOFs—perform better in identifying moving and deforming patterns than techniques based on the stationarity assumption. Application to a tropical Pacific surface temperature field indicates that the first dominant pattern and the corresponding principal component (PC) time series are consistent among different techniques. The second mode and the PC time series, however, are not very consistent from one another with hints of significant modal mixing and splitting in some of derived patterns. There also is a detailed difference of intraannual scale between PC time series of a stationary technique and those of a cyclostationary one. This may bear an important implication on the predictability of El Niño. Clearly there is a choice of eigen technique for improved predictability.
Enhanced Climate Change and Its Detection over the Rocky Mountains
Authors: Fyfe John C. , Flato Gregory M.
Published: March 2011

Results from an ensemble of climate change experiments with increasing greenhouse gas and aerosols using the Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis Coupled Climate Model are presented with a focus on surface quantities over the Rocky Mountains. There is a marked elevation dependency of the simulated surface screen temperature increase over the Rocky Mountains in the winter and spring seasons, with more pronounced changes at higher elevations. The elevation signal is linked to a rise in the snow line in the winter and spring seasons, which amplifies the surface warming via the snow-albedo feedback. Analysis of the winter surface energy budget shows that large changes in the solar component of the radiative input are the direct consequence of surface albedo changes caused by decreasing snow cover.

Although the warming signal is enhanced at higher elevations, a two-way analysis of variance reveals that the elevation effect has no potential for early climate change detection. In the early stages of surface warming the elevation effect is masked by relatively large noise, so that the signal-to-noise ratio over the Rocky Mountains is no larger than elsewhere. Only after significant continental-scale warming does the local Rocky Mountain signal begin to dominate the pattern of climate change over western North America (and presumably also the surrounding ecosystems and hydrological networks).
GCM Systematic Error Correction and Specification of the Seasonal Mean Pacific–North America Region Atmosphere from Global SSTs
Authors: Smith Thomas M. , Livezey Robert E.
Published: March 2011

Specifications of 1- and 3-month mean Pacific–North America region 700-hPa heights and U.S. surface temperatures and precipitation, from global sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and the ensemble average output of multiple runs of a general circulation model with the same SSTs prescribed, were explored with canonical correlation analysis. In addition to considerable specification skill, the authors found that 1) systematic errors in SST-forced model variability had substantial linear parts, 2) use of both predictor fields usually enhanced specification performance for the U.S. fields over that for just one of the predictor fields, and 3) skillful specification and model correction of the heights and temperatures were also possible for nonactive or transitional El Niño–Southern Oscillation situations.
Covariability of Aspects of North American Climate with Global Sea Surface Temperatures on Interannual to Interdecadal Timescales
Authors: Livezey Robert E. , Smith Thomas M.
Published: March 2011

Rotated canonical correlation analysis between seasonal- and longer-mean global SSTs and either U.S. surface temperatures or 700-hPa heights in the Pacific–North America region have led to decompositions into three distinct signals. One of these represents the interannual variability of ENSO and a second is related to the North Atlantic oscillation and exhibits considerable variability on interdecadal timescales. In contrast the temporal behavior of the third, which is referred to here as the global signal, is mostly characterized by a steady trend since the late 1960s. The robustness of this time series to variations in the analyses, as well as the robustness of the spatial structure of the SST pattern accompanying it, suggests that the decomposition represents a successful separation of the climate signal from the climate noise. When viewed in the context of other recent work, the global signal cannot be discounted as a “fingerprint” of global warming. Finally, calculations that exploit ensemble mean output from prescribed-SST GCM runs reveal notable systematic errors in the simulation of the features of all three signals.
Sensitivity of Tropical Tropospheric Temperature to Sea Surface Temperature Forcing*
Authors: Su Hui , Neelin J. David , Meyerson Joyce E.
Published: March 2011

During El Niño, there are substantial tropospheric temperature anomalies across the entire tropical belt associated with the warming of sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the central and eastern Pacific. The quasi-equilibrium tropical circulation model (QTCM) is used to investigate the mechanisms for tropical tropospheric temperature response to SST forcing. In both observations and model simulations, the tropical averaged tropospheric temperature anomaly 〈T̂′〉 is approximately linear with the tropical mean SST anomaly 〈T′s〉 for observed SST forcing. Regional SST anomaly experiments are used to estimate regional sensitivity measures and quantify the degree of nonlinearity. For instance, SST anomalies of 3°C in the central Pacific would give a nonlinear 〈T̂′〉 response about 15% greater than a linear fit to small SST anomaly experiments would predict, but for the maximum observed SST anomaly in this region the response differs by only 5% from linearity. Nonlinearity in 〈T̂′〉 response is modest even when local precipitation response is highly nonlinear. While temperature anomalies have large spatial scales, the main precipitation anomaly tends to be local to the SST anomaly regions. The tropical averaged precipitation anomalies 〈P′〉 do not necessarily have a simple relation to tropical averaged tropospheric temperature anomalies or SST forcing. The approximate linearity of the 〈T̂′〉 response is due to two factors: 1) the strong nonlinearities that occur locally tend to be associated with the transport terms, which become small in the large-area average; and 2) the dependence on temperature of the top-of-atmosphere and surface fluxes has only weak nonlinearity over the range of 〈T̂′〉 variations. Analytical approximations to the QTCM suggest that the direct impact of climatological SST, via flux terms, contributes modestly to regional variations in the sensitivity α of 〈T̂′〉 to 〈T′s〉. Wind speed has a fairly strong effect on α but tends to oppose the direct effect of SST since cold SST regions often have stronger climatological wind, which would yield larger slopes. A substantial contribution to regional variation in α comes from the different reaction of moisture to SST anomalies in precipitating and nonprecipitating regions. Although regions over climatologically warm water have a slightly higher sensitivity, subregions of El Niño SST anomalies even in the colder eastern Pacific contribute substantially to tropospheric temperature anomalies.
The Persistence of Winter Sea Surface Temperature in the North Atlantic
Authors: de Coëtlogon Gaëlle , Frankignoul Claude
Published: March 2011

The impact of the seasonal variations of the mixed-layer depth on the persistence of sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies is studied in the North Atlantic, using observations. A significant recurrence of winter SST anomalies during the following winter occurs in most of the basin, but not in the subtropical area of strong subduction. When taking reemergence into account, the e-folding timescale of winter SST anomalies generally exceeds 1 yr, and is about 16 months for the dominant SST anomaly tripole. The influence of advection by the mean oceanic currents is investigated by allowing for a displacement of the maximum recurrent correlation and, alternatively, by considering the SST anomaly evolution along realistic mean displacement paths. Taking into account the nonlocality of the reemergence generally increases the wintertime persistence, most notably in the northern part of the domain. The passive response of the mixed layer to the atmospheric forcing thus has a red spectrum down to near-decadal frequencies.
Nonlinearity of Carbon Cycle Feedbacks
Authors: Zickfeld Kirsten , Eby Michael , Matthews H. Damon , Schmittner Andreas , Weaver Andrew J.
Published: March 2011

Coupled climate–carbon models have shown the potential for large feedbacks between climate change, atmospheric CO2 concentrations, and global carbon sinks. Standard metrics of this feedback assume that the response of land and ocean carbon uptake to CO2 (concentration–carbon cycle feedback) and climate change (climate–carbon cycle feedback) combine linearly. This study explores the linearity in the carbon cycle response by analyzing simulations with an earth system model of intermediate complexity [the University of Victoria Earth System Climate Model (UVic ESCM)]. The results indicate that the concentration–carbon and climate–carbon cycle feedbacks do not combine linearly to the overall carbon cycle feedback. In this model, the carbon sinks on land and in the ocean are less efficient when exposed to the combined effect of elevated CO2 and climate change than to the linear combination of the two. The land accounts for about 80% of the nonlinearity, with the ocean accounting for the remaining 20%. On land, this nonlinearity is associated with the different response of vegetation and soil carbon uptake to climate in the presence or absence of the CO2 fertilization effect. In the ocean, the nonlinear response is caused by the interaction of changes in physical properties and anthropogenic CO2. These findings suggest that metrics of carbon cycle feedback that postulate linearity in the system’s response may not be adequate.
An Investigation of the Relations Between Altruism, Empathy, and Spirituality
Authors: Huber John Thomas , MacDonald Douglas A.
Published: March 2011

This study investigated the relations between altruism, empathy, and spirituality in a sample of 186 university students. Zero-order and partial correlations controlling for age, sex, and social desirability indicated that, although altruism and empathy are related to each other in a manner consistent with previous research, the association of both of these to spirituality is complex and multidirectional. In particular, empathy was found to be significantly positively related to nonreligious spiritual cognitions, religiousness, and spiritual experiences and negatively associated with existential well-being. Altruism, on the other hand, was most strongly linked to spiritual experiences, followed by spiritual cognitions. Regression analyses revealed that nonreligious spiritual cognitions and spiritual experiences are the most potent predictors of both empathy and altruism, respectively. Based on the findings and literature suggesting that spirituality may have an impact on empathy and altruism, a path model was developed wherein spiritual experiences had a direct effect on altruism and spiritual cognitions had an indirect effect on altruism through empathy. A test of the model indicated that it demonstrates satisfactory goodness of fit. The study concludes with a discussion of the meaning and implications of the findings for future research.
Determinants of Urban Sprawl in France
Authors: Pirotte Alain , Madre Jean-Loup
Published: March 2011

This paper studies the determinants of urban sprawl in France using panel datasets for the four largest metropolitan areas (Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Lille) over the period 1985–98. A measure of urban sprawl is proposed at municipality level. Due to the huge heterogeneity of the panels, it seems difficult to make the fundamental homogeneity assumption underlying pooled models. Thus, random coefficient models under heteroscedasticity of the disturbances are estimated for each metropolitan area using a hierarchical Bayes approach based on the Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation method. It is found that urban sprawl is positively related to the income growth of the tax payers’ fiscal households for the period of rapid growth in the late 1980s. At the opposite extreme, the income effects are negative for non-tax payers. During the recession, income effects are significant neither for tax payers’ nor for non-tax payers’ fiscal households and are significantly positive for tax payers and negative for non-tax payers over the recovery. Finally, on average, the inequality index—difference of average net income between tax payers and exempted fiscal households—has a lower impact on urban sprawl than the income effect.
Experience Expectations of Prospective Volunteer Tourists
Authors: Andereck Kathleen , McGehee Nancy Gard , Lee Seungwoo , Clemmons David
Published: March 2011

The purpose of this article is to use expectancy theory (which suggests that a travel experience that meets or exceeds tourists’ expectations will be viewed positively) to explore the experience expectations and preferences of prospective volunteer tourists (voluntourists). Survey research is implemented to investigate the experience expectations of potential volunteer tourists and considers aspects of expectations that differentiate various groups. Findings indicate that the primary expectation held by respondents in general is the provision of trip-related information. A primary differentiating experience attribute among potential volunteers is the amount of contact people expect to have with residents. The intensity level of physical or emotional demands is also a differentiator. Information from this study can be useful for volunteer tour operators, NGOs, and community stakeholders in the design of a variety of volunteer tourism experiences that can meet the needs of diverse travelers.
On the Reliability of Science
Authors: Agassi Joseph
Published: March 2011

Error and Inference discusses Deborah Mayo’s theory that connects the reliability of science to scientific evidence. She sees it as an essential supplement to the negative principles of critical rationalism. She and Aris Spanos, her co-editor, declare that the discussions in the book amount to tremendous progress. Yet most contributors to the book misconstrue the Socratic character of critical rationalism because they ignore a principal tenet: criticism in and of itself comprises progress, and empirical refutation comprises learning from experience. Critical rationalism should be recommended in the critical spirit, not as dogma.
Effect of CYP2C19 Polymorphism on the Pharmacokinetics of Voriconazole After Single and Multiple Doses in Healthy Volunteers
Authors: Lee SeungHwan , Kim Bo‐Hyung , Nam Won‐Seok , Yoon Seo Hyun , Cho Joo‐Youn , Shin Sang‐Goo , Jang In‐Jin , Yu Kyung‐Sang
Published: March 2011

The current study assessed the influence of the CYP2C19 genotype on the pharmacokinetics and tolerability of voriconazole after single and multiple oral doses in healthy volunteers. Six subjects for the CYP2C19 homozygous extensive metabolizer (EMs), 6 for heterozygous extensive metabolizer (HEMs), and 6 for poor metabolizer (PMs) were enrolled, and their CYP2C9, CYP3A5, and MDR1 genotypes were analyzed. After a single intravenous infusion or single and multiple oral doses of 200 mg of voriconazole, plasma concentrations of voriconazole were measured. Bioavailability was not significantly different among the CYP2C19 genotypes. Voriconazole exposure in PMs was approximately 3 times higher compared with EMs after a single intravenous or oral dose. At steady state, the plasma concentration just before the next dosing and area under the concentration‐time curve from dosing to the time point of the next dosing for PMs were about 5 times and 3 times higher than EMs, respectively. These results suggest that the CYP2C19 genotype is the major determinant of the wide PK variability of voriconazole.
Why Envy Outperforms Admiration
Authors: van de Ven Niels , Zeelenberg Marcel , Pieters Rik
Published: March 2011

Four studies tested the hypothesis that the emotion of benign envy, but not the emotions of admiration or malicious envy, motivates people to improve themselves. Studies 1 to 3 found that only benign envy was related to the motivation to study more (Study 1) and to actual performance on the Remote Associates Task (which measures intelligence and creativity; Studies 2 and 3). Study 4 found that an upward social comparison triggered benign envy and subsequent better performance only when people thought self-improvement was attainable. When participants thought self-improvement was hard, an upward social comparison led to more admiration and no motivation to do better. Implications of these findings for theories of social emotions such as envy, social comparisons, and for understanding the influence of role models are discussed.
Automated Test Assembly Using lp_Solve Version 5.5 in R
Authors: Diao Qi , van der Linden Wim J.
Published: March 2011

This article reviews the use of the software program lp_solve version 5.5 for solving mixed-integer automated test assembly (ATA) problems. The program is freely available under Lesser General Public License 2 (LGPL2). It can be called from the statistical language R using the lpSolveAPI interface. Three empirical problems are presented to demonstrate how to use the program and interface to (a) simultaneously assemble multiple test forms with absolute targets for their test information functions, (b) assemble shadow tests for computerized adaptive testing, and (c) assemble multistage tests using relative targets for their test information functions, all subject to various quantitative and categorical constraints. The results of this study indicate that it is now possible for researchers and testing organizations to implement ATA for small to moderately sized test assembly problems using free software.
Age-related Changes in Biomarkers: Longitudinal Data From a Population-based Sample
Authors: Glei Dana A. , Goldman Noreen , Lin Yu-Hsuan , Weinstein Maxine
Published: March 2011

Identifying how biological parameters change with age can provide insights into the physiological determinants of disease and, ultimately, death. Most prior studies of age-related change in biomarkers are based on cross-sectional data, small or selective samples, or a limited number of biomarkers. We use data from a nationally representative longitudinal sample of 639 Taiwanese aged 54 and older in 2000 to assess changes over a six-year period in a wide range of biomarkers. Markers that increased most with age were glycoslyated hemoglobin, interleukin-6, and norepinephrine. Markers that decreased most with age were diastolic blood pressure and creatinine clearance. For example, glycoslyated hemoglobin increased by 8% to 13%, depending on sex and age at baseline, over this six-year period. Several standard clinical risk factors exhibited little evidence of age-related change. Further research is needed to determine whether the observed variation between individuals in biomarker changes represents differences in underlying physiological function that are predictive of future health and survival.
Learning to live up to death — finally: Ricoeur and Derrida on the textuality of immortality
Authors: Putt B. Keith
Published: March 2011

In the ninth fragment of his posthumous work Living Up to Death, Paul Ricoeur reflects on Jacques Derrida’s final interview given to the French newspaper Le Monde just months prior to his death. Although he confesses to a genuine distanciation from Derrida regarding salient aspects of their individual memento mori, he does so within the context of significant concessions of agreement. I argue in this article that their differing positions de facto agree at a critical structural level with reference to the possibility of positing something akin to a textual immortality. Both contend that traces of the author remain in the corpus of a work, a remainder that allows for a form of resurrection through reading. By analogizing their perspectives with Rudolf Bultmann’s kerygmatic resurrection of Christ in the proclaimed word, I conclude that Ricoeur and Derrida contend that one truly learns to live up to death ‘ finally’, that is, enfin — ‘at last’, ‘after all’, or one might say, ‘ in a word’.
Paul Ricoeur on life and death
Authors: Joy Morny
Published: March 2011

This article, written as a tribute to Paul Ricoeur, examines a number of his own reflections on the topics of life and death.
Safety of Vasopressor Use in Head and Neck Microvascular Reconstruction
Authors: Monroe Marcus M. , Cannady Steven B. , Ghanem Tamer A. , Swide Christopher E. , Wax Mark K.
Published: March 2011

Objectives

To evaluate the safety of intraoperative vasopressor administration in a prospective series of patients undergoing free tissue transfer surgery for a variety of indications.

Study Design

Prospective observational noninferiority study.

Setting

Tertiary academic hospital.

Subjects

A total of 169 consecutive patients undergoing free tissue transfer for a variety of indications between late 2007 and 2009.

Methods

Intraoperative vasopressor use and surgical outcomes data were prospectively collected. This study was designed to test the noninferiority of intraoperative vasopressor exposure versus no intraoperative vasopressor use on early flap failure.

Results

A total of 169 free flaps were performed during the study period. Six early free flap failures occurred overall. The proportion of patients experiencing early flap failure was 4.4% (4/90) in those exposed to intraoperative vasopressors versus 2.5% (2/79) in those not exposed, with an absolute difference of 1.9 percentage points (90% confidence interval, −1.4 to 5.2). Thirty‐eight percent of patients in the vasopressor group experienced medical and/or surgical complications other than total flap loss versus 43% in the nonvasopressor group (odds ratio, 0.80; 95% confidence interval, 0.43‐1.49).

Conclusions

Intraoperative vasopressor use may be more common than previously realized in free tissue transfer surgery. Intraoperative vasopressor use does not result in a significant absolute increase in the rate of flap deaths.
Timing of Lower Extremity Frontal Plane Motion Differs Between Female and Male Athletes During a Landing Task
Authors: Joseph Michael F. , Rahl Michael , Sheehan Jessica , MacDougall Bradley , Horn Elaine , Denegar Craig R. , Trojian Thomas H. , Anderson Jeffrey M. , Kraemer William J.
Published: March 2011

Background: Female athletes are at a greater risk for noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injuries than male athletes. Gender differences in frontal plane kinematics (hip adduction, knee valgus, and ankle eversion) and temporal relationships that make up the components of dynamic knee valgus may explain this discrepancy.

Hypothesis: The authors hypothesized that women would reach peak frontal plane kinematic values earlier during landing compared with their male counterparts.

Study Design: Controlled laboratory study.

Methods: Hip, knee, and ankle 3-dimensional kinematics were measured using high-speed motion capture in 10 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I female athletes and 10 male practice squad athletes during a drop-jump landing. Independent t tests were used to analyze each dependent variable to identify differences between genders.

Results: Maximum hip adduction, knee valgus, and ankle eversion occurred earlier in women than in men (mean differences 33.7% of stance [95% CI, 20.2%-47.2%], 41.7% [95% CI, 31.5%-51.6%], 16.5% of stance [95% CI, 7.3%-25.6%], respectively). Maximum hip adduction and knee valgus occurred before maximum knee flexion in women and after in men (mean differences 0.11 seconds [95% CI, 0.05-0.18 seconds], 0.19 seconds [95% CI, 0.13-0.25 seconds], respectively). Maximum ankle eversion occurred earlier in women than in men (mean difference 0.06 seconds [95% CI, 0.01-0.11 seconds]). There was a significant difference between genders for angular velocity of knee valgus (mean difference = 25.53 deg/sec [95% CI, 8.30-42.77 deg/sec]).

Conclusion: Frontal plane kinematic temporal relationships at the hip, knee, and ankle differ between genders. The components of dynamic knee valgus peak during the deceleration phase in women and during the acceleration phase in men during a drop-jump landing. These data suggest that men and women employ a completely different kinematic landing/jumping strategy and that women land and collapse very rapidly into valgus compared with their male counterparts.

Clinical Relevance: The differences in timing of the components of dynamic knee valgus between women and men may contribute to the increased risk of noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injuries in female athletes. There may be implications for neuromuscular reeducation training in those at risk for anterior cruciate ligament injury so the components of dynamic valgus occur later in the landing phase of jumping.
Long term analysis of the biomass content in the feed of a waste-to-energy plant with oxygen-enriched combustion air
Authors: Fellner Johann , Cencic Oliver , Zellinger Günter , Rechberger Helmut
Published: March 2011

Thermal utilization of municipal solid waste and commercial wastes has become of increasing importance in European waste management. As waste materials are generally composed of fossil and biogenic materials, a part of the energy generated can be considered as renewable and is thus subsidized in some European countries. Analogously, CO2 emissions of waste incinerators are only partly accounted for in greenhouse gas inventories. A novel approach for determining these fractions is the so-called balance method. In the present study, the implementation of the balance method on a waste-to-energy plant using oxygen-enriched combustion air was investigated. The findings of the 4-year application indicate on the one hand the general applicability and robustness of the method, and on the other hand the importance of reliable monitoring data. In particular, measured volume flows of the flue gas and the oxygen-enriched combustion air as well as corresponding O2 and CO2 contents should regularly be validated. The fraction of renewable (biogenic) energy generated throughout the investigated period amounted to between 27 and 66% for weekly averages, thereby denoting the variation in waste composition over time. The average emission factor of the plant was approximately 45 g CO2 MJ−1 energy input or 450 g CO2 kg−1 waste incinerated. The maximum error of the final result was about 16% (relative error), which was well above the error (<8%) of the balance method for plants with conventional oxygen supply.