bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Phase II Study of Lapatinib in Recurrent or Metastatic Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and/or erbB2 Expressing Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma and Non–Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Malignant Tumors of the Salivary Glands
Authors: Agulnik Mark , Cohen Ezra W.E. , Cohen Roger B. , Chen Eric X. , Vokes Everett E. , Hotte Sebastien J. , Winquist Eric , Laurie Scott , Hayes D. Neil , Dancey Janet E. , Brown Shirley , Pond Gregory R. , Lorimer Ian , Daneshmand Manijeh , Ho James , Tsao Ming-Sound , Siu Lillian L.
Published: August 2007

Purpose

Expression of erbB2 and/or epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is associated with biologic aggressiveness and poor prognosis in malignant salivary gland tumors (MSGTs). This phase II study was conducted to determine the antitumor activity of lapatinib, a dual inhibitor of EGFR and erbB2 tyrosine kinase activity, in MSGTs.

Patients and Methods

Patients with progressive, recurrent, or metastatic adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) immunohistochemically expressing at least 1+ EGFR and/or 2+ erbB2 were treated with lapatinib 1,500 mg daily, in a two-stage cohort. Patients with non-ACC MSGTs were treated as a separate single-stage cohort.

Results

Of 62 patients screened, 29 of 33 (88%) ACC and 28 of 29 (97%) non-ACC patients expressed EGFR and/or erbB2. Forty patients with progressive disease were enrolled onto the study. Among 19 assessable ACC patients, there were no objective responses, 15 patients (79%) had stable disease (SD), nine patients (47%) had SD ≥ 6 months, and four patients (21%) had progressive disease (PD). For 17 assessable non-ACC patients, there were no objective responses, eight patients (47%) had SD, four patients (24%) had SD ≥ 6 months, and nine patients (53%) had PD. The most frequent adverse events were grade 1 to 2 diarrhea, fatigue, and rash. Eight paired tumor biopsies for correlative studies were procured; results did not correlate with clinical outcome.

Conclusion

Although no responses were observed, lapatinib was well tolerated, with prolonged tumor stabilization of ≥ 6 months in 36% (95% CI, 21% to 54%) of assessable patients. The antitumor effects of lapatinib in MGSTs appear mainly cytostatic, hence evaluation of other molecular targeted agents, or combinations with lapatinib, may be considered. Continued efforts should be made to gain better understanding into the biology of this heterogeneous group of malignancies.
Primary Fallopian Tube Malignancies in BRCA-Positive Women Undergoing Surgery for Ovarian Cancer Risk Reduction
Authors: Callahan Michael J. , Crum Christopher P. , Medeiros Fabiola , Kindelberger David W. , Elvin Julia A. , Garber Judy E. , Feltmate Colleen M. , Berkowitz Ross S. , Muto Michael G.
Published: August 2007

Purpose

To review the frequency and location of malignancies detected after prophylactic salpingo-oophorectomy in women with BRCA mutations.

Methods

Medical records and pathology findings were reviewed from BRCA-positive women undergoing prophylactic surgery for ovarian cancer risk reduction who underwent complete examination of the adnexa. Patients undergoing this procedure between January 1999 and January 2007 were identified.

Results

From January 1999 to January 2007, 122 BRCA-positive patients underwent prophylactic surgery in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Brigham and Women's Hospital. The median age was 46.5 years (range, 33 to 76 years). Seven (5.7%) were found to have an early malignancy in the upper genital tract and all patients were age ≥ 44 years at diagnosis. Of seven consecutive cancers culled between January 1999 and January 2007, all (100%) originated in the fimbrial or ampullary region of the tube; six had an early (intraepithelial) component. Two were associated with surface implants on the ovary and two required repeated sectioning to detect microscopic carcinomas in the fimbria.

Conclusion

The distal fallopian tube seems to be the dominant site of origin for early malignancies detected in approximately 6% of women undergoing ovarian cancer risk-reduction surgery. The greatest proportion of serous cancer risk in BRCA mutation–positive women should be assigned to the fimbria rather than the ovary, and future clinical and research protocols should employ thorough examination of the fimbria, including multiple sections from each tissue block, to maximize detection of early malignancies in this population.
Regulation of Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor-1 (Fgfr1) by Thyroid Hormone: Identification of a Thyroid Hormone Response Element in the Murine Fgfr1 Promoter
Authors: O’Shea Patrick J. , Guigon Celine J. , Williams Graham R. , Cheng Sheue-yann
Published: August 2007

T3 is essential for normal skeletal development, acting mainly via the TRα1 nuclear receptor. Nevertheless, the mechanisms of T3 action in bone are poorly defined. Fibroblast growth factor receptor-1 (FGFR1) is also essential for bone formation. Fgfr1 expression and activity are positively regulated by T3 in osteoblasts, and in mice that harbor a dominant negative PV mutation targeted to TRα1 or TRβ, Fgfr1 expression is sensitive to skeletal thyroid status. To investigate mechanisms underlying T3 regulation of FGFR1, we obtained primary calvarial osteoblasts from wild-type and TRβPV/PV littermate mice. T3 treatment increased Fgfr1 expression 2-fold in wild-type cells, but 8-fold in TRβPV/PV osteoblasts. The 4-fold increased T3 sensitivity of TRβPV/PV osteoblasts was associated with a markedly increased ratio of TRα1:TRβ1 expression that resulted from reduced TRβ1 expression in TRβPV/PV osteoblasts compared with wild-type. Bioinformatics and gel shift studies, and mutational analysis, identified a specific TR binding site 279–264 nucleotides upstream of the murine Fgfr1 promoter transcription start site. Transient transfection analysis of a series of Fgfr1 promoter 5′-deletion constructs, of a mutant reporter construct, and a series of heterologous promoter constructs, confirmed that this region of the promoter mediates a TR-dependent transcriptional response to T3. Thus, in addition to indirect regulation of FGFR1 expression by T3 reported previously, T3 also activates the Fgfr1 promoter directly via a thyroid hormone response element located at positions −279/−264.
Tumor Suppressor LKB1 Inhibits Activation of Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3) by Thyroid Oncogenic Tyrosine Kinase Rearranged in Transformation (RET)/Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma (PTC)
Authors: Kim Dong Wook , Chung Hyo Kyun , Park Ki Cheol , Hwang Jung Hwan , Jo Young Suk , Chung Jongkyeong , Kalvakolanu Dhananjaya V. , Resta Nicoletta , Shong Minho
Published: August 2007

The tumor suppressor LKB1 (STK11) is a cytoplasmic/nuclear serine/threonine kinase, defects in which cause Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) in humans and animals. Recent studies showed that loss of function of LKB1 is associated with sporadic forms of lung, pancreatic, and ovarian cancer. In cancer cells, LKB1 is inactivated by two mechanisms: mutations in its central kinase domain or complete loss of LKB1 expression. Inactivation of LKB1 is associated with progression of PJS and transformation of benign polyps into malignant tumors. This study examines the effect of LKB1 on regulation of STAT3 and expression of transcriptional targets of STAT3. The results show that LKB1 inhibits rearranged in transformation (RET)/papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC)-dependent activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), which is mediated by phosphorylation of STAT3 tyrosine 705 by RET/PTC. Suppression of STAT3 transactivation by LKB1 requires the kinase domain but not the kinase activity of LKB1. The centrally located kinase domain of LKB1 is an approximately 260-amino-acid region that binds to the linker domain of STAT3. Chromatin immunoprecipitation studies indicate that expression of LKB1 reduces the binding of STAT3 to its target promoters and suppresses STAT3-mediated expression of Cyclin D1, VEGF, and Bcl-xL. Knockdown of LKB1 by specific small interfering RNA led to an increase in STAT3 transactivation activity and promoted cell proliferation in the presence of RET/PTC. Thus, this study suggests that LKB1 suppresses tumor growth by inhibiting RET/PTC-dependent activation of oncogenic STAT3.
Inactivation of serine protease Matriptase1a by its inhibitor Hai1 is required for epithelial integrity of the zebrafish epidermis
Authors: Carney Thomas J. , von der Hardt Sophia , Sonntag Carmen , Amsterdam Adam , Topczewski Jacek , Hopkins Nancy , Hammerschmidt Matthias
Published: August 2007

Epithelial integrity requires the adhesion of cells to each other as well as to an underlying basement membrane. The modulation of adherence properties is crucial to morphogenesis and wound healing, and deregulated adhesion has been implicated in skin diseases and cancer metastasis. Here, we describe zebrafish that are mutant in the serine protease inhibitor Hai1a (Spint1la),which display disrupted epidermal integrity. These defects are further enhanced upon combined loss of hai1a and its paralog hai1b. By applying in vivo imaging, we demonstrate that Hai1-deficient keratinocytes acquire mesenchymal-like characteristics, lose contact with each other, and become mobile and more susceptible to apoptosis. In addition, inflammation of the mutant skin is evident, although not causative of the epidermal defects. Only later, the epidermis exhibits enhanced cell proliferation. The defects of hai1 mutants can be phenocopied by overexpression and can be fully rescued by simultaneous inactivation of the serine protease Matriptase1a(St14a), indicating that Hai1 promotes epithelial integrity by inhibiting Matriptase1a. By contrast, Hepatocyte growth factor (Hgf), a well-known promoter of epithelial-mesenchymal transitions and a prime target of Matriptase1 activity, plays no major role. Our work provides direct genetic evidence for antagonistic in vivo roles of Hai1 and Matriptase1a to regulate skin homeostasis and remodeling.
Post-transcriptional repression of theDrosophilamidkine and pleiotrophin homologmipleby HOW is essential for correct mesoderm spreading
Authors: Toledano-Katchalski Hila , Nir Ronit , Volohonsky Gloria , Volk Talila
Published: August 2007

The even spreading of mesoderm cells in the Drosophila embryo is essential for its proper patterning by ectodermally derived signals. In how germline clone embryos, defects in mesoderm spreading lead to a partial loss of dorsal mesoderm derivatives. HOW is an RNA-binding protein that is thought to regulate diverse mRNA targets. To identify direct HOW targets, we implemented a series of selection methods on mRNAs whose levels were elevated in how germline clone embryos during the stage of mesoderm spreading. Four mRNAs were found to be specifically elevated in the mesoderm of how germline clone embryos, and to exhibit specific binding to HOW via their 3′ UTRs. Importantly, overexpression of three of these genes phenocopied the mesoderm-spreading phenotype of howgermline clone embryos. Further analysis showed that overexpressing one of these genes, miple (a Drosophila midkine and pleiotrophin heparin-binding growth factor), in the mesoderm led to abnormal scattered MAPK activation, a phenotype that might explain the abnormal mesoderm spreading. In addition, the number of EVE-positive cells, which are responsive to receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling, was increased following Miple overexpression in the mesoderm and appeared to be dependent on Heartless function. In summary, our analysis suggests that HOW downregulates the levels of a number of mRNA species in the mesoderm in order to enable proper mesoderm spreading during early embryogenesis.
Serotonin and nitric oxide interaction in the control of bioluminescence in northern krill, Meganyctiphanes norvegica (M. Sars)
Authors: Krönström Jenny , Dupont Samuel , Mallefet Jerome , Thorndyke Michael , Holmgren Susanne
Published: August 2007

The role of nitric oxide (NO) in the control of bioluminescence (light production) in the crustacean Meganyctiphanes norvegica (krill) was investigated using pharmacological and immunohistochemical methods. All nitrergic drugs tested failed to induce bioluminescence per se but modulated light production stimulated by 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT). NO donors[sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP)]injected in live specimens significantly reduced light production stimulated by 5-HT, whereas inhibition of the enzyme NO synthase (NOS) with l-NAME (NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester)resulted in an enhancement of the 5-HT response. The effects of NO do not seem to be mediated via production of cGMP as injections of a cGMP analogue (8-Bromoguanosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate) gave inconclusive effects on the 5-HT-stimulated light response. Inhibition of cGMP production with ODQ (1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one) did not affect the light response. Moreover, a few individuals showed a considerably higher response to 5-HT in April and June compared with specimens collected in the autumn and winter. Furthermore, both NOS-like and 5-HT-like materials were detected by immunohistochemistry inside the light organs. NOS-like immunoreactivity was primarily observed in structures associated with vessels inside the light organs, whereas 5-HT-like material was abundant in nerve fibres throughout the whole light organ. The results suggest that NO has a modulatory role at several levels in the control of light production in M. norvegica and that NO and 5-HT interact in this regulation.
Larval desperation and histamine: how simple responses can lead to complex changes in larval behaviour
Authors: Swanson R. L. , Marshall D. J. , Steinberg P. D.
Published: August 2007

Some marine invertebrate larvae expand the range of settlement cues to which they will respond as they age. How do relatively simple larvae achieve such complex changes in behaviour? Larvae of the Australian sea urchin Holopneustes purpurascens settle and metamorphose specifically in response to a settlement cue, dissolved histamine, produced by the host alga Delisea pulchra. Older H. purpurascens larvae appear to accept a wider range of host algae, which contain far less histamine than D. pulchra, than newly competent larvae. We tested the hypothesis that older H. purpurascens larvae accept a greater range of host algae by metamorphosing in response to lower concentrations of histamine. We compared the response of newly competent and older larvae to a range of histamine concentrations in settlement assays. Larval age strongly affected the minimum concentration of histamine that induced metamorphosis in H. purpurascens, with older larvae responding to lower concentrations of histamine than newly competent larvae. Older larvae were more sensitive to lower concentrations of histamine yet still maintained a stringent requirement for exposure to histamine in order to metamorphose. In addition, older larvae metamorphosed after shorter exposure periods to histamine than did younger larvae. By using histamine concentration as a proxy for specific habitat cues, H. purpurascens larvae appear to expand their range of settlement preferences with age by simply changing their sensitivity to a single settlement cue. Overall, our results show that marine invertebrate larvae can exhibit surprisingly complex changes in behaviour via simple changes in their response to a single cue.
Escape performance decreases during ontogeny in wild crickets
Authors: Dangles O. , Pierre D. , Christides J. P. , Casas J.
Published: August 2007

Increasing the ecological relevance of studies relating to the performance of organisms has been a central issue for functional biologists over the last few years. Of particular concern are changes in performance throughout the life cycle as selective forces act differently on various life stages. We addressed this issue experimentally by following ontogenic variations in the escape performance of crickets threatened by artificial predatory signals. We measured their performance under natural settings, which is a necessary approach yet one that is undocumented in insects. We analysed numeric film sequences obtained using a high-speed video camera at 1000 frames s–1 to quantify wild cricket performance and behaviour in the field. We detected significant differences in cricket escape performance throughout ontogeny. Escape performances were higher in juvenile crickets than older instars. Complementary behavioural measurements for escaping crickets suggest that these variations may be related to the lower predatory risk perceived by large adults than by juveniles. We expect that our analysis of size-refuge will also improve our understanding in the development of performance, given its importance in community and population ecology theories.
p38 MAPK is a likely component of the signal transduction pathway triggering rapid cold hardening in the flesh fly Sarcophaga crassipalpis
Authors: Fujiwara Yoshihiro , Denlinger David L.
Published: August 2007

Rapid cold hardening (RCH) is an adaptation enabling insects to quickly respond to low temperature, but little is known about the molecular events that trigger this response. In this study of the flesh fly Sarcophaga crassipalpis, we explore a possible role for mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in the low temperature signaling that elicits RCH. We report that p38 MAPK from S. crassipalpis, which shows high cDNA sequence homology to p38 MAPKs from other insects and mammals, is rapidly activated at temperatures around 0°C, temperatures that are most effective for inducing RCH. By contrast, low temperature does not activate either extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) or Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). An increase in phospho-p38 MAPK was observed within 10 min following exposure to 0°C and reached its maximum level in 2 h. When flies were transferred from 0 to 25°C, the level of phospho-p38 MAPK decreased immediately and reached trace levels by 3 h. Nondiapausing flies were much more responsive to p38 MAPK activation than cold-hardy diapausing pupae. Thus, p38 MAPK activation and RCH both show the same narrow ranges of temperature sensitivity, temporal profiles of activation and decay, and developmental specificity. These correlations suggest that p38 MAPK plays a potential role in regulating the induction of RCH. The p38 MAPK response was not dependent upon the brain, as evidenced by high activation in isolated abdomens exposed to low temperature.
Fast-scale adaptive changes of directional tuning in fly tangential cells are explained by a static nonlinearity
Authors: Neri Peter
Published: August 2007

The response of vertebrate motion-sensitive neurons to a directional stimulus is affected by the direction of the stimulus that immediately preceded it. These nonlinear effects are also observed for orientation tuning and are typically interpreted as fast-scale adaptive changes. We verified that similar effects are observed for spiking tangential cells in the fly lobula plate. We also investigated the spatial selectivity of these effects by presenting multiple patches at different positions within the receptive field,and found that the effects are strictly local.

We modelled the data using elementary operators (linear filters and threshold nonlinearities). A satisfactory account of the results is obtained when an early static nonlinearity acts on the outputs of multiple front-end filters that are subsequently pooled in a spatially restricted manner by the tangential cell. In line with recent studies, these findings emphasize the importance of testing simple nonlinear models before attempting more elaborate interpretations of fast-scale adaptive phenomena in single neurons. We discuss a potential neural implementation of the model based on medullar projections to the lobula plate.
Jumping behaviour in a Gondwanan relict insect (Hemiptera: Coleorrhyncha:Peloridiidae)
Authors: Burrows Malcolm , Hartung Viktor , Hoch Hannelore
Published: August 2007

Jumping by a relict insect, Hackeriella veitchi (Hacker 1932),belonging to the ancient Coleorrhynchan line that diverged from other Hemiptera in the late Permian, was analysed from high-speed images captured at rates of 2000 s–1 and from its anatomy. This 3 mm long,flightless insect weighs up to 1.4 mg and can jump by rapid movements of the hind legs that accelerate the body in 1.5 ms to a take-off velocity of 1.5 m s–1. This performance requires an energy expenditure of 1.1μJ and a power output 0.74 mW, and exerts a force of 1.24 mN. It achieves this with a body design that shows few specialisations for jumping compared with those of other groups of Hemipterans such as the froghoppers or leafhoppers. The hind legs are only 10% longer than the front and middle legs by virtue of longer tibiae and tarsi, and are only 65% the length of the body. The main thrust for a jump is provided by the rapid rotation of the fused trochanter and femur about the coxa of a hind leg, in a movement that forces the hind tarsus against the ground and raises the body to take off. In some jumps the two hind legs move together, but in others the movements may not be closely synchronised, thereby imparting a rotation on the body that is maintained once airborne. When the time difference is larger, the rapid movement of just one hind leg results in the insect falling from its perch in an adaptive escape response.
The interactive effects of protein quality and macronutrient imbalance on nutrient balancing in an insect herbivore
Authors: Lee Kwang Pum
Published: August 2007

The present study evaluates the interactive effects of protein quality and the ratio of protein to digestible carbohydrate on herbivore performance,various aspects of nutritional homeostasis (feeding and post-ingestive regulation) and food choice. In the first experiment, final-instar caterpillars of generalist-feeding African cotton leafworm Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) were confined to one of 20 diets varying in protein:carbohydrate (P:C) ratio (35:7, 28:14, 21:21,14:28 and 7:35) and in the quality of dietary protein (0%, 20%, 50% and 80%replacement of casein-based protein mix with the low-quality plant protein,zein). Results indicated that the negative impact of low-quality protein on survival, development and growth was amplified as the P:C ratio of the diet fell. Consumption differences were the main underlying cause of this response. The effect of low protein quality was to reduce the efficiency of nitrogen utilization and to increase the conversion rate of ingested nutrient to lipid growth, irrespective of P:C ratio. In the second experiment, caterpillars were allowed to self-compose their preferred diet, selecting between one of four high-protein diets (all 35:7, but containing 0%, 20%, 50% or 80% zein) and one of four equal-P:C-ratio diets (21:21, again containing 0%, 20%, 50% or 80%zein). Caterpillars showed a compensatory increase in their self-selected P:C intake in response to the moderate decline in protein quality of the 35:7 food. No such response was demonstrated for the insects presented with 35:7 food with the lowest protein quality. The significance of these findings is discussed within the context of herbivore food selection.
Flight and hearing: ultrasound sensitivity differs between flight-capable and flight-incapable morphs of a wing-dimorphic cricket species
Authors: Pollack Gerald S. , Martins Ruben
Published: August 2007

We studied frequency sensitivity of flight-capable and flight-incapable forms of the wing-dimorphic cricket Gryllus texensis, using both behavioral and neurophysiological measurements. Behavioral thresholds for negative phonotaxis in response to ultrasound stimuli are lower for long-winged (i.e. flight-capable) crickets than for short-winged(flight-incapable) individuals, whereas thresholds for positive phonotaxis in response to a calling-song model do not differ. Similarly, thresholds of the identified interneurons ON1 and AN2 differ between flight morphs for high sound frequencies but not for the frequency of calling song. Our results show that sensitivity to ultrasound is closely linked to flight ability, and thus to the risk of predation from aerially hawking bats. We suggest that sensitivity to ultrasound is one of a suite of flight-associated characteristics, the development of which may be under common hormonal regulation.
A Multicentre Audit of Single-Use Surgical Instruments (SUSI) for Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy
Authors: O'Flynn P , Silva S , Kothari P , Persaud R
Published: August 2007

INTRODUCTION

Prions are resistant to conventional sterilisation procedures and, therefore, could be transmitted iatrogenically through re-usable adenoid and tonsil surgical instruments. Using disposable instruments would avoid the risk of transmission. We present the results of a complete audit loop using BBraun single-use surgical instruments (SUSI).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This was a prospective multicentre audit. Surgeons were asked to fill in a standardised questionnaire recording details including postoperative complications, and evaluation of each piece of equipment compared with their own experience of conventional re-usable instruments. In the first cycle, constructive criticisms of the instruments were noted and the manufacturers modified the instruments accordingly. A second cycle of audit was subsequently undertaken.

RESULTS

A total of 86 patients were audited in the first cycle and 97 in the second cycle. Postoperative haemorrhage rate for both cycles was well within acceptable range. In the first audit cycle, surgeons generally found the Draffin rods, Boyle-Davis gag and bipolar diathermy forceps of poor quality and difficult to use. These were redesigned and, on repeat evaluation during the second audit cycle, were found to be just as good, if not better, than the re-usable instruments.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that SUSI may be just as good as re-usable instruments. Furthermore, they may be more cost effective.
Theatre Shoes — A Link in the Common Pathway of Postoperative Wound Infection?
Authors: Amirfeyz Rouin , Tasker Andrew , Ali Sami , Bowker Karen , Blom Ashley
Published: August 2007

INTRODUCTION

Operating department staff are usually required to wear dedicated theatre shoes whilst in the theatre area but there is little evidence to support the beneficial use of theatre shoes.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We performed a study to assess the level of bacterial contamination of theatre shoes at the beginning and end of a working day, and compared the results with outdoor footwear.

RESULTS

We found the presence of pathogenic bacterial species responsible for postoperative wound infection on all shoe groups, with outdoor shoes being the most heavily contaminated. Samples taken from theatre shoes at the end of duty were less contaminated than those taken at the beginning of the day with the greatest reduction being in the number of coagulase-negative staphylococcal species grown. Studies have demonstrated that floor bacteria may contribute up to 15% of airborne bacterial colony forming units in operating rooms. The pathogenic bacteria we isolated have also been demonstrated as contaminants in water droplets spilt onto sterile gloves after surgical scrubbing.

CONCLUSIONS

Theatre shoes and floors present a potential source for postoperative infection. A combination of dedicated theatre shoe use and a good floor washing protocol controls the level of shoe contamination by coagulase-negative staphylococci in particular. This finding is significant given the importance of staphylococcal species in postoperative wound infection.
Re-mapping southern hospitality: Discourse, ethics, politics
Authors: Szczesiul Anthony
Published: August 2007

Southern hospitality first existed as a narrowly defined body of social practices among the antebellum planter classes, but it also exists as discourse, as a meaning-making story continually told and re-told about the South. This discourse has its own historicity divorced from historical
origins and social practice. The 1964 exploitation film Two Thousand Maniacs is examined to illustrate how far this discourse has traveled from its origins and to reveal the inherent tension between the ethical ideals of hospitality and the discourse of southern hospitality. Gesturing
toward an idealised image of the past, the discourse of southern hospitality has been one of the main tropes through which non-southerners have imagined their relationship with the region, and at the same time, it has been an important vehicle for self-definition among southerners. The film's
ironic re-signification of southern hospitality suggests this discourse merely masks a legacy of thus-far unresolved regional conflicts and resentments.
Truly strange New Orleans: The unstable city in George Washington Cable's Strange True Stories of Louisiana
Authors: Robinson Owen
Published: August 2007

The New Orleans that emerges from George Washington Cable's 1888 collection, Strange True Stories of Louisiana is effectively a Caribbean city as much as a US one, and European imprints are strong in both these strands of identity. Cable acts ostensibly as a collector of remarkable
factual accounts of New Orleans and Louisiana, but his own narrative presence is at least as strong as the original tellers and characters of the tales themselves. While constructing a more or less chronological overall narrative of the city and the wider region(s), Cable presents a multitude
of voices merging and clashing with each other, blurring lines of fact and fiction as they blur boundaries of identity. In these tales, as often poignant and tragic as they are melodramatic, Cable shows the many truths of New Orleans to be strange indeed, and emphasises its status as a nodal
point in relations within and between old and new worlds.
The syncretic imperative
Authors: Ascott Roy
Published: August 2007

Morphogenetic fields of thought, flux and transformation, energy and light are the manifestations that inform a new sensibility for creating realities and exploring the world. We are seeing the emergence of a new moistmedia culture and the possibilities of a syncretic art that combines
aspects of a vast transdisciplinary field. Historically, syncretism has destabilized political and religious orthodoxies, reconciling and harmonizing formerly discrete antagonists; its etymology derives from the coming together of opposed tribes to resist a common enemy. In contemporary culture,
the enemy is habit - the uncritical repetition of behaviours, perceptions, categories and values. Just as cybernetics analogizes differences between systems, so syncretism finds likeness between unlike things. If cybernetics underlies the technology of new media art, syncretism informs
the psyche. In the context of telematics, it is a matter of heuristics and heteronymia. The digital moment in art is passing as it approaches the status of orthodoxy; the period of discovery through extreme speculation, invention and untrammelled creativity is in danger of giving way to academicism
and commercialization, whether in cyberspace, on the Web or through the mobile. Art's twentieth-century preoccupation with the body is giving way to the technoetic exploration of new territories of mind. This may involve revisiting the pathways to personal transformation and transcendence
of older cultures, where the syncretism of knowledge and beliefs, as for example in Brazil, is explicit. Art needs to adopt syncretic strategies to embrace emerging models of mind and matter, cyberception, living process and computational systems, moist-media, quantum reality, the nanofield,
and ecological, social and spiritual issues. This may lead to significant changes in the way we regard our own identity, our relationship to others, the nature of memory, the exploration of consciousness, and the phenomenology of time and space.
Techno-mediated otherworlds
Authors: Calleja Gordon
Published: August 2007

In the last few years a strand of virtual worlds known as Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) has catapulted the development and demand for online worlds to an unprecedented scale. This paper interrogates the commonly held assumption that places these online worlds in the same
category as other digital games by seeing them as places which reconfigure the interaction between the real and imaginary through virtual technologies and proposes that the demand for these worlds is the contemporary techno-mediated manifestation for a desire for otherworlds in various forms
that has persisted through time.
The Frame(s) Problem and the physical and emotional basis of human cognition
Authors: Acosta Carlos
Published: August 2007

This article focuses on the intriguing relationship between mathematics and physical phenomena, by putting forward the argument that all conscious thought may be contextually generated within a hierarchical series of iterated and interlocking frames of reference. It overcomes the epistemological
complexities of the Frame(s) Problem by proposing that the primal frame of reference from which all conscious thought ultimately emerges is essentially an abstract representation of the four-dimensional properties of existence, plus the genetically derived emotional behaviours that even the
lowliest cognitive organisms are born with, and automatically express as they struggle to exist within an ever-changing and often hostile environment.
Tours and detours of paradoxes
Authors: Berger Ren , Sandor Monica
Published: August 2007

These days paradoxes seem to be all around us, constantly produced under the impetus of new technologies but tending to dissolve no less quickly at the instigation of these same technologies. Everything that was considered durable (concepts, organizations, ideas) tends to shift towards
immediacy, as if long-term memory can and must become instantaneous memory. New technologies, especially the various networks and mobile telephones, fit less and less into established frames of reference. They go so far as to break with the very notion of a frame, and thus place us in a movement
of continuous and chaotic knowledge that the author has dubbed rheomorphism. The Web is increasingly oriented towards interaction among users, and the creation of rudimentary social networks that can provide content that makes good use of the network effects, with or without real visual and
interactive rendering of web pages. In this sense, current websites act more as points of presence, or Web portals centred on the user rather than on traditional websites that were more or less static pages of data.
The Perception of Key: The Role of Music Training
Authors: Egmond Renévan , Boswijk Mila
Published: August 2007

IN TWO STUDIES, THE ROLE OF MUSIC TRAINING in a tonic identification task was investigated. First,listeners had to indicate the tonic of twenty excerpts from music recordings. Very low associations between proportion correct and music training were found. Based on this proportion correct, listeners were classified into four groups that did not differ in music training. Second,listeners had to produce the tonic for different variants ofthe major, minor, diminished triads, and the dominant 7th chord. The choice of a tonic—and the proportion correct—was dependent on the chord type and the order of the pitches. Especially for listeners that had low scores on the excerpts, the effect of order was larger for chords containing a tritone. In addition, the results indicated that the level of music training was not a suitable predictor of the aptitude of tonic identification.
Circulating obestatin levels and the ghrelin/obestatin ratio in obese women
Authors: Vicennati Valentina , Genghini Silvia , De Iasio Rosaria , Pasqui Francesca , Pagotto Uberto , Pasquali Renato
Published: August 2007

Objective: We measured blood levels of obestatin, total ghrelin, and the ghrelin/obestatin ratio and their relationship with anthropometric and metabolic parameters, adiponectin and insulin resistance, in overweight/obese and normal-weight women.

Design: Outpatients Unit of Endocrinology of the S Orsola-Malpighi Hospital of Bologna, Italy.

Methods: Fasting obestatin, ghrelin, adiponectin and lipid levels, fasting and glucose-stimulated oral glucose tolerance test insulin, and glucose levels were measured in 20 overweight/obese and 12 controls. The fasting ghrelin/obestatin ratio was calculated; the homeostasis model assessment-IR (HOMA-IR) and insulin sensitivity index (ISIcomposite) were calculated as indices of insulin resistance.

Results: Obese women had higher obestatin and lower ghrelin blood levels, and a lower ghrelin/obestatin ratio compared with controls. In all subjects, obestatin was significantly and positively correlated with total cholesterol and triglycerides, but not with ghrelin, anthropometric, and metabolic parameters. In the obese women, however, obestatin and ghrelin concentrations were positively correlated. By contrast, the ghrelin/obestatin ratio was significantly and negatively correlated with body mass index, waist, waist-to-hip ratio, fasting insulin, and HOMA-IR, and positively with ISIcomposite but not with adiponectin. None of these parameters were correlated with the ghrelin/obestatin ratio in the obese.

Conclusions: Increased obestatin, decreased ghrelin levels, and a decreased ghrelin/obestatin ratio characterize obesity in women. This supports the hypothesis that the imbalance of ghrelin and obestatin may have a role in the pathophysiology of obesity. On the other hand, some relevant differences between our data on circulating levels of obestatin and the ghrelin/obestatin ratio in obese subjects and those reported in the few studies published so far imply that further research is needed.
Desmopressin test during petrosal sinus sampling: a valuable tool to discriminate pituitary or ectopic ACTH-dependent Cushing’s syndrome
Authors: Castinetti F , Morange I , Dufour H , Jaquet P , Conte-Devolx B , Girard N , Brue T
Published: August 2007

Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)-stimulated petrosal sinus sampling is currently the gold standard method for the differential diagnosis between pituitary and ectopic ACTH-dependent Cushing’s syndrome. Our objective was to determine sensitivity and specificity of desmopressin test during petrosal sinus sampling.

Patients and methods: Forty-three patients had petrosal sinus sampling because of the lack of visible adenoma on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and/or because of discordant cortisol response to high-dose dexamethasone suppression test. ACTH sampling was performed in an antecubital vein, right and left petrosal sinuses, then at each location 5 and 10 min after injection of desmopressin. Diagnosis was based on the ACTH ratio between petrosal sinus and humeral vein ACTH after desmopressin test. Diagnosis was confirmed after surgery. A receiver operating characteristics curve was used to determine optimal sensitivity and specificity.

Results: Thirty-six patients had Cushing’s disease (CD) and seven had ectopic ACTH secretion. A ratio > 2 after desmopressin was found in 35 of the 36 cases of CD (sensitivity: 95%). A ratio ≤ 2 was found in the seven patients with ectopic ACTH secretion (specificity: 100%). Sinus sampling was ineffective in determining the left or right localization of the adenoma (sensitivity = 50%). No major adverse effects were observed during or after the procedure.

Conclusion: Desmopressin test during petrosal sinus sampling is a safe and effective diagnostic procedure in ACTH-dependent Cushing’s syndrome. It thus represents a valuable alternative to CRH.
Effectiveness of a Practice-Based, Multimodal Quality Improvement Intervention for Gastroenteritis Within a Medicaid Managed Care Network
Authors: Zolotor Adam J. , Randolph Greg D. , Johnson Julie K. , Wegner Steven , Edwards Lori , Powell Carol , Esporas Megan H.
Published: August 2007

OBJECTIVE. Acute gastroenteritis results in 220000 hospitalizations yearly in the United States. The substantial geographic variation in gastroenteritis care, coupled with the evidence of effective treatment of dehydration in nonhospital settings, suggests that the majority of these hospitalizations are avoidable. We sought to decrease hospitalizations for gastroenteritis by using practice-based, multimodal quality improvement methods that target multiple care processes to make them consistent with evidence-based guidelines.

METHODS. We used a controlled before/after study design to evaluate a quality improvement intervention in a 20-practice Medicaid network. All 20 practices participated in continuing education sessions; received free oral rehydration solution, patient education materials, and performance feedback; and participated in a follow-up conference call. Three practices were chosen to develop and pilot office-process changes. These practices formed interdisciplinary teams to develop and test changes and collaborated with project faculty and each other. They shared their learning with the other 17 practices via a conference call and toolkit. We compared before/after gastroenteritis hospital admissions for children <5 years old covered by Medicaid in the intervention practices with all other Medicaid recipients in North Carolina using claims data from 2000–2002.

RESULTS. The 3 high-intensity practices all made numerous changes to care processes. Most of the 17 low-intensity practices reported changes in their gastroenteritis care processes. Gastroenteritis admission rates declined 45% in high-intensity practices and 44% in low-intensity practices during the study compared with 11% in the control practices.

CONCLUSIONS. A practice-based, multimodal quality improvement intervention that targets multiple care processes on the basis of evidence-based guidelines lowered rates of gastroenteritis hospitalization in a Medicaid network. This approach could lower costs attributable to gastroenteritis for Medicaid programs.
Language Ability in Children With Permanent Hearing Impairment: The Influence of Early Management and Family Participation
Authors: Watkin Peter , McCann Donna , Law Catherine , Mullee Mark , Petrou Stavros , Stevenson Jim , Worsfold Sarah , Yuen Ho Ming , Kennedy Colin
Published: August 2007

OBJECTIVE. The goal was to examine the relationships between management after confirmation, family participation, and speech and language outcomes in the same group of children with permanent childhood hearing impairment.

METHODS. Speech, oral language, and nonverbal abilities, expressed as z scores and adjusted in a regression model, and Family Participation Rating Scale scores were assessed at a mean age of 7.9 years for 120 children with bilateral permanent childhood hearing impairment from a 1992–1997 United Kingdom birth cohort. Ages at institution of management and hearing aid fitting were obtained retrospectively from case notes.

RESULTS. Compared with children managed later (>9 months), those managed early (≤9 months) had higher adjusted mean z scores for both receptive and expressive language, relative to nonverbal ability, but not for speech. Compared with children aided later, a smaller group of more-impaired children aided early did not have significantly higher scores for these outcomes. Family Participation Rating Scale scores showed significant positive correlations with language and speech intelligibility scores only for those with confirmation after 9 months and were highest for those with late confirmed, severe/profound, permanent childhood hearing impairment.

CONCLUSIONS. Early management of permanent childhood hearing impairment results in improved language. Family participation is also an important factor in cases that are confirmed late, especially for children with severe or profound permanent childhood hearing impairment.
Socioemotional Effects of Fathers' Incarceration on Low-Income, Urban, School-Aged Children
Authors: Wilbur MaryAnn B. , Marani Jodi E. , Appugliese Danielle , Woods Ryan , Siegel Jane A. , Cabral Howard J. , Frank Deborah A.
Published: August 2007

OBJECTIVE. The goal was to evaluate whether children of incarcerated fathers are more likely to report or exhibit behavioral symptoms than their equally disadvantaged peers without an incarcerated father.

METHODS. During an ongoing longitudinal study of intrauterine cocaine exposure involving 102 children (50% male and 89% black) from urban, low-income homes, questions regarding incarceration of the child's father were asked of the child's primary caregiver at each visit during school age. Children were administered the Children's Depression Inventory between the ages of 6 and 11 years, and their primary caregivers completed the Child Behavior Checklist. In addition, the children's teachers completed the Teacher Report Form. Children's Depression Inventory, Child Behavior Checklist, and Teacher Report Form data obtained at the oldest available age after the first report of paternal incarceration were analyzed.

RESULTS. In bivariate analyses, children whose fathers were in jail had higher Children's Depression Inventory total scores compared with children without incarcerated fathers, indicating more depressive symptoms. This finding was robust in multivariate analyses after adjustment for children's age, gender, prenatal cocaine and alcohol exposure, and school-age violence exposure. Teachers reported higher Teacher Report Form externalizing scores for children whose fathers were in jail, after adjustment for age, gender, prenatal cocaine and marijuana exposure, and school-age violence exposure.

CONCLUSIONS. Children of incarcerated fathers reported more depressive symptoms and their teachers noted more externalizing behaviors, after controlling for other biopsychosocial risks. Interventions targeted to ameliorate the distress of children with incarcerated fathers should be considered.
Functional Outcomes and Participation in Young Adulthood for Very Preterm and Very Low Birth Weight Infants: The Dutch Project on Preterm and Small for Gestational Age Infants at 19 Years of Age
Authors: Hille Elysée T. M. , Weisglas-Kuperus Nynke , van Goudoever J. B. , Jacobusse Gert W. , Ens-Dokkum Martina H. , de Groot Laila , Wit Jan M. , Geven Wil B. , Kok Joke H. , de Kleine Martin J. K. , Kollée Louis A. A. , Mulder A. L. M. , van Straaten H. L. M. , de Vries Linda S. , van Weissenbruch Mirjam M. , Verloove-Vanhorick S. Pauline ,   for the Dutch Collaborative POPS 19 Study Group
Published: August 2007

OBJECTIVE. Young adults who were born very preterm or with a very low birth weight remain at risk for physical and neurodevelopmental problems and lower academic achievement scores. Data, however, are scarce, hospital based, mostly done in small populations, and need additional confirmation.

METHODS. Infants who were born at <32 weeks of gestation and/or with a birth weight of <1500 g in the Netherlands in 1983 (Project on Preterm and Small for Gestational Age Infants) were reexamined at age 19. Outcomes were adjusted for nonrespondents using multiple imputation and categorized into none, mild, moderate, or severe problems.

RESULTS. Of 959 surviving young adults, 74% were assessed and/or completed the questionnaires. Moderate or severe problems were present in 4.3% for cognition, 1.8% for hearing, 1.9% for vision, and 8.1% for neuromotor functioning. Using the Health Utility Index and the London Handicap Scale, we found 2.0% and 4.5%, respectively, of the young adults to have ≥3 affected areas in activities and participation. Special education or lesser level was completed by 24%, and 7.6% neither had a paid job nor followed any education. Overall, 31.7% had ≥1 moderate or severe problems in the assessed areas.

CONCLUSIONS. A total of 12.6% of young adults who were born very preterm and/or with a very low birth weight had moderate or severe problems in cognitive or neurosensory functioning. Compared with the general Dutch population, twice as many young adults who were born very preterm and/or with a very low birth weight were poorly educated, and 3 times as many were neither employed nor in school at age 19.