bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Low-gain Free Electron Lasers
Authors: Vinokurov Nikolay
Published: December 2010

Free electron lasers (FELs) are lasers which utilize the phenomenon of stimulated undulator radiation. Contrary to most lasers, the motion of an electron in the FEL may be described by classical mechanics and classical electrodynamics. Therefore, FELs belong to the family of vacuum electronic devices, such as traveling wave tubes or klystrons. In this article, basics of the low-gain FEL physics are discussed and general considerations are clarified through some examples.
High Performance Electron Injectors
Authors: Ferrario Massimo , Shintake Tsumoru
Published: December 2010

Fourth generation light sources based on high gain free electron lasers require production, acceleration and transport up to the undulator entrance of high brightness (low emittance, high peak current) electron bunches. Wake field effects in accelerating sections and in magnetic bunch compressors typically contribute to emittance degradation, and hence the design of the injector and its operation constitute the leading edge for high quality beam production and for the success of the future light sources. RF and DC guns, cathode materials, laser pulse shaping and sub-picosecond synchronization systems are evolving toward a mature technology to produce high quality and stable beams. Nevertheless, reduction of thermal emittance, damping of emittance oscillations and bunch compression are still the main issues and challenges for injector designs. With the advent of energy recovery linacs, superconducting RF guns have been also considered in many new projects as a possible electron source operating in CW mode. An overview of recent advancements and future perspectives of high performance electron injectors are presented in this article.
Oxide Thin Film Heterostructures on Large Area, with Flexible Doping, Low Dislocation Density, and Abrupt Interfaces: Grown by Pulsed Laser Deposition
Authors: Lorenz Michael , Hochmuth Holger , Grüner Christoph , Hilmer Helena , Lajn Alexander , Spemann Daniel , Brandt Matthias , Zippel Jan , Schmidt-Grund Rüdiger , von Wenckstern Holger , Grundmann Marius
Published: December 2010

Advanced Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) processes allow the growth of oxide thin film heterostructures on large area substrates up to 4-inch diameter, with flexible and controlled doping, low dislocation density, and abrupt interfaces. These PLD processes are discussed and their capabilities demonstrated using selected results of structural, electrical, and optical characterization of superconducting (YBa2Cu3O7−δ), semiconducting (ZnO-based), and ferroelectric (BaTiO3-based) and dielectric (wide-gap oxide) thin films and multilayers.
Regarding the homogeneity on large area of structure and electrical properties, flexibility of doping, and state-of-the-art electronic and optical performance, the comparably simple PLD processes are now advantageous or at least fully competitive to Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition or Molecular Beam Epitaxy. In particular, the high flexibility connected with high film quality makes PLD a more and more widespread growth technique in oxide research.
Asymptotically Linear Solutions for Some Linear Fractional Differential Equations
Authors: Băleanu Dumitru , Mustafa Octavian G. , Agarwal Ravi P.
Published: December 2010

We establish here that under some simple restrictions on the functional coefficient a(t) the fractional differential equation , has a solution expressible as ct + d + o(1) for t → +∞, where designates the Riemann‐Liouville derivative of order α ∈ (0, 1) and c, d ∈ ℝ.
Approximate Ad Hoc Parametric Solutions for Nonlinear First‐Order PDEs Governing Two‐Dimensional Steady Vector Fields
Authors: Markakis M. P.
Published: December 2010

Through a suitable ad hoc assumption, a nonlinear PDE governing a three‐dimensional weak, irrotational, steady vector field is reduced to a system of two nonlinear ODEs: the first of which corresponds to the two‐dimensional case, while the second involves also the third field component. By using several analytical tools as well as linear approximations based on the weakness of the field, the first equation is transformed to an Abel differential equation which is solved parametrically. Thus, we obtain the two components of the field as explicit functions of a parameter. The derived solution is applied to the two‐dimensional small perturbation frictionless flow past solid surfaces with either sinusoidal or parabolic geometry, where the plane velocities are evaluated over the body′s surface in the case of a subsonic flow.
Pharmacological Treatment of Obesity in Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Authors: Kahal Hassan , Atkin Stephen L. , Sathyapalan Thozhukat
Published: December 2010

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common disorder affecting women of reproductive age and it is associated with increased cardiovascular risk. Obesity plays an important role in the pathogenesis of PCOS, and the majority of patients with PCOS are obese. Over the last 20 years, the prevalence of obesity has dramatically increased, with probable associated increase in PCOS. Weight reduction plays an integral part in the management of women with PCOS. In this paper, current available weight reduction therapies in the management of PCOS are discussed.
IL-17 Enhances Tumor Development in Carcinogen-Induced Skin Cancer
Authors: Wang Lin , Yi Tangsheng , Zhang Wang , Pardoll Drew M. , Yu Hua
Published: December 2010

Inflammatory conditions elicited by extrinsic environmental factors promote malignant cell transformation, tumor growth, and metastasis. Although most attention has been focused on innate immune mechanisms of inflammatory carcinogenesis, more recently the role of T cells in cancer promotion has been examined. Although IFN-dependent Th1 responses that promote Stat1 signaling inhibit tumor growth, the role of T helper type 17 responses, and interleukin-17 (IL-17) in particular, has been controversial. Indeed, IL-17 has been reported to either enhance or inhibit the growth of transplantable tumors, depending on the system. Little is known about the role of IL-17 in de novo carcinogenesis. Using IL-17 knockout mice, we examined the role of IL-17 in the classic DMBA/TPA-induced skin carcinogenesis model. Disruption of IL-17 dramatically reduced tumorigenesis in this model in a manner correlated with diminished Stat3 activation in the tumor microenvironment. IL-17 loss reduced Stat3-associated proliferative and antiapoptotic gene expression along with epidermal cell proliferation and hyperplasia. In addition, IL-17 loss was associated with reduced expression of Stat3-regulated chemokines that attract myeloid cells and a decreased infiltration of myeloid cells into the local tumor microenvironment. Together, our findings point to a critical role of the IL-17–Stat3 pathway in supporting cancer-associated inflammation in the tumor microenvironment. Therapeutic approaches that target this pathway may therefore be effective to inhibit carcinogenesis. Cancer Res; 70(24); 10112–20. ©2010 AACR.
Inhibition of Constitutive Activation of STAT3 by Curcurbitacin-I (JSI-124) Sensitized Human B-Leukemia Cells to Apoptosis
Authors: Ishdorj Ganchimeg , Johnston James B. , Gibson Spencer B.
Published: December 2010

Phosphorylation of STAT3 on serine 727 regulates gene expression and is found to be elevated in many B-leukemia cells including chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). It is, however, unclear whether targeting STAT3 will be an effective antileukemia therapy. In this study, we assessed in vitro antileukemia activity of the STAT3 inhibitor JSI-124 (cucurbitacin I). JSI-124 potently induces apoptosis in 3 B-leukemia cell lines (BJAB, I-83, and NALM-6) and in primary CLL cells and was associated with a reduction in serine 727 phosphorylation of STAT3. Similarly, knockdown of STAT3 expression induced apoptosis in these leukemia cells. In addition, we found that JSI-124 and knockdown of STAT3 decreased antiapoptotic protein XIAP expression and overexpression of XIAP blocked JSI-124-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, we found that combined treatment of JSI-124 and TRAIL increased apoptosis associated with an increase in death receptor 4 expression. Besides apoptosis, we found that JSI-124 also induced cell-cycle arrest prior to apoptosis in B-leukemia cells. This corresponded with reduced expression of the cell-cycle regulatory gene, cdc-2. Thus, we present here for the first time that JSI-124 induced suppression of serine 727 phosphorylation of STAT3, leading to apoptosis and cell-cycle arrest through alterations in gene transcription in B-leukemia cells. Mol Cancer Ther; 9(12); 3302–14. ©2010 AACR.
A Vitamin D Receptor-Alkylating Derivative of 1α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 Inhibits Growth of Human Kidney Cancer Cells and Suppresses Tumor Growth
Authors: Lambert James R. , Eddy Vikram J. , Young Christian D. , Persons Kelly S. , Sarkar Sibaji , Kelly Julie A. , Genova Elizabeth , Lucia M. Scott , Faller Douglas V. , Ray Rahul
Published: December 2010

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3] has shown strong promise as an antiproliferative agent in several malignancies, yet its therapeutic use has been limited by its toxicity leading to search for analogues with antitumor property and low toxicity. In this study, we evaluated the in vitro and in vivo properties of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3-3-bromoacetate [1,25(OH)2D3-3-BE], an alkylating derivative of 1,25(OH)2D3, as a potential therapeutic agent for renal cancer. Dose response of 1,25(OH)2D3-3-BE in 2 kidney cancer cell lines was evaluated for its antiproliferative and apoptotic properties, and mechanisms were evaluated by Western blot and FACS analyses. Therapeutic potential of 1,25(OH)2D3-3-BE was assessed both by determining its stability in human serum and by evaluating its efficacy in a mouse xenograft model of human renal tumor. We observed that 1,25(OH)2D3-3-BE is significantly more potent than an equivalent concentration of 1,25(OH)2D3 in inhibiting growth of A498 and Caki 1 human kidney cancer cells. 1,25(OH)2D3-3-BE–mediated growth inhibition was promoted through inhibition of cell-cycle progression by downregulating cyclin A and induction of apoptosis by stimulating caspase activity. Moreover, 1,25(OH)2D3-3-BE strongly inhibited Akt phosphorylation and phosphorylation of its downstream target, caspase-9. 1,25(OH)2D3-3-BE seemed to be stable in human serum. In xenograft mouse model of human renal tumor, 1,25(OH)2D3-3-BE was more potent at reducing tumor size than 1,25(OH)2D3, which was accompanied by an increase in apopotosis and reduction of cyclin A staining in the tumors. These results suggest a translational potential of this compound as a therapeutic agent in renal cell carcinoma. Data from this study and extensive studies of vitamin D for the prevention of many malignancies support the potential of 1,25(OH)2D3-3-BE for preventing renal cancer and the development of relevant in vivo prevention models for assessing this potential, which do not exist at present. Cancer Prev Res; 3(12); 1596–607. ©2010 AACR.
Viewing the Epigenetics of Colorectal Cancer through the Window of Folic Acid Effects
Authors: van Engeland Manon , Herman James G.
Published: December 2010

In this issue of the journal (beginning on page 1552), Wallace and colleagues shed new light on the epigenetics of colorectal cancer by exploring the role of changes in DNA methylation in normal-appearing colon biopsies collected during a chemoprevention trial of folic acid. This study and the parent clinical trial will potentially further elucidate the long-studied role of folate in colon cancer development. In particular, the focus on the intermediate biomarker DNA methylation could provide a mechanistic link between folate exposure and colon cancer. Dietary or supplemental folate has complex interactions with important processes that may alter colon cancer development or progression, but this influence is likely altered by supplementation's timing and duration and whether in the setting of depleted or more typical, higher levels of folate. Despite decades of epidemiologic, molecular, and animal studies, answers to what effects these interactions have are complex, often contradictory. This perspective will place this study in context, looking at what it tells us and what it does not. Cancer Prev Res; 3(12); 1509–12. ©2010 AACR.
In vitro Culture Does Not Alter the Expression of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Its Receptors in Single Murine Preimplantation Embryos
Authors: Baston-Buest D.M. , Kruessel J.S. , Ingmann S.C. , Hirchenhain J. , Janni W. , Hess A.P.
Published: December 2010

Background: In vitro culture of embryos, as widely used in assisted reproduction techniques, may influence embryonic development and subsequently the establishment of pregnancy. The aim of this study was to determine a potential influence of the in vitroculture regarding VEGF, VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 mRNA expression in developing single mouse embryos. Methods: Murine embryos were isolated on day 1 post coitus (p.c.) and cultivated for a developmental time course followed by examination for mRNA expression using RT-nested PCR. Furthermore, in vitro cultured blastocysts were compared to in vivo development at 101 h p.c. Results: At 101 h p.c. there were no significant differences between in vivo and in vitro cultured blastocysts regarding the expression of VEGF and its receptors. In the developmental time course, VEGF expression increased up to 94% in late blastocysts whereas the VEGF receptor expression remained low. Conclusions: This study showed that the in vitro culture did not alter the embryonic VEGF and VEGFR mRNA expression reassuring that the culture conditions in assisted reproduction techniques are well suited for maintaining the VEGF mRNA expression profile. Additionally, nearly 100% VEGF expression in late blastocysts highlights its importance for angiogenesis induction at the fetal-maternal interface.
Absence of Association between TNF-α Polymorphism and Cerebral Large-Vessel Abnormalities in Adults with Sickle Cell Anemia
Authors: Vicari Perla , Silva Gisele Sampaio , Nogutti Maria Aparecida Eiko , Neto Faustino Moreira , dos Santos Normélia Jesus , Massaro Ayrton Roberto , Figueiredo Maria Stella
Published: December 2010

Stroke is a serious complication of sickle cell anemia (SCA) affecting children and adults. Recent reports suggested that tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) (–308) polymorphism is an important risk factor for stroke in children with SCA. The role of TNF-α polymorphism in the frequency of brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) abnormalities in adults with SCA is still uncertain. Our objective was to evaluate the frequency of TNF-α polymorphism in adults with SCA and to correlate it to brain MRI and MRA findings. TNF-α (–308) polymorphism was determined in 49 adults with SCA. All subjects were evaluated with brain MRI/MRA to establish the presence of intracranial abnormalities. Thirty-three (67.3%) had abnormal brain MRA scans, 8 (16.3%) had intracranial stenosis and 29 (59.2%) showed arterial tortuosity. Forty-one (83.7%) had the GG genotype and 8 had the GA genotype. There was no correlation between homozygosity for G allele and MRA or MRI abnormalities. Although TNF-α (–308) polymorphism is a potential predictor of the genetic risk for stroke in children, we found no association between the polymorphism and large vessel abnormalities in adults with SCA.
Syncretism and Personification in Anton Chekhov's The Steppe
Authors: Polakiewicz Leonard A.
Published: December 2010

In his most famous early work, The Steppe, Anton Chekhov makes extensive use of diverse sensory phenomena including color, sounds, smell, taste and touch. In addition to syncretism, he uses the device of personification which serves to vivify the steppe, makes us feel closer to it, to understand it, to sympathize with it and to be in communion with it. Various other devices help draw up parallels between steppe and human existence and establish a symbiotic relationship between nature and man. The article examines how, using these devices, the author succeeded in achieving a common tone and conveying a sense of beauty and mystery of the steppe. The article shows that the accumulation of sense impressions of various kinds and their attribution to both the human figures and the surrounding environment alike creates a syncretic world in which everything is intertwined with everything else: man is in the world and the world in man.
Neighborhood Context and the Gender Gap in Adolescent Violent Crime
Authors: Zimmerman Gregory M. , Messner Steven F.
Published: December 2010

Research consistently demonstrates that females engage in less criminal behavior than males across the life course, but research on the variability of the gender gap across contexts is sparse. To address this issue, we examine the gender gap in self-reported violent crime among adolescents across neighborhoods. Multilevel models using data from the Project of Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN) indicate that the gender gap in violent crime decreases as levels of neighborhood disadvantage increase. Furthermore, the narrowing of the gender gap is explained by gender differences in peer influence on violent offending. Neighborhood disadvantage increases exposure to peer violence for both sexes, but peer violence has a stronger impact on violent offending for females than for males; this produces the reduction in the gender gap at higher levels of disadvantage. We also find that the gender difference in the relationship between peer violence and offending is explained, in part, by (1) the tendency for females to have more intimate friendships than do males and (2) the moderating effect of peer intimacy on the relationship between peer violence and self-reported violent behavior.
The Temporal Structure of Scientific Consensus Formation
Authors: Shwed Uri , Bearman Peter S.
Published: December 2010

This article engages with problems that are usually opaque: What trajectories do scientific debates assume, when does a scientific community consider a proposition to be a fact, and how can we know that? We develop a strategy for evaluating the state of scientific contestation on issues. The analysis builds from Latour’s black box imagery, which we observe in scientific citation networks. We show that as consensus forms, the importance of internal divisions to the overall network structure declines. We consider substantive cases that are now considered facts, such as the carcinogenicity of smoking and the non-carcinogenicity of coffee. We then employ the same analysis to currently contested cases: the suspected carcinogenicity of cellular phones, and the relationship between vaccines and autism. Extracting meaning from the internal structure of scientific knowledge carves a niche for renewed sociological commentary on science, revealing a typology of trajectories that scientific propositions may experience en route to consensus.
Modelling Terrorism and Political Violence
Authors: Armborst Andreas
Published: December 2010

This article introduces some conceptual thoughts to the study of terrorism and provides answers to questions such as: can terrorism be studied like other crime phenomena? What are the conceptual and methodological challenges when framing terrorism as crime or military conflict? What are the epistemological consequences of studying a highly politicized object? What makes terrorist violence different from other forms of political violence such as guerrilla warfare and insurgency? For this purpose, in the first part of the article a review will be conducted to ascertain what criminologists have contributed to the conception of terrorism. In the second part a model of terrorism is elaborated that depicts the crucial parameters of this form of political violence and thereby bypasses some of the existing conceptual difficulties and misconceptions. We learn from the various definitions of terrorism that the singularity of terrorism has something to do with the victim, the purpose and the consequences of violence. Specifically the fact that terrorists are as indifferent to the various targets as they are to the various political consequences of their attack is what distinguishes terrorism from related phenomena of political violence.
Optimizing Integration of Nutrition Into Patient Care Through Physician Leadership
Authors: Kushner Robert F. , Graham Toby , Hegazi Refaat , Jensen Gordon , Marik Paul , Merritt Russell
Published: December 2010

This presentation addresses the importance of using standardized terminology to describe the physician who specializes in clinical nutrition, definitions used by the 3 nutrition boards to describe the physician who is specializing in the field of clinical nutrition, differentiating “competence” from “expertise” in medical nutrition, defining the functions of medical nutrition team members, and describing the unique role of physician nutritionists in new medical nutrition teams.
Developing Research Programs in Clinical and Translational Nutrition
Authors: Moore Frederick A. , Ziegler Thomas R. , Heyland Daren K. , Marik Paul E. , Bistrian Bruce R.
Published: December 2010

Most clinicians believe that nutrition support therapy improves outcome in hospitalized patients. Unfortunately, few patients receive optimal nutrition management. A lack of strong, well‐designed research studies may prevent the medical/surgical community from fully embracing the practice. More quality research is needed. This article discusses 3 potential strategies to improve research activity in clinical nutrition: increase funding of nutrition research, foster young physician training in nutrition and research, and attract nutrition researchers to our national nutrition society meetings. The best chance for this process to succeed is for the national nutrition societies to partner with medical and surgical subspecialty societies to develop larger scale clinical and translational research programs.
Creating Structure for Continuation of Initiatives
Authors: McClave Stephen A. , Mechanick Jeffrey I. , Kushner Robert F. , DeLegge Mark H.
Published: December 2010

The Summit for Increasing Physician Nutrition Experts brought nutrition leaders from North America together to forge new strategies for promoting greater physician involvement in clinical nutrition. The initiatives derived from the Summit address issues related to education, board certification, research, and clinical practice. To seek consensus from participating societies and to establish a format for the implementation of these initiatives, a council of representatives needs to be formed. The council must be noncompetitive, promote collaboration and facilitation of nutrition activities for participating societies, and ultimately provide service to the healthcare system and individual practitioners. The structure of this council may evolve from a temporary task force to an enduring committee. Participating societies will be asked to fund expenses for their representative and host council meetings on a rotating basis. The council will assume responsibility for pursuing Summit initiatives and providing ongoing communication and collaboration between participant groups.
Proposal for Subspecialty Physician Fellowship Training in Nutrition and Health Promotion
Authors: Mechanick Jeffrey I. , Graham Toby , Gramlich Leah , McMahon M. Molly , Ziegler Thomas R.
Published: December 2010

Subspecialty fellowship training programs in nutrition and health promotion (NHP) are necessary for any comprehensive solution to address physician shortages in this discipline. After a careful needs and resource assessment, current or future program directors can decide on 1 of 3 potential NHP training models: dedicated continuous, dedicated carve‐out, or concurrent continuous. Each of these models will need to provide complete elements of core curricula and a sufficient amount of specialized modular NHP training. At the conclusion of the training program, NHP fellows should have fulfilled board certification eligibility requirements so that they may later become NHP experts and mentors to perpetuate this subspecialty.
Proposal for Medical School Nutrition Education
Authors: Friedman Gerald , Kushner Robert , Alger‐Mayer Sharon , Bistrian Bruce , Gramlich Leah , Marik Paul E.
Published: December 2010

The mission of increasing the number of physician nutrition experts requires focused nutrition education directed at medical students across the 4‐year curriculum and into postgraduate training. Courses should be horizontally and vertically integrated, bridging the basic sciences and clinical medicine. It is anticipated that the Liaison Committee on Medical Education and Association of American Medical Colleges will require competency in nutrition with emphasis on preventive and therapeutic applications. Barriers to implementation of nutrition courses can be overcome by using innovative teaching in association with cooperative course directors. Analysis of prior governmental efforts, through the Nutrition Academic Award, provides a basis for targeting fundamental knowledge and creative methods for achieving educational goals. Recommendations for short‐term and long‐term ideas for increasing the number of adequate physician nutrition experts are offered.
Board Certification and Credentialing in Nutrition
Authors: Apovian Caroline M. , Shah Mitali S. , Ruth Megan R. , August David , Kushner Robert , McMahon M. Molly , Alger‐Mayer Sharon
Published: December 2010

Board certification and credentialing in nutrition for physicians are problematic issues. Many board examinations are offered, but have few candidates and poor recognition. This discussion focuses on the feasibility of establishing a single board examination body. Some key considerations were identified to improve credentialing and examination in nutrition for physicians. Increasing the number of nutrition physicians and improving recognition of their credentials should ultimately translate to better patient health and safety. Consolidation of board examinations may be in the best interest of physician nutritionists.
Receipt of Diagnostic Tests for Breast Cancer: Validity of Self-Reports Among Low-Income, Mostly Latina, Indigent Women
Authors: Mojica Cynthia M. , Bastani Roshan
Published: December 2010

Little is known about the validity of self-reported completion of diagnostic testing after an abnormal breast cancer screening test. This study assesses the validity of self-reported diagnostic follow-up among 819 low-income, mostly Latina, indigent women with a breast abnormality at two public hospitals in Los Angeles County. Survey responses on receipt of a mammogram, ultrasound, fine needle aspiration, surgical biopsy, or clinical breast exam for diagnostic evaluation of the breast abnormality were compared to medical record data. The authors calculated concordance, Cohen’s κ statistic, and sensitivity and specificity. Kappa values indicated slight agreement for mammogram, ultrasound, and clinical breast exam, and moderate agreement for fine needle aspiration and surgical biopsy. Sensitivity of self-reports was high for all tests; specificity was poor for all tests except surgical biopsy. Self-reports of receipt of diagnostic testing for a breast abnormality among low-income, mostly Latina, indigent women are not accurate when compared to medical records.
Development and Validation of a Scale to Assess Attitudes and Beliefs About Menthol Cigarettes Among African American Smokers
Authors: Allen Bruce , Cruz Tess Boley , Leonard Earl , Unger Jennifer B.
Published: December 2010

To develop more effective smoking cessation interventions for the 70% of African American smokers who smoke menthol cigarettes, it is important to understand smokers’ reasons for choosing menthols verses nonmenthols. This study conducted a focus group of African American smokers about their attitudes and beliefs about menthol cigarettes. These attitudes and beliefs, along with others from the literature, were included in a survey of 720 African American smokers in Los Angeles County, California. Five common factors emerged—Medicinal Effects, Image, Less Harmful, Tradition, and Taste/Sensation. Menthol smokers had significantly higher scores on the Taste/Sensation, Medicinal Effects, and Less Harmful scales than nonmenthol smokers did. Men were significantly more likely than women to endorse Medicinal Effects, Image, and Tradition, whereas women were significantly more likely to endorse Taste/Sensation. Education was inversely associated with endorsement of Medicinal Effects, Image, Less Harmful, and Tradition. Respondents aged 40 years or older had significantly higher scores on Medicinal Effects, Image, and Less Harmful, compared with younger respondents. Smoking cessation interventions for African American menthol smokers should address commonly held myths that menthols have medicinal effects and are less harmful than nonmenthols, especially among smokers who are older, male, and/or have low levels of education. The new measures presented in this article could be useful for tailoring cessation interventions to individual smokers’ attitudes and beliefs about menthol cigarettes.
Election Forecasts With Twitter
Authors: Tumasjan Andranik , Sprenger Timm O. , Sandner Philipp G. , Welpe Isabell M.
Published: December 2010

This study investigates whether microblogging messages on Twitter validly mirror the political landscape off-line and can be used to predict election results. In the context of the 2009 German federal election, we conducted a sentiment analysis of over 100,000 messages containing a reference to either a political party or a politician. Our results show that Twitter is used extensively for political deliberation and that the mere number of party mentions accurately reflects the election result. The tweets' sentiment (e.g., positive and negative emotions associated with a politician) corresponds closely to voters' political preferences. In addition, party sentiment profiles reflect the similarity of political positions between parties. We derive suggestions for further research and discuss the use of microblogging services to aggregate dispersed information.
Expanding Our Nightingale Horizon
Authors: Beck Deva-Marie
Published: December 2010

Today’s global health problems may seem insurmountable. Antibiotic-resistant microbes are increasing, and more economic, environmental, and social factors are affecting health. Health care costs keep rising. Hot politics and the chronic global nursing shortages all threaten the future of health care delivery. Also, diseases in many war-torn regions clearly place all humanity’s health at risk. How can nurses possibly address these larger “global” challenges? To consider this question—and what nurses might do to contribute solutions—this article looks at the wider horizon of health care problems and how Florence Nightingale faced similar bigger health issues in her time. The health problems of today require renewed vision and the participation of committed citizens who take an active role in the promotion of human health—both locally and globally. By learning more about Nightingale’s legacy, nurses actually attain a significant breadth and depth of knowledge and skill to share in these endeavors. Based on a review of Nightingale’s responses and insights, seven recommendations are shared for consideration. While continuing the practices we have established, nurses can also create new, innovative, and relevant practice arenas, becoming—like she did in her time—global change agents for the sake of human health. From her broader viewpoint, Nightingale passed her global vision to us in order to extend our own horizons of possibility: remembering who we are, considering what we can do, who we care for, and why.
Science and Technology in Lebanon
Authors: Gaillard Jacques
Published: December 2010

On the basis of a study carried out in 2007, this article seeks to characterise Science and Technology (S&T) activities in Lebanon. After a brief historical background, it reviews the S&T policy framework, the national research institutes, the higher education system and the central role of a few historical universities in research. The output of Lebanon’s publications’ is also being analysed and discussed, showing among other things, that the bulk of Lebanese research activities is concentrated in the same three historical universities [the Université Libanaise or Lebanese University (UL), the Université St-Joseph or St-Joseph University (USJ) and the American University of Beirut (AUB)]. Despite the existence of a National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS) since 1962, national research institutes, a plan of action approved in 2002 to implement the Lebanese Science, Technology & Innovation Policy (STIP), and five integrated action programmes managed by CNRS, it is argued that S&T activities in Lebanon remain primarily a university-driven business.
A quantitative measure of JS’s memory
Authors: Ben Shalom Dorit , Faran Yifat , Boucher Jill
Published: December 2010

JS is a highly able, well-educated 37 year old man with Asperger syndrome. A recent qualitative paper (Boucher, 2007) described his self-report of verbal and visual memory difficulties. The present paper used the WMS-III to compare the memory profile of JS to that of the adults with HFA in the Williams et al. (2005) WMS-III paper. Results show that JS’s self-report of his memory difficulties can by and large be supported, that JS’s memory performance is at the lower end of the group examined in the Williams et al. (2005) paper, and that, unlike the group profile in Williams et al. (2005), JS shows reduced performance on both verbal and visual measures of memory. A qualitative analysis of JS’s performance raises the possibility that JS is using language to retain details he can generalize over, as a compensatory strategy for some reductions in episodic memory.
Medical tourism and the state in Malaysia and Singapore
Authors: Chee Heng Leng
Published: December 2010

A striking feature of the medical tourist industry that has developed in Asia since the late 1990s is the involvement of States in supporting the private sector in marketing healthcare services to foreign patients. Malaysia and Singapore, two of the leading players in this field, have, since the 1980s, embarked on healthcare reforms, resulting in an enlarged private healthcare sector. The Singapore state, moving toward state corporatism, has advanced further in its healthcare reforms, and is therefore able to minimize the gap between government and private health services. The Malaysian state, fragmented and facing greater opposition, has not been able to advance as far in its healthcare reforms, and faces a growing gap between public and private health services. Nevertheless, both countries face a shortage of doctors in the public sector, and rising costs and user charges: problems that are exacerbated by a growing private market in healthcare to which the medical tourist industry contributes. As successful market economies, the cases of Malaysia and Singapore serve to illustrate the potential effects of healthcare reforms and commercialization of healthcare on social policy; particularly salient in the context of an emerging focus on trade in health services as a possible growth engine for countries’ economic development.
Trafficking in part(s): The commercial kidney market in a Manila slum, Philippines
Authors: Yea Sallie
Published: December 2010

Organ trafficking is the least researched of all forms of human trafficking. As a result of the ways the phenomenon is framed within academic accounts, government responses and media constructions, almost any situation involving the existence of a commercial market for organs is located within a human trafficking framework. This article takes issue with the presumption of trafficking in commercial kidney markets, using the thriving underground kidney market of Baseco, Manila as a site for this discussion. Two interrelated arguments are made in the article. First, the contextual specificities of the commercial organ market get lost within a universalizing discourse of human trafficking that is also reproduced within much of the academic literature on the topic. Second, commercial organ providers in my research site of the urban slum of Baseco present only ‘degrees’ of trafficking; meaning that only some elements of trafficking as defined by the United Nations and the Philippines government are present. This means that providers often slip through the anti-human trafficking responses of the Philippines government. The outcome of this is that kidney providers are not the object of any other social policy interventions which could enhance their livelihood and health situations.
Patients beyond borders: A study of medical tourists in four countries
Authors: Alsharif Mohd Jamal , Labonté Ronald , Zuxun Lu
Published: December 2010

This exploratory study assesses the experiences of medical travelers seeking out of country health care in four destination countries: India, China, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. It aims to identify the source countries of medical travelers, to understand their reasons for seeking out-of-country care, the type of services they obtained, and their level of satisfaction with the experience. Cost, physician and facility reputation and hospital accreditation were ranked as the most important factors in choosing out-of-country care. Wait times at home or lack of access to care were important motivations for international medical travel. Patient assessment of treatment outcomes is as high as might be found in similar assessments in high-income country facilities. Certain forms of treatment sought by respondents (i.e. organ transplantation) raise specific ethical concerns. Also of concern is that the present health systems in all four countries fail to adequately meet the health needs of their population (notably poorer groups). Evidence and inference strongly suggest that access to health care for poorer groups will worsen in these countries as medical tourism increases, at least in the short term, raising generic ethical and policy challenges over the extent to which access to essential health care by poorer persons is compromised by the public subsidization or promotion of medical tourism.
Review: Testosterone and the metabolic syndrome
Authors: Muraleedharan Vakkat , Jones T. Hugh
Published: December 2010

Metabolic syndrome and testosterone deficiency in men are closely linked. Epidemiological studies have shown that low testosterone levels are associated with obesity, insulin resistance and an adverse lipid profile in men. Conversely in men with metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes have a high prevalence of hypogonadism. Metabolic syndrome and low testosterone status are both independently associated with increased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Observational and experimental data suggest that physiological replacement of testosterone produces improvement in insulin resistance, obesity, dyslipidaemia and sexual dysfunction along with improved quality of life. However, there are no long-term interventional studies to assess the effect of testosterone replacement on mortality in men with low testosterone levels. This article reviews the observational and interventional clinical data in relation to testosterone and metabolic syndrome.
Review: Endocrine and metabolic emergencies: hypercalcaemia
Authors: Carroll Richard , Matfin Glenn
Published: December 2010

Hypercalcaemia is commonly seen in the context of parathyroid dysfunction and malignancy and, when severe, can precipitate life-threatening sequelae. The differential of hypercalcaemia is broad and can be categorized based on parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels. The acute management of severe hypercalcaemia is discussed along with a brief review of therapeutic advances in the field.
Drug-induced liver injury in older adults
Authors: Mitchell Sarah J. , Hilmer Sarah N.
Published: December 2010

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is an important cause of hospitalisation and of medication deregistration. In old age, susceptibility to DILI is affected by changes in physiology and increased interindividual variability, compounded by an increased prevalence of disease and the frailty syndrome. While dose-related or predictable DILI reactions are often detected in preclinical trials, the occurrence of rare hypersensitivity or idiosyncratic reactions cannot be reliably predicted from preclinical studies or even by clinical trials. The limited participation of older adults in clinical trials means that the susceptibility of this population to DILI is largely unknown. Vigilance during clinical trials and postmarketing surveillance must be universally practised. A systematic approach should be taken to determine not only which medicines are hepatotoxic and should be removed from the market, but also the hepatotoxicity risks from marketed drugs to consumers with different characteristics, many of whom are older people.
On the integration and standardization of medication error data: taxonomies, terminologies, causes and contributing factors
Authors: Taib Ibrahim Adham , McIntosh Andrew Stuart
Published: December 2010

Objective:

A reliable database on the causes and contributing factors of medication errors can inform strategies for their prevention. To form a single database from multiple databases requires a process of integration that both maximizes the utility of the new data and minimizes the loss of information. Unfortunately, the terminologies used by different studies and databases may limit integration; therefore, terminologies must be standardized prior to integration.

Methods:

The National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention (NCC MERP) Taxonomy of Medication Errors was applied to standardize the different terminologies in 11 studies that reported the causes or contributing factors of medication errors.

Results:

After standardization, 57% of the reported causes and contributing factors were integrated to form a database while 43% were not integrated because the terminologies could not be standardized or were not similar to the taxonomy.

Conclusions:

This study highlights the challenges to standardizing and integrating databases and the importance of adopting and applying a standardized terminology to record medical errors.
Influence of infused cell dose and HLA match on engraftment after double-unit cord blood allografts
Authors: Avery Sharon , Shi Weiji , Lubin Marissa , Gonzales Anne Marie , Heller Glenn , Castro-Malaspina Hugo , Giralt Sergio , Kernan Nancy A. , Scaradavou Andromachi , Barker Juliet N.
Published: December 2010

The influence of cell dose and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) match on double-unit cord blood (CB) engraftment is not established. Therefore, we analyzed the impact of cell dose and high-resolution HLA match on neutrophil engraftment in 84 double-unit CB transplant recipients. The 94% sustained engraftment rate was accounted for by 1 unit in nearly all patients. Higher CD3+ cell doses (P = .04) and percentage of CD34+ cell viability (P = .008) were associated with unit dominance. After myeloablative conditioning, higher dominant unit total nucleated cell (TNC), CD34+ cell, and colony-forming unit doses were associated with higher sustained engraftment and faster neutrophil recovery (P = .07, P = .0008, and P < .0001, respectively). Total infused TNC (P = .0007) and CD3+ cell doses (P = .001) also significantly influenced engraftment. At high-resolution extensive donor-recipient HLA disparity was frequent, but had no influence on engraftment (P = .66), or unit dominance (P = .13). Although the unit-unit HLA match also did not affect sustained engraftment (P = 1.0), recipients of units closely (7-10 to 10-10) HLA-matched to each other were more likely to demonstrate initial engraftment of both units (P < .0001). Our findings have important implications for unit selection and provide further insight into double-unit biology.
Permeability models of porous media: Characteristic length scales, scaling constants and time-dependent electrokinetic coupling
Authors: Walker Emilie , Glover Paul W. J.
Published: December 2010

Fluid permeability is one of the most important characteristics of a hydrocarbon reservoir, and is described by a number of empirical and theoretical models. We have taken four of the most important models, each of which is derived from a different physical approach, and have rewritten them in a generic form that implies a characteristic scale length and scaling constant for each model. The four models have been compared theoretically and using experimental data from 22 bead packs and 188 rock cores from a sand-shale sequence in the U. K. sector of the North Sea. The Kozeny-Carman model did not perform well because it takes no account of the connectedness of the pore network and should no longer be used. The other three models (Schwartz, Sen, and Johnson [SSJ]; Katz and Thompson [KT]; and the Revil, Glover, Pezard, and Zamora [RGPZ]) all performed well when used with their respective length scales and scaling constants. Surprisingly,we found that the SSJ and KT models are extremely similar,such that their characteristic scale lengths and scaling constants are almost identical even though they are derived using extremely different approaches: The SSJ model by weighting the Kozeny-Carman model using the local electrical field, and the KT model by using entry radii from fluid imbibition measurements. The experimentally determined scaling constants for each model were found to be [Formula: see text]. Use of these models with AC electrokinetic theory has also allowed us to show that these scaling constants are also related to the [Formula: see text] value in the RGPZ model and the [Formula: see text] value in time-dependent electrokinetic theory and then to derive a relationship between the electrokinetic transition frequency and the RGPZ scale length, which we have validated using experimental data. The practical implication of this work for permeability prediction is that the KT model should be used when fluid imbibition data are available, whereas the RGPZ model should be used when electrical data are available.
Bargaining Chains
Authors: Lovejoy William S.
Published: December 2010

We consider a firm that designs a new product and wishes to bring it to market but does not have ownership or control over all of the resources required to make that happen. The firm must select and contract with one of several possible tier 1 suppliers for necessary inputs, who do the same with their (tier 2) suppliers, etc. This general situation is common in industry. We assume tier-wise negotiations, sole sourcing within each tier, complete local information, and horizontal competition. We develop a bargaining-based solution to the negotiations between two adjacent multifirm tiers and show its consistency with familiar solution concepts from the theories of bargaining and cooperative games. We then link up multiple bargaining modules to generate chainwide predictions for efficiency and profitability in supply chains with an arbitrary number of tiers and an arbitrary number of firms per tier. We investigate the implications of the results for investments in process improvements or supplier development.