bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Protecting Prepaying Buyers of Unascertained Goods: Why ‘Pay before You Go’ May Be Bad for You
Authors: Eaton Sinead , Friel Raymond
Published: June 2007

This paper shows that the traditional equitable doctrine, which protected the rights of a prepaid buyer of future or unascertained goods, was wrongly perceived as being overruled by the judgment of a single Court of Appeal judge. What followed, however, was considerable judicial reluctance by English courts to remedy this error. The article examines various legislative and judicial approaches from major common law jurisdictions around the world that purport to lessen the potential for injustice created by this judicial caution. Yet despite legislative intervention in England to provide limited remedies, there has been a marked reluctance elsewhere to produce the necessary radical reform suggested by the Law Reform Commission of Ontario. The position in Ireland is examined and the authors note that the time may be ripe for a reconsideration of the current statutory provisions in that jurisdiction.
Going Virtual: Using Some Common Law World Initiatives to Update the Nigerian Law on Corporate Democracy
Authors: Bolodeoku Ige Omotayo
Published: June 2007

This paper proposes a reform of Nigerian company law to integrate the Internet into the corporate governance scheme. In so doing, the paper examines reforms in some common law countries, especially the United States (the state of Delaware), Canada and the United Kingdom, highlighting to policy- and law-makers key areas they may focus on in the Nigerian reform. It emphasizes the need for a reform that will preserve extant rights, liberalize participation and induce transmission of information at a cost that the shareholders can afford. While noting the challenges such a reform may face in the Nigerian context, the paper proposes the type of Internet-related reform that may work well for Nigeria at present. It makes a case for the reform's relevance, given the government's commitment to liberalize entry into the telecommunications industry and to promote competition. The paper also notes that the exponential increase in the Internet penetration rate in Nigeria signals the desirability of a reform in the direction the paper proposes.
10 Years of the Basic Law: The Rise, Retreat and Resurgence of Judicial Power in Hong Kong
Authors: Yap Po-Jen
Published: June 2007

Since the National People's Congress Standing Committee's (NPCSC) reversal of the Court of Final Appeal's abrasive decision of Ng Ka Ling, the court has become cognizant of the repercussions of its decisions and has now adopted a pragmatic view toward its adjudicatory role. Where decisions implicate the validity of Mainland Chinese laws or NPCSC decisions, the court would always defer to the central government. Notwithstanding the court's recognition of the supremacy of the NPCSC, the court has remained very diligent in preserving its prerogative as the primary interpreter of the Basic Law. Where disputes concern alleged human rights violations that have no People's Republic of China (PRC) implications but have law and order implications in Hong Kong, the courts are generally conservative so as to afford the legislature or the executive much latitude in maintaining peace and stability. With regard to disputes with neither NPCSC nor domestic law and order implications, the court is confident that any political backlash against an adverse decision would be minimal; in these instances, the court is therefore more conscious of avoiding the austerity of tabulated legalism and is enthused about providing a generous interpretation of the Basic Law.
Sexual Harassment Law in the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union: Discriminatory Wrongs and Dignitary Harms
Authors: Clarke Linda
Published: June 2007

This article considers the way in which sexual harassment law in the United States and the United Kingdom has been formulated within the framework of sex discrimination law, and explores the theoretical and practical difficulties in treating sexual harassment as a form of sex discrimination. In contrast, in continental Europe, the problem of harassment at work, including harassment of women, has been conceptualized as an issue of human dignity. But ‘dignity’ also has weaknesses as a tool for conceptualizing sexual harassment, and can hide the way in which sexual harassment is indeed often a form of discrimination against women, rather than an individualized harm. Finally, the article will examine the new legal definition of harassment in the UK, which outlaws both harassment on grounds of sex, but also sexual harassment, abandoning the discrimination framework in favour of a dignitary harm.
Four Threats to the Presumption of Innocence
Authors: Ashworth Andrew
Published: June 2007

This article sets out to re-examine the rationale for the presumption of innocence, and then assesses four contemporary threats to the presumption—through confinement, by defining offences so as to reduce the presumption's impact; erosion, by recognising more exceptions; evasion, by introducing more civil and hybrid procedures; and side-stepping, by increasing restrictions on liberty to little short of its full deprivation.
Without Fear or Favour? Trends and Possibilities in the Canadian Approach to Expert Human Behaviour Evidence
Authors: Cunliffe Emma
Published: June 2007

In R v Lavallee and R v Mohan, the Supreme Court of Canada established a test for the admissibility of expert evidence which is somewhat different from that used in other common law jurisdictions. Over the course of several more recent decisions, the court has expressed an increasingly sceptical attitude towards expert evidence of human behaviour. Collectively, these cases have left the state of Canadian law unclear. Canadian commentators also disagree about how best to navigate a path between the Scylla of uncritical reliance on expert evidence and the Charybdis of leaving discriminatory legal reasoning undisturbed. This article describes two proposals for reforming the Canadian approach to expert evidence and suggests that only one has the potential to move expert evidence jurisprudence beyond its current impasse.
Vulnerable and Intimidated Witnesses and the Adversarial Process in England and Wales
Authors: Burton Mandy , Evans Roger , Sanders Andrew
Published: June 2007

This article presents findings from recent Home Office-funded empirical research into the implementation of special measures for vulnerable and intimidated witnesses by the criminal justice agencies in England and Wales. It uses those findings to examine the argument that features of the adversarial process, such as the principle of orality, inevitably prevent vulnerable and intimidated witnesses from giving their best evidence, whatever modifications are made to accommodate them. By examining how far the criminal justice agencies have gone towards implementing special measures, and practitioners' views on the effectiveness of various measures, we shed light on the extent to which the implementation of special measures has mitigated the disadvantageous effects of the adversarial process and suggest further steps that might be taken to address the problems vulnerable and intimidated witnesses experience.
Executive Development and Succession Planning: Qualitative Evidence
Authors: Murphy Steven A.
Published: June 2007

This article reports on the qualitative findings of a study examining the succession planning process of a large Canadian police force. The richness of the qualitative data resulted in the identification of key themes that were not considered in the quantitative portion of the same study. These themes included: a lack of confidence in the executive development programme; a desire for executive development to be more developmental in nature; person-organisation constraints; a negative image of executives; a desire for experience to play a more pivotal role; and a lack of information on the executive development process. These themes are discussed in terms of their implications for developing the next generation of executives. The results are discussed in relation to the succession planning literature and organisational context.
Inappropriate Internet Sites: Citizens' Attitudes about Their Computer Skills and the Need for Training
Authors: Cheurprakobkit Sutham , Johnston C. Wayne
Published: June 2007

As part of a larger public relations and community service by a collaborative effort of the Midland, Texas Police Department and the University of Texas of the Permian Basin, this study examined the opinions of 425 citizens regarding their computer expertise in determining if inappropriate internet sites were being viewed by their children, and the need for training in this regard provided by the police department and the university. The findings supported the hypotheses that state that compared to parents who have no child using the internet, parents with internet-using children at home are more likely to discuss the dangers of the internet with their children, monitor their internet use, and have computer skills to check for the websites and chat rooms their children are in. Also, non-whites are found to be more likely than whites to want to attend internet training if provided. The study's findings are discussed and cautions for police agencies are included.
Occupational Stress, Coping and Personality in the Police: An SEM Study
Authors: Ortega Adriana , Brenner Sten-Olof , Leather Phil
Published: June 2007

This article explores the relationships among exogenous factors, such as gender, age, rank/grade, tenure and personality, occupational stress, coping strategies, well-being, organisational commitment and job satisfaction. The sample used for this study comprised 1,535 police officers from a British police force, 20.78 per cent of whom were female. It was expected that personality, gender, age, rank and tenure were associated with ***work-related stress; coping; well-being, and work attitudes. More specifically, it was predicted: (1) that there was a correlation among personality, well-being and work attitudes; and (2) that coping strategies were directly associated with well-being and work attitudes. Using LISREL 8.54 these relationships were examined. The resulting model yielded meaningful and significant relationships and fitted the observed data: χ2 (114) = 291.88; p ≤ 0.01; RMSEA = 0.032; AGFI = 0.96; CFI = 0.99; n = 1510. Personality traits were found to be directly related to work-related stress, coping strategies, tension and burn out as well as negatively related to overall job satisfaction. Gender, age and rank did not show meaningful relationship with any of the endogenous variables. Occupational stressors were associated with low organisational commitment and poor overall job satisfaction. Also coping strategies were directly associated with organisational commitment and job satisfaction.
Patterns of Community Policing Officers and Their Work: A Study of the National Police Force of Taiwan
Authors: Wang Yumin R.
Published: June 2007

This paper examines the relationship between community policing officers and their work. The study was based on work redesign theory, and the questions in the questionnaire were mainly adapted from the Job Diagnostic Survey. Selective sampling was employed and a total of 69 community policing officers of the national police force of Taiwan were surveyed. Findings indicate that officers of various role orientations and personality traits can take on the work that is by and large motivating. The two moderators — growth need strength and context satisfaction jointly interact with the five work attributes and determine the outcome of the work design — job satisfaction. Promoting context satisfaction through exercising effective management is the key to the success of the programme.
Those Who Do Big Bad Things also Usually Do Little Bad Things: Identifying Active Serious Offenders Using Offender Self-Selection
Authors: Roach Jason
Published: June 2007

Traditionally the identification and apprehension of active serious offenders has relied on information from the public, the targeting of ‘known’ offenders and current knowledge of offending patterns. More recently, the method of offender self-selection has been offered as an additional identification tool, where certain minor infractions have been found to be ‘triggers' for uncovering serious criminality — self-selection because the individual has broken a law in the first place. This paper details a police operation — ‘Operation Visitor’ (focused on visitors to a young offenders' institute, to explore whether minor offences committed (either whilst at, or en route to the institution) can be used as trigger offences to indicate serious criminality. One-third of visitors caught offending had criminal histories, several considered serious active offenders.
Strict Criminal Liability: A Violation of the Convention?
Authors: Salako Solomon E.
Published: June 2007

Since its inception in the late 19th century, strict criminal liability has been used to grapple with regulatory offences. The object of this article is to show that in most cases and in spite of the utilitarian arguments advanced for its retention, strict criminal liability violates Convention rights and that civil sanctions would offer equivalent possibility of enforcing regulatory offences.
Female Rape—An Ongoing Concern: Strategies for Improving Reporting and Conviction Levels
Authors: Withey Carol
Published: June 2007

This article examines the reasons behind the low rate of reported female rape, the failure of rape cases to progress to trial and the unacceptable low conviction rate. There is a multitude of research in this area and the aim of this article is to consolidate this research rather than provide new research on the issues. Following this, the measures that have been introduced to improve reporting and conviction rates are identified and explained. These range from substantive and evidential changes in the law, through to the implementation of practical policy. The article assesses the impact and effectiveness of these measures on the relevant rates, by drawing on the available Law Commission, Home Office and academic research. Current suggestions and strategies for increasing the relevant rates are then examined. The article concludes with the author's own suggestions for improvement.
The Death Penalty by Lethal Injection and Hill v McDonough: Is the USA Starting to See Sense?
Authors: Harrison Karen , Melville Caroline
Published: June 2007

Since the late 1980s lethal injection has been the preferred method of executing prisoners on death row in the USA. This has largely been because it is seen by many as the most humane method of lawful killing. The injection consists of a lethal cocktail of three drugs which are in turn administered to the prisoner. The first drug is an anaesthetic which is used to eliminate the pain caused by the other two, hence allowing a pain-free and humane death. Recent research however has established that it is highly probable that many prisoners are not in fact anaesthetised when the pain inducing drugs are injected into their systems. Instead those on death row are at a high risk of suffering cruel or unusual punishment in breach of the Eighth Amendment of the US Constitution. The courts in the USA have not, in the main, supported such a theory, although Hill v McDonough, Interim Secretary, Florida Department of Correction et al. now seems to have opened the door for prisoners to test the constitutionality of the lethal injection in local Federal Courts.
The Quick and the Dead: Who Counts as a ‘Person’ under S. 100 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003?
Authors: Munday Roderick
Published: June 2007

Section 100 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 has transformed the law's attitude to references to non-defendants' bad character in criminal trials. Unless the bad character has to do with the facts of the case, or the investigation or prosecution of the offence, the leave of the court must now be sought before a party can adduce ‘the bad character of a person other than the defendant’. The word ‘person’ is problematical since the legislature does not normally use this term to denote those who are dead. This article addresses the problem of how the term ‘person’ should be construed.
A Structured Portfolio Analysing the Crime of Burglary
Authors: Lowenstein Joseph
Published: June 2007

Burglary is a high-volume crime, affecting around one in twenty-five households annually. In 1998 the Home Office launched a major crime reduction programme in England and Wales with a key element focussing on the reduction of burglary. It was hoped that this would discover the key element in reducing domestic burglary. So far, however, research has failed to determine the reasons for beginning and pursuing a career in burglary. This article attempt to provide a portfolio of the potential factors that could cause an individual to turn to property crime. It is important to look at these factors not as individual elements but as a framework of potential risk. A framework designed by Clarke (1977) is used to do this.
Pakistani Gangs in Bradford
Authors: Din Ikhlaq , Cullingford Cedric
Published: June 2007

Despite the media coverage and the growing interest in ‘gangs’, there is little empirical literature on gangs in the UK and even fewer on gangs from minority ethnic communities, particularly those from the Pakistani community. The disturbances in Bradford in 1995 and more recently in 2001 point to street gang formation among young Pakistanis, which are diverse in their nature and in activities. This article explores the activities and causes of Pakistani gangs as perceived by non-gang members. These issues were explored through empirical research (in-depth semi-structured interviews) on the experience and views of young Pakistani children using a particular context as an example.
All Together Now: A National Police Service for Scotland
Authors: Donnelly Daniel , Scott Kenneth B.
Published: June 2007

Debate has emerged in Scotland about restructuring the eight police forces into a single national service. The main drivers of that debate are identified and the major elements contributing to the case for such a restructuring are presented. The role of local community policing and changes to police accountability mechanisms within such a national structure are discussed. The article concludes that a national police service is the best way forward for policing in Scotland.
The Police, Young Offenders and Intelligence-Led Policing
Authors: Waters Ian
Published: June 2007

The current article outlines ways in which the police in England and Wales have been engaged in the control of young offenders, with particular reference to the national implementation of the Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme (ISSP): this programme was introduced by the Youth Justice Board (YJB) in 2001. The empirical research carried out by the author for the current article formed part of the official evaluation of ISSP; the latter was conducted by the Probation Studies Unit in Oxford University's Centre for Criminological Research, on behalf of the YJB. The evaluation was conducted between 2001 and 2004, and involved a broad range of quantitative and qualitative methods (see YJB, 2004b). Most of the results presented here focus on a specific part of the evaluation, which was concerned to pinpoint the role of the police in relation to surveillance and intelligence.
Art, Craft and Science of Detective Work
Authors: Tong Stephen , Bowling Ben
Published: June 2007

The failure of high-profile criminal investigations and falling detection rates have led to public criticisms of the effectiveness of detective practice. Furthermore, the lack of research on crime investigation and the apparent mystery surrounding what detectives actually do and how they do it, reinforced by fictional representations of detectives guided by ‘instinct’, leaves a distinct lack of transparency. This article presents a typology of logics guiding detective work (the art, craft and science of investigation) that provide a useful framework for examining what detectives do and the changing nature of their work. It is argued through these different perspectives that more needs to be done to articulate a theory of detective practice in order to provide transparency and rich information from which future generations of detectives can learn key skills.
‘Doing a Maslow’: Humanistic Education and Diversity in Police Training
Authors: Heslop Richard
Published: June 2007

This article shows how training for police trainers in Britain has for many years been underpinned by a specific and prescriptive set of adult learning theories. These theories are broadly based on the principles of humanistic education and psychology. Whilst humanism remains an influential tradition within training and education, it has been roundly criticised for its latent individualism and lack of attention to diversity. The article posits a contradiction in a training programme between its aims to ‘promote diversity’ and its promotion of learning theories which are questionable from a diversity perspective.
A Dangerous Job? An Examination of Violence against Conservation Officers
Authors: Eliason Stephen L.
Published: June 2007

Conservation law enforcement is an area of policing that has been largely overlooked by sociologists and criminal justice researchers. Some have speculated that when compared to their traditional police officer counterparts, conservation officers face greater dangers on the job. However, little if any research has been directed towards violence against conservation officers. Using a qualitative approach to data collection, this descriptive and exploratory study examined the nature of assaults on Kentucky conservation officers. Conservation officers reported that while physical assaults did occur periodically, they were relatively rare events. Verbal abuse from recreationists was much more common.
Forecasting the ‘Futures' of the Evolving Police Operation: A Theoretical Note
Authors: Wang Yumin
Published: June 2007

The 50-year change interval for the police operation is in progress. Taking a macro-historical view and thinking by analogy, this writer foresees that the futures of the problem will be influenced by the revolution currently taking place in management and technology. Employing theories from futures studies, the scientific inquiry that is interdisciplinary in nature, the holistic forecast of its outlooks in action becomes attainable.
The ANZJFT: Snapshots From the History of an Evolving Journal
Authors: Crago Hugh , Crago Maureen
Published: June 2007

This article presents a series of ‘snapshots’ of the history of the journal now known as the ANZJFT (Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy). While a full, detailed history of the journal from its inception is beyond the scope of this paper, the authors offer glimpses of the journal at key points in its 25‐year history, and from these, readers can reconstruct some of the changes that have occurred, and the continuities in values and attitudes that the ANZJFT has attempted to preserve, throughout its existence. The authors comment, from their own recent experience, on particular dilemmas, which they have faced, and use their own data to update a bibliometric survey of the journal originally carried out by Davis and Lipson (1996).
Intergenerational Processes, Attachment and Unexplained Medical Symptoms
Authors: Kozlowska Kasia
Published: June 2007

Children organise self‐protectively in response to anxiety‐provoking or dangerous parental behaviours. When children's self‐protective responses are extreme and persist over time, they may come to the attention of health professionals in the guise of emotional, behavioural or somatic symptoms. A parallel phenomenon is that harmful parental behaviours may be embedded in the emotional processes of the inter‐generational family unit, reflecting the parents' own experiences of comfort and danger, as well as the particular manner in which these experiences have been integrated into the parents' current functioning. Using a case study of a three‐year‐old girl with medically unexplained urinary retention, the article explores how information about attachment relationships and unresolved parental loss or trauma can inform our understanding of implicit, anxiety‐driven processes within the family, and to facilitate family interventions and symptom alleviation. The case shows that the Dynamic‐Maturational Model of attachment has significant applications in the areas of family therapy theory and practice, psychosomatic medicine and consult‐liaison psychiatry.
The Effects of Training in Behaviour Modification Strategies on Stress, Burnout, and Therapeutic Attitudes in Frontline Inpatient Mental Health Nurses
Authors: McLeod Hamish J. , Densley Lisa , Chapman Kate
Published: June 2007

Psychiatric nursing is a stressful profession associated with high levels of burnout. Previous research has demonstrated that burnout in psychiatric nurses can be reduced via training that improves behaviour modification skills. However, the minimum amount of training required to demonstrate a beneficial effect is unclear. We evaluated the impact of a 4-day behaviour modification training program on stress, burnout, and therapeutic attitudes in nurses who were in frequent daily inpatient contact with patients with severe mental illnesses. Nurses working in the same wards served as a control group. Training improved therapeutic attitudes but did not alter self ratings of job-stress and burnout. The need for multi-pronged approaches to the prevention and treatment of burnout in psychiatric nurses is discussed.
A Combination Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) Algorithm for Hard-to-Treat Smokers
Authors: Bittoun Renee
Published: June 2007

Many smokers have not succeeded in quitting using a single nicotine replacement mode. An algorithm was developed for clinicians to enhance success rates when recommending nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) to smoking patients. The algorithm is based on clinical experience with chronic smokers with respiratory illnesses attending one-on-one smokers clinics in the Central Sydney Area Health Service. Based on transdermal nicotine therapy (patch) other forms of NRT are added if required for ‘breakout’ smoking for 2 weeks. Outcomes have shown 60% confirmed continuous abstinence at 3 months. Smokers can be safely and successfully treated symptomatically for nicotine withdrawal relief using combination NRT aggressively. This enhances treatment efficacy by minimising relapse in the first few weeks and months of quitting.
Promoting Tobacco Abstinence Among Older Adolescents in Dental Clinics
Authors: Lando Harry A. , Hennrikus Deborah , Boyle Raymond , Lazovich DeAnn , Stafne Eric , Rindal Brad
Published: June 2007

The health care setting, and most notably dental clinics, may hold promise in delivering effective tobacco intervention to adolescents. Adolescents between the ages of 14 and 17 were randomly assigned to brief advice from dental hygienists and dentists only or to brief advice plus a motivational interview and follow-up telephone contact from a study hygienist. Due to difficulties in identifying and recruiting subjects, study goals were expanded from cessation only to cessation and prevention. No differences in smoking prevalence were found between treatment conditions at either 3- or 12-month follow-up. Firm conclusions cannot be drawn about the effectiveness of treatment due both to problems in enrolling subjects and limited implementation of the motivational intervention.
Current perspectives: The early phases of the 2008 US presidential election
Authors: Briand Richard
Published: June 2007

This article concerns the US 2008 presidential election. It examines the likely nominees for the Republicans and Democrats, and the respective strengths and weaknesses of the frontrunners, Senator John McCain and Senator Hillary Clinton. Who (if any) are their most formidable challengers
among the other candidates for the Republican and Democrat nominations? It offers an analysis of how, if nominated, these strengths and weaknesses may play at the general election. And it offers a guide to likely vice-presidential candidates (especially for, if nominated, the current frontrunners).
Re-visioning History: Countering Emerson's alleged ahistoricity
Authors: Pearce Lucy
Published: June 2007

Just as man is explicable by nothing less than his entire history, so Emerson's ideas on history need the context of their own history the influence of European Romantic developments and interest in history and New England Puritanism. Emerson has been dismissed by many as ahistorical;
yet, History is one of the cornerstones of the Emersonian world view an abstract, dry shell of a concept he seeks to redefine as something vital. His attitudes towards history are indicative of his broader push to break with tradition and to approach human and cultural needs afresh and empower
the American Individual.
Mollaret Meningitis Associated With an Intraspinal Epidermoid Cyst
Authors: Gao Baoqin , Yang Jun , Zhuang Shougang , Deng Yaxian , Yang Weili , Yu Yazhen , Wang Yongjun , Luo Lin , Dai Ke
Published: June 2007

Mollaret meningitis, a benign recurrent aseptic disease, is known to be associated with intracranial epidermoid cysts. In this report, we describe a case of Mollaret meningitis caused by an intraspinal epidermoid cyst located at thoracic level 12. The patient's clinical manifestations and cerebrospinal fluid features were similar to those with bacterial meningitis characterized by predominant polymorphonuclear leukocytes. However, Mollaret cells, not bacteria, were identified in the patient's cerebrospinal fluid. The illness ceased after surgical resection of the cyst, and the cyst tissue was pathologically diagnosed as epidermoid. Therefore, an intraspinal epidermoid cyst can be etiologically associated with Mollaret meningitis and should be included in the differential diagnosis of recurrent aseptic meningitis.
Captura de culicídeos em área urbana: avaliação do método das caixas de repouso
Authors: Barata Eudina Agar Miranda de Freitas , Chiaravalloti Neto Francisco , Dibo Margareth Regina , Macoris Maria de Lourdes G , Barbosa Angelita Anália C , Natal Delsio , Barata José Maria Soares , Andriguetti Maria Teresa Macoris
Published: June 2007

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a ocorrência de população adulta de culicídeos em área urbana e medir a sensibilidade do método de coleta em caixa de repouso MÉTODOS: Foram coletados mosquitos entre 1999 e 2000, em duas cidades do Estado de São Paulo: Ocauçu e Uchoa. Em cada uma delas, sortearam-se 15 quadras, e em cada quadra um domicílio, onde foram instaladas duas caixas de repouso, no intra e no peridomicílio. Realizaram-se coletas mensais por domicílio, durante 13 meses, utilizando aspiradores manuais no intra e peridomicílio e no interior das caixas. Os espécimes capturados foram levados ao laboratório para triagem e identificação por espécie e sexo. RESULTADOS: Dos 2.112 espécimes de culicídeos coletados, 99,7% corresponderam a quatro espécies: Culex quinquefasciatus, Aedes aegypti, Cx. declarator e Cx. coronator. A distribuição percentual dessas espécies foi, respectivamente, em Ocauçu: 83,3%, 3,2%, 10,8% e 2,4%, e em Uchoa: 83,8%, 8,4%, 4,4% e 3,0%. Das fêmeas do gênero Culex, 34,3% foram coletadas nas caixas de repouso e 59,9% encontravam-se no intradomicílio. Das fêmeas de Ae. aegypti, 17,6% foram coletadas nas caixas de repouso e 82,4% encontraram-se no intradomicílio. CONCLUSÕES: A grande maioria dos espécimes coletados pertenciam a quatro espécies de culicídeos, sendo Cx. quinquefasciatus a mais freqüente. Proporcionalmente, as fêmeas de Ae. aegypti ocuparam mais o intradomicílio do que as do gênero Culex. A caixa de repouso apresenta potencial de utilização como dispositivo de vigilância, mas precisa ser mais bem avaliada.
Tigecycline for Treatment of Pneumonia and Empyema Caused by Carbapenemase‐Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae
Authors: Daly Michael W. , Riddle David J. , Ledeboer Nathan A. , Dunne W. Michael , Ritchie David J.
Published: June 2007

Strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae that produce one of three possible carbapenemases—KPC—have recently been identified with increasing frequency among isolates recovered from patients residing along the East Coast of the United States, particularly within the New York City metropolitan region. These strains have exhibited resistance to multiple antibiotic classes, including carbapenem agents. We report a case of nosocomial pneumonia and empyema caused by a KPC‐producing isolate of K. pneumoniae at a large midwestern U.S. tertiary care facility in which the patient was treated with tigecycline. Although the pneumonia was treated successfully, the empyema recurred in association with a treatment‐emergent tigecycline minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) increase from 0.75 to 2 μg/ml. Clinicians should be aware of the potential occurrence of this treatment‐emergent MIC increase, especially in the setting of sustained tigecycline therapy. In addition, the emergence of carbapenem‐resistant Enterobacteriaceae reinforces the importance of antibiotic stewardship and strict infection control practices.
Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura Induced by Metronidazole Vaginal Gel
Authors: Rivkin Anastasia
Published: June 2007

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a rare, life‐threatening disorder characterized by microangiopathic hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia. Patients with TTP often have an increased reticulocyte count, elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase level, and decreased serum haptoglobin level. Other symptoms include fever, neurologic changes, and renal abnormalities. Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura may occur in association with various disorders or conditions, including infections, malignancies, pregnancy, and autoimmune disorders. The disorder may also be drug induced; however, antibiotics are not commonly implicated. A 58‐year‐old Hispanic woman went to her gynecology clinic and was prescribed metronidazole 0.75% vaginal gel for possible vaginal infection. Three days later, she came to the emergency department with complaints of chest pain and blood in her urine. A complete blood cell count was remarkable for a hemoglobin level of 10.2 g/dl (which decreased to 5.5 g/dl the next day), hematocrit of 29.1% (which decreased to 15.9% the next day), and platelet count of 11 × 103/mm3. Based on these laboratory abnormalities and other clinical findings, the patient was diagnosed with TTP. She was treated with plasmapheresis and corticosteroids and initially responded; however, she relapsed twice, which required increasing the frequency of plasmapheresis, and vincristine and rituximab therapy. The patient's condition resolved, and she experienced no other complications. Use of the Naranjo adverse drug reaction probability scale indicated a probable relationship between the metronidazole vaginal gel and the development of TTP. This patient had developed TTP after only one exposure to metronidazole vaginal gel. Clinicians should be aware of this life‐threatening adverse reaction to a commonly prescribed drug.
Blunted Humoral Response to Influenza Vaccination in Patients Exposed to Zidovudine plus Trimethoprim‐Sulfamethoxazole
Authors: Feola David J. , Garvy Beth A. , Rapp Robert P , Thornton Alice C.
Published: June 2007

Study Objectives. To determine as proof of principle the effect of combination exposure to zidovudine plus trimethoprim‐sulfamethoxazole (TMP‐SMX) on humoral immune responses to influenza vaccination in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Design. Prospective, open‐label trial.

Setting. University‐affiliated infectious diseases outpatient clinic.

Patients. Twenty‐three HIV‐infected adults receiving antiretroviral therapy, with CD4+ cell counts greater than 350 cells/mm3 and undetectable viral loads.

Intervention. Patients were assigned to one of four treatment groups: zidovudine (6 patients), TMP‐SMX (7), zidovudine plus TMP‐SMX (5), or neither drug (5); TMP‐SMX was given as a 28‐day course. Patients were subsequently immunized with the yearly influenza vaccine, and humoral responses were compared among groups 20–24 days after vaccination.

Measurements and Main Results. Antibody responses to influenza A and B were measured, and total and activated T and B cell percentages in the peripheral blood were determined. Mean influenza B—specific serum immunoglobulin (Ig)G titers were significantly lower in patients receiving TMP‐SMX alone (0.98 ± 0.60 reference value, p=0.010) or the combination of zidovudine plus TMP‐SMX (0.73 ± 0.29 reference value, p=0.003) compared with those receiving neither drug (1.95 ± 0.38 reference value). This corresponded to a significantly lower percentage of patients in the combination group that achieved immunoprotective titers to influenza B compared with the group who received neither drug (control group; 20% vs 100%, p=0.048). In addition, the relationship between serum IgG titer and CD4+ cell count was statistically significantly different for patients exposed to zidovudine plus TMP‐SMX versus control patients for both influenza A and B (F statistics 8.72 and 11.70, respectively, compared with critical F value 7.26 for p<0.025). Likewise, the relationship between influenza B serum IgG and CD4+ cell count was different among patients who received TMP‐SMX versus those who did not receive TMP‐SMX (F statistic 5.95 compared with critical F value 4.56 for p<0.025). No significant differences were observed among T and B cell percentages in the blood.

Conclusion. Combination exposure to zidovudine plus TMP‐SMX causes a clinically significant suppression of humoral immune responses to influenza vaccination in HIV‐infected patients.
Early Experience with Tigecycline for Ventilator‐Associated Pneumonia and Bacteremia Caused by Multidrug‐Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii
Authors: Schafer Jason J. , Goff Debra A. , Stevenson Kurt B. , Mangino Julie E.
Published: June 2007

Study Objective. To evaluate early experience with tigecycline alone or in combination with other antimicrobials for treatment of ventilator‐associated pneumonia (VAP) and/or bacteremia caused by multidrug‐resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.

Design. Retrospective case series.

Setting. University‐affiliated medical center.

Patients. Twenty‐five patients with multidrug‐resistant A. baumannii who received tigecycline for VAP (19 patients), bacteremia (3), or VAP plus bacteremia (3) between September 1, 2005, and May 31, 2006. Five patients were treated with tigecycline alone.

Measurements and Main Results. Primary outcomes were resolution of clinical signs and symptoms of the infection and documented microbial eradication of A. baumannii with tigecycline. Overall, 21 (84%) of the 25 patients had clinical resolution. Four had clinical failure: three with VAP and one with VAP plus bacteremia that developed resistance to tigecycline during therapy. Microbial eradication was demonstrated in 12 (80%) of 15 patients in whom repeat cultures were obtained. Three patients with VAP had a recurrence of infection: one patient had two recurrences, and two patients had one recurrence each. All four recurrent episodes led to clinical resolution and microbial eradication. No patients discontinued tigecycline because of adverse events.

Conclusion. Tigecycline was effective in most of these 25 patients when used alone or in combination with other antimicrobials for VAP and/or bacteremia caused by multidrug‐resistant A. baumannii. The emergence of a resistant strain while one patient was receiving therapy, however, is concerning.
Effects of the Renin-Angiotensin System Genes and Salt Sensitivity Genes on Blood Pressure and Atherosclerosis in the Total Population and Patients With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Yazdanpanah Mojgan , Aulchenko Yuri S. , Hofman Albert , Janssen Joop A.M.J.L. , Sayed-Tabatabaei Fakhredin A. , van Schaik Ron H.N. , Klungel Olaf H. , Stricker Bruno H.C.H. , Pols Huibert A.P. , Witteman Jacqueline C.M. , Lamberts Steven W.J. , Oostra Ben A. , van Duijn Cornelia M.
Published: June 2007

Most studies on the genetic determinants of blood pressure and vascular complications of type 2 diabetes have focused on the effects of single genes. These studies often have yielded conflicting results. Therefore, we examined the combined effects of three renin-angiotensin system (RAS) genes and three salt sensitivity genes in relation to blood pressure and atherosclerosis in the total population and type 2 diabetic patients. The study was a part of the Rotterdam Study, a population-based cohort study. We have genotyped three RAS gene polymorphisms and three salt sensitivity gene polymorphisms. Diabetic patients with three risk genotypes of the RAS genes had a 6.9 mmHg higher systolic blood pressure (P for trend = 0.04) and a 6.0 mmHg higher pulse pressure (P for trend = 0.03) than those who did not carry any risk genotypes. Diabetic patients with three risk genotypes of the salt sensitivity genes had a 9.0 mmHg higher systolic blood pressure (P = 0.19) and a 13.1 mmHg higher pulse pressure (P = 0.02). Diabetic patients who carried three risk genotypes for the RAS genes had a higher mean intima-media thickness than those with two risk genotypes (mean difference 0.04 mm, P = 0.02). We found that among type 2 diabetic patients, mean systolic blood pressure, pulse pressure, and risk of hypertension increased with the number of risk genotypes for the RAS genes and the salt sensitivity genes.
Hyperglycemia Is a Major Determinant of Albumin Permeability in Diabetic Microcirculation
Authors: Scalia Rosario , Gong Yulan , Berzins Brett , Zhao Li Juan , Sharma Kumar
Published: June 2007

Increased permeability to albumin is a well-known feature of diabetic microvasculature and a negative prognostic factor of vascular complications. The mechanisms responsible for loss of the physiological albumin barrier in diabetic organs remain only partially understood. We have recently demonstrated that the protease μ-calpain is activated in hyperglycemia, which causes endothelial dysfunction and vascular inflammation. In the present study, we investigated whether μ-calpain is involved in the hyperpermeability of the diabetic vasculature. We also investigated the mechanistic roles of hyperglycemia and leukocyte adhesion in this process. Albumin permeability in the intact microcirculation of the Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rat was quantified by intravital microscopy. Extravasation of albumin in the microcirculation of ZDF rats was significantly increased when compared with nondiabetic Zucker lean (ZL) rats. Microvascular albumin leakage was prevented by either antisense depletion of μ-calpain or pharmacological inhibition of calpain in vivo. Calpain inhibition also attenuated urinary albumin excretion in ZDF rats. Glucose concentrations in the range of those found in the blood of ZDF rats increased albumin permeability in nondiabetic ZL rats. Thus, this demonstrates a mechanistic role for hyperglycemia in the hypermeability of diabetes. Depletion of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in vivo failed to prevent glucose-induced hypermeability, which suggests that hyperglycemia can disrupt the physiological endothelial cell barrier of the microcirculation, even in the absence of increased overt leukocyte-endothelium interactions.
Ethnic Business Entrepreneurship among Urbanising Bedouin in the Negev, Israel
Authors: Meir Avinoam , Baskind Ayelet
Published: June 2007

The Bedouin of the Negev in Israel have been forced by the State to give up their agro-pastoral mode of subsistence, but were not offered any meaningful economic alternatives. Business has become one significant option. It is regarded here as 'ethnic entrepreneurship', as many traditional cultural and social traits are employed by them to survive within an entrepreneurial business environment that is highly constrained both externally and internally. This paper discusses the nature of these enterprises and entrepreneurs. A spatial and sociotribal analysis reveals no differences in these entities between the planned towns and the unrecognised informal settlements outside towns, but considerable differences were found between the fellahin Bedouin and the 'true' Bedouin which compete latently for sociopolitical and economic hegemony. The process of ethnic entrepreneurship bears implications for sub-ethnic internal relationships, for the Bedouin struggle to protect land to which they claim ownership from the State, and for the broader issue of ethnicity and business within the Bedouin community.
Flock Use among Bedouin in 'Spontaneous' Settlements in the Negev Desert, Southern Israel
Authors: Stavi Ilan , Kressel Gideon , Gutterman Yitzchak , Degen A. Allan
Published: June 2007

Approximately a thousand Bedouin families living in unrecognised, scattered settlements in the Negev desert, Israel, raise sheep and goats even though this enterprise shows marginal profits and, sometimes, losses. The aim of this study was to examine the uses of flocks among Bedouin households. It emerged that the flocks were kept for status, preservation of social networks, source of income, employment, family cohesion and maintaining land claims.
Chemistry of bisSATE Mononucleotide Prodrugs
Authors: Peyrottes Suzanne , Périgaud Christian
Published: June 2007

On the basis of AZT as a nucleosidic model, the protocols herein describe the synthesis of various bis(S‐acyl‐2‐thioethyl) phosphotriester derivatives. These compounds, bearing transient phosphate‐protecting groups, were designed to liberate the corresponding 5′‐mononucleotide inside the cell through an esterase‐mediated activation process. Two synthetic approaches are presented using either phosphoramidite intermediates or esterification of a nucleoside 5′‐monophosphate.
Replication Labeling with Halogenated Thymidine Analogs
Authors: Yokochi Tomoki , Gilbert David M.
Published: June 2007

In this unit, several basic protocols to identify sites of DNA replication utilizing incorporation of halogenated thymidine analogs into DNA, followed by immunofluorescent imaging are described. Antibodies specific for halogenated thymidine analogs such as bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU), chlorodeoxyuridine (CldU), and iododeoxyuridine (IdU) can provide a rapid, nonhazardous, and sensitive method for detecting DNA replication in single cells, in a manner analogous to the traditional use of tritiated thymidine. In combination with different techniques to prepare the DNA template, a variety of DNA replication–related events can be examined by conventional fluorescence‐microscopic approaches. Because origin firing and the progression of replication forks are regulated in the context of subnuclear compartments through protein‐protein interactions, chromatin modifications, and subnuclear localization of replication clusters, visualizing replication foci significantly facilitates understanding of nuclear dynamics during S‐phase.
Using Fluorescent Sphingolipid Analogs to Study Intracellular Lipid Trafficking
Authors: Singh Raman Deep , Marks David L. , Pagano Richard E.
Published: June 2007

Sphingolipids (SLs), including glycosphingolipids, are found on the plasma membrane where they play important roles in a wide variety of cell functions, including cell‐cell communication, cell growth and differentiation, host‐pathogen interactions, and cell‐signaling events. This unit illustrates the use of fluorescent SL analogs to identify the mechanisms underlying SL endocytosis and subsequent intracellular trafficking. Techniques used to study SL domain formation at the plasma membrane, endocytic mechanisms and intracellular transport steps are highlighted. The use of biochemical treatments and dominant‐negative protein expression to block specific steps in lipid trafficking are also discussed.
Flexible Ligand Docking with Glide
Authors: Repasky Matthew P. , Shelley Mee , Friesner Richard A.
Published: June 2007

Glide is a ligand docking program for predicting protein‐ligand binding modes and ranking ligands via high‐throughput virtual screening. Glide utilizes two different scoring functions, SP and XP GlideScore, to rank‐order compounds. Three modes of sampling ligand conformational and positional degrees of freedom are available to determine the optimal ligand orientation relative to a rigid protein receptor geometry. This unit presents protocols for flexible ligand docking with Glide, optionally including ligand constraints or ligand molecular similarities.