bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Surgical management of adult inferior turbinate hypertrophy
Authors: Batra Pete S. , Seiden Allen M. , Smith Timothy L.
Published: June 2009

Objectives/Hypothesis:

The evidence‐based medicine (EBM) schema advocates critical appraisal of the scientific literature for treatment of diseases. The objective of this review was to analyze the role of surgery for symptomatic adult inferior turbinate hypertrophy (ITH) by focusing on the following question: In adults with nasal airway obstruction (NAO) from documented ITH having failed medical therapy, does inferior turbinate surgery improve disease‐specific quality of life, symptoms, and/or objective parameters with minimum 6‐month follow‐up?.

Study Design:

Evidence‐based review.

Methods:

Articles for inclusion were identified by query of appropriate search terms in the PubMed database. The articles were reviewed independently by two authors and assigned an evidence level based on standard EBM guidelines.

Results:

The search yielded 514 abstracts for review, retrieved 143 abstracts for full review, and included 96 articles in the report. The majority of the articles were assigned level 4 (75) or level 5 (18) evidence. One report was assigned level 1 and two reports were assigned level 2. Median number of patients reported was 50 (range, 1–533). Subjective assessment parameters were reported in 80 studies. Objective parameters were evaluated in 36 studies, including acoustic rhinometry or rhinomanometry (26) and mucociliary function (8). Overwhelming data supported efficacy of surgery for NAO from ITH with positive results reported in 93 studies.

Conclusions:

The literature provides considerable level 4 and 5 evidence for efficacy of surgery for adult symptomatic ITH. Given the paucity of level 1 and 2 data, future studies should focus on prospective studies with matched control groups for comparison.
A numerical model for foundation settlements due to deformation accumulation in granular soils under repeated small amplitude dynamic loading
Authors: François S. , Karg C. , Haegeman W. , Degrande G.
Published: June 2009

Repeated small amplitude dynamic loading of the soil in the vicinity of buildings, as arising from traffic or construction activities, may cause differential foundation settlements and structural damage. In this paper, a numerical model for soils under repeated dynamic loading is formulated. It is assumed that the dynamic part of the loading is small with respect to the static part, reflecting the stress conditions in the soil underneath buildings. As the plastic deformation in the soil is only observed after a considerable amount of dynamic loading cycles, only the accumulation of the average plastic deformation is considered. The model accounts for the dependency of the deformation on the stress conditions and the dynamic loading amplitude. The accumulation model is implemented in a finite element framework, using a consistent tangent approach in combination with a backward Euler integration scheme. A triaxial test is considered in a first numerical example. The available analytical solution for this problem allows to validate the numerical implementation. Second, the differential settlement of a two‐storey building founded on loose sandy soil under repeated vehicle passages is considered. The differential foundation settlement causes the stresses to increase at the bottom of the wall, which may result in damage. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Rheo‐optical study of nonlinear effects in an immiscible Newtonian polymer blend under large amplitude oscillatory shear flow
Authors: Deyrail Yves , Huneault Michel A. , Bousmina Mosto
Published: June 2009

The morphology evolution of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) drops embedded in polyisobutylene (PIB) matrix blend was investigated under large amplitude oscillatory shear flow (LAOS) using rheo‐optical techniques. The oscillatory shear experiments were carried out at various frequencies and deformation amplitudes up to 800%. The drop deformation was assessed by optical microscopy, small angle light scattering (SALS), and linear‐dichroism. It was observed that when the flow is reversed, the drop returns back to its equilibrium spherical shape and then it deforms again symmetrically in the other direction, with exactly the same angle θ. However, when the deformation amplitude increases, various unusual behaviors have been observed and upon reversal of the flow in the opposite direction during oscillations, the drop does not reach the spherical equilibrium shape anymore at the flow reversal point but it rather adopts an ellipsoidal shape as was predicted by Yu et al. model.3Such a behavior was assessed by both optical microscopy observations and by optical techniques. When the deformation was further increased, the drops undergo break‐up process and the break‐up point was assessed by optical techniques. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 47: 1467–1480, 2009
Effects of functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes on the morphologies and mechanical properties of PP/EVA blend
Authors: Liu Li , Wang Yong , Xiang Fangming , Li Yanli , Han Liang , Zhou Zuowan
Published: June 2009

The maleic anhydride‐grafted multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs‐g‐MA) have been introduced into polypropylene/ethylene‐co‐vinyl acetate (PP/EVA) blend. To clearly describe the effects of MWCNTs‐g‐MA on the morphology and mechanical properties of PP/EVA blends, the selective distribution of MWCNTs‐g‐MA in the blends is realized through different sample preparation methods, namely, MWCNTs‐g‐MA disperse in EVA phase and MWCNTs‐g‐MA disperse in PP matrix. The results show that the distribution of MWCNTs‐g‐MA has an important effect on the final morphology of EVA and the crystallization structure of PP matrix. Compared with PP/EVA binary blend, distribution of MWCNTs‐g‐MA in PP matrix induces the aggregation of EVA phase at high EVA content and the decrease of spherulite diameters of PP matrix simultaneously. However, when MWCNTs‐g‐MA are dispersed in the EVA phase, they induce more homogeneous distribution of EVA, and the crystallization behavior of PP is slightly affected by MWCNTs‐g‐MA. The corresponding mechanical properties including impact strength and tensile strength are tested and analyzed in the work. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 47: 1481–1491, 2009
Disjoint bases in a polymatroid
Authors: Călinescu Gruia , Chekuri Chandra , Vondrák Jan
Published: June 2009

Let f : 2N → $\cal {Z}$+ be a polymatroid (an integer‐valued non‐decreasing submodular set function with f(∅︁) = 0). We call S ⊆ N a base if f(S) = f(N). We consider the problem of finding a maximum number of disjoint bases; we denote by m* be this base packing number. A simple upper bound on m* is given by k* = max{k : ΣiεNfA(i) ≥ kfA(N),∀A ⊆ N} where fA(S) = f(A ∪ S) ‐ f(A). This upper bound is a natural generalization of the bound for matroids where it is known that m* = k*. For polymatroids, we prove that m* ≥ (1 − o(1))k*/lnf(N) and give a randomized polynomial time algorithm to find (1 − o(1))k*/lnf(N) disjoint bases, assuming an oracle for f. We also derandomize the algorithm using minwise independent permutations and give a deterministic algorithm that finds (1 − ε)k*/lnf(N) disjoint bases. The bound we obtain is almost tight because it is known there are polymatroids for which m* < (1 + o(1))k*/lnf(N). Moreover it is known that unless NP ⊆ DTIME(nlog log n), for any ε > 0, there is no polynomial time algorithm to obtain a (1 + ε)/lnf(N)‐approximation to m*. Our result generalizes and unifies two results in the literature. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 2009
The mobilization and return of undergraduate students serving in the National Guard and Reserves
Authors: Bauman Mark
Published: June 2009

This chapter provides insight into the separation and return processes experienced when undergraduate National Guard and reserve personnel are mobilized for military duty. Suggestions for faculty and administrative staff on how to assist these individuals throughout this process are provided.
Generation of Dopamine Neurons with Improved Cell Survival and Phenotype Maintenance Using a Degradation-Resistant Nurr1 Mutant
Authors: Jo A-Young , Kim Mi-Young , Lee Hyun-Seob , Rhee Yong-Hee , Lee Jeong-Eun , Baek Kwang-Hyun , Park Chang-Hwan , Koh Hyun-Chul , Shin Incheol , Lee Yong-Sung , Lee Sang-Hun
Published: June 2009

Nurr1 is a transcription factor specific for the development and maintenance of the midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons. Exogenous Nurr1 in neural precursor (NP) cells induces the differentiation of DA neurons in vitro that are capable of reversing motor dysfunctions in a rodent model for Parkinson disease. The promise of this therapeutic approach, however, is unclear due to poor cell survival and phenotype loss of DA cells after transplantation. We herein demonstrate that Nurr1 proteins undergo ubiquitin-proteasome-system-mediated degradation in differentiating NP cells. The degradation process is activated by a direct Akt-mediated phosphorylation of Nurr1 proteins and can be prevented by abolishing the Akt-target sequence in Nurr1 (Nurr1Akt). Overexpression of Nurr1Akt in NP cells yielded DA neurons in which Nurr1 protein levels were maintained for prolonged periods. The sustained Nurr1 expression endowed the Nurr1Akt-induced DA neurons with resistance to toxic stimuli, enhanced survival, and sustained DA phenotypes in vitro and in vivo after transplantation.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Perspective: Lung Progenitor and Stem Cells—Gaps in Knowledge and Future Opportunities
Authors: Blaisdell Carol J. , Gail Dorothy B. , Nabel Elizabeth G.
Published: June 2009

Because the lung stem cell field is so new, there remain many unanswered questions that are being addressed regarding the identification, location, and role of exogenous and endogenous stem and progenitor cell populations in growth, regeneration, and repair of the lung. Advancing lung stem cell biology will require multidisciplinary teams and a long term effort to unravel the biologic processes of stem cells in the lung. While no clinical research in lung stem cell therapies are currently funded by NHLBI, the knowledge gained by understanding the basic biology of the lung stem cell populations will be needed to translate to diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in the future.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
Twin growth discrepancy in early pregnancy
Authors: Bora S. A. , Bourne T. , Bottomley C. , Kirk E. , Papageorghiou A. T.
Published: June 2009

Objectives

To assess whether early fetal growth restriction in a twin, expressed as the intertwin discrepancy in crown–rump length (CRL) between two viable twins at 7 + 0 to 9 + 6 weeks' gestation, is predictive of subsequent single fetal loss.

Methods

This was a retrospective analysis of data collected prospectively over 3 years. Women attending an early pregnancy unit underwent a transvaginal ultrasound examination. In women with a viable twin pregnancy between 7 + 0 and 9 + 6 weeks of gestation, the CRL ratio between the two embryos was calculated. Women were followed up and the intertwin discrepancy in CRL at the 7 + 0 to 9 + 6‐week scan was compared between cases in which there was spontaneous reduction to a singleton and those in which both twins remained viable at the 11–14‐week scan.

Results

There were 77 women included in the study and nine (12%) of these had a single fetal loss. Pregnancies with subsequent single fetal loss were more likely to have a larger median CRL discrepancy (42.0%; interquartile range (IQR), 23.8–64.3%) than were those which retained two viable fetuses (6.1%; IQR, 2.2–12.5%) (P < 0.0001). The median CRL discrepancy in subsequently viable monochorionic diamniotic twins (10.9%; IQR, 1.9–17.5%) was no different from that in dichorionic diamniotic twin pregnancies (5.9%; IQR, 2.1–12.3%) (P = 0.305). Regardless of chorionicity, there was a relationship between increasing CRL discrepancy and single fetal loss; the likelihood of a subsequently viable twin pregnancy was 97% if the discrepancy was < 20%, while if the discrepancy was > 60% there were no cases of both twins remaining viable (P < 0.0001). Receiver–operating characteristics curve analysis of CRL discrepancy in predicting single fetal loss gave an area under the curve of 0.93, with an optimum cut‐off point of 16.9% discrepancy (sensitivity, 88.9%; 95% CI, 51.8–99.7; and specificity, 86.7%; 95% CI, 76.3–93.8).

Conclusion

There is a significant relationship between CRL discrepancy at 7 + 0 to 9 + 6 weeks and the likelihood of subsequent single intrauterine fetal loss. This suggests that spontaneous fetal demise of one twin may be preceded by growth restriction in the first trimester. Copyright © 2009 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Social Conditions for Successful Peer Education: A Comparison of Two HIV Prevention Programs Run by Sex Workers in India and South Africa
Authors: Cornish Flora , Campbell Catherine
Published: June 2009

Peer education is a community‐based intervention being implemented worldwide as an approach to HIV prevention. However, its results are inconsistent, with little consensus on why some projects succeed while others fail. Considering peer education as an ‘intervention‐in‐context’, we systematically compare the context and the implementation of two peer education interventions run by sex workers, one in India and one in South Africa, which produced contrasting outcomes. In so doing, we aim to identify key factors in the projects’ successes or failures that may inform future peer education efforts. The Indian project's relative success was facilitated (1) by a more stable and supportive social, material and political context, and (2) by a community development ethos which devoted significant resources to sex workers’ involvement, ownership and empowerment, as opposed to a biomedical approach which marginalised sex workers’ concerns. We conclude with lessons learned and implications for current trends in peer education.
Enhanced Field Emission from Argon Plasma-Treated Ultra-sharp α-Fe2O3Nanoflakes
Authors: Zheng Z , Liao L , Yan B , Zhang JX , Gong Hao , Shen ZX , Yu T
Published: June 2009

Hematite nanoflakes have been synthesized by a simple heat oxide method and further treated by Argon plasmas. The effects of Argon plasma on the morphology and crystal structures of nanoflakes were investigated. Significant enhancement of field-induced electron emission from the plasma-treated nanoflakes was observed. The transmission electron microscopy investigation shows that the plasma treatment effectively removes amorphous coating and creates plenty of sub-tips at the surface of the nanoflakes, which are believed to contribute the enhancement of emission. This work suggests that plasma treatment technique could be a direct means to improve field-emission properties of nanostructures.
Localized-Surface-Plasmon Enhanced the 357 nm Forward Emission from ZnMgO Films Capped by Pt Nanoparticles
Authors: You J. B. , Zhang X. W. , Dong J. J. , Song X. M. , Yin Z. G. , Chen N. F. , Yan H.
Published: June 2009

The Pt nanoparticles (NPs), which posses the wider tunable localized-surface-plasmon (LSP) energy varying from deep ultraviolet to visible region depending on their morphology, were prepared by annealing Pt thin films with different initial mass-thicknesses. A sixfold enhancement of the 357 nm forward emission of ZnMgO was observed after capping with Pt NPs, which is due to the resonance coupling between the LSP of Pt NPs and the band-gap emission of ZnMgO. The other factors affecting the ultraviolet emission of ZnMgO, such as emission from Pt itself and light multi-scattering at the interface, were also discussed. These results indicate that Pt NPs can be used to enhance the ultraviolet emission through the LSP coupling for various wide band-gap semiconductors.
Management of a Retained Coronary Guidewire Fragment During Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty: A Case Report
Authors: Chu Chun‐Yuan , Lin Tsung‐Hsien , Su Ho‐Ming , Voon Wen‐Chol , Lai Wen‐Ter , Sheu Sheng‐Hsiung
Published: June 2009

Retained fractured guidewire fragments are rarely encountered during percutaneous coronary intervention, but may cause serious morbidity. We present the case of an 85‐year‐old man who suffered from this complication. He was successfully treated by coronary stent without peri‐procedure complications. Follow‐up coronary angiography revealed no in‐stent restenosis. Coronary interventionists should know how to manage this complication.
The targeting of nutritionally at-risk children attending a primary health care facility in the Western Cape Province of South Africa
Authors: Schoeman SE , Hendricks MK , Hattingh SP , Benadé AJS , Laubscher JA , Dhansay MA
Published: June 2009

Aim

The aim of this study was to determine the practices of primary health care (PHC) nurses in targeting nutritionally at-risk infants and children for intervention at a PHC facility in a peri-urban area of the Western Cape Province of South Africa.

Methodology

Nutritional risk status of infants and children < 6 years of age was based on criteria specified in standardised nutrition case management guidelines developed for PHC facilities in the province. Children were identified as being nutritionally at-risk if their weight was below the 3rd centile, their birth weight was less than 2500 g, and their growth curve showed flattening or dropping off for at least two consecutive monthly visits. The study assessed the practices of nurses in identifying children who were nutritionally at-risk and the entry of these children into the food supplementation programme (formerly the Protein–Energy Malnutrition Scheme) of the health facility. Structured interviews were conducted with nurses to determine their knowledge of the case management guidelines; interviews were also conducted with caregivers to determine their sociodemographic status.

Results

One hundred and thirty-four children were enrolled in the study. The mean age of their caregivers was 29.5 (standard deviation 7.5) years and only 47 (38%) were married. Of the caregivers, 77% were unemployed, 46% had poor household food security and 40% were financially dependent on non-family members. Significantly more children were nutritionally at-risk if the caregiver was unemployed (54%) compared with employed (32%) (P = 0.04) and when there was household food insecurity (63%) compared with household food security (37%) (P < 0.004). Significantly more children were found not to be nutritionally at-risk if the caregiver was financially self-supporting or supported by their partners (61%) compared with those who were financially dependent on non-family members (35%) (P = 0.003). The weight results of the nurses and the researcher differed significantly (P < 0.001), which was largely due to the different scales used and weighing methods. The researcher's weight measurements were consistently higher than the nurses' (P < 0.00). The researcher identified 67 (50%) infants and children as being nutritionally at-risk compared with 14 (10%) by the nurses. The nurses' poor detection and targeting of nutritionally at-risk children were largely a result of failure to plot weights on the weight-for-age chart (55%) and poor utilisation of the Road to Health Chart.

Conclusions

Problems identified in the practices of PHC nurses must be addressed in targeting children at nutritional risk so that appropriate intervention and support can be provided. More attention must be given to socio-economic criteria in identifying children who are nutritionally at-risk to ensure their access to adequate social security networks.
Indigenous peoples' food systems for health: finding interventions that work
Authors: Kuhnlein Harriet , Erasmus Bill , Creed-Kanashiro Hilary , Englberger Lois , Okeke Chinwe , Turner Nancy , Allen Lindsay , Bhattacharjee Lalita
Published: June 2009

This is a short report of a ‘safari’ held in conjunction with the International Congress of Nutrition in September 2005, in Futululu, St. Lucia, South Africa. Participants were several members of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences Task Force on Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems and Nutrition, other interested scientists and members of the Kwa Zulu indigenous community. The paper describes the rationale for and contributions towards understanding what might be successful interventions that would resonate among indigenous communities in many areas of the world. A summary of possible evaluation strategies of such interventions is also given.
“Eating the food of our place”: Sociolinguistic loyalties in multidialectal Sui villages
Authors: STANFORD JAMES N.
Published: June 2009

Among the Sui people of rural southwestern China, descent-group loyalties are closely tied to linguistic features. In every village, long-term dialect contact occurs between local villagers and in-marrying women from different clans, yet most speakers maintain their original dialect features to a high degree. The present study conducts ethnographic interviews to more deeply understandwhysuch behavior occurs. Most current, practice-based models of identity tend to emphasize dynamic, flexible, individualistic choices – an approach that suits variation on many levels in many societies. However, to understand the descent-group loyalties particular to indigenous, non-Western, clan-based cultures like Sui, a more tempered, culturally sensitive model is necessary. Speakers show a deep sense of stability, permanence, and collective loyalty tocommunities of descent, (re)produced through stable linguistic expressions:acts of loyalty. The study also highlights the use of indigenous minorities’ own categories (place, toponyms, lineage) rather than non-indigenous categories. (Language and identity, place, dialect contact, clan, indigenous minority, acts of identity, acts of loyalty, community of practice, community of descent)
John Dewey as User and Critic of Thorstein Veblen's Ideas
Authors: Tilman Rick
Published: June 2009

John Dewey (1859-1952) is easily the most influential philosopher America has produced and Thorstein Veblen (1857-1929) is arguably the most influential American heterodox economist. Although scholars have often pondered both their intellectual and personal relationship, until recently no firm conclusions could accurately be drawn. Due to the lack of correspondence between the two men and the brevity of Veblen's comments on and citations of Dewey, it is difficult to know what the former thought of the latter both in terms of personality and economic ideas. But, fortunately, Dewey cited Veblen and commented on his economic thought on many occasions so it is possible to at least partly reconstruct one-half of the relationship. This reconstruction will be the focus of this article, emphasizing: (1) their biographical intersections and convergences; (2) Dewey's ideas about economics and the economy; (3) Dewey's explicit use of Veblen's economic ideas in his own published work; and (4) Dewey's critical comments in his correspondence regarding Veblen's interpretation of pragmatism and his development as a social theorist.
Not So Dismal a Science: Reflections
Authors: Barber William J.
Published: June 2009

Academic economists tend to come in two varieties. One type identifies a substantive specialism at the outset of a career and continues to cultivate it. A second type is more likely to respond to the American Economic Association's twice-a-decade requests for information about sub-specialties by providing a number of differing answers over the course of a professional lifetime. I accept Adam Smith's arguments about the gains from specialization arising from a widened division of labor, but I am also conscious that Smith held that excessive specialization could contribute to boredom in the workplace. In any event, I am temperamentally a Type II economist who has greatly enjoyed working on diverse scholarly topics. I am also aware of a number of turning points that have conditioned my world with consequences that I could not have foreseen.
Reply to Brems
Authors: Weber Christian E.
Published: June 2009

My response to Brems's comment on my paper is, I hope, obvious and straightforward.

First, it should be noted that in his section II, Brems is correct with one important exception. He is correct to note that the particular additive utility function in his equation (1) is not Cobb-Douglas. However, this correct conclusion does not imply, as Brems appears to believe it does, that it is impossible to write down an additive utility function which would generate the same indifference map, first-order conditions, and demand functions as a multiplicative Cobb-Douglas utility function
On the Relativist Fallacy of the Impossibility of Value Neutral Inquiry in Political Economy
Authors: Tomass Mark
Published: June 2009

The dominant metaphor of conceptual relativism, that of differing points of view, seems to betray an underlying paradox. Different points of view make sense, but only if there is a common co-ordinate system on which to plot them; yet the existence of a common system belies dramatic incomparability (Davidson, 1984, p. 184).
A Comment on Ekelund on Thornton
Authors: White Michael V.
Published: June 2009

In a recent article in this Journal, Robert Ekelund (1997) has renewed his criticism of the discussion of price formation in William Thornton's On Labour (1869) and criticized the work of “modern supporters” of Thornton, such as Kenneth Dennis, Philip Mirowski, Takashi Negishi and myself. While that work differs in the precise significance attributed to On Labour, there is agreement that Thornton's critique of contemporary explanations of “the laws of supply and demand” and/or his discussion of price formation do not warrant the negative and dismissive treatment they have often received from historians of economics. Ekelund disagrees. Based on “preposterous notions,” Thornton's work was “worse than nonsense” and, as he did not understand contemporary explanations of supply and demand, he should “receive a grade of ‘F’; (with strongly worded advice to return to the pursuit of poetry and sociology)” (Ekelund, 1997, pp. 11, 20, 21). Five examples are given below showing that this evaluation of On Labour depends on misinterpretation of the meaning, context and significance of Thornton's analysis.
T. E. Cliffe Leslie and the English Methodenstreit
Authors: Moore Gregory C. G.
Published: June 2009

This article is part of a wider historical research program in which I seek to examine the origins of past methodological debates. It is my opinion that economists ignore methodological and philosophical issues until either the doctrinal conclusions of the school to which they belong are challenged or they themselves contest the doctrinal conclusions of an alternative school. Once this occurs, economists select, reinterpret or construct methodological precepts in order to gain the maximum support for their position. Under this hypothesis the formation and articulation of methodological beliefs are largely endogenous to matters relating to economics; that is, the traditional causal process of methodology to theory to policy is turned on its head and becomes policy to theory to methodology. The aim of what follows is to illustrate this research program by examining the methodological framework expounded by T. E. Cliffe Leslie in the early stages of the English economic Methodenstreit or “battle of methods.”
Macroeconomic Conversion Déjà Vu
Authors: Brems Hans
Published: June 2009

Scope. Macroeconomic theory determines either an unemployment equilibrium or an inflation equilibrium. Consider an economy producing a single good. Unemployment theory determines the physical output of that good; inflation theory determines its price. Twice in the history of economic thought an unemployment equilibrium reversed itself into an inflation equilibrium. First, in the eighteenth century the unemployment equilibrium of William Petty (1662) and A. Yarranton (1677) reversed itself into the inflation equilibrium of David Hume (1752) and A. R. J. Turgot (1769–1770). Second, in our own century the unemployment equilibrium of J. M. Keynes (1936) reversed itself into the inflation equilibrium of Milton Friedman (1968).
“Your Position is Thoroughly Orthodox and Entirely Wrong”: Nicholas Kaldor and Joan Robinson, 1933–1983
Authors: King J. E.
Published: June 2009

Nicholas Kaldor (1908-86) and Joan Robinson (1903-83) were almost exact contemporaries and enjoyed very similar careers. Both began as innovative but fundamentally orthodox microeconomists, soon turning (very early, in the case of Robinson) to the defense and development of Keynesian macroeconomics. They were both lifelong socialists and, during the Second World War, energetic propagandists for the fledgling British welfare state. In the 1950s each published a series of penetrating critiques of neoclassical distribution and growth theory, subsequently extending the attack to mainstream analyses of value, international trade, development, and the very foundations of equilibrium methodology. By 1975 Kaldor and Robinson were generally recognized as the founding parents of Post Keynesian economics in Britain, or what its U.S. progenitor Sidney Weintraub described as the “Kaldor-Kalecki-Robinson revolution in distribution theory” (Eichner and Kregel, 1975; Weintraub, 1972, p. 45). For some years they were close personal friends. They spent decades–indeed, Robinson spent her entire working life–in Cambridge, where they were belatedly appointed to chairs in 1966.
On Reading and Arguing: A Reply to Ahiakpor
Authors: O'Donnell Rod
Published: June 2009

To declare my case “not proven” is irrelevant. I agree my case is not proven, but all other cases on this topic, including Ahiakpor's, are equally unproven. Arguing about proof here is a waste of time. We simply do not have enough data for deductive certainty or even for the less stringent criterion of “proof beyond reasonable doubt.” The written record is not conclusive and the protagonists are dead. What is not a waste of time, however, is discussing probabilistic inferences from incomplete evidence.
To What Extent Did Mill's Economic Thought Evolve During his Final Decade, and Why?
Authors: Lipkes Jeff
Published: June 2009

In an episode that reflects tellingly on the state of the economics profession in Englandcirca1870, John Morley presented himself as a candidate for the London University Chair of Political Economy that John Elliot Cairnes was obliged to vacate because of advancing paralysis. Morley, perhaps the most unswervingly loyal disciple of John Stuart Mill and the editor of theFortnightly Review, was undeterred by the fact that he had published nothing on the subject, apart from an article on Turgot. Nor, in his letter seeking Mill's endorsement, did Morley feel the need to hint at any prospective scholarly contributions to the discipline. He suggested only that he was “a competent person and likely to discharge the duties of the post industriously” (Morley 1872).
Transforming Walras Into a Marshallian Economist: A Critical Review of Donald Walker'sWalras's Market Models
Authors: Vroey Michel De
Published: June 2009

The history of economics can be compared to a calm sea that once in a while happens to be shaken by heavy storms. This arises when works come out aimed at turning upside down the received interpretation of a great bygone economist's views. Professor Donald A. Walker's recent book,Walras's Market Models(1996), is likely to be among them. Its main thrust is that the view present-day economists have of Léon Walras is incorrect. The basic reason, he claims, is that to date all interpretations of Walras have been based on the last (posthumous) edition of theEléments d' économie pure(henceforth theElements), itself a slightly amended version of its fourth edition. To him this is a pity because Walras's most interesting theoretical ideas are to be found in its second and third editions—the embodiment of what he calls Walras's mature phase of theoretical activity—yet were abandoned by him when he revised his work for the fourth edition. The aim of Walker's book, then, is to bring to the fore the picture of what he considers to be the real Walras: an economist interested in the functioning of real-world markets and abiding by a realistic methodology who is attentive to the institutional set-up underlying his system of equations, and who is keen to provide his readers with disequilibrium models. In other words, Walker is trying to make the same claim apropos Walras as Axel Leijonhufvud (1968) did thirty years ago about Keynes when defending the view of a breach between the economics of Keynes and Keynesian economics. To Walker, modern Walrasian economics, or neo-Walrasian theory as it is more often called, is a betrayal of Walras's economics.
Newmarch, Cairnes and Jevons on the Gold Question and Statistics
Authors: Kim Jinbang
Published: June 2009

Statistical inferences have long been part of economic inquiry. But how were such inferences made and what logic was employed for them, in particular before the procedures called econometrics were developed? This question is raised in the present paper in relation to the discovery of gold in California in 1848 and in Australia in 1851. Different opinions were soon advanced on whether prices had risen as a result, and statistical inferences were often part of the arguments. I examine the arguments of three economists, William Newmarch (1820–82), John E. Cairnes (1823–75) and W. Stanley Jevons (1835–82), who all wrote about the gold question on several occasions.
Alfred Marshall's Attitude Toward the Economics of Industry
Authors: Tullberg Rita McWilliams
Published: June 2009

Two years after her success in the Moral Sciences Tripos (two examiners placed her in the First class and two in the Second), Mary Paley was asked to write an economics textbook for Extension Lecture students. On her engagement, the book became a joint effort with her fiance, later husband, Alfred Marshall. It was published in October 1879 and reprinted nine times between 1879 and 1891, including a revised edition in 1881. A third edition was worked on, probably around 1885, but not published. According to John Maynard Keynes, 15,000 copies of the book were sold in all (Pigou 1925, p. 500). Sometime in the late 1880s or early 1890s, Marshall rejected the book, criticizing its elementary nature and brevity—it was impossible, he felt, “to tell the truth for half-a-crown” (M. P. Marshall 1947, p. 22). When he sent his brother-in-law, E. D. Guillebaud, a complimentary copy of the Principles in 1890, Marshall stipulated that the Economics of Industry must be returned for destruction (Guillebaud 1961,2, p. 12, note c). In 1892 he produced a small book “made chiefly by scissors and paste out of my Principles,” which on its spine bore the title Economics of Industry.
Use-Value, Exchange Value, and the Demise of Marx's Labor Theory of Value
Authors: Keen Steve
Published: June 2009

Karl Marx was the greatest champion of the labor theory of value. The logical problems of this theory have, however, split scholars of Marx into two factions: those who regard it as an indivisible component of Marxism, and those who wish to continue the spirit of analysis begun by Marx without the labor theory of value. In the debate between these two camps, the former has attempted to draw support from Marx's concepts of value, while the latter has ignored them, taking instead as their starting point the truism that production generates a surplus. Nevertheless, a careful examination of the development of Marx's logic uncovers the profound irony that, after a chance rereading of Hegel, Marx made a crucial advance which should have led him to replace the labor theory of value with the theory that commodities in general are the source of surplus. Marx's value analysis is thus consistent, not with those who would defend the labor theory of value, but with those who would transcend it.
POPULAR DICKENS
Authors: Rodensky Lisa
Published: June 2009

Why was Charles Dickens so popularwhen he broke onto the scene in the late 1830s? That's still a real question to ask, but so is another, related question: what did the terms “popular” and “popularity” mean when applied to this novelist at this signal moment in the development of the novel? Writing in theNational Magazine and Monthly Critic: A Journal of Philosophy, Science, Literature, Music, and the Drama– a short-lived monthly designed to publish serious work on various subjects – G. H. Lewes begins his 1837 review of Dickens'sSketches by Boz, Pickwick Papers, andOliver Twistwith a paragraph that worries over the nature of popularity:
Mechanisms of transient nitric oxide and nitrous oxide production in a complex biofilm
Authors: Schreiber Frank , Loeffler Birte , Polerecky Lubos , Kuypers Marcel M M , de Beer Dirk
Published: June 2009

Nitric oxide (NO) and nitrous oxide (N2O) are formed during N-cycling in complex microbial communities in response to fluctuating molecular oxygen (O2) and nitrite (NO2−) concentrations. Until now, the formation of NO and N2O in microbial communities has been measured with low spatial and temporal resolution, which hampered elucidation of the turnover pathways and their regulation. In this study, we combined microsensor measurements with metabolic modeling to investigate the functional response of a complex biofilm with nitrifying and denitrifying activity to variations in O2 and NO2−. In steady state, NO and N2O formation was detected if ammonium (NH4+) was present under oxic conditions and if NO2− was present under anoxic conditions. Thus, NO and N2O are produced by ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) under oxic conditions and by heterotrophic denitrifiers under anoxic conditions. NO and N2O formation by AOB occurred at fully oxic conditions if NO2− concentrations were high. Modeling showed that steady-state NO concentrations are controlled by the affinity of NO-consuming processes to NO. Transient accumulation of NO and N2O occurred upon O2 removal from, or NO2− addition to, the medium only if NH4+ was present under oxic conditions or if NO2− was already present under anoxic conditions. This showed that AOB and heterotrophic denitrifiers need to be metabolically active to respond with instantaneous NO and N2O production upon perturbations. Transiently accumulated NO and N2O decreased rapidly after their formation, indicating a direct effect of NO on the metabolism. By fitting model results to measurements, the kinetic relationships in the model were extended with dynamic parameters to predict transient NO release from perturbed ecosystems.
Bacteriophage lytic to Desulfovibrio aespoeensis isolated from deep groundwater
Authors: Eydal Hallgerd S C , Jägevall Sara , Hermansson Malte , Pedersen Karsten
Published: June 2009

Viruses were earlier found to be 10-fold more abundant than prokaryotes in deep granitic groundwater at the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL). Using a most probable number (MPN) method, 8–30 000 cells of sulphate-reducing bacteria per ml were found in groundwater from seven boreholes at the Äspö HRL. The content of lytic phages infecting the indigenous bacterium Desulfovibrio aespoeensis in Äspö groundwater was analysed using the MPN technique for phages. In four of 10 boreholes, 0.2−80 phages per ml were found at depths of 342–450 m. Isolates of lytic phages were made from five cultures. Using transmission electron microscopy, these were characterized and found to be in the Podoviridae morphology group. The isolated phages were further analysed regarding host range and were found not to infect five other species of Desulfovibrio or 10 Desulfovibrio isolates with up to 99.9% 16S rRNA gene sequence identity to D. aespoeensis. To further analyse phage–host interactions, using a direct count method, growth of the phages and their host was followed in batch cultures, and the viral burst size was calculated to be ∼170 phages per lytic event, after a latent period of ∼70 h. When surviving cells from infected D. aespoeensis batch cultures were inoculated into new cultures and reinfected, immunity to the phages was found. The parasite–prey system found implies that viruses are important for microbial ecosystem diversity and activity, and for microbial numbers in deep subsurface groundwater.
Herbal Drugs in Mirror of Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Kastenholz Bernd , Nagel Kerstin , Garfin David , Horst Jürgen
Published: June 2009

Commercially available Ginkgo biloba leaf extracts may lack specificity as to the binding of copper and zinc ions in human cells. This might be the reason why Ginkgo extracts have no predictable and clinically significant benefit for people with dementia or cognitive impairment. A novel generation of herbal drugs is proposed as antioxidant and metal chelator in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
Lipid‐induced Insulin Resistance Is Associated With Increased Monocyte Expression of Scavenger Receptor CD36 and Internalization of Oxidized LDL
Authors: Kashyap Sangeeta R. , Ioachimescu Adriana G. , Gornik Heather L. , Gopan Thottathil , Davidson Michael B. , Makdissi Antonie , Major Jennifer , Febbraio Maria , Silverstein Roy L.
Published: June 2009

Elevated free fatty acids (FFAs) contribute to the development of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and may be atherogenic. We tested the relationship among lipid‐induced insulin resistance, endothelial dysfunction, and monocyte capacity to form foam cells through scavenger receptor A (SRA) and CD36. Ten healthy subjects underwent 24‐h infusion of Intralipid/heparin and saline (0.5 ml/min) on two separate occasions followed by brachial artery reactivity testing and a euglycemic hyperinsulinemic (80 mU/(kg·min)) clamp study to determine insulin sensitivity. Isolation of blood monocytes was performed 24 h after infusion. Surface expression and function of CD36 and SRA to take up oxidized low‐density lipoprotein (oxLDL) was determined by flow cytometry and quantitative confocal imaging. Lipid infusion resulted in a twofold increase in serum FFA levels, reduced whole‐body glucose disposal by ∼20% (P < 0.05), and possibly impaired endothelial‐dependent vasodilation (P = 0.1). Blood monocytes obtained during lipid infusion demonstrated a ∼25% increase in cell surface expression of CD36 (P < 0.05) but no change in SRA expression. Enhanced CD36 expression was associated with a 50% increase in internalization of oxLDL (P < 0.05). The increase in CD36 surface expression during lipid infusion correlated inversely with glucose disposal (P < 0.05) and not with FFA levels or brachial artery dilation. These data support a role for FFAs in induction of insulin resistance and provide a link to atherogenic mechanisms mediated by expression of scavenger receptor CD36.
Altering PI3K—Akt signalling in zebrafish embryos affects PTEN phosphorylation and gastrulation
Authors: Finkielsztein Ariel , Kelly Gregory M.
Published: June 2009

Background information. PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10) is a negative regulator of the PI3K (phosphoinositide 3‐kinase)–Akt (also called protein kinase B) signalling pathway and is essential for embryogenesis, but its function in early vertebrate embryos is unclear.

Results. To address how PTEN functions in early embryos, we overexpressed one of the four zebrafish PTEN isoforms at the 1–2‐cell stage. Overexpression of Ptena454 alters phospho‐Akt levels and impairs cell movements associated with gastrulation. Heat shocking embryos increases phospho‐Akt levels and lowers phospho‐Ptena454 levels. Inhibiting CK2 (protein kinase CK2) activity reduces phospho‐Pten levels and augments the effects due to Ptena454 overexpression. Low phospho‐Akt and corresponding low phospho‐GSK‐3 (glycogen synthase kinase‐3) and high phospho‐Pten levels accompany wortmannin or LY294002 treatment, which inhibit PI3K activity.

Conclusions. These results suggest that Ptena454 regulation is correlated to changes in phospho‐Akt levels. We propose a model in which homoeostasis in rapidly dividing and migrating embryonic cells depends on a counterbalance between pro‐survival signalling employing CK2 and GSK‐3 and the pro‐apoptotic activity of Ptena454.
Exposure of HL-60 human leukaemic cells to 4-hydroxynonenal promotes the formation of adduct(s) with α-enolase devoid of plasminogen binding activity
Authors: Gentile Fabrizio , Pizzimenti Stefania , Arcaro Alessia , Pettazzoni Piergiorgio , Minelli Rosalba , D'Angelo Daniela , Mamone Gianfranco , Ferranti Pasquale , Toaldo Cristina , Cetrangolo Gianpaolo , Formisano Silvestro , Dianzani Mario U. , Uchida Koji , Dianzani Chiara , Barrera Giuseppina
Published: June 2009

HNE (4-hydroxynonenal), the major product of lipoperoxidation, easily reacts with proteins through adduct formation between its three main functional groups and lysyl, histidyl and cysteinyl residues of proteins. HNE is considered to be an ultimate mediator of toxic effects elicited by oxidative stress. It can be detected in several patho-physiological conditions, in which it affects cellular processes by addition to functional proteins. We demonstrated in the present study, by MS and confirmed by immunoblotting experiments, the formation of HNE–α-enolase adduct(s) in HL-60 human leukaemic cells. α-Enolase is a multifunctional protein that acts as a glycolytic enzyme, transcription factor [MBP-1 (c-myc binding protein-1)] and plasminogen receptor. HNE did not affect α-enolase enzymatic activity, expression or intracellular localization, and did not change the expression and localization of MBP-1 either. Confocal and electronic microscopy results confirmed the plasma membrane, cytosolic and nuclear localization of α-enolase in HL-60 cells and demonstrated that HNE was colocalized with α-enolase at the surface of cells early after its addition. HNE caused a dose- and time-dependent reduction of the binding of plasminogen to α-enolase. As a consequence, HNE reduced adhesion of HL-60 cells to HUVECs (human umbilical vein endothelial cells). These results could suggest a new role for HNE in the control of tumour growth and invasion.
Reliability of heart rate variability measurements in patients with a history of myocardial infarction
Authors: Maestri Roberto , Raczak Grzegorz , Danilowicz-Szymanowicz Ludmila , Torunski Antoni , Sukiennik Adam , Kubica Jacek , La Rovere Maria Teresa , Pinna Gian Domenico
Published: June 2009

Despite a well-established prognostic value in cardiac patients, HRV (heart rate variability) indexes have been used little in the clinical setting. Poor reliability of the measurements might be a possible explanation for this. In the present study, we assessed the reliability of short-term HRV indexes in post-MI (myocardial infarction) patients. We studied 61 MI patients [50 males; age, 59±8 years; and LVEF (left ventricular ejection fraction), 46±6%; values are means±S.D.], who underwent a 5+5 min ECG recording during spontaneous and paced breathing on two consecutive days. Standard time-domain [SDNN (S.D. of RR interval values) and RMSSD (root-mean-square of successive RR interval differences)] and frequency-domain [LF (low-frequency) and HF (high-frequency) power, and LF/HF] indexes of HRV were computed. Absolute and relative reliability were assessed by the 95% limits of random variation and by the ICC (intra-class correlation coefficient). The agreement between the two measurements in classifying patients at low or high risk, according to different cut-points, and the sample size needed to detect a clinically relevant change, were also assessed. During spontaneous breathing, individual changes in test–retest measurements ranged from −41 to +61% (SDNN; best case) and from −76 to +316% (LF/HF; worst case). The ICC ranged from 0.72 to 0.81. Most patients (79–90%) were assigned to the same class by the two measurements. Paced breathing did not improve reliability. In conclusion, short-term HRV parameters in MI patients may have large day-to-day variations, making the detection of treatment effects in individual patients difficult; however, the ICC values and the analysis of the consistency of classification between repeated tests indicate that HRV measurements fulfil the criteria required to be used for diagnostic or classification purposes.