bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Packing Measure of the Trajectory of a One‐Dimensional Symmetric Cauchy Process
Authors: Okoroafor A. C.
Published: September 2008

Let Xt = {X(t),  t ≥ 0} be a one‐dimensional symmetric Cauchy process. We prove that, for any measure function, φ, φ − p(X[0, τ]) is zero or infinite, where φ − p(E) is the φ‐packing measure of E, thus solving a problem posed by Rezakhanlou and Taylor in 1988.
Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis Caused by Infection with Listeria monocytogenes
Authors: Tablang Michael Vincent F.
Published: September 2008

Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis is a severe and life-threatening complication in patients with ascites caused by advanced liver disease. The organisms most commonly involved are coliform bacteria and third-generation cephalosporins are the empiric antibiotics of choice. This is an uncommon case of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis caused by Listeria monocytogenes in a female patient with liver cirrhosis from autoimmune hepatitis. She did not improve with ceftriaxone and her course was complicated by hepatic encephalopathy, seizures and multi-organ failure. This case emphasizes that a high index of suspicion should be maintained for timely diagnosis and treatment. Listerial peritonitis should be suspected in patients with end-stage liver disease and inadequate response to conventional antibiotics within 48–72 h. Ampicillin/sulbactam should be initiated while awaiting results of ascitic fluid or blood culture.
Anti-Inflammatory Effects of the Methanol Extract of Sedum telephium ssp. maximum in Lipopolysaccharide- Stimulated Rat Peritoneal Macrophages
Authors: Altavilla Domenica , Polito Francesca , Bitto Alessandra , Minutoli Letteria , Miraldi Elisabetta , Fiumara Tiziana , Biagi Marco , Marini Herbert , Giachetti Daniela , Vaccaro Mario , Squadrito Francesco
Published: September 2008

Sedum telephium ssp. maximum is a medicinal plant that possesses anti-inflammatory, analgesic and keratolytic properties. We investigated the anti-inflammatory activity of its methanolic extract (STME) in rat peritoneal macrophages (MΦs) stimulated with lipopolysaccharide from Salmonella enteritidis. After stimulation with 10 µg/ml of LPS, MΦs were coincubated with different doses of STME (8, 16 and 32 µg/ml) or RPMI medium alone using different times of incubation. STME reduced levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, both mRNA and its protein, and significantly decreased IL-1β and IL-6 production. Moreover, STME inhibited inducible nitric oxide synthase expression and blunted nitrite release and inhibited both extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase activation in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated MΦs. Data show that STME might be useful as a potential anti-inflammatory agent.
Electron Microscopy of Human Platelet Aggregates Formed in vitro with and without Fibrin Production
Authors: Warren B.A. , Davey M.G.
Published: September 2008

The morphology of groups of platelets aggregated by means of an extract of the venom of the snake Trimeresurus okinavensis was contrasted with the appearances which occur when platelets aggregate to form an artificial thrombus in Chandler’s apparatus. The adhesion of platelets induced by venom extract illustrated many of the features usually seen at an early stage in the aggregation of platelets in plasma except for the absence of the formation of fibrin. The form and content of platelet profiles within the aggregates were readily distinguishable. Two platelet aggregates, one containing 43 profiles and the other 123 profiles, each typical of a type of aggregate, were taken for close study. The majority of platelet profiles in section which were greater in size than 1 µm2 contained granules and in general those that were smaller than this did not. No granules were seen external to the aggregates. It is suggested that granule-free profiles of platelets represent peripheral processes from a granule-rich core cytoplasm and that as such these platelets are not ‘degranulated’.
Rückwirkung auf die Wellenimpedanz der Karotis einer künstlich hervorgerufenen Pulsverlangsamung mit unversehrter und ausgeschalteter Gefässmuskulatur
Authors: Dubler T. , Hardung V. , Laszt L.
Published: September 2008

In the present paper on impedance functions, additional proof is presented for active participation of wall muscles in the carotid circulation. If arteries behave like passive elastic ducts, then the frequency dependance should not depend on the range of frequencies used. But this only held forarteries which had been previously treated with N-ethylmaleinimid in order to paralyze the muscular activity.
Familial Mediterranean Fever Gene as a Possible Modifier of Sweet Syndrome with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia
Authors: Miyoshi Takashi , Yamashita Kouhei , Ohno Tatsuharu , Izumi Taisuke , Takaori-Kondo Akifumi , Sasada Masataka , Uchiyama Takashi
Published: September 2008

Sweet syndrome is a multisystem inflammatory disorder characterized by acute fever, as well as painful erythematous plaques infiltrated with mature neutrophils in the absence of vasculitis. The pathogenesis of the disease has not yet been clarified, although several proinflammatory cytokines have been reported to be involved in the disease process. We describe here a patient clinically diagnosed with Sweet syndrome with chronic myelogenous leukemia. The mutational analysis of the patient revealed a compound heterozygous E148Q/R202Q mutation in exon 2 of MEFV gene, which is a causative gene for familial Mediterranean fever. This is the first report to describe MEFV gene mutations in Sweet syndrome. Our results suggest that Sweet syndrome may be mediated though similar inflammatory mechanisms to those of familial Mediterranean fever.
Functional Specialization and Convergence in the Occipito-temporal Cortex Supporting Haptic and Visual Identification of Human Faces and Body Parts: An fMRI Study
Authors: Kitada Ryo , Johnsrude Ingrid S. , Kochiyama Takanori , Lederman Susan J.
Published: September 2008

Humans can recognize common objects by touch extremely well whenever vision is unavailable. Despite its importance to a thorough understanding of human object recognition, the neuroscientific study of this topic has been relatively neglected. To date, the few published studies have addressed the haptic recognition of nonbiological objects. We now focus on haptic recognition of the human body, a particularly salient object category for touch. Neuroimaging studies demonstrate that regions of the occipito-temporal cortex are specialized for visual perception of faces (fusiform face area, FFA) and other body parts (extrastriate body area, EBA). Are the same category-sensitive regions activated when these components of the body are recognized haptically? Here, we use fMRI to compare brain organization for haptic and visual recognition of human body parts. Sixteen subjects identified exemplars of faces, hands, feet, and nonbiological control objects using vision and haptics separately. We identified two discrete regions within the fusiform gyrus (FFA and the haptic face region) that were each sensitive to both haptically and visually presented faces; however, these two regions differed significantly in their response patterns. Similarly, two regions within the lateral occipito-temporal area (EBA and the haptic body region) were each sensitive to body parts in both modalities, although the response patterns differed. Thus, although the fusiform gyrus and the lateral occipito-temporal cortex appear to exhibit modality-independent, category-sensitive activity, our results also indicate a degree of functional specialization related to sensory modality within these structures.
Optimizing Functional Accuracy of TMS in Cognitive Studies: A Comparison of Methods
Authors: Sack Alexander T. , Cohen Kadosh Roi , Schuhmann Teresa , Moerel Michelle , Walsh Vincent , Goebel Rainer
Published: September 2008

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a tool for inducing transient disruptions of neural activity noninvasively in conscious human volunteers. In recent years, the investigative domain of TMS has expanded and now encompasses causal structure–function relationships across the whole gamut of cognitive functions and associated cortical brain regions. Consequently, the importance of how to determine the target stimulation site has increased and a number of alternative methods have emerged. Comparison across studies is precluded because different studies necessarily use different tasks, sites, TMS conditions, and have different goals. Here, therefore, we systematically compare four commonly used TMS coil positioning approaches by using them to induce behavioral change in a single cognitive study. Specifically, we investigated the behavioral impact of right parietal TMS during a number comparison task, while basing TMS localization either on (i) individual fMRI-guided TMS neuronavigation, (ii) individual MRI-guided TMS neuronavigation, (iii) group functional Talairach coordinates, or (iv) 10–20 EEG position P4. We quantified the exact behavioral effects induced by TMS using each approach, calculated the standardized experimental effect sizes, and conducted a statistical power analysis in order to calculate the optimal sample size required to reveal statistical significance. Our findings revealed a systematic difference between the four approaches, with the individual fMRI-guided TMS neuronavigation yielding the strongest and the P4 stimulation approach yielding the smallest behavioral effect size. Accordingly, power analyses revealed that although in the fMRI-guided neuronavigation approach five participants were sufficient to reveal a significant behavioral effect, the number of necessary participants increased to n = 9 when employing MRI-guided neuronavigation, to n = 13 in case of TMS based on group Talairach coordinates, and to n = 47 when applying TMS over P4. We discuss these graded effect size differences in light of the revealed interindividual variances in the actual target stimulation site within and between approaches.
Neural Evidence of Statistical Learning: Efficient Detection of Visual Regularities Without Awareness
Authors: Turk-Browne Nicholas B. , Scholl Brian J. , Chun Marvin M. , Johnson Marcia K.
Published: September 2008

Our environment contains regularities distributed in space and time that can be detected by way of statistical learning. This unsupervised learning occurs without intent or awareness, but little is known about how it relates to other types of learning, how it affects perceptual processing, and how quickly it can occur. Here we use fMRI during statistical learning to explore these questions. Participants viewed statistically structured versus unstructured sequences of shapes while performing a task unrelated to the structure. Robust neural responses to statistical structure were observed, and these responses were notable in four ways: First, responses to structure were observed in the striatum and medial temporal lobe, suggesting that statistical learning may be related to other forms of associative learning and relational memory. Second, statistical regularities yielded greater activation in category-specific visual regions (object-selective lateral occipital cortex and word-selective ventral occipito-temporal cortex), demonstrating that these regions are sensitive to information distributed in time. Third, evidence of learning emerged early during familiarization, showing that statistical learning can operate very quickly and with little exposure. Finally, neural signatures of learning were dissociable from subsequent explicit familiarity, suggesting that learning can occur in the absence of awareness. Overall, our findings help elucidate the underlying nature of statistical learning.
ERP Evidence for Flexible Adjustment of Retrieval Orientation and Its Influence on Familiarity
Authors: Ecker Ullrich K. H. , Zimmer Hubert D.
Published: September 2008

The assumption was tested that familiarity memory as indexed by a mid-frontal ERP old–new effect is modulated by retrieval orientation. A randomly cued category-based versus exemplar-specific recognition memory test, requiring flexible adjustment of retrieval orientation, was conducted. Results show that the mid-frontal ERP old–new effect is sensitive to the manipulation of study-test congruency—that is, whether the same object is repeated identically or a different category exemplar is presented at test. Importantly, the effect pattern depends on subjects' retrieval orientation. With a specific orientation, only same items elicited an early old–new effect (same > different = new), whereas in the general condition, the old–new effect was graded (same > different > new). This supports the view that both perceptual and conceptual processes can contribute to familiarity memory and demonstrates that the rather automatic process of familiarity is not only data driven but influenced by top–down retrieval orientation, which subjects are able to adjust on a flexible basis.
Aspects of Technicity in Heidegger's Early Philosophy: Rereading Aristotle's Techné and Hexis
Authors: Wolff Ernst
Published: September 2008

The article aims to advance our understanding of what the early Heidegger had in mind when he spoke about technics. Taking GA 18, Grundbegriffe der aristotelischen Philosophie, as a guiding text, Heidegger's “destructive” reading of the two notions most directly associated with Aristotle's presentation of technics—τεχνη and εξις—will be examined, especially with reference to the portrayal of technics in the Nicomachean Ethics. It will be argued that Aristotle already exaggerated the distinction between virtue and skill and that, instead of insisting on their similarities (as will be argued to be desirable), Heidegger drove the two notions even further apart. This enabled him to form a warped picture of technical life, which he exploited as a counter image to develop an unrealistically non-technical notion of πρα;ξις, which Heidegger implicitly advocates.
And the Rest Is Sigetik: Silencing Logic and Dialectic in Heidegger's Beiträge zur Philosophie
Authors: Gonzalez Francisco
Published: September 2008

Faced with the impossibility of saying Being directly given that all language is language of beings, Heidegger proposes an overcoming of logic in favor of what he calls Sigetik: a way of addressing Being in and through silence, i.e., without asserting anything of Being. After considering what such a Sigetik actually involves and how it is possible, this paper asks why Heidegger rejects the alternative of that indirect saying of Being that he identifies with dialectic. It is then argued both that Heidegger's arguments against dialectic are not compelling and that the Beiträge itself, in mostly failing to achieve and sustain the Sigetik it prescribes, cannot fully escape some form of dialectic. Sigetik may prove a lure more threatening to philosophical questioning than the dialectic it seeks, unsuccessfully, to overcome.
Waiting and Lateness: The Context, Implications, and Basic Argumentation of Derrida's “Awaiting (at) the Arrival” (S'attendre à l'arrivée) in Aporias
Authors: Lawlor Leonard
Published: September 2008

In Derrida's last book (posthumously published in 2006), L'animal que donc je suis, there is a kind of refrain: “il ne suffit pas de …” (it is not sufficient or enough to . . . ). Derrida utters this refrain in relation to all the discourses on animality and animal suffering found in the Western philosophical tradition. None of these discourses are sufficient. This last book revolves then around the idea of an insufficient (not enough) response. The idea of an insufficient response is not restricted to the problem of animal suffering; it extends to what we must call, following Derrida, “the problem of the worst.” The worst is the end, in the sense of total violence or total suicide: apocalypse. In this essay, I have tried to construct the beginnings of a more sufficient response that urges us to move toward the least amount of violence towards all living beings, while recognizing nevertheless that even this response is not sufficient. The more sufficient response is based on Derrida's transformation of the concept of waiting into being late found in Aporias. This transformation is at the heart of Derrida's thought of the messianic. We are so late in relation to the problem of the apocalypse that we can no longer wait for someone else to come and save us. We are so late that we—there's no one else coming—must take action now.
Derrida's Cat (Who Am I?)
Authors: Bruns Gerald
Published: September 2008

What is it to be seen (naked) by one's cat? In “L'animal que donc je suis” (2006), the first of several lectures that he presented at a conference on the “autobiographical animal,” Jacques Derrida tells of his discomfort when, emerging from his shower one day, he found himself being looked at by his cat. Th experience leads him, by way of reflections on the question of the animal, to what is arguably the question of his philosophy: Who am I? It is not so much that Derrida wants to answer this question as to be free of it. His task here is to determine the sense of it— where it leads, for example, when it comes to the nature of the diff erence between himself and his cat. Unlike animal rights activists (and unlike philosophers Martha Nussbaum and Cora Diamond, who have recently addressed this issue), Derrida does not want to erase this difference but wants to multiply it in order (among other things) to affirm the absolute alterity or singularity of his cat, which cannot be subsumed by any category (such as the animal). His cat is an Other in a way that no human being (supposing there to be such a thing, which Derrida is not prepared to grant) could ever be. And here is where “the question who?” leads as well, namely, to a path of escape from absorption into any identity-machine. As Derrida puts it in A Taste for the Secret: Who am I when I am not one of you? In a hospitable world one would be free not to answer.
Personal Autonomy as Institutional Form – Focus on Europe Against the Background of Article 27 of the ICCPR
Authors: Suksi Markku
Published: September 2008

For an attempt to establish an institutional content for personal autonomy, it is submitted that the reference to ‘community’ in Article 27 of the CCPR implies a certain form of organization. Persons who belong to minorities shall have the complete freedom to organize themselves in associations of various kinds in order to pursue common aims. The notion of ‘association’ includes, on the top of regular membership associations, a broader spectrum of private law entities, but the main point is that there shall be a freedom for a minority in the creation of non-governmental organizations, leading to personal autonomy as an organizational form. It is hence not necessarily so that all forms of autonomy are created on the basis of special legislation, endowing the autonomous character for the minority institution from top-down. A bottom-up creation of minority institutions can actually involve a right to personal autonomy.
National Cultural Autonomy in the Russian Federation: Implementation and Impact
Authors: Torode Nicky
Published: September 2008

This article explores the meaning of national cultural autonomy both in the Soviet period and in the Russian Federation at the time of, and following, the adoption of the 1996 Federal Law on National Cultural Autonomy. The author examines the cartography of national cultural autonomies, that is the ethnic minority associations, set up since 1996 to understand the motivations by ethnic minority communities for establishing an autonomy, often in addition to pre-existing ethnic minority organizations and cultural institutions. For ethnic minority community leaders the autonomy model appeared attractive – the access to state powers and perceived provision of financial resources. The state saw an obvious benefit in autonomy as a means in regulating its relations with a plethora of ethnic organisations which had formed in the final days of the Soviet regime. Although the law marked a historic departure in the history of ethnic minorities by being the first law to name ‘certain ethnic groups’ as the beneficiaries of the promotion of their rights it has not been without its problems. This author suggests the inherent hierarchical structure prescribed within the law whereby only one federal autonomy could exist increased intra-ethnic rivalry rather than unifying ethnic organisations. It also inadvertently brought the Russian question to the fore, that is the place of ethnic Russians in a post-communist Russia who attempted to avail themselves of cultural autonomy. Despite the shortcomings of cultural autonomy both in theory and practice it has performed an essential role in opening up the debate on the national question in the Russian Federation.
Functional Autonomy: The Case of Finland with Some Notes on the Basis of International Human Rights Law and Comparisons with Other Cases
Authors: Suksi Markku
Published: September 2008

It is possible to distinguish functional autonomy, consisting of various administrative arrangement, as a specific form of autonomy on the top of territorial, cultural and personal autonomy. Functional autonomy may be understood as an organizational option for the provision of adequate linguistic services to a minority population in respect of a certain public function (such as education) by means of creating special linguistically identified administrative units at different hierarchical levels inside the general line-organization charged with the national or local administration of the public function. Language (and sometimes even religion) can be used as a divisor by which the principle of ‘separate but equal’ is implemented in ways that defy organizational characterizations commonly found in textbooks of administrative law or public administration. Functional autonomy is a pragmatic approach to the promotion of rights of a minority population and could be more commonly used.
Condition(s) for Island Autonomy
Authors: Olausson Pär , Ackrén Maria
Published: September 2008

The inquiry is focusing on why island autonomy occurs. Our point of departure considers four possible conditions such as geographical distance, ethnicity, GDP/capita and size according to population leading towards island autonomy. We use two sample groups in our study: one encompassing autonomous islands deriving from different parts of the world, with three main islands illustrating what we mean by island autonomy. These consist of the Azores, the Faroe Islands and Isle of Man. The second group consists of so called non-autonomous islands scattered around the world.The analysis is carried out with a specific technique within the Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) family and that is Multi-Value QCA (MVQCA). MVQCA is an extension of the Crisp-Set QCA (CSQCA) and withholds a dichotomous dependent variable, while the possible explanatory variables (independent variables) can have multi-values. As a second technique Fuzzy-Set QCA (FSQCA) is employed as a control technique only. While assessing these techniques we receive combinations of conditions leading to the outcome in question. Results show that with MVQCA we receive four different paths towards island autonomy. Ethnicity as the only explanation is one route towards the outcome. A second path is small or large size. Long geographical distance combined with no ethnic diversity is a third way towards island autonomy. The fourth path is long geographical distance combined with the lower or upper middle income group. All the paths are equally valid.
The Competence of Autonomous Entities in the International Arena – With Special Reference to the Åland Islands in the European Union
Authors: Silverström Sören
Published: September 2008

International law and the international community is primarily based on the dominant role of the state. Other actors are increasingly involved in conducting international affairs. This article examines different solutions for bringing autonomous entities to the international level, taking one specific autonomous entity, the Åland Islands, as an example. The article concentrates on competences of autonomous entities in relation to international treaties and the European Union.
Experimenting with Territorial Administrative Autonomy in Corsica: Exception or Pilot Region?
Authors: Daftary Farimah
Published: September 2008

This article provides an overview of the gradual establishment since 1982 of territorial administrative autonomy on the French island of Corsica. The impetus for the reforms was provided by a growing self-determination movement concerned with protecting the specific Corsican identity and dealing with the social and economic challenges arising from insularity. It argues that neither institutional experimentation coupled with substantial aid nor periodic crackdowns on nationalists have succeeded in resolving the conflict. The difficult functioning of autonomy can be attributed in part to the late initiation of reform following the onset of violence as well as to weak and confusing arrangements, as well as an unfavourable political, economic and social context. The persistent use of violence by nationalists, partially justified by the fact that a number of their key demands remain unaddressed, and fuelled by inconsistent state policies, have constituted further obstacles. Last but not least, the extension of measures initially designed for Corsica to the rest of the French territory in successive waves of decentralisation have undermined the symbolic impact of the reforms.
Autonomous Districts and/or Ethnic Homelands: An Ethnographic Account of the Genesis of Political Violence in Assam (North-East India) Against the Normative Frame of the Indian Constitution
Authors: Barbora Sanjay
Published: September 2008

Autonomous arrangements have always been a matter of contention in Northeast India. In the federal unit of Assam, conflict and inter-ethnic tensions have been markers of a peculiar kind of constitutional politics that are unable to resolve competing claims for resources and power in a manner that prevents violent political mobilisation. This article examines the trajectory of political events in Karbi Anglong, the largest autonomous district in Assam, and traces the course of social and cultural changes that have affected politics in the district. The article also looks at possible ways out of the impasse created by constitutional political vocabularies in the said district.
Canada's Experiment with Aboriginal Self-Determination in Nunavut: From Vision to Illusion
Authors: Légaré André
Published: September 2008

The paper presents a geographical and historical overview of the Territory Nunavut (Canada) established in 1999 and inhabited by a majority of Inuit People. The author outlines the process that led to the conclusion of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement and the current structure of the government of Nunavut, which can best be described as a form of Inuit self-government. Th e main objective of the paper consists in an overview and analysis of current socio-economic challenges faced by the government of Nunavut. Based on the visions of the Bathurst Mandate, the author attempts to assess the success of the ‘Nunavut Project’.The author concludes that because of Nunavut's weak economy and fi scal dependency on the central federal government of Canada, the numerous socio-economic challenges have not been resolved. The Nunavut experiment has not yet been proven a success. The prosperous vision, expressed through the Bathurst Mandate, of a viable Nunavut seems for now just an illusion.
Characteristics of Forms of Autonomy
Authors: Tkacik Michael
Published: September 2008

This article recasts our understanding of the forms autonomy may take. Rather than emphasizing a rigid set of definitions, the article argues that autonomy forms can be characterized by the aggregate number of issues controlled by the local community (scope), the level of local control over any given issue (depth) and the territorial insularity of the autonomous community. So characterized, autonomies run the gambit from personal to cultural to functional to administrative to legislative. Of course, there are grey areas between these types of autonomy and some agreements may fall somewhere in between. The article also further breaks legislative autonomy into strong and weak forms.
Do Religion and Human Rights Interact?
Authors: Lerner Natan
Published: September 2008

The two reviewed books belong to a series of “Studies in Religion, Secular Beliefs and Human Rights” published by Martinus Nijhoff. Both constitute a significant contribution to the literature on religion and human rights that developed in the last decade, after many years of neglect of the subject. Both are collective books and the outcome of international conferences. They deal with diverse aspects of the interaction between religion and human rights and international law. A recurrent question is to what extent has religion influenced human rights or if these are a post World War II and post-Holocaust phenomenon, strictly secular. Does God Believe in Human Rights? contains an introduction and 14 essays. The volume Religion, Human Rights and International Law is subtitled A Critical Examination of Islamic State Practices, a subject to which a considerable part of the volume is devoted. It contains 18 individual contributions, in addition to introductory reflections by the editors.
European Minority Protection: The Past and Future of a “Major Historical Achievement”
Authors: Bowring Bill
Published: September 2008

This review essay questions whether European standards for the protection of minorities are “a major historical achievement”. Two questions are posed. Why has this development taken place in Europe? Why has it taken place since 1990? These questions are answered in the light of the historical and political context. After a brief account of the extraordinary experiment in minority rights protection in the inter-War period, the review turns to the origins of the Council and of the OSCE in the Cold War, and comments on the legitimacy and efficacy of these texts and mechanisms.
Scientific Verification of Deterministic River Stage Forecasts
Authors: Welles Edwin , Sorooshian Soroosh
Published: September 2008

One element of a complete verification system is the ability to determine why forecasts behave as they do. This paper describes and demonstrates an operationally feasible method for conducting this type of diagnostic verification analysis. Hindcasts are generated using different configurations of the forecast system and then the skill of the generated hindcasts is compared. The hindcasts and comparisons are constructed to isolate individual elements of the forecast process. The approach is used to evaluate the role of model calibration, model initial conditions, and precipitation forecasts in generating skill for deterministic river forecasts. The authors find that calibration and initial conditions provide skill for the short lead-time forecasts, with precipitation forecasts providing the majority of the skill in forecasts of high stages at longer lead times. At all lead times, this study shows model calibration is essential, as the calibration makes forecasts reliable.
Ankle-Brachial Index and Extent of Atherosclerosis in Patients from the Middle East (the AGATHA-ME Study): A Cross-Sectional Multicenter Study
Authors: El-Menyar Ayman , Amin Haitham , Rashdan Ibrahim , Souliman Kadhim , Deleu Dirk , Saadat Kamran , Wael Al Mahmeed , Bakir Sharif , Wasif Adel , Azan Ben Brek , Bazargani Nooshin , Ahmed Abdel Aziz , Singh Rajvir , Hatou Iman , Mahmoud Hisham , Jassim Al Suwaidi
Published: September 2008

To assess the extent of atherothrombosis and the use of the ankle-brachial index (ABI) in populations from the Middle East, we conducted a multicenter study similar to AGATHA (a Global Atherothrombosis Assessment), AGATHA-ME, which included 1341 patients from 18 centers from 5 countries (United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman). Patients were assigned to 2 groups: the with-disease and at-risk groups. Abnormal ABI (≤0.9) was seen in 31.5% of at-risk patients and 28.2% of with-disease patients. Patients with peripheral arterial disease had the highest frequency of abnormal ABI (77.6%), with 97.8 negative predictive value. The AGATHA-ME study confirms that atherothrombosis disease often occurs at more than 1 site. The ABI is related to the risk factor profile and to the site and extent of atherothrombosis. Gender and diabetes mellitus are associated with the worst parameters.
Occupations at Case Closure for Vocational Rehabilitation Applicants With Criminal Backgrounds
Authors: Whitfield Harold Wayne
Published: September 2008

The purpose of this study was to identify industries that hire persons with disabilities and criminal backgrounds. The researcher obtained data on 1,355 applicants for vocational rehabilitation services who were living in adult correctional facilities at the time of application. Service-based industries hired the most ex-inmates with disabilities ( n = 424, 31.3%), followed by the structural work industry ( n = 319, 23.5%) and miscellaneous occupations ( n = 209, 15.4%).
Breaking Bonds?
Authors: Goble Hannah , Holm Peter M.
Published: September 2008

For decades, Americans have trusted the Republicans over the Democrats to handle national security issues, by a wide margin. Over the Bush presidency, that gap has disappeared. The authors explore the causes and consequences of this loss and suggest several new avenues for research on issue ownership. Findings indicate that Bush's handling of the Iraq war has played a decisive role in diminishing the Republican Party's reputational advantage on national security. This has had significant electoral repercussions both for the president and his copartisans in Congress.
Antileukemic effects of the novel, mutant FLT3 inhibitor NVP-AST487: effects on PKC412-sensitive and -resistant FLT3-expressing cells
Authors: Weisberg Ellen , Roesel Johannes , Bold Guido , Furet Pascal , Jiang Jingrui , Cools Jan , Wright Renee D. , Nelson Erik , Barrett Rosemary , Ray Arghya , Moreno Daisy , Hall-Meyers Elizabeth , Stone Richard , Galinsky Ilene , Fox Edward , Gilliland Gary , Daley John F. , Lazo-Kallanian Suzan , Kung Andrew L. , Griffin James D.
Published: September 2008

An attractive target for therapeutic intervention is constitutively activated, mutant FLT3, which is expressed in a subpopulation of patients with acute myelocyic leukemia (AML) and is generally a poor prognostic indicator in patients under the age of 65 years. PKC412 is one of several mutant FLT3 inhibitors that is undergoing clinical testing, and which is currently in late-stage clinical trials. However, the discovery of drug-resistant leukemic blast cells in PKC412-treated patients with AML has prompted the search for novel, structurally diverse FLT3 inhibitors that could be alternatively used to override drug resistance. Here, we report the potent and selective antiproliferative effects of the novel mutant FLT3 inhibitor NVP-AST487 on primary patient cells and cell lines expressing FLT3-ITD or FLT3 kinase domain point mutants. NVP-AST487, which selectively targets mutant FLT3 protein kinase activity, is also shown to override PKC412 resistance in vitro, and has significant antileukemic activity in an in vivo model of FLT3-ITD+ leukemia. Finally, the combination of NVP-AST487 with standard chemotherapeutic agents leads to enhanced inhibition of proliferation of mutant FLT3-expressing cells. Thus, we present a novel class of FLT3 inhibitors that displays high selectivity and potency toward FLT3 as a molecular target, and which could potentially be used to override drug resistance in AML.
Intestinal double-positive CD4+CD8+ T cells of neonatal rhesus macaques are proliferating, activated memory cells and primary targets for SIVMAC251 infection
Authors: Wang Xiaolei , Das Arpita , Lackner Andrew A. , Veazey Ronald S. , Pahar Bapi
Published: September 2008

Peripheral blood and thymic double-positive (DP) CD4+CD8+ T cells from neonates have been described earlier, but the function and immunophenotypic characteristics of other tissue-derived DP T cells are not clearly understood. Here, we demonstrate the functional and immunophenotypic characteristics of DP cells in 6 different tissues, including thymus from normal neonatal rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) between 0 and 21 days of age. In general, intestinal DP T cells of neonates have higher percentages of memory markers (CD28+CD95+CD45RAlowCD62Llow) and proliferation compared with single-positive (SP) CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. In addition, percentages of DP T cells increase and CD62L expression decreases as animals mature, suggesting that DP cells mature and proliferate with maturity and/or antigen exposure. Consistent with this, intestinal DP T cells in neonates express higher levels of CCR5 and are the primary targets in simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection. Finally, DP T cells produce higher levels of cytokine in response to mitogen stimulation compared with SP CD4+ or CD8+ T cells. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that intestinal DP T cells of neonates are proliferating, activated memory cells and are likely involved in regulating immune responses, in contrast to immature DP T cells in the thymus.
How we treat a hemophilia A patient with a factor VIII inhibitor
Authors: Kempton Christine L. , White Gilbert C.
Published: September 2008

The most significant complication of treatment in patients with hemophilia A is the development of alloantibodies that inhibit factor VIII activity. In the presence of inhibitory antibodies, replacement of the missing clotting factor by infusion of factor VIII becomes less effective. Once replacement therapy is ineffective, acute management of bleeding requires agents that bypass factor VIII activity. Long-term management consists of eradicating the inhibitor through immune tolerance. Despite success in the treatment of acute bleeding and inhibitor eradication, there remains an inability to predict or prevent inhibitor formation. Ideally, prediction and ultimately prevention will come with an improved understanding of how patient-specific and treatment-related factors work together to influence anti–factor VIII antibody production.
FOXP3 expression accurately defines the population of intratumoral regulatory T cells that selectively accumulate in metastatic melanoma lesions
Authors: Ahmadzadeh Mojgan , Felipe-Silva Aloisio , Heemskerk Bianca , Powell Daniel J. , Wunderlich John R. , Merino Maria J. , Rosenberg Steven A.
Published: September 2008

Regulatory T (Treg) cells are often found in human tumors; however, their functional characteristics have been difficult to evaluate due to low cell numbers and the inability to adequately distinguish between activated and Treg cell populations. Using a novel approach, we examined the intracellular cytokine production capacity of tumor-infiltrating T cells in the single-cell suspensions of enzymatically digested tumors to differentiate Treg cells from effector T cells. Similar to Treg cells in the peripheral blood of healthy individuals, tumor-infiltrating FOXP3+CD4 T cells, unlike FOXP3− T cells, were unable to produce IL-2 and IFN-γ upon ex vivo stimulation, indicating that FOXP3 expression is a valid biological marker for human Treg cells even in the tumor microenvironment. Accordingly, we enumerated FOXP3+CD4 Treg cells in intratumoral and peritumoral sections of metastatic melanoma tumors and found a significant increase in proportion of FOXP3+CD4 Treg cells in the intratumoral compared with peritumoral areas. Moreover, their frequencies were 3- to 5-fold higher in tumors than in peripheral blood from the same patients or healthy donors, respectively. These findings demonstrate that the tumor-infiltrating CD4 Treg cell population is accurately depicted by FOXP3 expression, they selectively accumulate in tumors, and their frequency in peripheral blood does not properly reflect tumor microenvironment.
Chronic ethanol induces inhibition of antigen-specific CD8+ but not CD4+ immunodominant T cell responses followingListeria monocytogenesinoculation
Authors: Gurung Prajwal , Young Betty M , Coleman Ruth A , Wiechert Susan , Turner Lucas E , Ray Nancy B , Waldschmidt Thomas J , Legge Kevin L , Cook Robert T
Published: September 2008

Chronic ethanol consumption results in immunodeficiency. Previous work with chronic ethanol-fed mice has shown reduced splenic weight and cellularity, including reduced numbers of CD8+ T cells. However, antigen-specific CD8+ and CD4+ T cell responses in chronic ethanol-fed mice have been studied relatively little. We have used an attenuated Listeria monocytogenes strain DPL 1942 (LM ΔactA) to inoculate mice and subsequently used CD4+ and CD8+ immunodominant peptides of LM to measure the CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses after chronic ethanol exposure. We found no major differences between control and ethanol-fed mice in the kinetics and persistence of antigen-specific CD4+ T cells in response to an immunodominant LM peptide, as measured by intracellular IFN-γ staining. In contrast to CD4+ responses, three methods of in vitro antigen presentation indicated that the primary response of CD8+ T cells to several different epitopes was reduced significantly in mice chronically fed ethanol. Antigen-specific CD8+ T cells were also reduced in chronic ethanol-fed mice during the contraction phase of the primary response, and memory cells evaluated at 29 and 60 days after inoculation were reduced significantly. BrdU proliferation assays showed that in vivo proliferation of CD8+ T cells was reduced in ethanol-fed mice, and IL-2-dependent in vitro proliferation of naive CD8+ T cells was also reduced. In conclusion, these results suggest that antigen-specific CD4+ T cell responses to LM are affected little by chronic ethanol consumption; however, antigen-specific CD8+ T cell responses are reduced significantly, as are in vivo and in vitro proliferation. The reduction of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells may contribute strongly to the immunodeficiency caused by ethanol abuse.
The cytolytic enzymes granyzme A, granzyme B, and perforin: expression patterns, cell distribution, and their relationship to cell maturity and bright CD57 expression
Authors: Chattopadhyay Pratip K , Betts Michael R , Price David A , Gostick Emma , Horton Helen , Roederer Mario , De Rosa Stephen C
Published: September 2008

Cytolytic enzymes (CEs) are critical mediators of anti-viral and -tumor immunity; however, as a number of molecules belong to this enzyme family, our understanding of CEs remains limited. Specifically, it remains unclear what combinations of granzymes and perforin (Perf) are expressed by various immune cells and how CE content relates to cellular differentiation. Using polychromatic flow cytometry, we simultaneously measured expression of the most common human CEs [granzyme A (gA), granzyme B (gB), and Perf] alongside markers of αβ and γδ T cell maturation (CD45RO, CCR7, CD27, CD57). Additionally, we measured CE content in NK cell subsets (defined by their expression of CD16 and CD56). We found that among a wide variety of immune cells, CE content was linked to cellular maturity. Moreover, common expression patterns were shared across cell types, such that gB+ cells always contained gA, and Perf+ cells were primarily gA+ gB+. Most importantly, CD57 expression correlated strongly with simultaneous expression of gA, gB, and Perf. Thus, the use of CD57 provides a means to easily isolate viable cells with high cytolytic potential, without the need for lethal fixation/permeabilization techniques.
Guest Entrapment via Type and Size of Dibenzo–Monoaza–Crowns-based N,N-Bis(alkyl-2-hydroxybenzyl)alkylamine Host
Authors: Rungsimanon Thitiporn , Laobuthee Apirat , Miyata Mikiji , Chirachanchai Suwabun
Published: September 2008

A simple but effective preparation of ring-enlarged dibenzo–monoaza–crowns, 12- to 14-membered macrocycles 3–6, obtained from the reaction of N,N-bis(alkyl-2-hydroxybenzyl)alkylamine with ditosylated compound is proposed. Studies on alkali ion extraction using Pedersen’s technique clarify that the ion-extraction efficiency is achieved as a consequence of the structure and size of the cavity of the macrocycles. An extension study on dibenzo–monoaza–12-crown-3, 4, confirms unique performance in terms of being a ligand to accept a perchlorate anion.
ENT registrar logbooks: second-year review
Authors: Tassone P , Wilson T , Prinsley P
Published: September 2008

Previously we published the results of ear, nose and throat (ENT) registrar operating in the Eastern Deanery by collating the logbooks that had been submitted at the Record Of In-Training Assessment (RITA). This provided some insight into the training opportunities available in the region in terms of numbers of cases and contribution. There are no specific guidelines or requirements as such in terms of numbers required in order to progress through training.
Hong Kong craniofacial dissection workshop: a first for FGDP(UK)'s implant dentistry diploma
Authors: Mahadevan Vishy , Sethi Ashok
Published: September 2008

The diploma in implant dentistry, one of many successful educational programmes developed by the FGDP(UK), comprises 16 weekend units of study culminating in a rigorous assessment. Integral to the course is a craniofacial anatomy module, in which under supervision the participants perform a sequence of detailed dissections on cadaver heads, with a view to reinforcing their understanding of surgical anatomy relevant to general and implant dentistry. Interspersed with the dissection sessions are five or six tutorials, each intended as a prelude to the dissection exercise.
A spiral of learning: are you ready?
Authors: Vig S , Allan H , Hadfield-Law L , Hollowood A , Deakin M
Published: September 2008

William Halsted was an innovator of surgical training in the 20th century. Traditionally training was offered to senior professors and Halsted wished to improve this, not to change it and bring it round full circle but to take training and education to a higher level. Halsted changed the focus of training to the house officer. House officers were given graduated responsibilities including supervised surgery within an apprenticeship model. Dependent on time served and numbers of patients treated, the programme ensured that the resident surgeon would be skilled and experienced. This concept of surgical training has continued to be used successfully but has recently had to evolve with the implementation of Modernising Medical Careers and the European Working Time Directive.
Problems with GH assays and strategies toward standardization
Authors: Bidlingmaier Martin
Published: September 2008

Disorders affecting GH secretion – either GH deficiency or GH excess (acromegaly) – are biochemically defined through peak or nadir concentrations of human GH in response to dynamic tests. Immunoassays employing polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies are routinely used for the analysis of GH concentrations, and many different assays are available on the market today. Unfortunately, the actual value reported for the GH concentration in a specific patient's sample to a large extent depends on the assay method used by the respective laboratory. Variability between assay results exceeds 200%, limiting the applicability of consensus guidelines in clinical practice. Reasons for the heterogeneity in GH assay results include the heterogeneity of the analyte itself, the availability of different preparations for calibration, and the interference from matrix components such as GH-binding protein. Furthermore, the reporting of results in mass units or international units together with the application of variable conversion factors led to confusion.

International collaborations proposed measures to improve the comparability of assay results, recommending the use of a single, recombinant calibrator for all assays and reporting only in mass units as first steps. However, because of the differences in epitope specificity of antibodies used in different assays, method-specific cut-off levels for dynamic tests might remain necessary to correctly interpret and compare results from different laboratories.