bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Molecular Pathways: Blockade of the PRLR Signaling Pathway as a Novel Antihormonal Approach for the Treatment of Breast and Prostate Cancer
Authors: Damiano Jason S. , Wasserman Ernesto
Published: March 2013

The prolactin (PRL)–prolactin receptor (PRLR) signaling complex has been implicated in the pathology of breast and prostate carcinoma. A multitude of pro-oncogenic intracellular signaling pathways are activated by PRL in breast and prostate epithelial cells, leading to enhanced cellular proliferation, survival, and tumorigenesis in numerous model systems. Emerging evidence suggests that targeting the PRL–PRLR axis in human cancer may represent an unexploited avenue for therapeutic intervention and, given the extensive cross-talk between PRLR and other signal transduction pathways, a potential means through which other anticancer agents could be rendered more efficacious in the clinic. LFA102 is a potent anti-PRLR neutralizing antibody that efficiently abrogates the function of this receptor in vivo, mediating significant antitumor effects in preclinical models. The clean safety profile of this antibody in animals and in the clinical experiences to date suggests that blocking the PRLR signaling pathway in human tumors may have few significant toxicologic consequences and may be a promising approach to treating cancer. A phase I trial in patients with breast and prostate cancer is underway to better understand the clinical utility of LFA102 and the contribution of PRL to the maintenance and progression of human cancer. Clin Cancer Res; 19(7); 1644–50. ©2013 AACR.
Elevated Cyclin D1 Expression Is Predictive for a Benefit from TPF Induction Chemotherapy in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients with Advanced Nodal Disease
Authors: Zhong Lai-Ping , Zhu Dong-Wang , William William N. , Liu Ying , Ma Jie , Yang Cheng-Zhe , Yang Xiao , Wang Li-Zhen , Li Jiang , Myers Jeffrey N. , Lee J. Jack , Zhang Chen-Ping , Zhang Zhi-Yuan
Published: March 2013

Induction chemotherapy is likely to be effective for biologically distinct subgroups of patients with cancer with biomarker detection. To investigate the prognostic and predictive values of cyclin D1 expression in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) who were treated in a prospective, randomized, phase III trial evaluating standard treatment with surgery and postoperative radiotherapy preceded or not by induction docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil (TPF), immunohistochemical staining for cyclin D1 was conducted in pretreatment biopsy specimens of 232 out of 256 clinical stage III/IVA OSCC patients randomized to the clinical trial. Cyclin D1 index was estimated as the proportion of tumor cells with cyclin D1 nuclear staining. A low cyclin D1 expression predicted significantly better overall survival (OS; P = 0.001), disease-free survival (P = 0.005), locoregional recurrence-free survival (P = 0.003), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS; P = 0.002) compared with high cyclin D1 expression. Cyclin D1 expression levels were not predictive of benefit from induction TPF in the population overall. However, patients with nodal stage cN2 whose tumors had high cyclin D1 expression treated with TPF had significantly greater OS (P = 0.025) and DMFS (P = 0.025) when compared with high cyclin D1 cN2 patients treated with surgery upfront. Patients with low cyclin D1 level or patients with cN0 or cN1 disease did not benefit from induction chemotherapy. This study indicates that cN2 OSCC patients with high cyclin D1 expression can benefit from the addition of TPF induction chemotherapy to standard treatment. Cyclin D1 expression could be used as a biomarker in further validation studies to select cN2 patients that could benefit from induction therapy. Mol Cancer Ther; 12(6); 1112–21. ©2013 AACR.
Cardiovascular Risk and Mineral Bone Disorder in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Staude Hagen , Jeske Susann , Schmitz Karin , Warncke Gert , Fischer Dagmar-Christiane
Published: March 2013

The term chronic kidney disease-mineral bone disorder has been coined recently to highlight that the disturbed mineral and bone metabolism is a major contributor to vascular calcification and finally cardiovascular disease. This syndrome is characterized by clinical, biochemical and/or histological findings, i.e. i) biochemical alterations in the homeostasis of calcium, phosphate and their key player parathyroid hormone (PTH), Fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23), klotho and vitamin-D, ii) the occurrence of vascular and/or soft tissue calcification, and iii) an abnormal bone structure and/or turnover. Apart from the combined and synergistic action of "traditional" and uremia-related risk factors, promoters and inhibitors of calcification have to be considered as well. This review will focus on the disturbed mineral metabolism as the triggering force behind distortion of vascular integrity and cardiovascular malfunction in CKD patients.
Impact of Peripheral Arterial Occlusive Disease on the Development of Contrast Medium-Induced Acute Kidney Injury
Authors: Lüders Florian , Malyar Nasser , Meyborg Matthias , Gebauer Katrin , Brand Eva , Reinecke Holger
Published: March 2013

Background/Aims: Contrast medium-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) is an important complication following the use of iodinated contrast media. It accounts for a significant number of hospital-acquired acute kidney injuries and is associated with increased in-hospital and long-term mortality and immense health care costs. We evaluated whether the presence of peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAD) affects the incidence of CI-AKI following heart catheterization. Methods: The impact of PAD on the frequency of CI-AKI after heart catheterization was analysed in the prospective single-centre Dialysis-versus-Diuresis trial (January 2001 to July 2004). The patients were retrospectively divided into 3 subgroups: patients with coronary heart disease (CHD), patients with PAD and patients without PAD or CHD. Results: 412 patients were included (83.5% men, 29.1% diabetes mellitus, 4.9% ejection fraction <35%). Of these, 251 (60.9%) suffered from CHD but not from PAD, 77 (18.7%) from PAD and 84 (20.4%) had neither CHD nor PAD. After heart catheterization, 49 (11.9 %) patients developed CI-AKI. Patients with PAD suffered significantly more often from CI-AKI than those without PAD (32.7 vs. 16.8%, p = 0.008). Multivariate analyses by logistic regression confirmed PAD to be an independent predictor of a CI-AKI (odds ratio 2.013, 95% confidence interval 1.009-4.016, p = 0.047). The CHD was not significantly associated with CI-AKI. Conclusion: Patients with PAD significantly more often develop a CI-AKI after heart catheterization than those without PAD.
Systematic Review of Blinding Assessment in Randomized Controlled Trials in Schizophrenia and Affective Disorders 2000-2010
Authors: Baethge Christopher , Assall Oliver P. , Baldessarini Ross J.
Published: March 2013

Background: Blinding is an integral part of many randomized controlled trials (RCTs). However, both blinding and blinding assessment seem to be rarely documented in trial reports. Method: Systematic review of articles on RCTs in schizophrenia and affective disorders research during 2000-2010. Results: Among 2,467 publications, 61 (2.5%; 95% confidence interval: 1.9-3.1%) reported assessing participant, rater, or clinician blinding: 5/672 reports on schizophrenia (0.7%; 0.3-1.6%) and 33/1,079 (3.1%; 2.1-4.2%) on affective disorders, without significant trends across the decade. Rarely was blinding assessed at the beginning, in most studies assessment was at the end. Proportion of patients' and raters' correct guesses of study arm averaged 54.4 and 62.0% per study, with slightly more correct guesses in treatment arms than in placebo arms. Three fourths of responders correctly guessed that they received the active agent. Blinding assessment was more frequently reported in papers on psychotherapy and brain stimulation than on drug trials (5.1%, 1.7-11.9%, vs. 8.3%, 4.3-14.4%, vs. 2.1%, 1.5-2.8%). Lack of assessment of blinding was associated with: (a) positive findings, (b) full industrial sponsorship, and (c) diagnosis of schizophrenia. There was a moderate association of treatment success and blinding status of both trial participants (r = 0.51, p = 0.002) and raters (r = 0.55, p = 0.067). Many RCT reports did not meet CONSORT standards regarding documentation of persons blinded (60%) or of efforts to match interventions (50%). Conclusions: Recent treatment trials in major psychiatric disorders rarely reported on or evaluated blinding. We recommend routine documentation of blinding strategies in reports.
Prenatal Expression of MET Receptor Tyrosine Kinase in the Fetal Mouse Dorsal Raphe Nuclei and the Visceral Motor/Sensory Brainstem
Authors: Wu Hsiao-Huei , Levitt Pat
Published: March 2013

Signaling via MET receptor tyrosine kinase (MET) has been implicated in a number of neurodevelopmental events, including cell migration, dendritic and axonal development and synaptogenesis. Related to its role in the development of forebrain circuitry, we recently identified a functional promoter variant of the MET gene that is associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The association of the MET promoter variant rs1858830 C allele is significantly enriched in families with a child who has ASD and co-occurring gastrointestinal conditions. The expression of MET in the forebrain had been mapped in detail in the developing mouse and rhesus macaque. However, in mammals, its expression in the developing brainstem has not been studied extensively throughout developmental stages. Brainstem and autonomic circuitry are implicated in ASD pathophysiology and in gastrointestinal dysfunction. To advance our understanding of the neurodevelopmental influences of MET signaling in brainstem circuitry development, we employed in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry to map the expression of Met and its ligand, Hgf, through prenatal development of the mouse midbrain and hindbrain. Our results reveal a highly selective expression pattern of Met in the brainstem, including a subpopulation of neurons in cranial motor nuclei (nVII, nA and nXII), B6 subgroup of the dorsal raphe, Barrington's nucleus, and a small subset of neurons in the nucleus of solitary tract. In contrast to Met, neither full-length nor known splice variants of Hgf were localized in the prenatal brainstem. RT-PCR revealed Hgf expression in target tissues of Met-expressing brainstem neurons, suggesting that MET in these neurons may be activated by HGF from peripheral sources. Together, these data suggest that MET signaling may influence the development of neurons that are involved in central regulation of gastrointestinal function, tongue movement, swallowing, speech, stress and mood.
Fetal Heart Disease: Severity, Associated Anomalies and Parental Decision
Authors: Nell Sjoerd , Wijngaarde Camiel A. , Pistorius Lourens R. , Slieker Martijn , ter Heide Henriette , Manten G.T.R. , Freund Matthias W.
Published: March 2013

Objective: This study describes the association between the complexity of congenital cardiac and extracardiac malformations, and the parental decision of pregnancy continuation or termination. Methods: Congenital heart defects (CHD) was diagnosed by ultrasound in 251 fetuses before the 24th week (23 + 6 weeks) of gestation during the four year period from 2007 to 2010. All fetuses from the Utrecht region were referred to our center due to a strict referral pattern. The complexity and severity of the cardiac and possible extracardiac malformations were retrospectively categorized by a pediatric cardiologist and a perinatologist who were blinded to the pregnancy outcome. The groups with and without termination of pregnancy were compared using a univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression. Results: In 119 (47%) of the 251 fetuses, parents opted for termination of pregnancy. In 103 of these cases (87%) there was a high complex or lethal cardiac, or a major or lethal extracardiac malformation. Of the 132 continued pregnancies, 42 fetuses (32%) had a high complex or lethal cardiac, or a major or lethal extracardiac malformation. There were significantly more terminations of pregnancy in case of a high or lethal complex cardiac or extracardiac anomaly (71 vs. 15%, p <0.001). Conclusion: Parents opted for termination of pregnancy significantly more often in cases with high complex cardiac and extracardiac malformations. It was rare for parents to opt for pregnancy termination in the absence of a severe cardiac or extracardiac malformation.
The Dark Side of Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator Therapy
Authors: Somberg John , Molnar Janos
Published: March 2013

No abstract available
Viral Attachment Induces Rapid Recruitment of an Innate Immune Sensor (TRIM5α) to the Plasma Membrane
Authors: Ohmine Seiga , Singh Raman Deep , Marks David L. , Meyer Melissa A. , Pagano Richard E. , Ikeda Yasuhiro
Published: March 2013

TRIM5α (tripartite motif 5α) acts as a pattern recognition receptor specific for the retrovirus capsid lattice and blocks infection by HIV-1 immediately after entry. However, the precise mechanisms underlying this rapid recognition of viral components remain elusive. Here, we analyzed the influence of viral exposure on TRIM5α. Total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy and lipid flotation assays revealed rapid recruitment of a TRIM5α subpopulation to the plasma membrane (PM) upon exposure to vesicular stomatitis virus-G-pseudotyped HIV-1 viral-like particles (VLPs), but not to envelope (Env)-less HIV-1 VLPs. TRIM5α signals were frequently colocalized with those of HIV-1 capsid at the PM. Exposure to HIV-1 Env-pseudotyped HIV-1 vectors also triggered translocation of endogenous TRIM5α to lipid microdomains within human T cells. Similarly, clustering of lipid microdomains by a glycosphingolipid stereoisomer resulted in rapid TRIM5α recruitment to the PM. Of note, recruitment of endogenous rhesus TRIM5α to the PM prior to HIV-1 infection significantly increased the potency of viral restriction. Our data therefore suggest the importance of TRIM5α recruitment to the PM for TRIM5α-mediated innate immune sensing and restriction of retroviral infection.
Group Size of a Permanent Large Group of Agile Mangabeys (Cercocebus agilis) at Bai Hokou, Central African Republic
Authors: Devreese Lieven , Huynen Marie-Claude , Stevens Jeroen M.G. , Todd Angelique
Published: March 2013

White-eyelid mangabeys (genus Cercocebus) live in groups of highly variable size. Because of their semi-terrestrial behaviour and preference for dense forest habitats, re-liable data on group size are scarce. During a 5-month study, we collected 17 group counts on a habituated group of agile mangabeys (C. agilis) at Bai Hokou in the Central African Republic. We found a stable group size of approximately 135 individuals. This permanent large grouping pattern is known to occur among several populations of white-eyelid mangabeys and is congruent with extreme group sizes reported in mandrills at Lopé in Gabon.
Iontophoresis-Mediated Transdermal Permeation of Peptide Dendrimers across Human Epidermis
Authors: Mutalik S. , Parekh H.S. , Anissimov Y.G. , Grice J.E. , Roberts M.S.
Published: March 2013

Purpose of the Study: The overall aim of the present work was to elucidate the effects of iontophoresis on assisting permeation/deposition of peptide dendrimers across/within human skin. Procedures: A series of peptide dendrimers containing arginine and histidine as terminal acids were synthesized and characterized. These dendrimers were subjected to passive and iontophoretic permeation studies across human epidermis. Results: The synthesized peptide dendrimers were found to be stable in epidermal, dermal and skin extracts up to 6 h. Passive diffusion studies revealed that none of the synthesized peptide dendrimers permeated human epidermis up to 6 h, although minute concentrations of low molecular weight dendrimers were detected in receptor medium at the end of 24 h. Application of iontophoresis significantly increased the permeation of all the tested peptide dendrimers across human skin in a molecular weight-dependent manner compared to simple passive diffusion. Electromigration was found to be the dominant mechanism behind the iontophoretic permeation of peptide dendrimers across human skin. Conclusions: The present study demonstrates that iontophoresis is an effective technique in enhancing the transdermal permeation of peptide dendrimers. Message of the Paper: This study foresees the possibility of applying peptide dendrimers in iontophoretic delivery of drugs and macromolecules across/within the skin.
Attitudes and Compliance with Research Requirements in Ob/Gyn Residencies: A National Survey
Authors: Oakley Susan H. , Crisp Catrina C. , Estanol M. Victoria , Fellner Angela N. , Kleeman Steven D. , Pauls Rachel N.
Published: March 2013

Background/Aims: The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requires that all Ob/Gyn residents accomplish scholarly activity. We hypothesize resident productivity is poor. Methods: This was a web-based two-survey study using SurveyMonkey®. Surveys queried both program directors and residents regarding their adherence to ACGME guidelines. All 233 accredited Ob/Gyn programs were targeted. Results: 70 program directors responded (30.4%). The majority (99%) felt research was a goal of their program and stated their residents are taught to read current literature (99%), design basic studies (99%), and interpret simple statistics (89%). 17% (53/313) of the residents did not agree that their training environment promoted research, 25% did not feel comfortable discussing basic study designs, and 54% did not feel comfortable interpreting basic statistics. Urban programs demonstrated improved resident attitudes toward research (p = 0.025), better research environments (p = 0.007) and curricula (p = 0.001) compared to rural programs. Furthermore, residents intending to pursue an academic career were more likely to be working with a research mentor (p = 0.038). Conclusion: The ACGME clearly delineates residency research requirements. A dichotomy exists between program director perception and resident compliance. Notwithstanding, it is reassuring that the majority of programs appear to promote scholarly activity and provide necessary support.
Spontaneous Regression of Polyposis following Abdominal Colectomy and Helicobacter pylori Eradication for Cronkhite-Canada Syndrome
Authors: Kato Kimitoshi , Ishii Yukimoto , Mazaki Takerou , Uehara Toshiki , Nakamura Hitomoi , Kikuchi Hiroshi , Yamagami Hiroaki , Sato Hideki , Mizuno Shigeaki , Soma Masayoshi , Henmi Akihiro , Masuda Hideki , Moriyama Mitsuhiko , Tanaka Masanori
Published: March 2013

The etiology of Cronkhite-Canada syndrome (CCS) remains unknown and many cases are refractory to treatment. Therefore, new therapies are urgently needed. Furthermore, a number of CCS cases with gastrointestinal carcinoma have been reported. Our patient had rapid onset of CCS and early development of colon carcinoma associated with adenomas. High anterior resection of the sigmoid colon and ileostomy were performed, and her symptoms and endoscopic and histological findings improved. Helicobacter pylori eradication was carried out 2 years later, surgical closure of an ileal fistula the following year. After 4 months, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and colonoscopy showed that the CCS lesions had completely disappeared, and biopsies confirmed a normal stomach, duodenum, ileum and colon histologically. The patient has maintained remission for 2 years. The clinical course of this case, showing complete regression of CCS lesions following abdominal colectomy and H. pylori eradication, suggests the significance of H. pylori infection in the treatment of CCS.
Regular Physical Activity and Risk of Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Ofman Peter , Khawaja Owais , Rahilly-Tierney Catherine R. , Peralta Adelqui , Hoffmeister Peter , Reynolds Mathew R. , Gaziano J. Michael , Djousse Luc
Published: March 2013

Background—

Although previous studies have suggested that competitive athletes have a higher risk of atrial fibrillation than the general population, limited and inconsistent data are available on the association between regular physical activity and the risk of atrial fibrillation.

Methods and Results—

A systematic, comprehensive literature search was performed using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and COCHRANE until 2011. Extracted data from the eligible studies were meta-analyzed using fixed effects model. Four studies, which included 95 526 subjects, were eligible for meta-analysis. For all of the studies included, the extreme groups (ie, maximum versus minimal amount of physical activity) were used for the current analyses. The total number of participants belonging to the extreme groups was 43 672. The pooled odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for atrial fibrillation among regular exercisers was 1.08 (0.97–1.21).

Conclusions—

Our data do not support a statistically significant association between regular physical activity and increased incidence of atrial fibrillation.
Influence of Intracardiac Pressure on Spontaneous Ventricular Arrhythmias in Patients With Systolic Heart Failure
Authors: Reiter Michael J. , Stromberg Kurt D. , Whitman Teresa A. , Adamson Philip B. , Benditt David G. , Gold Michael R.
Published: March 2013

Background—

The implantation of a combination hemodynamic monitor-cardioverter-defibrillator in the Reducing Decompensation Events Utilizing Intracardiac Pressures in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure (REDUCEhf) study allowed assessment of the relationship between daily intracardiac pressure and occurrence of ventricular arrhythmic (VT/VF) events.

Methods and Results—

Median estimated pulmonary artery diastolic pressures (ePAD) were calculated every 24 hours in 378 subjects with New York Heart Association functional class II-III heart failure who had at least 60 days of hemodynamic data. Forty-six subjects experienced 140 VT/VF events on 80 unique study days in which daily median ePAD was available. The incidence of days with VT/VF events was significantly higher when the daily median ePAD for a subject was elevated, defined as >1 SD above that subject’s average median ePAD for the whole study: (2.8 episode days per patient-year compared with 1.7 episode days per patient-year;
P
=0.040). However, the incidence of days with VT/VF events was not significantly different on days when ePAD was >25 mm Hg compared with days when ePAD was <25 mm Hg. For all 378 subjects, the risk of VT/VF increased with average median ePAD calculated over the whole follow-up period (odds ratio, 1.072 for a 1-mm Hg increase; 95% confidence interval, 1.023–1.124;
P
=0.003).

Conclusions—

There is significant positive association between average daily median ePAD and risk for VT/VF. Among patients with VT/VF, elevated intracardiac pressures are associated with higher VT/VF risk only when the definition of increased pressure is subject specific.
Electrical Reconnection After Pulmonary Vein Isolation Is Contingent on Contact Force During Initial Treatment
Authors: Neuzil Petr , Reddy Vivek Y. , Kautzner Josef , Petru Jan , Wichterle Dan , Shah Dipen , Lambert Hendrik , Yulzari Aude , Wissner Erik , Kuck Karl-Heinz
Published: March 2013

Background—

Pulmonary vein isolation is the most prevalent approach for catheter ablation of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Long-term success of the procedure is diminished by arrhythmia recurrences occurring predominantly because of reconnections in previously isolated pulmonary veins. The aim of the EFFICAS I multicenter study was to demonstrate the correlation between contact force (CF) parameters during initial procedure and the incidence of isolation gaps (gap) at 3-month follow-up.

Method and Results—

A radiofrequency ablation catheter with integrated CF sensor (TactiCath, Endosense, Geneva, Switzerland) was used to perform pulmonary vein isolation in 46 patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. During the ablation procedure, the operator was blinded to CF information. At follow-up, an interventional diagnostic procedure was performed to assess gap location as correlated to index procedure ablation parameters. At follow-up, 65% (26/40) of patients showed ≥1 gaps. Ablations with minimum Force–Time Integral (FTI) <400 gs showed increased likelihood for reconnection (
P
<0.001). Reconnection correlated strongly with minimum CF (
P
<0.0001) and minimum FTI (
P
=0.0007) at the site of gap. Gap occurrence showed a strong trend with lower average CF and average FTI. CF and FTI are generally higher on the right side, although the left anterior segment presents a unique challenge to achieve stable position with good CF.

Conclusions—

Minimum CF and minimum FTI values are strong predictors of gap formation. Optimal CF parameter recommendations are a target CF of 20 g and a minimum FTI of 400 gs for each new lesion.
Randomly Connected Networks Have Short Temporal Memory
Authors: Wallace Edward , Maei Hamid Reza , Latham Peter E.
Published: March 2013

The brain is easily able to process and categorize complex time-varying signals. For example, the two sentences, “It is cold in London this time of year” and “It is hot in London this time of year,” have different meanings, even though the words hot and cold appear several seconds before the ends of the two sentences. Any network that can tell these sentences apart must therefore have a long temporal memory. In other words, the current state of the network must depend on events that happened several seconds ago. This is a difficult task, as neurons are dominated by relatively short time constants—tens to hundreds of milliseconds. Nevertheless, it was recently proposed that randomly connected networks could exhibit the long memories necessary for complex temporal processing. This is an attractive idea, both for its simplicity and because little tuning of recurrent synaptic weights is required. However, we show that when connectivity is high, as it is in the mammalian brain, randomly connected networks cannot exhibit temporal memory much longer than the time constants of their constituent neurons.
A new species of gymnophthalmid lizard of the genus Anadia (Gymnophthalmidae: Cercosaurinae) from Northern Andes of Colombia
Authors: Arredondo Juan C.
Published: March 2013

A new Colombian species of gymnophthalmid lizard is described from Porce River piedmont, in the northern region of the Cordillera Central of Colombia. The new species is allocated in the Anadia bitaeniata group and represents the westernmost member of the group. This species is distinguished primarily by the sub-hexagonal dorsal scales, large quadrangular ventral scales, ten femoral pores per leg not separated by inter-pore scales in both sexes, and by a combination of several characteristic scale counts, hemipenial morphology and color pattern. The threatened status of the new species is discussed.
Conveyance and Convergence: Visual Culture in Medieval Cyprus
Authors: Andrews Justine
Published: March 2013

Abstract

While the trajectory of transmission of art in the Mediterranean has often been understood as West to East, here I will consider the transmission of artistic sources to Cyprus from both the West and East. These trajectories open a dialogue regarding the question of how the many sources that underpin Cypriot medieval art converged on the island. Focusing on commissions of the Lusignan dynasty, as well as other powerful communities such as the Orthodox Greeks and the Genoese, this paper shows that the social and political identity of these groups was constantly in flux; the artistic styles they used to express themselves changed according to their shifts in status. Thus, their use of artistic and architectural styles was strategic and both reflected and shaped the family’s changing political and economic position in the Mediterranean.
Imported and Native Remedies for a Wounded “Prince”: Grave Goods from the Chungul Kurgan in the Black Sea Steppe of the Thirteenth Century
Authors: Holod Renata , Rassamakin Yuriy
Published: March 2013

Abstract

A burial of a Turkic (Qıpčaq/Cuman/Polovtsian) prince excavated in the grasslands of southern Ukraine is witness to an exchange in objects and products throughout the Black Sea/Mediterranean littoral, the Middle East, and central and northwest Europe in the Middle Ages. The grave goods, arms and costumes, which are of unprecedented richness for a medieval Turkic burial, are datable to the first three decades of the thirteenth century. They were likely accumulated through trading and raiding or through diplomatic and marriage gifts of this Qıpčaq leader, and his tribal confederation, with the neighboring Rus’, Georgian, Armenian, Hungarian, Byzantine, Crusader and Islamic polities. Among the grave goods excavated in the tumulus/ kurgan are a variety of containers such as two complete and reused amphorae, glazed ceramic albarello and bottle and a gilded silver covered cup. The albarello and bottle could be associated with the Mediterranean pharmacological practice of shipping valuable substances in specialized containers. Other vessels, such as the covered ceremonial cup from northwest Europe, were reused likely in a complex ritual utilizing plants native to these grasslands. This paper will consider the circumstances under which these substances would have been deposited and discuss the origins and uses of the containers.
Portable Palaces: On the Circulation of Objects and Ideas about Architecture in Medieval Anatolia and Mesopotamia
Authors: Redford Scott
Published: March 2013

Abstract

This essay examines two categories of portable objects: ceramics and ephemeral architecture (such as tents, palanquins, litters) for clues to the transmission of ideas about palatial architecture and the creation of a shared taste for a certain kind of palatial form and decoration between Christian and Muslim states whose artistic production is usually considered separately. The time period investigated is the twelfth to fourteenth centuries, and the geographical area investigated spans Constantinople, Anatolia and northern Mesopotamia. Without denying the importance of traveling craftsmen as vectors for artistic exchange, this essay argues that portable objects and portable or ephemeral architecture helped create the taste and demand for a supranational palatial architecture.
Drawing, Memory and Imagination in the Wolfenbüttel Musterbuch
Authors: Geymonat Ludovico V.
Published: March 2013

Abstract

The Wolfenbüttel Musterbuch (Cod. Guelf. 61.2 Aug. 8°, fols. 75-94, Herzog August Bibliothek, Wolfenbüttel, Germany) is considered a crucial example of a medieval modelbook. The collection of drawings contained within its pages has long been identified as key evidence for the transmission of artistic motifs between Byzantium and western Europe in the thirteenth century. Offering an in-depth analysis of the drawings and the quire that contains them, the present article suggests that the drawings were made with the purpose of working through visual representations that the draftsman found intriguing and that he sketched in order to train his own hand, memory and imagination. This hypothesis challenges some of the assumptions behind the category of medieval modelbooks as a means of faithfully reproducing images so that they can be further copied in another context. If the main goal of the drawings in Wolfenbüttel was that of enriching the draftsman’s visual memory and exploring imaginative possibilities, their value as reproductions might have been marginal, but their role as means of cross-cultural encounter was decisive.
Samanid Silver and Trade along the Fur Route
Authors: Michailidis Melanie
Published: March 2013

Abstract

While much scholarly attention has been devoted to cultural exchange in recent years, most of the focus has been on the Mediterranean Sea and the land and sea routes connecting China to the Islamic world and beyond to Europe. In the tenth century, another major trading route also flourished between Central Asia and northeastern Europe. Furs and slaves were sent from Scandinavia, Russia and Eastern Europe in exchange for silver which was mined in the realm of the Samanids in Central Asia. Not only were Samanid coins used as currency by the Vikings, but Samanid luxury metalwork objects have also been found in Europe. Using the evidence of such finds, this paper posits the Fur Route as a major avenue of cultural interchange in the Middle Ages and the Samanids as important actors on the medieval global stage. An examination of their far-flung trading connections along the Fur Route not only reveals transmission between these regions, but also reiterates the importance of the Samanids in the history of Islamic art and in that of the broader medieval world.
Translating Image and Text in the Medieval Mediterranean World between the Tenth and Thirteenth Centuries
Authors: Hoffman Eva R.
Published: March 2013

Abstract

This paper approaches the issue of the mechanisms and routes of transmission through the celebrated phenomenon of the translation of scientific works, to and from Greek, Arabic and Latin, that had its beginnings in Baghdad in the eighth century and expanded throughout European Mediterranean centers of scholarship by the eleventh and twelfth centuries. The focus is on the famous De Materia Medica of the first-century CE scholar Dioscorides and specifically on illustrated versions of this text. I analyze the process of textual and visual transmission by introducing the concept of an interactive space of translation as a theoretical framework for understanding how translation operated as a mediator of exchange. The contention here is that through the negotiation of these various intersections, translation served as a dynamic, collaborative and ongoing process that played a significant role in the formation and transmission of both art and scholarship throughout the medieval Mediterranean.
On Memory, Transmission and the Practice of Building in the Crusader Mediterranean
Authors: Grossman Heather E.
Published: March 2013

Abstract

Memory played a key role in the cross-cultural transmission of medieval architectural knowledge amongst patrons, designers, ateliers and audiences from different religious, cultural and architectural traditions. Two aspects of architectural memory are here posited as playing a role in the dissemination of architectural forms and styles: a “cultural memory” that evoked specific, earlier sites of ideological or other significance to patrons; and a “pragmatic memory” of learned, practical skills that was transmitted amongst masons themselves. These interlocking yet distinct aspects of memory in architecture are not unique to cross-cultural transmission, but they had particular impact when deployed by patrons and masons across physical or conceptual borders. Whether introduced by practical means or for associative reasons, new forms further moved across regions with artisans, who proffered (and learned) new modes of working while traveling. Examination of the Cistercian Monastery of Zaraka in Stymphalia, Greece and other churches of the thirteenth-century, post-Crusade Peloponnese and greater Eastern Mediterranean demonstrate how both aspects of architectural memory can be read in the physical architectural record. This methodology also re-inscribes masons into a history of the cross-cultural creative process, showing that builders were vital in the processes of transmitting and interpreting forms.
Cross-Cultural Insights into Climate Change Skepticism
Authors: Rudiak-Gould Peter
Published: March 2013

With an eye toward developing more effective climate change education, social scientists have attempted to diagnose the reasons for lingering public skepticism of anthropogenic climate change. But rarely is the question addressed with the benefit of cross-cultural research. Geographer Simon Donner has demonstrated the utility of such an approach: drawing on a vast ethnographic and historical record, it is possible to surmise to what extent anthropogenic climate change skepticism stems from panhuman cognitive habits versus culturally and historically specific circumstances, with deep consequences back at home for climate education and citizen–climatologist dialogue. While building from this method, this article departs from Donner's reading of the ethnographic record as demonstrating a cross-culturally pervasive human intuition that the weather is beyond human influence, arguing instead for the role of culturally specific commitments such as the distinction between nature and society, “just world” belief, faith in progress, and system justification. Various climate change communication strategies based upon these alternate reasons for skepticism are suggested, and ultimately it is argued that the ideologically fraught nature of these beliefs takes the matter beyond the realm of “science education” into the arena of democratic dialogue.
A Physically Based Identification of Vertical Profiles of Reflectivity from Volume Scan Radar Data
Authors: Kirstetter Pierre-Emmanuel , Andrieu Hervé , Boudevillain Brice , Delrieu Guy
Published: March 2013

The vertical profile of reflectivity (VPR) must be identified to correct estimations of rainfall rates by radar for the nonuniform beam filling associated with the vertical variation of radar reflectivity. A method for identifying VPRs from volumetric radar data is presented that takes into account the radar sampling. Physically based constraints on the vertical structure of rainfall are introduced with simple VPR models within a rainfall classification procedure defining more homogeneous precipitation patterns. The model parameters are identified in the framework of an extended Kalman filter to ensure their temporal consistency. The method is assessed using the dataset from a volume-scanning strategy for radar quantitative precipitation estimation designed in 2002 for the Bollène radar (France). The physical consistency of the retrieved VPR is evaluated. Positive results are obtained insofar as the physically based identified VPR (i) presents physically consistent shapes and characteristics considering beam effects, (ii) shows improved robustness in the difficult radar measurement context of the Cévennes–Vivarais region, and (iii) provides consistent physical insight into the rain field.
Detection and Attribution of Observed Changes in Northern Hemisphere Spring Snow Cover
Authors: Rupp David E. , Mote Philip W. , Bindoff Nathaniel L. , Stott Peter A. , Robinson David A.
Published: March 2013

Significant declines in spring Northern Hemisphere (NH) snow cover extent (SCE) have been observed over the last five decades. As one step toward understanding the causes of this decline, an optimal fingerprinting technique is used to look for consistency in the temporal pattern of spring NH SCE between observations and simulations from 15 global climate models (GCMs) that form part of phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project. The authors examined simulations from 15 GCMs that included both natural and anthropogenic forcing and simulations from 7 GCMs that included only natural forcing. The decline in observed NH SCE could be largely explained by the combined natural and anthropogenic forcing but not by natural forcing alone. However, the 15 GCMs, taken as a whole, underpredicted the combined forcing response by a factor of 2. How much of this underprediction was due to underrepresentation of the sensitivity to external forcing of the GCMs or to their underrepresentation of internal variability has yet to be determined.
A Variational Method for Detecting and Characterizing Convective Vortices in Cartesian Wind Fields
Authors: Potvin Corey K.
Published: March 2013

Vortex detection algorithms are required for both research and operational applications in which data volume precludes timely subjective examination of model or analysis fields. Unfortunately, objective detection of convective vortices is often hindered by the strength and complexity of the flow in which they are embedded. To address this problem, a variational vortex-fitting algorithm previously developed to detect and characterize vortices observed by Doppler radar has been modified to operate on gridded horizontal wind data. The latter are fit to a simple analytical model of a vortex and its proximate environment, allowing the retrieval of important vortex characteristics. This permits the development of detection criteria tied directly to vortex properties (e.g., maximum tangential wind), rather than to more general kinematical properties that may poorly represent the vortex itself (e.g., vertical vorticity) when the background flow is strongly sheared. Thus, the vortex characteristic estimates provided by the technique may permit more effective detection criteria while providing useful information about vortex size, intensity, and trends therein. In tests with two simulated supercells, the technique proficiently detects and characterizes vortices, even in the presence of complex flow. Sensitivity tests suggest the algorithm would work well for a variety of vortex sizes without additional tuning. Possible applications of the technique include investigating relationships between mesocyclone and tornado characteristics, and detecting tornadoes, mesocyclones, and mesovortices in real-time ensemble forecasts.
The Impact of Large-Scale Forcing on Skill of Simulated Convective Initiation and Upscale Evolution with Convection-Allowing Grid Spacings in the WRF*
Authors: Duda Jeffrey D. , Gallus William A.
Published: March 2013

A set of mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) was simulated using the Weather Research and Forecasting model with 3-km grid spacing to investigate the skill at predicting convective initiation and upscale evolution into an MCS. Precipitation was verified using equitable threat scores (ETSs), the neighborhood-based fractions skill score (FSS), and the Method of Object-Based Diagnostic Evaluation. An illustrative case study more closely examines the strong influence that smaller-scale forcing features had on convective initiation.

Initiation errors for the 36 cases were in the south-southwest direction on average, with a mean absolute displacement error of 105 km. No systematic temporal error existed, as the errors were approximately normally distributed. Despite earlier findings that quantitative precipitation forecast skill in convection-parameterizing simulations is a function of the strength of large-scale forcing, this relationship was not present in the present study for convective initiation. However, upscale evolution was better predicted for more strongly forced events according to ETSs and FSSs. For the upscale evolution, the relationship between ETSs and object-based ratings was poor. There was also little correspondence between object-based ratings and the skill at convective initiation. The lack of a relationship between the strength of large-scale forcing and model skill at forecasting initiation is likely due to a combination of factors, including the strong role of small-scale features that exert an influence on initiation, and potential errors in the analyses used to represent observations. The limit of predictability of individual convective storms on a 3-km grid must also be considered.
Adaptive thermal comfort model for air-conditioned hospitals in Malaysia
Authors: Yau YH , Chew BT
Published: March 2013

This article presents an adaptive thermal comfort model study in the tropical country of Malaysia. A number of researchers have been interested in applying the adaptive thermal comfort model to different climates throughout the world, but so far no study has been performed in Malaysia. For the use as a thermal comfort model, which better applies to hot and humid climates, the adaptive thermal comfort model was developed as part of this research by using the collected results from a large field study in nine hospitals with 293 workers. The relationship between the operative temperature and behavioral adaptations was determined. In the developed adaptive model, the acceptable indoor neutral temperatures lay within the range of 23.3–26.5℃, with outdoor temperatures ranging between 25.4℃ and 35.0℃. The most comfortable temperature for hospital workers was 26.4℃.

Practical implications: The new conclusions from the adaptive thermal comfort model in hospitals in the tropics could be used as an important guide for building services engineers and researchers. Their intentions are to minimize energy usage in HVAC systems in hospitals operating in the tropics while maintaining an acceptable thermal comfort level and thus improving the performance and well-being of hospital workers.
Development of a Framework for Cohort Simulation in Cost-Effectiveness Analyses Using a Multistep Ordinary Differential Equation Solver Algorithm in R
Authors: Frederix Gerardus W. J. , van Hasselt Johan G. C. , Severens Johan L. , Hövels Anke M. , Huitema Alwin D. R. , Raaijmakers Jan A. M. , Schellens Jan H. M.
Published: March 2013

Introduction. Dynamic processes in cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) are typically described using cohort simulations, which can be implemented as Markov models, or alternatively using systems of ordinary differential equations (ODEs). In the field of CEA, simple and potentially inaccurate single-step algorithms are commonly used for solving ODEs, which can potentially induce bias, especially if an incorrect step size is used. The aims of this project were 1) to implement and demonstrate the use of a modern and well-established hybrid linear multistep ODE solver algorithm (LSODA) in the context of CEA using the statistical scripting language R and 2) to quantify bias in outcome for a case example CEA as generated by a commonly used single-step ODE solver algorithm. Methods. A previously published CEA comparing the adjuvant breast cancer therapies anastrozole and tamoxifen was used as a case example to implement the computational framework. A commonly used single-step algorithm was compared with the proposed multistep algorithm to quantify bias in the single-step method. Results. A framework implementing the multistep ODE solver LSODA was successfully developed. When a single-step ODE solver with step size of 1 year was used, incremental life-years gained was underestimated by 0.016 years (5.6% relative error, RE) and £158 (6.8% RE) compared with the multistep method. Conclusion. The framework was found suitable for the conduct of CEAs. We demonstrated how the use of single-step algorithms with insufficiently small step sizes causes unnecessary bias in outcomes measures of CEAs. Scripting languages such as R can further improve transparency, reproducibility, and overall integrity in the field of health economics.