bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Abstracts: New viewpoints on the color differences between upper and lower lips and proposed makeup procedure
Authors: Kugimiya M. , Tanabe Y. , Hibi H. , Kumagai S.
Published: September 2010

pp.41–47

Generally, the color of a lip is affected by the amount of hemoglobin and melanin. Further, the lip is medically considered to have two parts, i.e., skin and mucous derived ones. In particular, capillaries of the mucous derived lip are located near its surface so it makes the lip look redder. It is reported that the lip gets dull as capillary condition changes with age. However, those reports have not referred to the color differences between upper and lower lips. In this work, first we evaluated the color of upper and lower lips and confirmed that the latter was redder in any generation. Then we evaluated how the difference in color between upper and lower lips gave impact to the visual effects by changing their colors. Then, we found that the color difference between upper and lower lips gave a great impact to their impression. As a result, it was found that when the color of upper and lower lips was made the same, it gave a natural, young and healthy impression. Formulation of MgTube in the lipstick was found effective to actually adjust the color of upper and lower lips. Further in the case of sheer lipstick, a combination of MgTube and pearlescent pigments was effective. By using these findings, we could develop a new makeup procedure.
Abstracts: In vitro/in vivo and analytical evaluation of sunless tanning formulations containing different rheology modifiers
Authors: Dueva‐Koganov O. V. , Mandalia Y. , Brito J. , Rocafort C. , Orofino S. , Vazquez G.
Published: September 2010

pp. 73–83

In vitro data suggest that different in vivo performances are expected for two dihydroxyacetone (DHA)‐containing formulations with similar concentrations of DHA and excipients but different commercially available rheology modifiers: one with a cationic polymer‐based rheology modifier (blend) [dimethylacrylamide/ethyltrimonium chloride methacrylate copolymer (and) propylene glycol dicaprylate/dicaprate (and) PPG‐1 trideceth‐6 (and) C10‐11 isoparaffin]; and the other with a polyacrylamide‐based rheology modifier (blend) [polyacrylamide (and) C13‐14 isoparaffin (and) laureth‐7]. Both rheology modifiers (blends) contained comparable levels of polymers and were used at 3% w/w (as supplied). Differences in color development were illustrated in vitro with respect to the yellow/red and lightness/chroma parameters, which were confirmed in the followup in vivo studies. The test article with the cationic polymer‐based rheology modifier produced a more natural sunless tan, comparable to a desirable sun‐induced tan, for all panelists, one that was more uniform and lasted longer compared with the sunless tan generated by the test article with the polyacrylamide‐based rheology modifier. A method for HPLC analysis of DHA in sunless tanning formulations was established and utilized to confirm concentrations of DHA in test articles.
The effects of aging on nostalgia in consumers' advertisement processing
Authors: KUSUMI TAKASHI , MATSUDA KEN , SUGIMORI ERIKO
Published: September 2010

We investigated the triggers and functions of nostalgia in consumers' processing of television advertisements in relation to aging. Study 1 explored the contents and triggers of nostalgic experiences by requesting 451 undergraduates to write four different nostalgic descriptions (of scenes, songs, events, and commercials). An analysis of the descriptions using text mining revealed that nostalgic reactions occur in response to events that had been frequently repeated in the past and were separated from the present by a long time interval. Study 2 explored the functions of nostalgia among 737 consumers (15–65 years old) using a survey. Structural equation modeling revealed five steps in the processing of nostalgic advertisements. Aging facilitates a predisposition toward nostalgia. Highly nostalgic consumers are more sensitive to nostalgic triggers. Nostalgic triggers facilitate the retrieval of past events and memorization of advertisements that evoke familiarity and positive attitudes, which, in turn, facilitates the intention to purchase. Nostalgic predispositions and sensitivity to nostalgic triggers increase with age. This tendency was higher among men than among women. We proposed a model of nostalgia based on frequent repetition in the past and a long time‐lag between the nostalgia‐inducing event and the present.
Studies on ‘usual’ and ‘atypical’ serum cholinesterase using α‐naphthyl acetate as substrate
Authors: BAMFORD K. F. , HARRIS H.
Published: September 2010

Estimates of the Michaelis constants for usual5 and ‘atypical’ serum cholinesterase with α‐naphthyl acetate as substrate were obtained. Expressed as m‐moles α‐naphthyl acetate per litre the values were: ‘usual’ enzyme 0‐76 + 0‐056, ‘atypical’ enzyme 0‐58 + 0‐057.

The inhibition of the activity of the two enzymes by dibucaine, RO 2‐0683, and fluoride was also examined using α‐naphthyl acetate as substrate. It was found that, in the appropriate concentration range, the ‘usual’ enzyme was inhibited to a much greater degree than the ‘atypical’ enzyme by dibucaine and RO 2‐0683. With fluoride, however, the difference, though significant, was much less marked.

The findings are compared with similar data obtained when choline esters were used as substrates for the enzymes, and are considered in terms of the hypothesis that a structural difference at the ‘anionic’ site is the cause of the difference in the properties of the two enzymes.
FETAL GROWTH RETARDATION AND THE ARTERIES OF THE PLACENTAL BED
Authors: Brosens I. , Dixon H. G. , Robertson W. B.
Published: September 2010

summary

The morphology of the placental bed spiral arteries was studied in 68 pregnancies complicated by fetal growth retardation and in 40 pregnancies with a normally grown fetus. When the birth weight was normal the extent and depth of physiological vascular changes were normal except in those pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia. When the birth weight was low and the mothers were normotensive the extent and depth of physiological vascular changes were either normal or restricted, and in all patients with hypertension and a baby with low birth weight the physiological changes were restricted to the decidual segments of the spiral (uteroplacental) arteries. Acute atherosis was only found in pregnancies complicated by hypertension, particularly if there was proteinuria. We do not believe that there exists an arteriopathy which is common to hypertensive and normotensive pregnancies complicated by fetal growth retardation.
THE BACTERIOLOGY OF THE CERVIX AND UTERUS
Authors: Sparks R. A. , Furrier B. G. A. , Watt P. J. , Elstein M.
Published: September 2010

Fifty hysterectomy specimens were studied by a multiple biopsy technique to determine the normal bacteriological flora of the uterine cavity and cervical canal. All the uterine cavities and 23 of the cervical canals were sterile. The lower half of the other 27 cervical canals contained organisms similar to those found in the vaginal vault.
HYDATIDIFORM MOLE ARISING TWICE DURING BROMOCR1PTINE THERAPY
Authors: Ogborn A. D. R.
Published: September 2010

A patient with a prolactin secreting pituitary tumour is described, in whom two pregnancies occurred during bromocriptine treatment. Both were hydatidiform moles.
Maternal mortality and serious maternal morbidity in Jehovah’s witnesses in the Netherlands
Authors: Van Wolfswinkel ME , Zwart JJ , Schutte JM , Duvekot JJ , Pel M , Van Roosmalen J
Published: September 2010

Objective  To determine the risk of maternal mortality and serious maternal morbidity because of major obstetric haemorrhage in Jehovah’s witnesses in the Netherlands.

Design  A retrospective study of case notes.

Setting  All tertiary care centres, general teaching hospitals and other general hospitals in the Netherlands.

Sample  All cases of maternal mortality in the Netherlands between 1983 and 2006 and all cases of serious maternal morbidity in the Netherlands between 2004 and 2006.

Methods  Study of case notes using two different nationwide enquiries over two different time periods.

Main outcome measures  Maternal mortality ratio (MMR) and risk of serious maternal mortality.

Results  The MMR for Jehovah’s witnesses was 68 per 100 000 live births. We found a risk of 14 per 1000 for Jehovah’s witnesses to experience serious maternal morbidity because of obstetric haemorrhage while the risk for the total pregnant population was 4.5 per 1000.

Conclusions  Women who are Jehovah’s witnesses are at a six times increased risk for maternal death, at a 130 times increased risk for maternal death because of major obstetric haemorrhage and at a 3.1 times increased risk for serious maternal morbidity because of obstetric haemorrhage, compared to the general Dutch population.
Laparoscopic hysteropexy: the initial results of a uterine suspension procedure for uterovaginal prolapse
Authors: Price N , Slack A , Jackson SR
Published: September 2010

Objective  The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of laparoscopic hysteropexy, a surgical technique for the management of uterine prolapse, involving suspension of the uterus from the sacral promontory using bifurcated polypropylene mesh.

Design  The investigation was designed as a prospective observational study (clinical audit).

Setting  The study was undertaken at a tertiary referral urogynaecology unit in the UK.

Population  The participants comprised 51 consecutive women with uterovaginal prolapse, who chose laparoscopic hysteropexy as one of the available surgical options.

Methods  The hysteropexy was conducted laparoscopically in all cases. A bifurcated polypropylene mesh was used to suspend the uterus from the sacral promontory. The two arms of the mesh were introduced through bilateral windows created in the broad ligaments, and were sutured to the anterior cervix; the mesh was then fixed to the anterior longitudinal ligament over the sacral promontory, to elevate the uterus.

Main outcome measures  Cure of the uterine prolapse was evaluated subjectively using the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire for vaginal symptoms (ICIQ‐VS), and objectively by vaginal examination using the Baden–Walker halfway system and the pelvic organ prolapse quantification (POP‐Q) scale. Operative and postoperative complications were also assessed.

Results  The mean age of the 51 women was 52.5 years (range 19–71 years). All were sexually active, and at least three of them expressed a strong desire to have children in the future. All were available for follow‐up in clinic at 10 weeks, and 38 have completed the questionnaires. In 50 out of 51 women the procedure was successful, with no objective evidence of uterine prolapse on examination at follow‐up; there was one failure. Significant subjective improvements in prolapse symptoms, sexual wellbeing and related quality of life were observed, as detected by substantial reductions in the respective questionnaire scores.

Conclusions  Laparoscopic hysteropexy is both a feasible and an effective procedure for correcting uterine prolapse without recourse to hysterectomy. It allows restoration of the length of the vagina without compromising its calibre, and is therefore likely to have a favourable functional outcome.
Original Contribution: Photodynamic therapy in the management of acne: an update
Authors: Elsaie Mohamed L , Choudhary Sonal
Published: September 2010

Acne, one of the most common dermatological diseases, is characterized by inflammatory and noninflammatory lesions that may progress to scars. Starting from pubertal age groups, it can affect adults in the age group 35–40 or more. The conventional therapies for treatment of acne are facing roadblocks because of the antibiotic resistance developing against Propionibacterium acnes. This has led to trying new therapies, of which photodynamic therapy (PDT) seems to be the one under intensive study. Promising results have been observed with PDT use in acne treatment, but it still has some more way to go to acquire the FDA approval for use in acne treatment. This is a review of the literature of use of PDT in treatment of acne, providing a starting point for dermatologists seeking to treat their patients with acne safely and effectively with this new method.
Original Contribution: Hyperandrogenism does not predispose patients to photoepilatory treatment failure: a single‐center review
Authors: Taylor Marisa , Gonzalez Maria
Published: September 2010

Studies have suggested that patients with PCOS tend to be more treatment resistant to light‐mediated depilation compared with their non‐PCOS counterparts. We conducted a retrospective assessment of 29 hirsute patients treated between January 2006 and February 2007 to assess whether those with unsatisfactory hair clearance after treatment with intense pulsed light (IPL) were predominantly hyperandrogenic. The number of IPL sessions was also recorded for those patients failing to improve on treatment. Seventy‐six percent had satisfactory hair clearance where hyperandrogenic patients dominated. All patients required an average of six treatments before discharge. Eighty‐eight percent of poor responders were normoandrogenic. Our hyperandrogenic cohort appeared more responsive to IPL than the normoandrogenic patients. From our observations, the presence of hyperandrogenism does not indicate treatment resistance. This standpoint is unique and warrants a randomized trial directly comparing the two groups to investigate whether a positive or negative relationship actually exists.
Research Letter: Risk of postinflammatory hyperpigmentation with Fern pattern technique in injecting hyaluronic acid gel
Authors: Noh Seongmin , Lee Sang Ju , Roh Mi Ryung
Published: September 2010

Fern pattern technique refers to a novel technique to inject acids gels in the dermis for optimal correction of dynamic facial lines. Although it has been proposed to show good results in correcting dynamic facial lines, it may result in higher risk of postinflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) since this technique requires multiple needle puncture for injection. We present a patient who showed PIH after injection of hyaluronic acid gel with this technique which made the facial lines more visibly apparent.
Research Letter: Lactic acid peeling in superficial acne scarring in Indian skin
Authors: Sachdeva Silonie
Published: September 2010

Introduction  Chemical peeling with both alpha and beta hydroxy acids has been used to improve acne scarring with pigmentation. Lactic acid, a mild alpha hydroxy acid, has been used in the treatment of various dermatological indications but no study is reported in acne scarring with pigmentation.

Aims  To evaluate the efficacy and safety of full strength pure lactic acid 92% (pH 2.0) chemical peel in superficial acne scarring in Indian skin.

Material and Methods  Seven patients, Fitzpatrick skin type IV‐V, in age group 20–30 years with superficial acne scarring were enrolled in the study. Chemical peeling was done with lactic acid at an interval of 2 weeks to a maximum of four peels. Pre‐ and post‐peel clinical photographs were taken at every session. Patients were followed every month for 3 months after the last peel to evaluate the effects.

Results  At the end of 3 months, there was definite improvement in the texture, pigmentation, and appearance of the treated skin, with lightening of scars. Significant improvement (greater than 75% clearance of lesions) occurred in one patient (14.28%), good improvement (51–75% clearance) in three patients (42.84%), moderate improvement (26–50% clearance) in two patients (28.57%), and mild improvement (1–25% clearance) in one patient (14.28%).
Mechanisms of insulin resistance in cancer associated malnutrition
Authors: Bennegård Klas , Lundgren Fredrik , Lundholm Kent
Published: September 2010

Summary. This study has evaluated insulin resistance under steady‐state conditions using the glucose clamp technique. Euglycaemic clamp investigations were conducted at 4–5 different insulin levels (70–1600 mUl‐1) in five malnourished cancer patients, four well‐nourished Intensive Care Unit patients (ICU) and 11 well‐nourished individuals. Whole body uptake of glucose was measured. In three cancer patients the flux of glucose across the leg was measured.

Cancer patients had significantly reduced fasting insulin concentrations, while ICU patients had increased levels compared to controls. The fasting levels of glucose did not differ among the groups. Both insulin sensitivity and responsiveness were reduced by 50% in cancer and ICU patients. At insulin levels of 200–250 mUl‐1, approximately 80% of the whole body glucose uptake could be accounted for by the peripheral tissues.

This study confirms that insulin resistance is a significant metabolic alteration in cancer associated malnutrition. The results demonstrate both decreased insulin sensitivity and responsiveness.
Plasma neuropeptide Y‐like immunoreactivity and catecholamines during various degrees of sympathetic activation in man
Authors: Pernow John , Lundberg Jan M. , Kaijser Lennart , Hjemdahl Paul , Theodorsson‐Norheim Elvar , Martinsson Arne , Pernow Bengt
Published: September 2010

Summary. Neuropeptide Y‐like immunoreactivity (NPY‐LI) and catecholamine concentrations in plasma were analysed during and after 60 min of physical exercise at a work load corresponding to 70% of individual maximal oxygen uptake in nine healthy men of average physical fitness. Systemic plasma NPY‐LI increased progressively from 18±3 to 81±19 pmolx1‐1 in parallel with a 10‐fold increase in noradrenaline (NA) concentration. The increase in plasma NPY‐LI during exercise and the decrease after completion of exercise were much slower than the corresponding changes in NA concentration. This difference is probably related to a slower diffusion of NPY into systemic circulation after release, as well as to a longer half‐life of NPY than of NA in plasma. Reversed phase HPLC and sephadex G‐50 gel‐filtration chromatography revealed that the main component of NPY‐LI in plasma during exercise eluted in a similar position as synthetic human NPY. During exercise plasma NPY‐LI correlated well with the plasma concentration of NA (r=0·80), but not with that of adrenaline (ADR), suggesting a neuronal origin of NPY. The self‐ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were well correlated with the plasma concentrations of both NPY‐LI and NA. No clear‐cut veno‐arterial concentration difference was observed for NPY‐LI. Isometric handgrip and orthostatic test doubled plasma NA concentrations but did not cause any increase in plasma NPY‐LI. No change in plasma tachykinin‐like immunoreactivity was detected during exercise. The present data suggest that NPY is released together with NA during strong, but probably not during mild, sympathetic activation under physiological conditions in man.
Determination of 99mTc‐DTPA clearance by a single plasma sample method
Authors: Christensen Anders Bak , Groth Steffen
Published: September 2010

Summary. To derive a formula for determination of 99mTc‐DTPA clearance (Cl) from the radioactivity in a single plasma sample, the relation Cl=ECV/ was used, where ECV is the extracellular volume and I is the mean transit time of the tracer in the organism. By studying 99mTc‐DTPA time activity curves of 45 consecutive patients we found that ECV could be estimated from the body surface area, and that I could be calculated from the radioactivity in a single plasma sample. Cl calculated by the single sample method was almost identical to Cl calculated by a standard multiple sample method (r=0·987). It is concluded that the single sample method is accurate and that it may prove useful as a routine method provided that (a) the method is not used in patients with 99mTc‐DTPA clearance less than 30 ml min‐1, since this investigation includes only patients with Cl>30 ml min‐1; (b) the method is not used for children, since the test material did not contain any children; (c) the method is only used for plasma samples drawn at 180≤t≤300 min.
Re‐Forging the ‘Age of Iron’ Part II: The Tenth Century in a New Age?
Authors: Howe John
Published: September 2010

The tenth century, once dismissed as an unpleasant ‘Age of Iron’, now receives increased attention as an important age of transition. Historians are attempting to understand how it fits into the broader narrative of Western Civilization. Although some scholars have identified it as the last act of the post‐Roman world, others see it as a new age. Perhaps the High Middle Ages with its agricultural and demographic revolution, its new villages and parishes, its revived cities, its reformed churches and schools, and its medieval monarchs began in the tenth century? Or were those changes not novelties of the tenth century but rather manifestations of a ‘take off’ that had already begun back in the Carolingian Empire, and which, despite the problems posed by late Carolingian wars and invasions, was able to continue, spread, and blossom into the growth and prosperity of the High Middle Ages? New scholarly interest in the tenth century has made it much less of a ‘dark age’, but scholars still are not quite certain how to conceptualize its historical significance.
Slaves and Free Blacks in VOC Cape Town, 1652–1795
Authors: Groenewald Gerald
Published: September 2010

During the past three decades, historians of the Cape Colony during the period of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) rule have transformed our view of the role of slavery. Slavery has moved from an issue of marginal importance to one which is now considered central to the establishment and growth of a colonial society in South Africa. Most of this work, however, focused on the agrarian areas of the colony, and there has, until recently, been relatively little attempt to plumb the uniqueness of the experience of slaves and free blacks in VOC Cape Town. This topic deserves interest because of the cosmopolitan nature of the urban environment and its links with the wider world of the Indian Ocean. This article is a synthesis of the most important recent research on the experience of slaves and free blacks in Cape Town. It shows that although there is general agreement about the origins and development of slavery, its demographic nature and its economic significance, Cape historians have yet to fully utilise the available sources to trace the cultural and social history of urban slavery. This article indicates some of the areas – such as family history, the role of religion, material culture and the creation of meaning – which are in need of research, and suggests some of the sources and approaches which could be utilised.
Ulster Sectarianism and the Lessons of South Asian Historiography
Authors: Farrell Sean
Published: September 2010

In recent years, both Irish historians and literary scholars have paid much greater attention to the many parallels, linkages and disjunctures between Ireland and India. Unfortunately, this work has failed to examine the striking parallels between the construction and operation of sectarianism and sectarian violence in nineteenth‐century Ulster and communalism and related violence in early twentieth‐century India. Looking closely at how these issues have been treated in both historiographies, I argue that there are striking parallels, as both Irish and Indian/Pakistani historians have struggled with the dictates of postcolonial nationalism, moving from reductionist binary assumptions about the nature of societal division to what I term the ‘consensus of complex avoidance.’ Irish historians, however, have much to learn from their South Asian counterparts, who have moved beyond such sterile consensus in recent years, producing works of great sophistication and insight. Above all, these scholars have treated communalism as a complex historical subject; a contingent and ever shifting ideology that often overlaps and co‐exists with seemingly contradictory notions of class and caste. This raises significant questions about the consensus of complex avoidance and the article closes by calling for Irish historians to revisit their assumptions about the study of Ulster sectarianism.
The Problem of Citizenship in the American Revolution
Authors: Bradburn Douglas
Published: September 2010

This essay explores the different ways historians have struggled to understand the emergence of citizenship in the American Revolution. From pieces of an empire of subjects, the United States of America became a republic of citizens, which promised real changes in the relationship of the government to the governed. Why did the vision of ‘citizens’ have such appeal? What did it mean to be a citizen, and who in fact could be an American citizen? How can we understand the limits placed on the boundaries of citizenship? Historians have struggled to find the best route to answer those questions. Dealing with a concept which impacts intellectual, political, legal, and cultural histories of the moment, and drawing upon scholarship on race, nationalism, ethnicity, and regionalism, the problem of citizenship opens and combines seemingly distinct literature in numerous ways. The rich body of work which informs this problem also allows students to begin recognizing the broader significance of the emergence of citizenship regimes in an Age of Revolutions.
Effect of Group Therapy for Breast Cancer on Healthcare Utilization
Authors: Simpson J. Steven A. , Carlson Linda E. , Trew Michael E.
Published: September 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether participation in a group psychosocial intervention by patients with breast cancer would result in an improvement in psychological measures and in reduced billings in general medical expenses.

description of Study: Eligible women who had completed treatment for stage 0, I, or II primary breast cancer were prospectively and randomly assigned to either the intervention (n = 46) or control (n = 43) group. Both groups received the usual psychosocial care; however, the intervention group also participated in six weekly cognitive/behavioral psychosocial meetings. All were assessed on psychiatric symptoms, mood, depression, and coping strategies at four time periods: preintervention, postintervention, 1‐year follow‐up, and 2‐year follow‐up. Alberta Healthcare billing records were obtained covering the 2‐year follow‐up period to determine the amount billed per person over the course of the study.

Results: Women in the intervention group had less depression, less overall mood disturbance, better overall quality of life, and fewer psychiatric symptoms than those in the control group, beginning immediately postintervention and remaining so at 2 years postintervention. Billing in the intervention group was an average of $147 less than in the control group, a 23.5% reduction.

clinical Implications: This is the first study to show that a psychosocial intervention can reduce direct healthcare billings in a sample of patients with cancer. Importantly, these findings help to justify the routine availability of such programs in cancer treatment facilities worldwide.
Barriers to Fecal Occult Blood Testing and Sigmoidoscopy Among Older Chinese‐American Women
Authors: Tang Tricia S. , Solomon Laura J. , McCracken Lance M.
Published: September 2010

Purpose: This study examined factors associated with fecal occult blood test (FOBT) and sigmoidoscopy screening use among Chinese‐American women age 60 years and older.

Description of study: One hundred women were recruited from senior centers in two metropolitan areas on the east coast of the United States. Participants completed a questionnaire that included sections on demographics, health history, health insurance coverage, FOBT and sigmoidoscopy use, common and cultural barriers to colorectal cancer screening, and acculturation.

Results: Logistic regression models found greater acculturation to be a significant predictor of having had a FOBT at least once, and found both greater acculturation and physician recommendation to be significant predictors of having had a sigmoidoscopy at least once. No significant predictors were found for regular adherence to colorectal screening guidelines, which include having undergone an FOBT in the past year and sigmoidoscopy in the past 5 years.

Clinical implications: This study found that older Chinese‐American women underuse FOBT and sigmoidoscopy screening, as is recommended by the American Cancer Society colorectal cancer screening guidelines. These findings suggest that cultural factors may influence the initiation of colorectal cancer screening for Chinese‐American women but are not predictive of adherence to screening over time. Outreach efforts to promote colorectal cancer screening in this population might target women who are less acculturated to facilitate an initial entry into the Western healthcare system to obtain screening.
The Utility of Heart Sounds and Systolic Intervals Across the Care Continuum
Authors: Peacock W. Frank , Harrison Alex , Maisel Alan S.
Published: September 2010

Acoustic cardiography is an exciting, new, easy‐to‐use, modernized technology that incorporates already proven techniques of phonocardiography. Application of acoustic cardiography to clinical practice can improve diagnosis and management of heart failure patients. Its clinical use should help address some of the need for robust, inexpensive, and widely accessible technology for proactive heart failure diagnosis and management. Acoustic cardiographically recorded measurements have been correlated with both cardiac catheterization and echocardiographically determined hemodynamic parameters. Heart sounds captured by acoustic cardiograms have proven to assist clinicians in assessing dyspneic patients in the emergency department by utilizing the strong specificity of an S3 for detecting acute decompensated heart failure. Acoustic cardiography offers a cost‐efficient, easy‐to‐use method to optimize the devices used in cardiac resyncronization therapy. The rapidly and easily obtainable information gathered by acoustic cardiography should foster its more widespread use in diagnosis and treatment of heart failure, including cardiac resyncronization therapy device optimization.
Neighborhood Context and Neighboring Ties
Authors: Guest Avery M. , Cover Jane K. , Matsueda Ross L. , Kubrin Charis E.
Published: September 2010

This article analyzes whether neighborhood context or environment in Seattle influences dimensions of social ties among neighbors, independent of the individual attributes of residents such as home ownership and socio‐economic status. Three dimensions of neighbor ties are examined: interaction, organizing collectively, and knowing about neighbors. A number of environmental attributes are considered, including the age of the housing, residential stability, levels of affluence, the presence of blacks and foreign born, the concentration of commercial areas (heterogeneous land use), and the degree of upkeep in the area. While many are correlated with neighbor ties, few have a strong relationship with neighbor ties when individual attributes are controlled statistically. We find, in addition, that the importance of context varies with the type of neighbor tie. We discuss the implications of these findings for formulating a contextual theory of neighborhood life.
Type I and Type II Error Under Random‐Effects Misspecification in Generalized Linear Mixed Models
Authors: Litière Saskia , Alonso Ariel , Molenberghs Geert
Published: September 2010

SummaryGeneralized linear mixed models (GLMMs) have become a frequently used tool for the analysis of non‐Gaussian longitudinal data. Estimation is based on maximum likelihood theory, which assumes that the underlying probability model is correctly specified. Recent research is showing that the results obtained from these models are not always robust against departures from the assumptions on which these models are based. In the present work we have used simulations with a logistic random‐intercept model to study the impact of misspecifying the random‐effects distribution on the type I and II errors of the tests for the mean structure in GLMMs. We found that the misspecification can either increase or decrease the power of the tests, depending on the shape of the underlying random‐effects distribution, and it can considerably inflate the type I error rate. Additionally, we have found a theoretical result which states that whenever a subset of fixed‐effects parameters, not included in the random‐effects structure equals zero, the corresponding maximum likelihood estimator will consistently estimate zero. This implies that under certain conditions a significant effect could be considered as a reliable result, even if the random‐effects distribution is misspecified.
Determining the Number of Clusters Using the Weighted Gap Statistic
Authors: Yan Mingjin , Ye Keying
Published: September 2010

Summary Estimating the number of clusters in a data set is a crucial step in cluster analysis. In this article, motivated by the gap method (Tibshirani, Walther, and Hastie, 2001, Journal of the Royal Statistical Society B63, 411–423), we propose the weighted gap and the difference of difference‐weighted (DD‐weighted) gap methods for estimating the number of clusters in data using the weighted within‐clusters sum of errors: a measure of the within‐clusters homogeneity. In addition, we propose a “multilayer” clustering approach, which is shown to be more accurate than the original gap method, particularly in detecting the nested cluster structure of the data. The methods are applicable when the input data contain continuous measurements and can be used with any clustering method. Simulation studies and real data are investigated and compared among these proposed methods as well as with the original gap method.
Management of Idiopathic Ventricular Fibrillation: Implantable Defibrillators? Antiarrhythmic Drugs?
Authors: Belhassen Bernard , Viskin Sami
Published: September 2010

Idiopathic ventricular fibrillation is a relatively rare cause of lethal arrhythmia, which has gained increased recognition during the last decade. Several therapeutic approaches have been adopted worldwide. The present review discusses these various approaches. Implantation of an automatic defibrillator is the most commonly recommended mode of therapy for patients with idiopathic ventricular fibrillation. Our own results, however, suggest that antiarrhythmic treatment with Class IA agents using an electrophysiologic‐guided approach is possible and may provide a safe and low‐cost alternative to implantable defibrillators in selected cases.
Limited Clinical Utility of Holter Monitoring in Patients with Palpitations or Altered Consciousness: Analysis of 8973 Recordings in 7394 Patients
Authors: Sulfi Sreekumar , Balami Dauda , Sekhri Neha , Suliman Abdel , Kapur Akhil , Archbold R. Andrew , Ranjadayalan Kulasegaram , Timmis Adam D.
Published: September 2010

Aims: To determine the clinical utility of 24 hour Holter monitoring by measuring the frequency of candidate arrhythmias recorded during the investigation of palpitations and altered consciousness.

Methods: Of 9,729 Holter recordings, reports were available in 8,973 (92.2%) performed in the 7394 patients who comprise the study group. The mean age of the study group was 66 ± 19 years and 56.4% were women.

Results: The most common indications were altered consciousness (41.7%) and palpitations (36.2%). Among patients with palpitations and sinus rhythm (n=2688), recordings were normal in 2247 (83.6%). Abnormalities included paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF, 6.6%), narrow complex tachycardia (NCT, 2.8%) nonsustained or sustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT/VT, 2.6%). Among patients with altered consciousness (n=3075), recordings were normal in 2589 (84.2%). Abnormalities included PAF (9.5%), NCT (2.6%), NSV/VT (0.2%), pause >2.8s (2.2%) and high degree AV block (1.3%). The diagnostic yield of Holter monitoring was particularly low in patients aged ≤50 years, of whom 93.1% had palpitations and 95.3% had altered consciousness had normal recordings.

Conclusions: The diagnostic utility of Holter monitoring in patients being investigated for palpitations and altered consciousness is very limited, particularly in young patients for whom alternative diagnostic methods should be considered.
Cardiac Arrhythmias Imprint Specific Signatures on Lorenz Plots
Authors: Esperer Hans D. , Esperer Chris , Cohen Richard J.
Published: September 2010

Background: Despite the growing number of studies using Lorenz (Poincaré) plots (LPs) for the analysis of heart rate variability (HRV), a possible correlation between the underlying ECG waveforms and the RR scatter plots has never been systematically studied. We report a comprehensive investigation of distinct Lorenz plot patterns (LPPs) encountered in the context of major cardiac tachyarrhythmias as assessed by 24‐hour Holter monitoring and detail the mechanisms underlying the specific LPPs.

Methods: The 24‐hour ambulatory electrocardiograms (AECGs) of 2700 patients with atrial and/or ventricular tachyarrhythmias and the AECGs of 200 controls with pure sinus rhythm were analyzed using an Elatec arrhythmia analyzing system (Elamedical, Paris 1996). This system allows for the generation of two‐dimensional LPs and the exploration of the underlying ECG waveforms. Each LPP obtained was categorized according to its shape and basic geometric parameters. In accordance with the most characteristic LPP feature, the LPPs were grouped into the following distinct classes: 1) comet shape; 2) torpedo shape; 3) H‐Fan shape; 4) SZ‐Fan shape; 5) double side lobe pattern type A (DSLP‐A); 6) double side lobe pattern type B (DSL‐B); 7) triple side lobe pattern type A (TSLP‐A); 8) triple side lobe pattern type B (TSLP‐B);9 island pattern type A (IP‐A); 10) island pattern type B (IP‐B).

Results: While a comet or a torpedo shape was associated with sinus rhythms, the other LPPs were specifically linked to the presence of cardiac tachyarrhythmias. Thus, a Fan shape was associated with atrial fibrillation or multifocal atrial tachycardia, whereas a DSLP indicated the presence of atrial premature beats, and a TSLP was highly specifically linked to frequent ventricular premature beats. An island pattern was exclusively associated with the presence of an atrial tachycardia or atrial flutter (sensitivity: 100%, specificity: 100%).

Conclusion: Major tachyarrhythmias imprint specific patterns on two‐dimensional Lorenz plots generated from 24‐hour Holter recordings. Thus, the Lorenz plot method has the potential to significantly improve the accuracy of arrhythmia detection and differentiation, particularly with respect to supraventricular tachyarrhythmias.
QT/RR Relationship in Patients after Remote Anterior Myocardial Infarction with Left Ventricular Dysfunction and Different Types of Ventricular Arrhythmias
Authors: Szydlo Krzysztof , Trusz‐Gluza Maria , Wita Krystian , Filipecki Artur , Orszulak Witold , Urbanczyk Dagmara , Krauze Jolanta , Kolasa Jaroslaw , Tabor Zbigniew
Published: September 2010

Background: QT/RR relationship was found to be both rate‐dependent and rate‐independent, what suggests the influence of autonomic drive and other not‐autonomic related factors on it. The steeper QT/RR slope in patients after acute myocardial infarction (MI) was described, but the relationship to ventricular arrhythmias is unknown. The purpose of this study was to calculate differences in QT/RR relationship in patients after remote anterior MI with left ventricular dysfunction and different types of ventricular arrhythmias.

Methods: The cohort of 95 patients (age: 63 ± 11 years, LVEF: 35 ± 9%) with previous anterior MI (mean 1.1 years) was divided into two well‐matched groups—50 patients without episodes of ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF) (NoVT/VF: 39 males, 64 ± 12 years, LVEF 37 ± 8%) and 45 patients with VT and/or VF (all with ICD implanted) (VT/VF: 35 males, 62 ± 10 years, LVEF 34 ± 10%). No true antiarrhythmics were used. QT/RR slope was calculated from 24‐hour Holter ECG for the entire recording (E), daytime (D) and nighttime (N) periods.

Results: Groups did not differ in basic clinical data (age, LVEF, treatment). QT/RR slopes were steeper in VT/VF than in NoVT/VF group in all analyzed periods: E ‐ 0.195 ± 0.03 versus 0.15 ± 0.03 (P < 0.001), N – 0.190 ± 0.03 versus 0.138 ± 0.03 (P < 0.001) and D ‐ 0.200 ± 0.04 versus 0.152 ± 0.03 (P < 0.001). No significant day‐to‐night differences were found in both groups.

Conclusions: Steeper QT/RR slope and complete lack of day‐to‐night differences in VT/VF patients show inappropriate QT adaptation to the heart rate changes. The prognostic significance of this parameter needs prospective studies.
Can U Waves Be “Notched”?
Authors: Ariyarajah Vignendra , Khadem Aliasghar , Spodick David H.
Published: September 2010

Abnormal U waves (unduly larger or misshapen) are associated with several conditions such as hypokalemia, arrhythmias, cardiac ischemia, ventricular hypertrophy, and hypertension. Abnormal U waves have also been linked to certain cardiac medications, predominantly antiarrhythmics. However, mechanisms of U‐wave‐abnormality remains debated and perhaps elusive with the true U‐wave relationship to T waves still being investigated. While there have indeed been reports of bifid (“notched”) T waves, such comparably described U waves have escaped us thus far. We present a case of possibly bifid U waves that persisted over the course of 10 years in the setting of repeated negative Holter monitor findings and clinical absence of atrial tachyarrhythmias. We take this opportunity to briefly discuss common causes of “normal” and abnormal U waves.
Laws of the Street
Authors: VALVERDE MARIANA
Published: September 2010

Critical urban studies scholarship has documented numerous particular uses and misuses of law in urban contexts. This article argues that case studies of specific campaigns about urban space are insufficient, and that if we want to understand the quotidian negotiation of urban norms and urban order we need to undertake systematic studies of the everyday, largely unpublicized workings of the whole array of municipal legal tools that influence how spaces and activities are organized. This argument is pursued by way of an inventory of all the legal forces converging on a single streetcorner, the intersection of Bloor and Saint George streets in Toronto. Since Toronto's legal arsenal is very similar to that used by North American cities generally, the inventory is of more than local interest.
Street, Life, and Other Signs: Heine in the Rue Laffitte
Authors: GOETSCHEL WILLI
Published: September 2010

In a dream sequence that Heine describes inLudwig Börne: A Memorial(1840), the narrator finds himself at night on a street corner exposed to the pulsating street life of nocturnal Paris. Read with recourse to the notion of Derrida's voyou (rogue), the paper examines the significance of street life in the 19th century and the critical issues and concern Heine's text poses. A unique view of the experience of modern city life, the narrator's observations from the corner stone at the intersection of Rue Laffitte and the Boulevard des Italiens articulate a visionary critique of the complex of the socio‐economico‐political and esthetic issues that define modern urban experience.
Rural‐Urban Difference and Student Fieldwork
Authors: GMELCH GEORGE , GMELCH SHARON BOHN
Published: September 2010

This article compares the research and field experiences of students studying in rural villages with those studying in a city. The student subjects are participants in two anthropology field training programs (rural Barbados and urban Tasmania) designed to give them a hands‐on experience of anthropological fieldwork. The comparison of rural and urban field schools reveals that the students doing fieldwork in the city have: 1. greater difficulty identifying a “community,” and locating informants, 2. gather far more of their data through interviewing where the village fieldworkers do more participant‐observation, 3. are less immersed in their research, and 4. have a more difficult time adjusting to doing “fieldwork” but otherwise an easier time adjusting to the culture, which is more similar to the North American urban and suburban backgrounds from which they come. Also discussed are some changes that were required in supervising student research in the city.
Morphology and Phylogeny of Two New Pleurostomatid Ciliates, Epiphyllum shenzhenense n. sp. and Loxophyllum spirellum n. sp. (Protozoa, Ciliophora) from A Mangrove Wetland, South China
Authors: PAN HONGBO , GAO FENG , LI JIQIU , LIN XIAOFENG , AL‐FARRAJ SALEH A. , AL‐RASHEID KHALED A.S.
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACT. The morphology, infraciliature, and small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene sequences of two new pleurostomatid ciliates, Epiphyllum shenzhenense n. sp. and Loxophyllum spirellum n. sp., isolated from a mangrove wetland near Shenzhen, South China, were investigated. Epiphyllum shenzhenense n. sp. is morphologically characterized by leaf‐shaped cell about 150 × 35 μm in vivo, usually with four contractile vacuoles, 20–29 right kineties and 10–26 left kineties, ca. four macronuclear nodules, and two types of extrusomes (i.e. short spindle‐shaped and long bar‐shaped). As a new species, L. spirellum n. sp. is distinguished from its congeners by its posterior dorsal margin twisted onto the left side, the distribution of extrusomes (evenly arranged along the oral slit, the posterior end, and clustered to 7–13 warts on dorsal margin), the subterminally positioned contractile vacuole, the number of kineties (8–10 on right side, 4–5 on left side), and its genetic distance from congeners. Phylogenetic trees based on the SSU rRNA gene sequence for both organisms were constructed, which indicate that Epiphyllum is a distinct genus and occupies a basal position in the Pleurostomatida clade; L. spirellum n. sp. falls well into the Loxophyllum clade, which has a close relationship with Litonotus and Spiroloxophyllum.
A Model of Knower‐Level Behavior in Number Concept Development
Authors: Lee Michael D. , Sarnecka Barbara W.
Published: September 2010

AbstractWe develop and evaluate a model of behavior on the Give‐Ntask, a commonly used measure of young children's number knowledge. Our model uses the knower‐level theory of how children represent numbers. To produce behavior on the Give‐Ntask, the model assumes that children start out with a base rate that makes some answers more likely a priori than others but is updated on each experimental trial in a way that depends on the interaction between the experimenter's request and the child's knower level. We formalize this process as a generative graphical model, so that the parameters—including the base rate distribution and each child's knower level—can be inferred from data using Bayesian methods. Using this approach, we evaluate the model on previously published data from 82 children spanning the whole developmental range. The model provides an excellent fit to these data, and the inferences about the base rate and knower levels are interpretable and insightful. We discuss how our modeling approach can be extended to other developmental tasks and can be used to help evaluate alternative theories of number representation against the knower‐level theory.