bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effects of the Two-Week Rule on NHS colorectal cancer diagnostic services: A systematic literature review
Authors: Thorne Kymberley , Hutchings Hayley A , Elwyn Glyn
Published: April 2006

Background

The Two-Week Rule (TWR) was introduced to ensure that all patients with a suspected colorectal cancer (CRC) saw a hospital specialist within 14 days of an urgent GP referral. Guidelines were available to GPs to facilitate the appropriate TWR referral of patients exhibiting high-risk CRC symptoms.

Methods

We aimed to evaluate the TWR and its CRC detection rate on NHS CRC diagnostic services by performing a literature search and critically appraising the peer-reviewed studies. Only 12 studies were eligible for inclusion. Data was collected and overall results were given as weighted averages.

Results

The studies identified indicated that only 10.3% of patients referred by the TWR were eventually diagnosed with CRC. When examining the referral origin of all CRC patients diagnosed during the time of the studies, 24% had been referred using the TWR, 24.1% were referred as emergency cases, and 52.4% were referred using alternative routes. No evidence was found to indicate that the TWR had resulted in identifying CRC patients at an earlier, more treatable stage of their disease.

Conclusion

The TWR referral system needs to be improved to increase the number of CRC patients referred using this fast track method as they present to their GP. The TWR and new NICE Guidelines for the referral of patients with suspected cancer should be independently evaluated.
A comparative analysis of chiropractic and general practitioner patients in North America: Findings from the joint Canada/United States survey of health, 2002–03
Authors: Hurwitz Eric L , Chiang Lu-May
Published: April 2006

Background

Scientifically rigorous general population-based studies comparing chiropractic with primary-care medical patients within and between countries have not been published. The objective of this study is to compare care seekers of doctors of chiropractic (DCs) and general practitioners (GPs) in the United States and Canada on a comprehensive set of sociodemographic, quality of life, and health-related variables.

Methods

Data are from the Joint Canada/U.S. Survey of Health (JCUSH), 2002–03, a random sample of adults in Canada (N = 3505) and the U.S. (N = 5183). Respondents were categorized according to their pattern of health-care use in the past year. Distributions, percentages, and estimates (adjusted odds ratios) weighted to reflect the complex survey design were produced.

Results

Nearly 80% of respondents sought care from GPs; 12% sought DC care. Compared with GP only patients, DC patients in both countries tend to be under 65 and white, with arthritis and disabling back or neck pain. U.S. DC patients are more likely than GP only patients to be obese and to lack a regular doctor; Canadian DC patients are more likely than GP only patients to be college educated, to have higher incomes, and dissatisfied with MD care. Compared with seekers of both GP and DC care, DC only patients in both countries have fewer chronic conditions, take fewer drugs, and have no regular doctor. U.S. DC only patients are more likely than GP+DC patients to be uninsured and dissatisfied with health care; Canadian DC only patients are more likely than GP+DC patients to be under 45, male, less educated, smokers, and not obese, without disabling back or neck pain, on fewer drugs, and lacking a regular doctor.

Conclusion

Chiropractic and GP patients are dissimilar in both Canada and the U.S., with key differences between countries and between DC patients who do and do not seek care from GPs. Such variation has broad and potentially far-reaching health policy and research implications.
Action of Lovastatin (Mevinolin) on an in vitro model of angiogenesis and its co-culture with malignant melanoma cell lines
Authors: Depasquale Ivan , Wheatley Denys N
Published: April 2006

Background

Lovastatin and other statins may reduce the development of melanomas. The effects on melanoma cells and their ability to enhance angiogenesis in a co-culture system presented an opportunity to assess whether Lovastatin act on melanoma cells, HUVEC or both types of cells.

Results

Direct effects of co-culturing two different malignant melanoma cells (A375 and G361) on the process of angiogenesis in vitro was studied with our angiogenesis model[1], based on human dermal fibroblasts and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Co-cultures were set up using "sland" and "dispersed seeding" techniques. A statistically significant increase in tubule formation in both cases was observed compared to controls. The effects of doses equivalent to therapeutic concentrations of Lovastatin were analysed. The drug inhibited the growth of all cell types, induced apoptosis, and markedly reduced the formation of tubules in the angiogenesis model at low concentrations. Its action was successfully reversed by the introduction of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate.

Conclusion

Lovastatin can reduce both tumour (melanoma) cell growth, and the angiogenic activity of these cells in co-cultures using an established 2-dimensional model angiogenesis system beyond that which would be seen by reduced proliferation alone.
Soy protein supplementation does not cause lymphocytopenia in postmenopausal women
Authors: Soung Do Y , Patade Anagha , Khalil Dania A , Lucas Edralin A , Devareddy Latha , Greaves Kathryn A , Arjmandi Bahram H
Published: April 2006

Background

The health benefits of soy isoflavones have been widely investigated; however, there are some concerns as to whether soy isoflavones, similar to ipriflavone, a synthetic isoflavone, cause lymphocytopenia in postmenopausal women. Hence, the purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which 12-month supplementation of 25 g soy protein containing 60 mg isoflavones alters lymphocyte counts or other hematological parameters in postmenopausal women who were not on hormone replacement therapy.

Methods

Eighty-seven postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to receive either soy protein or an equivalent amount of control protein devoid of isoflavones. Fasting venous blood was collected at baseline and at the end of twelve month study period for complete blood count analyses.

Results

Between the two treatment groups, the percent changes in hematological parameters, including lymphocytes, were not different. While women consuming the soy supplement had an increase in mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and red cell distribution width index (RDW; a marker of reticulocytes), women consuming the control diet had higher percentage of only MCHC.

Conclusion

Overall, the results of the present study indicate that consumption of 25 g soy protein containing 60 mg isoflavones daily for one year does not cause lymphocytopenia.
Regulation of the ovarian follicular vasculature
Authors: Fraser Hamish M
Published: April 2006

Angiogenesis is associated with follicular development and is regulated independently within each follicle potentially making the functioning of its vasculature critically important in determining its fate. This review examines the various ways in which follicular angiogenesis may be monitored, describes the follicular localisation and changes in pro- and anti-angiogenic factors that may regulate the process and how antagonists may be used to elucidate their physiological role in vivo. Thus, inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), VEGF receptor-2, vascular endothelial cell cadherin or interference with the angiopoietin system can inhibit follicular development or prevent ovulation.
The training and development needs of midwives in Indonesia: paper 2 of 3
Authors: Hennessy Deborah , Hicks Carolyn , Koesno Harni
Published: April 2006

Background

There is a shortfall in midwives in Indonesia (an estimated 26 per 100 000 people), which means that the quality of antenatal, perinatal and postnatal care varies widely. One consequence of this is the high rate of maternal and perinatal mortality, which has prompted a number of health initiatives. The current study was part of a review of the existing complex system of midwifery training and the development of a coherent programme of continuing professional development, tighter accreditation regulations and clearer professional roles. Its aims were to identify the occupational profiles and development needs of the participating midwives, and to establish whether any differences existed between grades, geographical location and hospital/community midwives.

Methods

A psychometrically valid training-needs instrument was administered to 332 midwives from three provinces, covering both hospital and community staff and a range of midwifery grades. The instrument had the capacity to identify occupational roles and education/training needs of the respondents.

Results

The occupational roles of the midwives varied significantly by province, indicating regional service delivery distinctions, but very little difference in the roles of hospital and community midwives. The most educated midwives attributed more importance to 35 out of the 40 tasks, suggesting an implicit role distinction in terms of level of activity. All midwives reported significant training needs for all 40 tasks. The most-educated midwives recorded training needs for 24 tasks, while the less-educated had training requirements for all tasks, which suggests that new training programmes are effective. Few differences in training needs were revealed between hospital and community midwives

Conclusion

The results from this survey suggest important regional differences in how the midwife's role is discharged and underline the importance of this sort of research, in order to ensure the suitability of basic and postbasic educational provision. The study also highlights the need for further development and training of midwives in a wide range of tasks. These results provide a systematic and reliable overview of current midwifery roles and development needs and could serve to inform future training.
Cytokines, GM-CSF and IFNγ administered by priming and post-chemotherapy cycling in recurrent ovarian cancer patients receiving carboplatin
Authors: Apte Sachin M , Vadhan-Raj Saroj , Cohen Lorenzo , Bassett Roland L , Gordon Ilyssa O , Levenback Charles F , Ramirez Pedro T , Gallardo Stacie T , Patenia Rebecca S , Garcia Michael E , Iyer Revathy B , Freedman Ralph S
Published: April 2006

Background

Monocyte/macrophages (MO/MA), a polymorphic population of innate immune cells, have the potential to mediate antitumor effects, and may also contribute to protumor effects. A priming and post-chemotherapy schedule of the myeloid cell mobilizing and immune stimulatory growth factor, granulocyte monocyte stimulating factor (GM-CSF, Leukine®) and the MO/MA activating cytokine recombinant interferon gamma 1b (rIFN-γ1b, Actimmune®) has been developed. The pre- and post-chemotherapy design is based upon knownin vivokinetics and immune modulatory effects of these molecules. Carboplatin (Paraplatin®) was selected as the cornerstone of treatment of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).

Methods

We studied hematopoietic and immunologic effects of GM-CSF and rIFN-γ1b before and after carboplatin in patients with recurrent EOC. Potentially chemotherapy-sensitive patients with recurrent measurable tumors received subcutaneous GM-CSF (starting at 400 μg/day) for 7 days plus subcutaneous rIFN-γ1b (100 μg) on days 5 and 7, before and after intravenous carboplatin (area under the curve of 5). We performed standard hematologic assessment and monitored monocyte (MO), dendritic cell, major cell subset counts, and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) against a Her2neu+tumor cell line, as well as selected plasma inflammatory cytokine, chemokine and growth factor levels.

Results

Our analysis comprised only the first 3 months of treatment in the initial 25 patients. Relative to pretreatment baseline values, white blood cell, neutrophil, MO, and eosinophil counts increased (P≤ .001 for each); the proportion of platelets increased 9 days after the second (P≤ .002) and third (P≤ .04) carboplatin treatments; and the number of cells in the activated MO subsets CD14+HLA-DR+, CD14+CD64+, and CD14+CXCR3+increased (P≤ .04 for each); plasma levels of the proangiogenic interleukins 1α, 6, and 8 were lower (P≤ .03 for each); M-CSF, a product of activated MO/MA, was increased on day 9 (P= .007); and GM-CSF was increased in plasma after GM-CSF administration (P≤ .04). Quality of life measurements were reduced during the GM-CSF/IFN-γ1b cycle while recovering at pre-chemotherapy baseline for FACT-G scores only.

Conclusion

A novel regimen of GM-CSF plus IFN-γ1b administered to 25 EOC patients receiving carboplatin increased myeloid cells, platelets and total activated MO populations during the initial 3 months; however, ADCC responses were not consistently enhanced during this period.
Molecular characterization of the HIV-1 gagnucleocapsid gene associated with vertical transmission
Authors: Wellensiek Brian P , Sundaravaradan Vasudha , Ramakrishnan Rajesh , Ahmad Nafees
Published: April 2006

Background

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) nucleocapsid (NC) plays a pivotal role in the viral lifecycle: including encapsulating the viral genome, aiding in strand transfer during reverse transcription, and packaging two copies of the viral genome into progeny virions. Another gag gene product, p6, plays an integral role in successful viral budding from the plasma membrane and inclusion of the accessory protein Vpr within newly budding virions. In this study, we have characterized the gag NC and p6 genes from six mother-infant pairs following vertical transmission by performing phylogenetic analysis and by analyzing the degree of genetic diversity, evolutionary dynamics, and conservation of functional domains.

Results

Phylogenetic analysis of 168 gag NC and p6 genes sequences revealed six separate subtrees that corresponded to each mother-infant pair, suggesting that epidemiologically linked individuals were closer to each other than epidemiologically unlinked individuals. A high frequency (92.8%) of intact open reading frames of NC and p6 with patient and pair specific sequence motifs were conserved in mother-infant pairs' sequences. Nucleotide and amino acid distances showed a lower degree of viral heterogeneity, and a low degree of estimates of genetic diversity was also found in NC and p6 sequences. The NC and p6 sequences from both mothers and infants were found to be under positive selection pressure. The two important functional motifs within NC, the zinc-finger motifs, were highly conserved in most of the sequences, as were the gag p6 Vpr binding, AIP1 and late binding domains. Several CTL recognition epitopes identified within the NC and p6 genes were found to be mostly conserved in 6 mother-infant pairs' sequences.

Conclusion

These data suggest that the gag NC and p6 open reading frames and functional domains were conserved in mother-infant pairs' sequences following vertical transmission, which confirms the critical role of these gene products in the viral lifecycle.
Derivation of normal macrophages from human embryonic stem (hES) cells for applications in HIV gene therapy
Authors: Anderson Joseph S , Bandi Sriram , Kaufman Dan S , Akkina Ramesh
Published: April 2006

Background

Many novel studies and therapies are possible with the use of human embryonic stem cells (hES cells) and their differentiated cell progeny. The hES cell derived CD34 hematopoietic stem cells can be potentially used for many gene therapy applications. Here we evaluated the capacity of hES cell derived CD34 cells to give rise to normal macrophages as a first step towards using these cells in viral infection studies and in developing novel stem cell based gene therapy strategies for AIDS.

Results

Undifferentiated normal and lentiviral vector transduced hES cells were cultured on S17 mouse bone marrow stromal cell layers to derive CD34 hematopoietic progenitor cells. The differentiated CD34 cells isolated from cystic bodies were further cultured in cytokine media to derive macrophages. Phenotypic and functional analyses were carried out to compare these with that of fetal liver CD34 cell derived macrophages. As assessed by FACS analysis, the hES-CD34 cell derived macrophages displayed characteristic cell surface markers CD14, CD4, CCR5, CXCR4, and HLA-DR suggesting a normal phenotype. Tests evaluating phagocytosis, upregulation of the costimulatory molecule B7.1, and cytokine secretion in response to LPS stimulation showed that these macrophages are also functionally normal. When infected with HIV-1, the differentiated macrophages supported productive viral infection. Lentiviral vector transduced hES cells expressing the transgene GFP were evaluated similarly like above. The transgenic hES cells also gave rise to macrophages with normal phenotypic and functional characteristics indicating no vector mediated adverse effects during differentiation.

Conclusion

Phenotypically normal and functionally competent macrophages could be derived from hES-CD34 cells. Since these cells are susceptible to HIV-1 infection, they provide a uniform source of macrophages for viral infection studies. Based on these results, it is also now feasible to transduce hES-CD34 cells with anti-HIV genes such as inhibitory siRNAs and test their antiviral efficacy in down stream differentiated cells such as macrophages which are among the primary cells that need to be protected against HIV-1 infection. Thus, the potential utility of hES derived CD34 hematopoietic cells for HIV-1 gene therapy can be evaluated.
Measuring additive interaction using odds ratios
Authors: Kalilani Linda , Atashili Julius
Published: April 2006

Interaction measured on the additive scale has been argued to be better correlated with biologic interaction than when measured on the multiplicative scale. Measures of interaction on the additive scale have been developed using risk ratios. However, in studies that use odds ratios as the sole measure of effect, the calculation of these measures of additive interaction is usually performed by directly substituting odds ratios for risk ratios. Yet assessing additive interaction based on replacing risk ratios by odds ratios in formulas that were derived using the former may be erroneous. In this paper, we evaluate the extent to which three measures of additive interaction – the interaction contrast ratio (ICR), the attributable proportion due to interaction (AP), and the synergy index (S), estimated using odds ratios versus using risk ratios differ as the incidence of the outcome of interest increases in the source population and/or as the magnitude of interaction increases. Our analysis shows that the difference between the two depends on the measure of interaction used, the type of interaction present, and the baseline incidence of the outcome. Substituting odds ratios for risk ratios, when calculating measures of additive interaction, may result in misleading conclusions. Of the three measures, AP appears to be the most robust to this direct substitution. Formulas that use stratum specific odds and odds ratios to accurately calculate measures of additive interaction are presented.
Conceptual biology, hypothesis discovery, and text mining: Swanson's legacy
Authors: Bekhuis Tanja
Published: April 2006

Innovative biomedical librarians and information specialists who want to expand their roles as expert searchers need to know about profound changes in biology and parallel trends in text mining. In recent years, conceptual biology has emerged as a complement to empirical biology. This is partly in response to the availability of massive digital resources such as the network of databases for molecular biologists at the National Center for Biotechnology Information. Developments in text mining and hypothesis discovery systems based on the early work of Swanson, a mathematician and information scientist, are coincident with the emergence of conceptual biology. Very little has been written to introduce biomedical digital librarians to these new trends. In this paper, background for data and text mining, as well as for knowledge discovery in databases (KDD) and in text (KDT) is presented, then a brief review of Swanson's ideas, followed by a discussion of recent approaches to hypothesis discovery and testing. 'Testing' in the context of text mining involves partially automated methods for finding evidence in the literature to support hypothetical relationships. Concluding remarks follow regarding (a) the limits of current strategies for evaluation of hypothesis discovery systems and (b) the role of literature-based discovery in concert with empirical research. Report of an informatics-driven literature review for biomarkers of systemic lupus erythematosus is mentioned. Swanson's vision of the hidden value in the literature of science and, by extension, in biomedical digital databases, is still remarkably generative for information scientists, biologists, and physicians.
Modulation of IgE-dependent COX-2 gene expression by reactive oxygen species in human neutrophils
Authors: Vega Antonio , Chacón Pedro , Alba Gonzalo , El Bekay Rajaa , Monteseirín Javier , Martín-Nieto José , Sobrino Francisco
Published: April 2006

Cyclooxygenase (COX) is a key enzyme in prostaglandin (PG) synthesis. Up-regulation of its COX-2 isoform is responsible for the increased PG release, taking place under inflammatory conditions, and also, is thought to be involved in allergic and inflammatory diseases. In the present work, we demonstrate that COX-2 expression becomes highly induced by anti-immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies and by antigens in human neutrophils from allergic patients. This induction was detected at mRNA and protein levels and was accompanied by a concomitant PGE2 and thromboxane A2 release. We also show evidence that inhibitors of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase, such as 4-(2-aminoethyl)benzenesulphonyl fluoride and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyaceto-phenone, completely cancelled anti-IgE-induced COX-2 protein up-regulation, suggesting that this process is mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) derived from NADPH oxidase activity. Moreover, the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), p38 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase, and also, the transcription factor, nuclear factor (NF)-κB, are involved in the up-regulation of COX-2 expression, as specific chemical inhibitors of these two kinases, such as SB203580 and PD098059, and of the NF-κB pathway, such as N(α)-benzyloxycarbonyl-l-leucyl-l-leucyl-l-leucinal, abolished IgE-dependent COX-2 induction. Evidence is also presented, using Fe2+/Cu2+ ions, that hydroxyl radicals generated from hydrogen peroxide through Fenton reactions could constitute candidate modulators able to directly trigger anti-IgE-elicited COX-2 expression through MAPK and NF-κB pathways. Present results underscore a new role for ROS as second messengers in the modulation of COX-2 expression by human neutrophils in allergic conditions.
Research Note—Managing e-Marketplace: A Strategic Analysis of Nonprice Advertising
Authors: He Chuan , Chen Yuxin
Published: April 2006

The e-marketplace has emerged as an important electronic shopping environment that, according to a recent Forrester Research report, may evolve into a dominant force in Internet marketing. We investigate an e-marketplace with online stores offering competing products. We find that featuring is associated with a price premium and serves as a mechanism to mitigate competition among online stores. In essence, featuring facilitates a convenience-price trade-off. Those consumers who find that the cost of searching outweighs the benefit of a lower expected price shop at the featured store where the price is higher on average. We endogenize consumers’ decisions on shopping at the featured store or use the search engine to shop at the low-price store and examine the robustness of our results in an n-store setting.
Regulating Directors' Duties with Civil Penalties: Taking a Leaf from Australia's Book
Authors: Lee Pey-Woan
Published: April 2006

This article examines whether the use of the criminal penalty as a ‘default’ sanction for regulating directors' core duties in Singapore is excessive, and if so, whether civil pecuniary penalties ought to be introduced in the reform of the existing sanctions regime. These questions are addressed principally by reference to the Australian experience.
Jury Service for All? Analysing Lawyers as Jurors
Authors: Parry R. Gwynedd
Published: April 2006

Section 321 of and Sched. 33 to the Criminal Justice Act 2003 abolished many of the old restrictions on jury service eligibility previously contained in the Juries Act 1974. The result has been to widen significantly the pool of eligible jurors in criminal trials. This article addresses some of the implications of allowing lawyers, including members of the judiciary, to serve on juries, and considers the recent guidance issued to them in order that they perform their role as jurors appropriately. It will also reflect upon the Court of Appeal's recent ruling in R v Abdroikov and Others, which considers many of the pertinent issues, including the issue of jury bias.
Deleterious Epistatic Interactions Between Electron Transport System Protein-Coding Loci in the Copepod Tigriopus californicus
Authors: Willett Christopher S
Published: April 2006

The nature of epistatic interactions between genes encoding interacting proteins in hybrid organisms can have important implications for the evolution of postzygotic reproductive isolation and speciation. At this point very little is known about the fitness differences caused by specific closely interacting but evolutionarily divergent proteins in hybrids between populations or species. The intertidal copepod Tigriopus californicus provides an excellent model in which to study such interactions because the species range includes numerous genetically divergent populations that are still capable of being crossed in the laboratory. Here, the effect on fitness due to the interactions of three complex III proteins of the electron transport system in F2 hybrid copepods resulting from crosses of a pair of divergent populations is examined. Significant deviations from Mendelian inheritance are observed for each of the three genes in F2 hybrid adults but not in nauplii (larvae). The two-way interactions between these genes also have a significant impact upon the viability of these hybrid copepods. Dominance appears to play an important role in mediating the interactions between these loci as deviations are caused by heterozygote/homozygote deleterious interactions. These results suggest that the fitness consequences of the interactions of these three complex III-associated genes could influence reproductive isolation in this system.
Percolation Theory for Flow in Porous Media
Authors: Schaap Marcel G.
Published: April 2006

Series: Lecture Notes in Physics, Vol. 674. Allen Hunt. Springer‐Verlag, Heidelberg, Germany. 2005. 203p. $59.95. ISSN 0075‐8450. ISBN 3‐540‐26110‐9.
La Verruca
Authors: Pedretti Carlo
Published: April 2006

In an article on the date of Machiavelli's Mandragola published recently in this journal, Sergio Bertelli makes reference to an unpublished document concerning Leonardo da Vinci as a military architect. This is a letter that the field commissary Pier Francesco Tosinghi wrote to the Florentine Republic on June 21,1503, reporting Leonardo's visit to the fortress of ‘La Verruca’ on the summit of the Verrucano mountain, about three miles from Pisa. ‘Leonardo da Vinci,’ writes Tosinghi, 'himself and company, came here and we showed him everything, and we think that he likes La Verruca very much, being well fitted to his taste. Afterwards, he said that he was thinking of having it made inexpugnable. But this is something to be set apart for the time being, for the main need is at Librafatta, which is not a small undertaking, nor one to be underestimated.
The Praise of Folly in Context: The Commentary of Girardus Listrius
Authors: Austin Gavin J. , Walsh Thomas M.
Published: April 2006

While contemporary scholarship on Erasmus’ Praise of Folly has been unusually productive, it has dealt primarily with structure and theme. It appears, however, that not nearly enough attention has been paid by scholars to the Listrius commentary which, after the 1515 Basel edition, became a standard appendage to the work. A close analysis of the commentary demonstrates that while at times it is ostentatious and irrelevant, its critical and interpretative remarks are often quite valuable. It can be seen not only as an objective statement of Erasmus' satiric method, but also as a kind of humanist courtesy book.

Almost from its inception, printers and translators made use of the commentary.
Sperone Speroni and Alessandro Piccolomini on Justification
Authors: Belladonna Rita
Published: April 2006

The aim of both Sperone Speroni's unfinished Dialogo della vita attiva e contemplativa and of Book I of Alessandro Piccolomini's Institutione Morale is to determine whether man's real happiness lies in action or in contemplation. In both works the issue is settled in favor of action. The authors were contemporaries and friends, and they happened to live in Padua in the period immediately preceding 1541, the year of the crucial Diet of Ratisbon. At that time there developed all over Europe an eager interest in the problem of justification by faith and by works. This trend is apparent in both works, since allusions to the religious question occur in the course of the discussion dealing with the advantages and disadvantages of the two types of life.
Erasmus Becomes a German
Authors: Tracy James D.
Published: April 2006

While the influence of Erasmus on his contemporaries has been studied in various ways, it has been little noticed that even at the height of his fame Erasmus could himself be influenced by those who looked to him for inspiration. He probably reached the summit of his prestige as the prince of European letters between 1514 and 1516, when many of his important works were printed for the first time or reissued: Enchiridion Militis Christiani, which P. S. Allen says first attracted wide notice in the edition of 1514; Moriae Encomium (1514 and 1515); Adagiorum Chiliades (1515); the Greek New Testament (1516) and the Epistulae of St. Jerome (1516). Except for the first, all these works were printed by the firm of Johann Froben in Basel. Erasmus came to Basel in the late summer of 1514 to publish his Adagia and, after a brief trip to England in the spring of 1515, returned to publish his New Testament. The men who gathered around him at Froben's press seem to have had more than a little to do with what went into his books.
Poetry and Politics in the Comento of Lorenzo
de' Medici
Authors: Shapiro Marianne
Published: April 2006

The Encomium of the Tuscan literary language which opens the Comento
sopra alcuni de' suoi sonetti of Lorenzo the Magnificent has
often been excerpted from its context and viewed in terms of its modernistic
impetus to the furtherance of the volgare. Governing its
survey of Tuscan tradition, however, is the spirit of cultural reminiscence
which generally pervades the Comento.
An Addition to Annibal Caro's Lettere Familiari: Notes on a Letter to Benedetto Varchi*
Authors: Samuels Richard S.
Published: April 2006

The private letters of Annibal Caro (1507-66) collectively offer numerous insights into the literary, scholarly, artistic, and political life of mid-sixteenth-century Italy. Even if it were not for the sheer bulk of Caro's correspondence, and its even distribution throughout the years of his maturity, it would constitute an important historical source simply because he had such a broad range of interests and such a wide circle of friends. As a personal secretary, first to Monsignor Giovanni Gaddi, then to Alessandro and Pier Luigi Farnese, and as a friend of both Marcello Cervini (Marcellus II) and Giovanni Antonio Fachinetti (Innocent IX), Caro had extensive inside knowledge of the political and ecclesiastical activities of the Roman curia at its highest levels.
An Early Record of Marsilio Ficino
Authors: Hough Samuel Jones
Published: April 2006

The importance of Marsilio Ficino, and the paucity of documentation regarding his early life and intellectual influences, gives special value to a brief but suggestive reference to him, made in October 1451. The reference is in the Libro creditori e debitori of Maestro Giovanni Chellini now owned by the Istituto di Storia Economica of the Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi in Milan. During a search of the volume for indications of Chellini's ownership and use of books I came upon this entry:

I record that on the 28th of October 1451 I lent to Maestro Marsilio, son of Maestro Fecino, who is tutoring Piero de’ Pazzi, a Logic of Maestro Paul of Venice on rag paper, bound in boards covered with leather, in the presence of Maestro Piero di Antonio Dini, elected to read logic in the University of Florence. Returned.
The Florentine Reggimento in the Fifteenth Century*
Authors: Kent Dale
Published: April 2006

Writing in 1466, in his biography of Bartolommeo Valori, an eminent
Florentine statesman of the early fifteenth century, Luca della Robbia was
moved to remark of his native city that ‘come ch'ella sempre fiorisse, ciò
fu massimamente dall'anno 1390 fino all'anno 1433,’ and that this was less
‘per lo favore di buona fortuna, come per consiglio de’ buoni cittadini
allora preposti al reggimento; la cui virtù si scoperse oltre a modo
maravigliosa, e tale che essi non dovriano dirsi inferiori a quei più savi
Romani così celebrati dall'antichità’; certainly anyone considering their
deeds and achievements ‘gli conterà agevolmente fra i primi uomini del
mondo’.
The Lettere Volgari and the Crisis of Evangelism in Italy*
Authors: Schutte Anne Jacobson
Published: April 2006

On September 27, 1540, Paul III issued the bull Regimini
militantis ecclesiae, formally recognizing the foundation
of the Society of Jesus. The following May participants in the Regensburg
Colloquy, a final effort at confessional reunion sponsored by Charles V,
acknowledged their failure to agree on the definition of the Eucharist, and
the compromises previously reached on other doctrinal issues were quickly
disavowed in Rome, Wittenberg, and elsewhere. Six weeks later, in mid-July
1541, Juan de Valdés, the expatriate Spanish master of semimystical
spirituality, died in Naples. On May 22, 1542, Initio nostri
huius pontificatus, the bull convoking an ecumenical
council at Trent, was read in the papal consistory. The reconstitution of
the Roman Inquisition was officially announced in the promulgation of
Licet ah initio on July 21 in the same
year.
Lorenzo de‘ Medici and Savonarola, Martyrs for Florence
Authors: Trexler Richard C.
Published: April 2006

The authority of a Renaissance ruler seemed to depend in part on the divine protection afforded him during his life. The identity of his protectors was to some extent a matter of birth: the saint of the day on which he was born, the saint's name given him at baptism (often the same), and the saints of his homeland. As he matured, the ruler might choose as additional protectors saints he believed would help him, and their identity depended on the client's assessment of their efficacy. The protection of still other saints was thrust upon the ruler. In military victory, after successful business negotiations, and with the birth of an heir, an already powerful man found that some saints volunteered their services on their feast days; they were then gratefully incorporated into the client's pantheon.
Bartolommeo Goggio: A Feminist in Renaissance Ferrara
Authors: Gundersheimer Werner L.
Published: April 2006

Readers in late medieval and early modern Europe had access to a lively and extensive literature on the nature of women. Philosophers, theologians, poets, physicians, and antiquarians of all kinds and degrees sought to describe and classify, analyze and dissect, justify or vilify the "second sex." As with other intense debates in those times, writers called upon the ancient sources of scientia and sapientia—factual knowledge and moral truth—to witness and buttress their arguments. The range of authorities was immense, both in time and substance, offering the diverse views of Aristotle and Augustine, of Ovid and Jerome, of Genesis and the Song of Solomon.
Querre-Muhau: Sir Philip Sidney and the New World
Authors: Kuin Roger
Published: April 2006

This article argues that, so far from being occasional or gold-greedy, Sidney's involvement with the New World was lifelong and more concerned with geopolitical strategy than with personal advantage. It traces his involvement through people such as Hakluyt, Eden, Willes, Gilbert, and Duplessis-Mornay, whose Vérité de la religion chrestienne (which Sidney had begun to translate when he died) contains a major theoretical defense of colonization as a means of saving the Reformation. It also offers a new explanation of Sidney's aborted voyage to the Americas with Drake.
The analysis of the onset of Soret‐driven convection in nanoparticles suspension
Authors: Kim Min Chan , Hong Joung Sook , Choi Chang Kyun
Published: April 2006

The onset of buoyancy‐driven convection in an initially quiescent, horizontal nanoparticles suspension layer heated from above is analyzed theoretically. In this thermally‐stable stratified fluid layer, the Soret diffusion can induce buoyancy‐driven motion for the case of the negative separation ratio. For the high solutal Rayleigh number, the convective motion sets in during the transient diffusion stage and the onset time of this motion is analyzed by employing the propagation theory. Here the stability criteria are obtained and the predicted critical time to mark the onset of convective motion, τc, is compared with available experimental data. It is shown that convective motion can be detected starting from a certain time τm ≅ 4τc. © 2006 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2006
Torsades de pointes upon fluconazole administration in a patient with acute myeloblastic leukemia
Authors: Tatetsu Hiro , Asou Norio , Nakamura Miki , Hanaoka Nobuyoshi , Matsuno Fumihiko , Horikawa Kentaro , Mitsuya Hiroaki
Published: April 2006

Prolonged QT syndrome often causes torsades de pointes (Tdp), a potentially lethal arrhythmia. A 55‐year‐old woman with M4Eo who was receiving consolidation chemotherapy had an episode of prolonged QT and Tdp following fluconazole (FCZ) administration. Intravenous supplementation of magnesium sulfate and multiple attempts at electrocardioversion led to recovery from the arrhythmia. FCZ appears to contribute to the development of QT prolongation, in particular with low concentrations of serum potassium or magnesium. Although mechanisms of Tdp development in patients with QT prolongation remain to be determined, it is possible that FCZ administration leads to manifestation of Tdp. Special cautions should be exercised upon the emergence of QT prolongation following FCZ administration. Am. J. Hematol. 81:366–369, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Hb Florida: A novel elongated C‐terminal β‐globin variant causing dominant β‐thalassemia phenotype
Authors: Weinstein B.I. , Erramouspe B. , Albuquerque D.M. , Oliveira D.M. , Kimura E.M. , Costa F.F. , Sonati M.F.
Published: April 2006

We report here a new frameshift mutation in exon 3 of the β‐globin gene, a single nucleotide deletion (‐C) in between codons 140/141 (GCC/CTG→GCC/TG), found in an 8‐year‐old Argentinean girl with clinical picture of thalassemia intermedia. It leads to a β‐chain that is elongated to 156 amino acids [(141)Trp‐Pro‐Thr‐Ser‐Ile‐Thr‐Lys‐Leu‐Ala‐Phe‐Leu‐Leu‐Ser‐Asn‐Phe‐(156)Tyr‐COOH]. The resulting hemoglobin, which we named Hb Florida, was not detected in peripheral blood; however, erythroid hyperplasia and dyserythropoiesis with large inclusion bodies on methyl violet staining were observed in bone marrow, suggesting that this is a hyperunstable variant producing a dominant β‐thalassemia phenotype, since the other β‐allele was completely normal. Am. J. Hematol. 81:358–360, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Allele frequencies of three factor VIII gene polymorphisms in Iranian populations and their application in hemophilia A carrier detection
Authors: Azimifar S. Babak , Seyedna S. Yoosef , Zeinali Sirous
Published: April 2006

Hemophilia A is an X‐linked recessive bleeding disorder caused by a quantitative or qualitative deficiency of blood coagulation factor VIII (FVIII). ARMS (amplification refractory mutation system) primers were designed to determine allele frequencies of three FVIII gene linked markers, IVS7 nt 27 G/A SNP, BclI/intron 18, and HindIII/intron 19 among 85 normal Iranian women from unrelated families. Then same method was applied to perform carrier detection for hemophilia A families. The allele frequencies of IVS7 nt 27 “G”/“A” allele, BclI “T”/“A” allele, and HindIII “C”/“T” allele among normal women were 0.88/0.12, 0.52/0.48, and 0.48/0.52, respectively. The three polymorphisms were found to be in strong linkage disequilibrium, which decreased the overall heterozygosity to 51%. Twenty‐one women from 15 unrelated hemophilia A families were referred to us for hemophilia A carrier detection. Taking advantage of these three biallelic polymorphisms in conjunction with multiallelic St14 VNTR (locus DXS52), IVS13 (CA)n STR, and IVS22 (CA)n STR, carrier status was determined in 16 women (16/21 or 76% of the at‐risk women) from 11 families (11/15 or 73% of the families). The used ARMS methods are rapid and can easily be applied in conjunction with other FVIII gene linked polymorphisms for indirect mutation detection of hemophilia A where they are informative. Am. J. Hematol. 81:335–339, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
An interactive framework for power system harmonics measurement using graphical programming and the Internet
Authors: Lin Hsiung Cheng
Published: April 2006

Traditional methods to measure power system harmonics employ the power harmonic analyser or the software package such as Matlab. They, however, have limitations in capability of graphical programming environment and extension to the Internet connection for remote monitoring and control. This paper presents an alternative approach using a virtual instrument (VI) that can carry out power system harmonics measurement based on Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). The experimental results testify to its good performance and remote monitoring capability. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 14: 44–52, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae.20066
A mutation in the zebrafish Na,K‐ATPase subunit atp1a1a.1 provides genetic evidence that the sodium potassium pump contributes to left‐right asymmetry downstream or in parallel to nodal flow
Authors: Ellertsdottir Elin , Ganz Julia , Dürr Katrin , Loges Niki , Biemar Frederic , Seifert Franziska , Ettl Anne‐Katrin , Kramer‐Zucker Albrecht K. , Nitschke Roland , Driever Wolfgang
Published: April 2006

While there is a good conceptual framework of dorsoventral and anterioposterior axes formation in most vertebrate groups, understanding of left‐right axis initiation is fragmentary. Diverse mechanisms have been implied to contribute to the earliest steps of left‐right asymmetry, including small molecule signals, gap junctional communication, membrane potential, and directional flow of extracellular liquid generated by monocilia in the node region. Here we demonstrate that a mutation in the zebrafish Na,K‐ATPase subunit atp1a1a causes left‐right defects including isomerism of internal organs at the anatomical level. The normally left‐sided Nodal signal spaw as well as its inhibitor lefty are expressed bilaterally, while pitx2 may appear random or bilateral. Monocilia movement and fluid circulation in Kupffer's vesicle are normal in atp1a1am883 mutant embryos. Therefore, the Na,K‐ATPase is required downstream or in parallel to monocilia function during initiation of left‐right asymmetry in zebrafish. Developmental Dynamics 235:1794–1808, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Measuring vehicle speed at a license plate using a pair of linescan cameras
Authors: Sakuma Satoshi , Takahashi Yasuko , Suzuki Akira , Shio Akio , Ohtsuka Sakuichi
Published: April 2006

An automatic vehicle speed measurement system is presented that can reliably associate the vehicle ID with the retrieved vehicle speed. The system captures images of vehicles passing between two points on the ground that are in the same vicinity, using a pair of linescan cameras installed in a parallel configuration, and measures the speed of passing vehicles by measuring the time taken for the vehicle license plate to move between the two points. In the proposed method, a pair of linescan cameras arranged in parallel is first used to detect passing vehicles and retrieve images of the front sections of the vehicles by capturing images of the vehicles from an angle diagonal to the direction of motion. High‐resolution images of the front section of the vehicles are obtained by image capture at a diagonal to the direction of the vehicles in order to obtain high spatial and temporal resolution images of the objects passing in front of the linescan cameras without the images being overly large. However, the license plate in the retrieved images is distorted depending on the position of the plate and the vehicle speed, and this distortion is corrected by performing a geometrical transformation on the images, based on the position at which the license plate passes the cameras and the time the vehicle takes to pass, as determined by finding corresponding blocks. After this, license plate recognition is used to determine the vehicle speed at the position of the license plate. A 24‐hour vehicle speed measurement experiment that used an infrared LED for illumination only during the nighttime achieved an 85.1% success rate in measuring the speeds of vehicles at the position of the license plates, thus verifying the validity of the proposed method. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 3, 89(10): 33–45, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecjc.20274
A management system for Internet routing using the OSPF LSA
Authors: Nagami Kenichi , Matsushima Satoru , Kikuchi Yutaka , Nakagawa Ikuo
Published: April 2006

Improved network reliability is a key concern for the Internet and corporate networks built on Internet technology. VPN operators, including Internet service providers and corporate networks, must be able to monitor the network services they provide to their users in order to quickly detect link or equipment problems and improve the reliability of their networks. The conventional approach to network monitoring, using SNMP and ICMP, tests whether another location can be reached from the monitoring terminal. But the delivery of user packets within the network is hindered not only by link or equipment failures, but also by mistaken routing information, which can effectively make the destination unreachable. For this reason, network monitoring also requires routing‐information monitoring, in addition to link and equipment monitoring. In this paper, we consider OSPF routing information within an autonomous system operated by a single organization, and propose and implement a routing information monitoring system. Our implementation connects to multiple networks and measures the stability of routing information on each network, considered an important indicator in monitoring routing information. It also detects routing‐information problems that cannot be measured using conventional network‐monitoring techniques, and by addressing those problems, contributes to improved network reliability. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 3, 89(10): 46–53, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecjc.20278