bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intersubjectivity and Bourdieusian Approaches to ‘Identity’
Authors: Bottero Wendy
Published: March 2010

Bourdieu’s emphasis on the socialized subjectivity of habitus is increasingly used in discussions of ‘identity’ to indicate the limits to reflexivity, situating ‘identity’ in tacit practice. In emphasizing the dispositional nature of ‘identity’, analysts also acknowledge more explicitly reflexive and self-consciously mobilized aspects; however, Bourdieu’s restrictive treatment of reflexivity makes it difficult to theorize the relations between these different aspects. The ‘problem of reflexivity’ is more properly a question of the intersubjective nature of practice, and the different aspects of ‘identity’ are better theorized as features of situated intersubjectivity. With practice the negotiated outcome of intersubjective coordination, then ‘calls to order from the group’, the routine monitoring of conduct, agents’ reflexive accounts of their activity, and the mobilization of agents into collectivities can be explored as features of the collective accomplishment of practices, by networks of variously disposed agents, whose actions, whilst dispositional, must nonetheless be accounted for and aligned.
Personal Branding and the Commodification of Reflexivity
Authors: Wee Lionel , Brooks Ann
Published: March 2010

Reflexivity as a concept has produced theoretical debates which have explored the relationship of social actors to agency and identity. Less attention has been paid to reflexivity as a commodity, that is, to the forms of reflexivity that different actors display and to the appropriateness of these forms. Actors who display appropriate forms of reflexivity are likely to be treated differently from actors who do not display such forms, thus resulting in a differential distribution of agency. It is increasingly apparent that reflexivity is a desired commodity which is not available to everyone. In other words, reflexivity as commodity implicates reflexivity as cultural capital. This article explores these issues through an analysis of personal branding and considers how reflexivity and personal branding are in fact emergent from cultural production.
The Changing Semantics of Youth and Adulthood
Authors: Blatterer Harry
Published: March 2010

This article analyses a contradiction: while living up to a selective image of youth has become imperative for the maximization of life chances, doing so attracts the discursive misrecognition of young adults’ personhoods. This cultural evaluation evinces a misapprehension of the meaning of adulthood whose increasing ambiguity is inseparable from changes in the semantics of ‘youth’. I begin by analysing the normative model ‘standard adulthood’ from a recognition-theoretical perspective and then outline transformations in the semantics of youth that undermine that model’s empirical validity. I argue further that labour and commodity markets have ‘liberated’ youthfulness from its biological, age-determined delimitations and have recast select, desirable (i.e. profitable) characteristics of youth as necessary for the maximization of individuals’ life chances. I conclude that the normative foundations of contemporary adulthood are ambiguous because the market has appropriated, altered and then sold back to us the dream of eternal youth.
The ‘Social Life’ of Scouse: Understanding Contemporary Liverpool through Changing Food Practices
Authors: Kierans Ciara , Haeney Jane
Published: March 2010

Questions of heritage, tradition and authenticity have been pushed to the fore by attempts to engineer a cultural and social ‘renaissance’ in the city of Liverpool, particularly in light of its recent European Capital of Culture status in 2008. Much of this reinvention has been discursive, asserting continuities with a re-imagined globalized, polyethnic and merchant past. This discursive turn has encouraged a resurgence of interest in the symbolic and cultural identities of Liverpool. Nowhere is this better illustrated than in the dish, ‘scouse’ (and, the ‘Scousers’ who eat it) as it makes the transition from working class kitchens to the city’s well-to-do restaurants and bars. By drawing on the food history of Liverpool’s port, ethnographic observations and narrative accounts of food experiences, this article traces the ‘social life’ of scouse from its historical origins and symbolic links to poverty and identity to its emergence as a repositioned culinary cultural artefact of urban regeneration.
Eastern Movement Forms as Body-Self Transforming Cultural Practices in the West: Towards a Sociological Perspective
Authors: Brown David , Leledaki Aspasia
Published: March 2010

Unlike the spectacular diffusion of modern Western sporting forms, Eastern movement forms (martial arts, Eastern dance, Yoga, meditation, Tai Chi Chuan, Qigong, etc.) have been quietly entering the fabric of everyday Western life over the past few decades. Adopting a structurationist approach that seeks to retain relationships between macro-, meso- and micro-levels of culture, this article considers data gathered from a range of long-term Western practitioners of a variety of Eastern movement forms in juxtaposition to broader media and documentary data also gathered on these practices. The analysis explores three Western social forces (Orientalism, reflexive modernization and commodification.) identified as acting on these movement forms in ways that intensify the process of (re)invention of tradition with particular transformative tensions. In conclusion, we identify three dispositions (preservationism, conservationism, and modernization) emerging from our analysis of these movement forms that seem to drive how individuals respond to the transformative Western social forces highlighted.
Migration and Remembrance: Sounds and Spaces of Klezmer ‘Revivals’
Authors: Ray Larry
Published: March 2010

This article discusses the cultural meanings of recent revivals in Yiddish music in the USA and central Europe. It does this with reference to Adorno’s critique of lyrical celebration of the past as a means of forgetting. It examines the criticisms that recent ‘Jewish’ cultural revivals are kitsch forms of unreflective nostalgia and considers the complexity of meanings here. It then explores the ways in which klezmer might be an aural form of memory and suggests that revivals can represent gateways into personal and collective engagement with the past. It further argues that experimental hybrid forms of new klezmer potentially open new spaces of remembrance and expressions of Jewish identity.
Predictive and prognostic molecular markers for cancer medicine
Authors: Mehta Sunali , Shelling Andrew , Muthukaruppan Anita , Lasham Annette , Blenkiron Cherie , Laking George , Print Cristin
Published: March 2010

Over the last 10 years there has been an explosion of information about the molecular biology of cancer. A challenge in oncology is to translate this information into advances in patient care. While there are well-formed routes for translating new molecular information into drug therapy, the routes for translating new information into sensitive and specific diagnostic, prognostic and predictive tests are still being developed. Similarly, the science of using tumor molecular profiles to select clinical trial participants or to optimize therapy for individual patients is still in its infancy. This review will summarize the current technologies for predicting treatment response and prognosis in cancer medicine, and outline what the future may hold. It will also highlight the potential importance of methods that can integrate molecular, histopathological and clinical information into a synergistic understanding of tumor progression. While these possibilities are without doubt exciting, significant challenges remain if we are to implement them with a strong evidence base in a widely available and cost-effective manner.
Three Characteristics of Effective Teachers
Authors: Steele Natalie A.
Published: March 2010

This article discusses three characteristics that are often associated with successful music educators. The three characteristics discussed include nonverbal communication, teacher self-efficacy, and servant leadership. Although there is no magical combination of characteristics that will produce an effective music teacher, these three attributes have been shown to positively affect the effectiveness of the teacher and may provide current and future music educators some ideas and information that may be applied to their own teaching.
A key role for ATF3 in regulating mast cell survival and mediator release
Authors: Gilchrist Mark , Henderson William R. , Morotti Andrew , Johnson Carrie D. , Nachman Alex , Schmitz Frank , Smith Kelly D. , Aderem Alan
Published: March 2010

Activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) is a basic leucine zipper transcription factor that plays a regulatory role in inflammation, cell division, and apoptosis. Mast cells (MCs) initiate many inflammatory responses and have a central role in allergy and allergic diseases. We report here that ATF3 has a central role in MC development and function. Bone marrow–derived MC populations from ATF3-deficient mice are unresponsive to interleukin-3 (IL-3)–induced maturation signals, and this correlates with increased apoptosis, diminished activation of the Akt kinase, and decreased phosphorylation of the proapoptotic protein Bad. Furthermore, ATF3-null mice lacked MCs in the peritoneum and dermis, showing that the in vitro results are recapitulated in vivo. ATF3-null MCs also showed functional defects; high-affinity immunoglobulin E receptor–mediated degranulation was significantly inhibited, whereas IL-4 and IL-6 expression was enhanced. This dual role of ATF3 provides insight into the complex interplay between MC development and its subsequent physiologic role.
Delineation of precursors in murine spleen that develop in contact with splenic endothelium to give novel dendritic-like cells
Authors: Tan Jonathan K. H. , Periasamy Pravin , O'Neill Helen C.
Published: March 2010

Hematopoietic cell lineages are best described in terms of distinct progenitors with limited differentiative capacity. To distinguish cell lineages, it is necessary to define progenitors and induce their differentiation in vitro. We previously reported in vitro development of immature dendritic-like cells (DCs) in long-term cultures (LTCs) of murine spleen, and in cocultures of spleen or bone marrow (BM) over splenic endothelial cell lines derived from LTCs. Cells produced are phenotypically distinct CD11bhiCD11cloCD8−MHC-II− cells, tentatively named L-DCs. Here we delineate L-DC progenitors as different from known DC progenitors in BM and DC precursors in spleen. The progenitor is contained within the lineage-negative (Lin)−c-kit+ subset in neonatal and adult spleen. This subset has multipotential reconstituting ability in mice. In neonatal spleen, the progenitor is further enriched within the c-kitlo and CD34+ subsets of Lin−c-kit+ cells. These cells seed cocultures of splenic endothelial cells, differentiating to give L-DCs that can activate T cells. L-DC progenitors are distinguishable from described splenic CD11clo DC precursors and from Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3+ DC progenitors in BM. Overall, this study confirms that LTCs are a physiologically relevant culture system for in vitro development of a novel DC type from spleen progenitors.
NF-κB balances vascular regression and angiogenesis via chromatin remodeling and NFAT displacement
Authors: Aurora Arin B. , Biyashev Dauren , Mirochnik Yelena , Zaichuk Tetiana A. , Sánchez-Martinez Cristina , Renault Marie-Ange , Losordo Douglas , Volpert Olga V.
Published: March 2010

Extracellular factors control the angiogenic switch in endothelial cells (ECs) via competing survival and apoptotic pathways. Previously, we showed that proangiogenic and antiangiogenic factors target the same signaling molecules, which thereby become pivots of angiogenic balance. Here we show that in remodeling endothelium (ECs and EC precursors) natural angiogenic inhibitors enhance nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) DNA binding, which is critical for antiangiogenesis, and that blocking the NF-κB pathway abolishes multiple antiangiogenic events in vitro and in vivo. NF-κB induction by antiangiogenic molecules has a dual effect on transcription. NF-κB acts as an activator of proapoptotic FasL and as a repressor of prosurvival cFLIP. On the FasL promoter, NF-κB increases the recruitment of HAT p300 and acetylated histones H3 and H4. Conversely, on cFLIP promoter, NF-κB increases histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1), decreases p300 and histone acetylation, and reduces the recruitment of NFAT, a transcription factor critical for cFLIP expression. Finally, we found a biphasic effect, when HDAC inhibitors (HDACi) were used to test the dependence of pigment epithelial-derived factor activity on histone acetylation. The cooperative effect seen at low doses switches to antagonistic as the concentrations increase. Our study defines an interactive transcriptional network underlying angiogenic balance and points to HDACi as tools to manipulate the angiogenic switch.
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for multiple myeloma beyond 2010
Authors: Bladé Joan , Rosiñol Laura , Cibeira Maria Teresa , Rovira Montserrat , Carreras Enric
Published: March 2010

Autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is considered the gold standard in the frontline therapy of younger patients with multiple myeloma because it results in higher complete remission (CR) rates and longer event-free survival than conventional chemotherapy. The greatest benefit from ASCT is obtained in patients achieving CR after transplantation, the likelihood of CR being associated with the M-protein size at the time of transplantation. The incorporation of novel agents results in higher pre- and posttransplantation CR rates. Induction with bortezomib-containing regimens is encouraging in patients with poor-risk cytogenetics. However, longer follow-up is required to assess the impact of this increased CR on long-term survival. The results of posttransplantation consolidation/maintenance with new drugs are encouraging. All this indicates that, in the era of novel agents, high-dose therapy should be optimized rather than replaced. Because of its high transplantation-related mortality, myeloablative allografting has been generally replaced by reduced-intensity conditioning (reduced intensity conditioning allogeneic transplantation). The best results are achieved after a debulky ASCT, with a progression-free survival plateau of 25% to 30% beyond 6 years from reduced intensity conditioning allogeneic transplantation. The development of novel reduced-intensity preparative regimens and peri- and posttransplantation strategies aimed at minimizing graft-versus-host disease, and enhancing the graft-versus-myeloma effect are key issues.
The transcription factor Gfi1 regulates G-CSF signaling and neutrophil development through the Ras activator RasGRP1
Authors: de la Luz Sierra Maria , Sakakibara Shuhei , Gasperini Paola , Salvucci Ombretta , Jiang Kan , McCormick Peter J. , Segarra Marta , Stone Jim , Maric Dragan , Zhu Jinfang , Qian Xiaolan , Lowy Douglas R. , Tosato Giovanna
Published: March 2010

The transcription factor growth factor independence 1 (Gfi1) and the growth factor granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) are individually essential for neutrophil differentiation from myeloid progenitors. Here, we provide evidence that the functions of Gfi1 and G-CSF are linked in the regulation of granulopoiesis. We report that Gfi1 promotes the expression of Ras guanine nucleotide releasing protein 1 (RasGRP1), an exchange factor that activates Ras, and that RasGRP1 is required for G-CSF signaling through the Ras/mitogen–activated protein/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK/Erk) pathway. Gfi1-null mice have reduced levels of RasGRP1 mRNA and protein in thymus, spleen, and bone marrow, and Gfi1 transduction in myeloid cells promotes RasGRP1 expression. When stimulated with G-CSF, Gfi1-null myeloid cells are selectively defective at activating Erk1/2, but not signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) or STAT3, and fail to differentiate into neutrophils. Expression of RasGRP1 in Gfi1-deficient cells rescues Erk1/2 activation by G-CSF and allows neutrophil maturation by G-CSF. These results uncover a previously unknown function of Gfi1 as a regulator of RasGRP1 and link Gfi1 transcriptional control to G-CSF signaling and regulation of granulopoiesis.
Warfarin pharmacogenetics: a single VKORC1 polymorphism is predictive of dose across 3 racial groups
Authors: Limdi Nita A. , Wadelius Mia , Cavallari Larisa , Eriksson Niclas , Crawford Dana C. , Lee Ming-Ta M. , Chen Chien-Hsiun , Motsinger-Reif Alison , Sagreiya Hersh , Liu Nianjun , Wu Alan H. B. , Gage Brian F. , Jorgensen Andrea , Pirmohamed Munir , Shin Jae-Gook , Suarez-Kurtz Guilherme , Kimmel Stephen E. , Johnson Julie A. , Klein Teri E. , Wagner Michael J.
Published: March 2010

Warfarin-dosing algorithms incorporating CYP2C9 and VKORC1 −1639G>A improve dose prediction compared with algorithms based solely on clinical and demographic factors. However, these algorithms better capture dose variability among whites than Asians or blacks. Herein, we evaluate whether other VKORC1 polymorphisms and haplotypes explain additional variation in warfarin dose beyond that explained by VKORC1 −1639G>A among Asians (n = 1103), blacks (n = 670), and whites (n = 3113). Participants were recruited from 11 countries as part of the International Warfarin Pharmacogenetics Consortium effort. Evaluation of the effects of individual VKORC1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and haplotypes on warfarin dose used both univariate and multi variable linear regression. VKORC1 −1639G>A and 1173C>T individually explained the greatest variance in dose in all 3 racial groups. Incorporation of additional VKORC1 SNPs or haplotypes did not further improve dose prediction. VKORC1 explained greater variability in dose among whites than blacks and Asians. Differences in the percentage of variance in dose explained by VKORC1 across race were largely accounted for by the frequency of the −1639A (or 1173T) allele. Thus, clinicians should recognize that, although at a population level, the contribution of VKORC1 toward dose requirements is higher in whites than in nonwhites; genotype predicts similar dose requirements across racial groups.
Leukemia-associated minor histocompatibility antigen discovery using T-cell clones isolated by in vitro stimulation of naive CD8+ T cells
Authors: Bleakley Marie , Otterud Brith E. , Richardt Julia L. , Mollerup Audrey D. , Hudecek Michael , Nishida Tetsuya , Chaney Colette N. , Warren Edus H. , Leppert Mark F. , Riddell Stanley R.
Published: March 2010

T-cell immunotherapy that targets minor histocompatibility (H) antigens presented selectively by recipient hematopoietic cells, including leukemia, could prevent and treat leukemic relapse after hematopoietic cell transplantation without causing graft-versus-host disease. To provide immunotherapy that can be applied to a majority of transplantation recipients, it is necessary to identify leukemia-associated minor H antigens that result from gene polymorphisms that are balanced in the population and presented by common human leukocyte antigen alleles. Current approaches for deriving minor H antigen–specific T cells, which provide essential reagents for the molecular identification and characterization of the polymorphic genes that encode the antigens, rely on in vivo priming and are often unsuccessful. We show that minor H antigen–specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte precursors are found predominantly in the naive CD8+ T-cell subset and provide an efficient strategy for in vitro priming of native T cells to generate T cells to a broad diversity of minor H antigens presented with common human leukocyte antigen alleles. We used this approach to derive a panel of stable cytotoxic T lymphocyte clones for discovery of genes that encode minor H antigens and identify a novel antigen expressed on acute myeloid leukemia stem cells and minimally in graft-versus-host disease target tissues.
Altered neuromuscular control mechanisms of the trapezius muscle in fibromyalgia
Authors: Gerdle Björn , Grönlund Christer , Karlsson Stefan J , Holtermann Andreas , Roeleveld Karin
Published: March 2010

Background

fibromyalgia is a relatively common condition with widespread pain and pressure allodynia, but unknown aetiology. For decades, the association between motor control strategies and chronic pain has been a topic for debate. One long held functional neuromuscular control mechanism is differential activation between regions within a single muscle. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in neuromuscular control, i.e. differential activation, between myalgic trapezius in fibromyalgia patients and healthy controls.

Methods

27 fibromyalgia patients and 30 healthy controls performed 3 minutes bilateral shoulder elevations with different loads (0-4 Kg) with a high-density surface electromyographical (EMG) grid placed above the upper trapezius. Differential activation was quantified by the power spectral median frequency of the difference in EMG amplitude between the cranial and caudal parts of the upper trapezius. The average duration of the differential activation was described by the inverse of the median frequency of the differential activations.

Results

the median frequency of the differential activations was significantly lower, and the average duration of the differential activations significantly longer in fibromyalgia compared with controls at the two lowest load levels (0-1 Kg) (p < 0.04), but not at the two highest load levels (2 and 4 Kg).

Conclusion

these findings illustrate a different neuromuscular control between fibromyalgia patients and healthy controls during a low load functional task, either sustaining or resulting from the chronic painful condition. The findings may have clinical relevance for rehabilitation strategies for fibromyalgia.
Cell cycle-dependent regulation of the bi-directional overlapping promoter of human BRCA2/ZAR2 genes in breast cancer cells
Authors: Misra Smita , Sharma Shvetank , Agarwal Anupriya , Khedkar Sheetal V , Tripathi Manish K , Mittal Mukul K , Chaudhuri Gautam
Published: March 2010

Background

BRCA2 gene expression is tightly regulated during the cell cycle in human breast cells. The expression of BRCA2 gene is silenced at the G0/G1 phase of cell growth and is de-silenced at the S/G2 phase. While studying the activity of BRCA2 gene promoter in breast cancer cells, we discovered that this promoter has bi-directional activity and the product of the reverse activity (a ZAR1-like protein, we named ZAR2) silences the forward promoter at the G0/G1 phase of the cell. Standard techniques like cell synchronization by serum starvation, flow cytometry, N-terminal or C-terminal FLAG epitope-tagged protein expression, immunofluorescence confocal microscopy, dual luciferase assay for promoter evaluation, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay were employed during this study.

Results

HumanBRCA2gene promoter is active in both the forward and the reverse orientations. This promoter is 8-20 fold more active in the reverse orientation than in the forward orientation when the cells are in the non-dividing stage (G0/G1). When the cells are in the dividing state (S/G2), the forward activity of the promoter is 5-8 folds higher than the reverse activity. The reverse activity transcribes the ZAR2 mRNA with 966 nt coding sequence which codes for a 321 amino acid protein. ZAR2 has two C4 type zinc fingers at the carboxyl terminus. In the G0/G1 growth phase ZAR2 is predominantly located inside the nucleus of the breast cells, binds to the BRCA2 promoter and inhibits the expression of BRCA2. In the dividing cells, ZAR2 is trapped in the cytoplasm.

Conclusions

BRCA2gene promoter has bi-directional activity, expressing BRCA2 and a novel C4-type zinc finger containing transcription factor ZAR2. Subcellular location of ZAR2 and its expression from the reverse promoter of the BRCA2 gene are stringently regulated in a cell cycle dependent manner. ZAR2 binds to BRCA2/ZAR2 bi-directional promoterin vivoand is responsible, at least in part, for the silencing of BRCA2 gene expression in the G0/G1 phase in human breast cells.
Effects of lovastatin on breast cancer cells: a proteo-metabonomic study
Authors: Klawitter Jelena , Shokati Touraj , Moll Vanessa , Christians Uwe , Klawitter Jost
Published: March 2010

Introduction

Statins are cholesterol-lowering drugs with pleiotropic activities including inhibition of isoprenylation and reduction of signals driving cell proliferation and survival responses.

Methods

In this study we evaluated the effects of lovastatin acid and lactone on breast cancer MDAMB231 and MDAMB468 cells using a combination of proteomic and metabonomic profiling techniques.

Results

Lovastatin inhibited proliferation of breast cancer cell lines. MDAMB231 cells were more sensitive to its effects, and in most cases lovastatin acid showed more potency towards the manipulation of protein expression than lovastatin lactone. Increased expression of Rho inhibitor GDI-2 stabilized the non-active Ras homolog gene family member A (RhoA) leading to a decreased expression of its active, membrane-bound form. Its downstream targets cofilin, CDC42 and G3BP1 are members of the GTPase family affected by lovastatin. Our data indicated that lovastatin modulated the E2F1-pathway through the regulation of expression of prohibitin and retinoblastoma (Rb). This subsequently leads to changes of E2F-downstream targets minichromosome maintenance protein 7 (MCM7) and MutS homolog 2 (MSH2). Lovastatin also regulated the AKT-signaling pathway. Increased phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) and decreased DJ-1 expression lead to a down-regulation of the active pAkt. Lovastatin's involvement in the AKT-signaling pathway was confirmed by an upregulation of its downstream target, tumor progressor NDRG1. Metabolic consequences to lovastatin exposure included suppression of glycolytic and Krebs cycle activity, and lipid biosynthesis.

Conclusions

The combination of proteomics and metabonomics enabled us to identify several key targets essential to the antitumor activity of lovastatin. Our results imply that lovastatin has the potential to reduce the growth of breast cancer cells.
Water velocity estimation using inversion methods
Authors: Ritter Gerson Luis da Silva
Published: March 2010

It is known that the propagation velocity of sound waves in water can vary over time. For a 3D seismic survey, if data are acquired in adjacent lines but at different dates, this implies the same reflection point will be recorded at different times. To take this effect into account in seismic processing, it is necessary to measure the sound velocity in water. I have developed a 3D tomographic method that directly estimates it. It assumes a constant sound velocity for a group of shots belonging to a single sail line. Using a picked water-bottom reflection and an initial depth and velocity model, results good for use in subsequent processing can be obtained by estimating only two parameters: the variation of the propagation velocity and a constant vertical shift of the reflector depth in relation to the initial model. The method was tested with both synthetic and real data. The real data results were validated using two methods. First, I analyzed the histogram of the residuals of the final updated model. Second, I used a specially modified Kirchhoff migration algorithm to migrate the sea bottom. The main advantages of this method are that it takes into account the sea-bottom dips to estimate the velocities and it can be applied to each sail line separately. Also, the inversion is not ill-conditioned provided that data with large enough offsets are used. As a result, the method is simple to apply.
Seismic radiation from an explosive column
Authors: Blair Dane
Published: March 2010

A scale-independent analytic model of seismic radiation from a column of explosive is derived in terms of the blast hole radius [Formula: see text], charge length, explosive velocity of detonation (VoD), and distance [Formula: see text] to a monitoring station. The treatment is based on linear viscoelasticity in which the nonlinear response of rock close to the blast hole is modeled as a sufficiently low-[Formula: see text] material having an exponential increase in [Formula: see text] with distance from the source. Although limited by this assumption, the present analytic model avoids the more serious discretization problems associated with numerical models when driven by the high-frequency pressure load. Furthermore, numerical models are not useful in displaying scale independence. Exploration and mining geophysics typically require short explosive charges characterized by a length/radius of approximately 10. The model shows that for such charges ata small [Formula: see text], the seismic displacement increases with the VoD; however, as the [Formula: see text] increases, the displacement becomes insensitive to the VoD. Field measurements of seismic-wave transmission resulting from short charges show that a plot of rise time against traveltime is approximately linear, with an intercept that traditionally is assumed to be the rise time of the explosive source itself. However, the present model shows that this assumption is incorrect and suggests that if measurements could be made very close to the blast hole, then the rise-time plot would be nonlinear and well might correspond to the region of nonlinear rock response. The extractive mining industry typically requires long explosive columns characterized by a length/radius [Formula: see text], for which [Formula: see text] typifies the near-field. The model predicts that seismic transmission in this region is dominated completely by P-Mach and S-Mach wave propagation, dependent on the VoD.
Automatic discriminations among geophysical signals via the Bayesian neural networks approach
Authors: Maiti Saumen , Tiwari Ram Krishna
Published: March 2010

The precise classification of changes in rock boundaries/facies from well-log records is a complex problem in geophysical data processing. Observed well-log data are a complex superposition of nonstationary/nonlinear signals of varying wavelengths and frequencies, shaped by the heterogeneous composition and structural variation of rock types in the earth. This impairs our ability to use traditional statistical techniques, which in most cases fail to discriminate and/or, at best, do not precisely extract facies changes from complex well-log signals. We propose a new method, set in a Bayesian neural network (BNN) framework and using a powerful hybrid Monte Carlo simulation scheme to identify facies changes from complex well-log data. We first construct a complex, composite, synthetic time series using the data from three simple models: first-order autoregressive, logistic, and random white noise. Then we attempt to identify individualsignals in the pooled synthetic time series. We use the autocorrelation and the spectral characteristics of the individual signals as input vectors for training, validating, and testing the artificial neural network model. The results show that the Bayesian separation scheme provides consistently good results, with accuracy at more than 74%. When the method was tested using well-log data from the German Continental Deep Drilling Program (KTB), it was able to discriminate boundaries of lithofacies with an accuracy of approximately 92% in validation and 93% in test samples. The efficacy of the BNN in the presence of colored noise suggests that the designed network topology is robust for up to 30% correlated noise; however, adding more noise (say, 50% or more) obscures the desired signals. Our method provides a robust means for decoding finely detailed successions of lithofacies from complex well-log data, better describing the nature of the underlying inhomogeneous crust.
MaGSoundDST — 3D automatic inversion of magnetic and gravity data based on the differential similarity transform
Authors: Gerovska Daniela , Araúzo-Bravo Marcos J. , Stavrev Petar , Whaler Kathryn
Published: March 2010

We present an automatic procedure — Magnetic And Gravity SOUNDing Differential Similarity Transform (MaGSoundDST) — for inversion of regular or irregular magnetic- and gravity-grid data measured on even or uneven surfaces. It solves for horizontal position, depth, and structural index of simple sources and is independent of a linear background. In addition, it estimates the shape of sources consisting of several singular points and lines. The method uses the property of the differential similarity transform (DST) of a magnetic or a gravity anomaly to become zero or linear at all observation points when the central point of similarity of the transform, which we refer to as the probing point, coincides with a source’s singular point. It uses a measured anomalous field and its calculated or measured (gradiometry) first-order derivatives. The method is independent of the magnetization-vector direction in the magnetic data case and does notrequire reduction-to-the-pole transformed data as input. With MaGSoundDST, we provide an important alternative interpretation technique to the Euler deconvolution procedures, combining a moving-window method, whereby the solutions are linked to singular points of causative bodies, with an approach in which the solutions are linked to the real sources. The procedure involves calculating a 3D function that evaluates the linearity of the DST for different integer or noninteger structural indices, using a moving window. We sound the subsurface along a vertical line under each window center. Then we combine the 3D results for different structural indices and present them in three easy-to-interpret maps, avoiding the need for clustering techniques. We deduce only one solution for location and type of simple sources, which is a major advantage over Euler deconvolution. Application to different cases of synthetic and real data shows the method’s applicability to various types of magnetic and gravity field investigations.
The NHS as an insurer
Authors: Vaithianathan Rhema , Lewis Geraint
Published: March 2010

The National Health Service (NHS) in England is not only a commissioner and provider of health care to the sick, but also offers certainty and peace of mind to all citizens - even those who do not use the health service in any year. However, due to the recent dominance of cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analysis as the central factors determining resource allocation decisions in the NHS, this second role - which we term its ‘insurance value’ - has increasingly become neglected. In this paper, we argue that this inattention is detrimental to the population at large. We explore some implications to the NHS of maximizing insurance value. These include requiring commissioners to take explicit account of how denial of service undermines peace of mind; requiring the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to calculate not just the health benefits, but also the peace of mind benefits of health technologies; and establishing a formal NHS ‘insurance regulator’ analogous to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Insurance value should be a guiding principle for NHS decision-makers.
The emotional experience of patient care: a case for innovation in health care design
Authors: Altringer Beth
Published: March 2010

This paper considers recent developments in health care facility design and in the psychology literature that support a case for increased design sensitivity to the emotional experience of patient care. The author discusses several examples of innovative patient-centred health care design interventions. These generally resulted in improvements in the patient and staff experience of care, at less cost than major infrastructural interventions. The paper relates these developments in practice with recent neuroscience research, illustrating that the design of the built environment influences patient emotional stress. In turn, patient emotional stress appears to influence patient satisfaction, and in some instances, patient outcomes. This paper highlights the need for further research in this area.
Sir William Knighton Bt MD GCH LRCP (1776–1836): courtier and confidante – testimony to physicianly virtues?
Authors: Hoffbrand Barry I
Published: March 2010

Sir William Knighton went from general practitioner in Devon to close friend and adviser of King George IV. He contributed remarkably to the stability of the Crown, bringing this dysfunctional King's finances under control and enabling the work of government requiring Royal decision-making to proceed much more effectively than it might otherwise have done. Inevitably he was involved in the making and breaking of ministries but appears to have done so with some reluctance. His detractors appear to have been motivated mainly by envy, fear of loss of patronage and social prejudice. His Royal career echoes physicianly virtues of fidelity to trust, empathy and honesty. He made every effort to keep a low public profile in order to minimize envy and intrusion into his private life. His success in this regard may account for the fact that he is practically unknown today despite a unique career in British medicine.
Did Evagrius Ponticus (AD 346–99) have obsessive–compulsive disorder?
Authors: Hill Jonathan
Published: March 2010

Evagrius Ponticus was one of the most important and influential spiritual writers in the early Christian church. This author argues that he suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder: in particular, the demonic ‘thoughts’ which he repeatedly describes meet all the criteria for obsessions. If this is true, it offers a new perspective on the relation between pastoral theology and psychiatric disorders: the spiritual tradition which Evagrius helped found may, as a result, have tended to exacerbate such symptoms in others, but it also possessed the resources to address them in a practical way.
Uveitic secondary glaucoma: influence in James Joyce's (1882–1941) last works
Authors: Ascaso Francisco J , Bosch Jordi
Published: March 2010

James Joyce, considered one of the pre-eminent novelists of the 20th century, attained international renown with his work Ulysses. Its lack of standard punctuation makes it difficult to read. An example would be the famous non-punctuated ‘Molly Bloom soliloquy’ in the last chapter of Ulysses. Why is Joyce considered so difficult to read? He wrote and proofread Ulysses and Finnegans wake, his last works, during his battle against glaucoma, when his vision was seriously blurred. The distracting and confusing diacritical marks might be explained by Joyce's reduced visual acuity. Could Ulysses and Finnegans wake have been different if Joyce's visual problems had begun in the second rather than the first half of 20th century?
Evangelia Farmakidou (1890–1982): the first female Greek radiologist
Authors: Baltas Christos S , Balanika Alexia P
Published: March 2010

Evangelia (Lia) Farmakidou was the first female Greek radiologist. She was a distinguished physician with an open mind and depth of thought, multitalented, with integrity and an independent spirit. She was also one of the founding members of the Hellenic Radiological Society in 1933. She strived for the recognition of her chosen field in Greece as well as for the creation of the Radiology Department in the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
Sydney William Garne LDS RCS FRGS (1875–1946): founding president of the Ceylon Dental Association
Authors: Gelbier Stanley
Published: March 2010

This paper follows the life of Sydney Garne, from qualification as a dentist in London through a short visit to South Africa, to a lifetime of professional service in Ceylon. There he was the first non-medically qualified dentist to enrol on the Dentists Register. Then he became the founder-President of the Ceylon Dental Association which he ensured was based on the British association. The responsibilities of that post remained on his shoulders for 10 years; all the time he ran a thriving practice and had a happy family life, including a stepson of whom he was proud.
Esme Hadfield (1921–92) and the Wycombe woodworkers
Authors: Whiteside O J H , Corbridge R J , Capper J W R
Published: March 2010

This paper reflects on the life and work of Esme Hadfield, an otolaryngologist based at Wycombe General Hospital and, in particular, on her discovery of the link between adenocarcinoma of the paranasal sinuses and wood dust exposure from those in the furniture industry. The paper also explores the woodworking industry that forms the backdrop to her discovery.
Oral rivaroxaban for the prevention of symptomatic venous thromboembolism after elective hip and knee replacement
Authors: CLAYTON R. A. E. , GASTON P. , HOWIE C. R.
Published: March 2010

We welcome letters to the Editor concerning articles which have recently been published. Such letters will be subject to the usual stages of selection and editing; where appropriate the authors of the original article will be offered the opportunity to reply.
Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis Caused by Pentamidine; Tigecycline-Induced Pancreatitis; Minocycline-Induced Drug Hypersensitivity Syndrome Followed by Autoimmune Sequelae; Fatal Hypersensitivity Myocarditis Associated with Azithromycin; Altered Mental Status Caused by High Levels of Phenytoin; Pseudogout after Polyethylene Glycol Bowel Cleansing; Severe Pseudomembranous Colitis after Moxifloxacin Use: A Case Series
Authors: Shuster Joel
Published: March 2010

The purpose of this feature is to heighten awareness of specific adverse drug reactions (ADRs), discuss methods of prevention, and promote reporting of ADRs to the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) MedWatch program (800-FDA-1088). If you have reported an interesting, preventable ADR to MedWatch, please consider sharing the account with our readers.
Nicotine (Transdermal): Ulcerative Colitis
Authors: Generali Joyce A. , Cada Dennis J.
Published: March 2010

This Hospital Pharmacy feature is extracted from Off-Label Drug Facts, a quarterly publication available from Wolters Kluwer Health. Off-Label Drug Facts is a practitioner-oriented resource for information about specific drug uses that are unapproved by the US Food and Drug Administration. This new guide to the literature will enable the health care professional or clinician to quickly identify published studies on off-label uses and determine if a specific use is rational in a patient care scenario. A summary of the most relevant data is provided, including background, study design, patient population, dosage information, therapy duration, results, safety, and therapeutic considerations. References direct the reader to the full literature for more comprehensive information before patient care decisions are made. Direct questions or comments regarding Off-Label Drug Uses to hospital pharmacy@drugfacts.com .
The Rate and Costs Attributable to Intravenous Patient-Controlled Analgesia Errors
Authors: Meissner Brian , Nelson Winnie , Hicks Rodney (Rod) , Sikirica Vanja , Gagne Josh , Schein Jeff
Published: March 2010

Purpose

To estimate the rates and costs of intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV PCA) errors from the hospital or integrated health system perspective.

Methods

This study used a cost-accounting methodology to estimate the costs attributable to IV PCA errors in the United States. Data for the study were obtained from the MEDMARX and Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) datasets, published literature, and expert opinions. MEDMARX is a voluntary, anonymous, medication-error-reporting database owned and operated by the United States Pharmacopeia. MAUDE is a mandatory, device-error-reporting database maintained by the US Food and Drug Administration. Levels of care rendered as a result of the IV PCA errors were estimated by applying clinical assumptions (validated by an expert advisory panel) to each of the 7 error consequences considered in this analysis. Variable and opportunity costs (2006 values) were considered, including medication, laboratory, lost revenue, and labor. The corresponding costs were applied to the error consequences to derive the estimated mean cost for each error cause. The numbers of errors documented in each dataset and the published literature were used to extrapolate the rate of IV PCA errors annually.

Results

The average cost per error event was $733 in the MEDMARX dataset and $552 in the MAUDE dataset. Harmful IV PCA errors were 120 to 250 times more costly than nonharmful errors. The annual error rates were estimated as 407 IV PCA-related errors and 17 device-related errors per 10,000 people within the United States. Conclusion: Analysis of 2 datasets, MEDMARX and MAUDE, revealed that IV PCA medication- and device-related errors are costly to hospitals and integrated health systems and represent a significant burden on the US health system. This study provided a novel approach to estimating the associated costs of undesired IV PCA-related events. Additional research is needed to validate the methodology (as applied to this area) and results.
Nortriptyline Cardiac Toxicity Resulting from a Probable Interaction with Telithromycin
Authors: Thomason Angela R. , Waldrop Bruce A. , Price Sherry O.
Published: March 2010

Objective

To report a case of probable nortriptyline toxicity associated with a combination of telithromycin and nortriptyline.

Case Summary

A 50-year-old white woman was admitted to the hospital with new-onset palpitations after taking 5 days of telithromycin in combination with nortriptyline. On admission her electrocardiograph showed atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia. The patient was also hypotensive, with a blood pressure of 90/45 mm Hg. She had been taking nortriptyline 150 mg daily at bedtime for 10 years without complications. The final day of telithromycin therapy was completed, and nortriptyline was discontinued on admission. The tachycardia subsided with a dose of diltiazem.

Discussion

It is suspected that the cardiovascular symptoms observed in the patient are the result of nortriptyline toxicity caused by inhibition of CYP2D6 by telithromycin. Limited evidence shows that telithromycin may be an inhibitor of CYP2D6. An assessment of causation of the adverse effects using the Drug Interaction Probability Scale suggests a probable interaction between telithromycin and nortriptyline.

Conclusion

It is recommended that clinicians remain aware of possible interactions between telithromycin and known CYP2D6 substrates such as nortriptyline. Should telithromycin therapy be required, close monitoring of the potential adverse effects and/or plasma drug levels of patients taking interacting drugs is warranted.
Rufinamide
Authors: Cada Dennis J. , Levien Terri L. , Baker Danial E.
Published: March 2010

Each month, subscribers to The Formulary Monograph Service receive 5 to 6 well-documented monographs on drugs that are newly released or are in late phase 3 trials. The monographs are targeted to Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committees. Subscribers also receive monthly 1-page summary monographs on agents that are useful for agendas and pharmacy/nursing inservices. A comprehensive target drug utilization evaluation (DUE) is also provided each month. With a subscription, the monographs are sent in print and are also available online. Monographs can be customized to meet the needs of a facility. Subscribers to The Formulary Monograph Service also receive access to a pharmacy bulletin board, The Formulary Information Exchange (The F.I.X.). All topics pertinent to clinical and hospital pharmacy are discussed on The F.I.X.

Through the cooperation of The Formulary, Hospital Pharmacy publishes selected reviews in this column. For more information about The Formulary Monograph Service or The F.I.X., call The Formulary at 800-322-4349. The May 2009 monograph topics are febuxostat, antithrombin (recombinant), calcitriol ointment, trabectedin, and tesamorelin. The class review is on drugs used in the therapy of benign prostatic hyperplasia, and the DUE is on febuxostat.