bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Developing and Validating Continuous Genomic Signatures in Randomized Clinical Trials for Predictive Medicine
Authors: Matsui Shigeyuki , Simon Richard , Qu Pingping , Shaughnessy John D. , Barlogie Bart , Crowley John
Published: August 2012

Purpose: It is highly challenging to develop reliable diagnostic tests to predict patients' responsiveness to anticancer treatments on clinical endpoints before commencing the definitive phase III randomized trial. Development and validation of genomic signatures in the randomized trial can be a promising solution. Such signatures are required to predict quantitatively the underlying heterogeneity in the magnitude of treatment effects.

Experimental Design: We propose a framework for developing and validating genomic signatures in randomized trials. Codevelopment of predictive and prognostic signatures can allow prediction of patient-level survival curves as basic diagnostic tools for treating individual patients.

Results: We applied our framework to gene-expression microarray data from a large-scale randomized trial to determine whether the addition of thalidomide improves survival for patients with multiple myeloma. The results indicated that approximately half of the patients were responsive to thalidomide, and the average improvement in survival for the responsive patients was statistically significant. Cross-validated patient-level survival curves were developed to predict survival distributions of individual future patients as a function of whether or not they are treated with thalidomide and with regard to their baseline prognostic and predictive signature indices.

Conclusion: The proposed framework represents an important step toward reliable predictive medicine. It provides an internally validated mechanism for using randomized clinical trials to assess treatment efficacy for a patient population in a manner that takes into consideration the heterogeneity in patients' responsiveness to treatment. It also provides cross-validated patient-level survival curves that can be used for selecting treatments for future patients. Clin Cancer Res; 18(21); 6065–73. ©2012 AACR.
Increasing Use of Radical Prostatectomy for Nonlethal Prostate Cancer in Sweden
Authors: Etzioni Ruth , Mucci Lorelei , Chen Shu , Johansson Jan-Erik , Fall Katja , Adami Hans-Olov
Published: August 2012

Purpose: The number of patients in Sweden treated with radical prostatectomy for localized prostate cancer has increased exponentially. The extent to which this increase reflects treatment of nonlethal disease detected through prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening is unknown.

Experimental Design: We undertook a nationwide study of all 18,837 patients with prostate cancer treated with radical prostatectomy in Sweden from 1988 to 2008 with complete follow-up through 2009. We compared cumulative incidence curves, fit Cox regression and cure models, and conducted a simulation study to determine changes in treatment of nonlethal cancer, in cancer-specific survival over time, and effect of lead-time due to PSA screening.

Results: The annual number of radical prostatectomies increased 25-fold during the study period. The 5-year cancer-specific mortality rate decreased from 3.9% [95% confidence interval (CI), 2.5–5.3] among patients diagnosed between 1988 and 1992 to 0.7% (95% CI, 0.4–1.1) among those diagnosed between 1998 and 2002 (Ptrend < 0.001). According to the cure model, the risk of not being cured declined by 13% (95% CI, 12%–14%) with each calendar year. The simulation study indicated that only about half of the improvement in disease-specific survival could be accounted for by lead-time.

Conclusion: Patients overdiagnosed with nonlethal prostate cancer appear to account for a substantial and growing part of the dramatic increase in radical prostatectomies in Sweden, but increasing survival rates are likely also due to true reductions in the risk of disease-specific death over time. Because the magnitude of harm and costs due to overtreatment can be considerable, identification of men who likely benefit from radical prostatectomy is urgently needed. Clin Cancer Res; 18(24); 6742–7. ©2012 AACR.
Ontogeny and Sorafenib Metabolism
Authors: Zimmerman Eric I. , Roberts Justin L. , Li Lie , Finkelstein David , Gibson Alice , Chaudhry Amarjit S. , Schuetz Erin G. , Rubnitz Jeffrey E. , Inaba Hiroto , Baker Sharyn D.
Published: August 2012

Purpose: To investigate the role of ontogeny in sorafenib metabolism to the equipotent active metabolite sorafenib N-oxide.

Experimental Design: Steady-state pharmacokinetic studies of sorafenib and metabolites were conducted in 30 children and young adults (17 males; median age, 9.5 years) receiving sorafenib 150 mg/m2 or 200 mg/m2 twice daily. Sorafenib metabolism was evaluated in vitro at 10 μmol/L using a panel of purified human cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes. Sorafenib metabolism and CYP3A4 expression was evaluated in 52 human liver samples from donors of ≤20 years old. The drug–drug interaction potential between sorafenib and azole antifungal agents was evaluated in vitro and in vivo.

Results: No age-related differences in sorafenib apparent oral clearance were observed. Mean sorafenib N-oxide metabolite ratio was 0.27 ± 0.14. In children of ≤10 years of age, boys had approximately 2-fold higher N-oxide ratios than girls (0.40 ± 0.15 vs. 0.22 ± 0.12, P = 0.026). Of the CYPs evaluated, sorafenib was exclusively metabolized to sorafenib N-oxide by CYP3A4. A trend for increased N-oxide formation in boys was observed in liver samples, which correlated with CYP3A4 mRNA expression. Posaconazole and voriconazole potently inhibited sorafenib N-oxide formation in vitro, and reduced sorafenib N-oxide formation in 3 children given sorafenib concurrent with azoles.

Conclusion: We have identified several factors affecting interpatient variability in sorafenib metabolism to the active N-oxide metabolite including age, sex, and concurrent treatment with azole antifungals. This knowledge may provide important considerations for the clinical use of sorafenib in children and possibly other kinase inhibitors undergoing CYP3A4-mediated metabolism. Clin Cancer Res; 18(20); 5788–95. ©2012 AACR.
Critical Flicker Frequency as a Marker of Hepatic Encephalopathy in Patients before and after Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt
Authors: Biecker Erwin , Hausdörfer Iris , Grünhage Frank , Strunk Holger , Sauerbruch Tilman
Published: August 2012

Background: Overt hepatic encephalopathy (HE) following insertion of a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is a problem in some patients. In contrast to overt HE, minimal HE (MHE) following TIPS is studied to a limited degree only. We therefore evaluated the incidence of MHE in patients following TIPS insertion by determination of the critical flicker frequency (CFF). Methods: 45 cirrhotic patients (Child A/B/C: 7/24/14; Child-Pugh score 8.5 ± 2.0) underwent TIPS because of recurrent esophageal bleeding (n = 15), refractory ascites (n = 25) or a combination of bleeding and refractory ascites (n = 5). Hemodynamic parameters were recorded during TIPS insertion. CFF was determined using a portable analyzer 2 days before and 3, 28 and 84 days after TIPS. At these time points the number connection test and biochemical markers were recorded as well. Results: TIPS led to a reduction of the portal pressure gradient from 19.1 ± 5.9 to 9.3 ± 6.1 mm Hg together with a slight but significant increase in bilirubin from 1.5 ± 0.9 to 2.2 ± 1.9 mg/dl and in the international normalized ratio from 1.2 ± 0.3 to 1.4 ± 0.5. Creatinine decreased from 1.3 ± 0.6 to 1.1 ± 0.5 mg/dl. Pre-TIPS, 27 patients had normal CFF (>38 Hz, CFF 41.1 ± 2.4 Hz) and 18 patients had altered CFF (≤38 Hz, CFF 34.4 ± 3.0 Hz): 3 had grade I and 15 MHE. Three days post-TIPS, 3 of the 27 patients (11.1%) with normal CFF deteriorated to MHE, 1 of the patients with grade I HE deteriorated to grade II HE, 1 maintained grade I HE and the other improved. No patient with MHE deteriorated to overt HE. Conclusions: Using the determination of the CFF, we were able to show that elective TIPS insertion in patients with preserved liver function causes a MHE in only the minority of patients. In addition, patients with preexisting MHE did not deteriorate to overt HE.
Prevalence of Restless Legs Syndrome in a Georgian Primary Healthcare Setting: A Pilot Study
Authors: Kuchukhidze G. , Toidze I. , Khatiashvili I. , Maisuradze L. , Frauscher B. , Kasradze S. , Högl B.
Published: August 2012

Background: The prevalence of restless legs syndrome (RLS) is approximately 10% in Western Europe, but unknown in Georgia. This pilot study aimed to assess RLS prevalence in a focused Georgian population. Methods: An RLS epidemiological questionnaire [Allen et al.: Sleep Med 2003;4:101–119] was filled out by patients in five primary healthcare centers in two Georgian cities between March and September 2006. Additionally, questions related to RLS symptom onset, family history, treatment, sleep disturbance and history of iron deficiency were included. RLS diagnosis was based on an expert interview and an epidemiological questionnaire for RLS. Results: The total number of respondents was 115 (75% women/25% men); mean age was 47 years (range 18–85). Thirteen subjects (11.3%) reported RLS symptoms (9 women/4 men); mean age was 52 years (range 32–83). Eleven (85%) had a positive family history of RLS. All subjects had sleep disturbance and none had a history of known iron deficiency. Conclusion: The prevalence of RLS in a focused Georgian population is in line with other RLS epidemiologic studies performed in clinical settings. However, the prevalence rate of RLS in a studied group might not be representative for the general Georgian population. Further population-based epidemiological studies are required.
B Vitamins and n–3 Fatty Acids for Brain Development and Function: Review of Human Studies
Authors: van de Rest Ondine , van Hooijdonk Lenneke W.A. , Doets Esmée , Schiepers Olga J.G. , Eilander Ans , de Groot Lisette C.P.G.M.
Published: August 2012

Background: Nutrition is one of many factors that affect brain development and functioning, and in recent years the role of certain nutrients has been investigated. B vitamins and n–3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are two of the most promising and widely studied nutritional factors. Methods: In this review, we provide an overview of human studies published before August 2011 on how vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12 and n–3 PUFA may affect the brain, their nutrient status and the existing evidence for an association between these nutrients and brain development, brain functioning and depression during different stages of the life cycle. Results: No recommendation can be given regarding a role of B vitamins, either because the number of studies on B vitamins is too limited (pregnant and lactating women and children) or the studies are not consistent (adults and elderly). For n–3 PUFA, observational evidence may be suggestive of a beneficial effect; however, this has not yet been sufficiently replicated in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Conclusions: We found that the existing evidence from observational studies as well as RCTs is generally too limited and contradictory to draw firm conclusions. More research is needed, particularly a combination of good-quality long-term prospective studies and well-designed RCTs.
Heart Rate Variability in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients: What Is the Role of Residual Renal Function?
Authors: Tang Wen , Li Li-Xian , Pei Juan , Wang Tao
Published: August 2012

Background: The relationship between heart rate variability (HRV) and residual renal function (RRF) has not been elucidated previously. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, HRV was evaluated in 71 peritoneal dialysis patients. Patients were divided into RRF decline group, RRF stable group and anuric group. Results: RRF was negatively correlated with SDNN (r = –0.284, p = 0.017), TP (r = –0.247, p = 0.039), and HF (r = –0.238, p = 0.047). Significant sympathetic nerve activation was found in the RRF decline group (significantly lower SDNN, SDSD, RMSSD, pNN50, LF, HF, TP and higher LF/HF ratio) as compared to the RRF stable and anuric groups. Besides, significantly parasympathetic activation was found in the anuric group (the lowest LF/HF ratio as compared to the other groups (both p < 0.05). Multivariate stepwise regression analysis showed that the status of RRF was an independent factor associated with HRV parameters. Conclusion: This study showed autonomic nervous function in peritoneal dialysis patients was associated with a different status of RRF.
Omalizumab Protects against Allergen- Induced Bronchoconstriction in Allergic (Immunoglobulin E-Mediated) Asthma
Authors: Zielen Stefan , Lieb Adrian , De La Motte Stephan , Wagner Frank , de Monchy Jan , Fuhr Rainard , Munzu Clara , Koehne-Voss Stephan , Rivière Gilles-Jacques , Kaiser Guenther , Erpenbeck Veit J.
Published: August 2012

Background: Omalizumab has been shown to suppress responses to inhaled allergens in allergic asthma patients with pretreatment immunoglobulin E (IgE) ≤700 IU/ml. To extend current dosing tables, we evaluated the potential of high omalizumab doses to block allergen-induced bronchoconstriction in patients with higher IgE levels. Methods: Asthmatic adults (18–65 years; body weight 40–150 kg) were divided into groups according to screening IgE (group 1: 30–300 IU/ml; group 2: 700–2,000 IU/ml) and randomized 2:1 to omalizumab/placebo every 2 or 4 weeks for 12–14 weeks. Allergen bronchoprovocation (ABP) testing was performed before treatment and at weeks 8 and 16. The primary efficacy endpoint, the early-phase allergic response (EAR), was defined as the maximum percentage drop in forced expiratory volume in 1 s during the first 30 min after ABP. Serum free IgE was determined as a pharmacodynamic endpoint, and the exhaled fractional concentration of nitric oxide (FENO) was an exploratory endpoint. Results: Fifty patients were included in the study. Omalizumab improved EAR; at week 8, EAR was 23.1% for placebo, 9.3% in group 1 (p = 0.018 versus placebo) and 5.6% in group 2 (p < 0.001). At week 16, EAR was 20%, 11.8% (p = 0.087) and 5.1% (p < 0.001), respectively. Free IgE decreased in groups 1 and 2 and remained <50 ng/ml in all patients during weeks 6–16. Omalizumab completely suppressed FENO increases after ABP in both groups. Conclusions: Omalizumab blocked early asthmatic responses over a broad range of IgE/body weight combinations. Extending the dosing tables enables omalizumab to benefit a wider range of patients.
Angio-Oedema Induced by Oestrogen Contraceptives Is Mediated by Bradykinin and Is Frequently Associated with Urticaria
Authors: Giard C. , Nicolie B. , Drouet M. , Lefebvre-Lacoeuille C. , Le Sellin J. , Bonneau J.-C. , Maillard H. , Rénier G. , Cichon S. , Ponard D. , Drouet C. , Martin L.
Published: August 2012

Background: Hereditary C1-inhibitor (C1-Inh) deficiency is associated with ‘bradykinin-mediated angio-oedema’ (BK-AO) and is believed not to be associated with urticaria. Acquired AO has been related to oestrogen contraceptives. Objective: To demonstrate that AO precipitated by oestrogens and characterized by nonfunctional C1-Inh is mediated by BK and to evaluate the occurrence of urticaria in these patients. Methods: A retrospective evaluation of patients referred for AO related to oestrogen was undertaken. Circulating C1-Inh, high molecular weight kininogen (HK) and enzymes involved in the metabolism of bradykinin were investigated. Results: Fifteen patients were included. HK cleavage concurrent to oestrogen intake was demonstrated in 10 patients with available plasma. Eight patients reported recurrent or chronic urticaria. Discontinuation of the contraceptive resulted in a return to native C1-Inh and HK in all cases studied and to normal kininogenase activity in all but one. The clinical manifestations completely disappeared in 6 patients and improved in 7 after the withdrawal of oestrogen. Conclusion: Patients display extensive cleavage of HK in the plasma, which supports that AO precipitated by oestrogen contraception is BK-mediated. Recurrent urticaria may have been underestimated in this context. The presence of recurrent urticaria should not systematically rule out the diagnosis of BK-AO when the history is suggestive.
Long-Term Follow-Up of Implanted Children with Cytomegalovirus-Related Deafness
Authors: Viccaro Marika , Filipo Roberto , Bosco Ersilia , Nicastri Maria , Mancini Patrizia
Published: August 2012

Objective: To evaluate, with a long-term follow-up, the speech perception and language development in children with cytomegalovirus (CMV)-related deafness after cochlear implantation. Study Design: A retrospective study on CMV-related profound deafness and cochlear implantation was performed from 1995 to 2010. Six children with an average follow-up of 10 years were included in this research. Medical history, imaging, cognitive delay, speech perception and production data were reviewed. Results: Two of the 6 patients developed a functional language with the use of phrases and word sequences based on morphological and syntactic rules; the others demonstrated the development of a preverbal or transitional language with the use of single words only. Conclusion: Patients with CMV-related deafness benefit from cochlear implantation; however, the expectations of the parents must be evaluated in a series of counseling efforts prior to the surgery.
Effect of Varying Displays and Room Illuminance on Caries Diagnostic Accuracy in Digital Dental Radiographs
Authors: Pakkala T. , Kuusela L. , Ekholm M. , Wenzel A. , Haiter-Neto F. , Kortesniemi M.
Published: August 2012

In clinical practice, digital radiographs taken for caries diagnostics are viewed on varying types of displays and usually in relatively high ambient lighting (room illuminance) conditions. Our purpose was to assess the effect of room illuminance and varying display types on caries diagnostic accuracy in digital dental radiographs. Previous studies have shown that the diagnostic accuracy of caries detection is significantly better in reduced lighting conditions. Our hypothesis was that higher display luminance could compensate for this in higher ambient lighting conditions. Extracted human teeth with approximal surfaces clinically ranging from sound to demineralized were radiographed and evaluated by 3 observers who detected carious lesions on 3 different types of displays in 3 different room illuminance settings ranging from low illumination, i.e. what is recommended for diagnostic viewing, to higher illumination levels corresponding to those found in an average dental office. Sectioning and microscopy of the teeth validated the presence or absence of a carious lesion. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were calculated for each modality and observer. Differences were estimated by analyzing the binary data assuming the added effects of observer and modality in a generalized linear model. The observers obtained higher sensitivities in lower illuminance settings than in higher illuminance settings. However, this was related to a reduction in specificity, which meant that there was no significant difference in overall accuracy. Contrary to our hypothesis, there were no significant differences between the accuracy of different display types. Therefore, different displays and room illuminance levels did not affect the overall accuracy of radiographic caries detection.
Unusual Aortic Valve Anomaly in the Fetus: A Case Report
Authors: Fesslova V. , Boschetto C. , Brankovic J. , Bonacina E.
Published: August 2012

Aortic valve anomalies in fetal life usually concern aortic valve stenosis, in severe forms associated to left ventricular impairment – endocardial fibroelastosis and mitral valve insufficiency. Isolated aortic regurgitation in utero is infrequent and is usually considered to be due to a rare anomaly: aorto-left ventricular tunnel. We describe an unusual case of fetal aortic valve anomaly with severe dysplasia, with a marked regurgitant flow through the aortic valve, passing in a retrograde way from the duct, associated with a marked left ventricular endocardial fibroelastosis and dysfunction, resulting in the fatal outcome of the case.
Construction of a Penoid after Penectomy Using a Transpositioned Testicle
Authors: Gerullis H. , Georgas E. , Bagner J.W. , Eimer C. , Otto T.
Published: August 2012

Total penectomy results in a disfiguring anatomic situation which may have a devastating effect on the patient's psychologic health. Here we report our experience with construction of a penoid by covering a transpositioned testicle with remaining penile skin after radical penectomy in 2 patients with malignant underlying disease.
Decrease in Incidence of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia with Erythropoietin Administration in Preterm Infants: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Rayjada Niti , Barton Lorayne , Chan Linda S. , Plasencia Salvador , Biniwale Manoj , Bui Kim Chi
Published: August 2012

Background: Despite advances in clinical care, the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) remains high in premature infants. Erythropoietin (EPO) is used for the treatment of anemia of prematurity (AOP) to decrease blood transfusion needs. EPO has been shown to mobilize circulating endothelial progenitor cells and to enhance lung repair in animal models. Objective: To determine whether EPO treatment for AOP was associated with a reduced incidence of BPD in premature infants. Methods: This retrospective study was performed on all live-born neonates with birth weights from 500 to 1,500 g and gestational age (GA) from 22 to 32 weeks admitted from 1994 to 2002. Infants who received EPO and those who did not receive EPO were compared for incidence of BPD and other morbidities. Results: Of 478 patients, 297 received EPO before 36 weeks’ postmenstrual age (group 1) and 181 did not receive EPO (group 2). Group 1 was of similar birth weight but lower GA than group 2. The incidence of BPD was lower in group 1 than group 2 (26 vs. 36%, p = 0.03); after adjusting for significant risk factors, the adjusted odds ratio for BPD was 0.50 (95% CI 0.32, 0.79), p = 0.0028. The BPD rate was much lower when EPO was initiated before 4 weeks of age (16%) as compared to later initiation (44%). Conclusions: This study shows an association between EPO treatment and reduced incidence of BPD in preterm infants, particularly when EPO treatment was initiated within the first 4 weeks of life.
Obesity, Anthropometric Measures and Chronic Kidney Disease Complications
Authors: Navaneethan Sankar D. , Kirwan John P. , Arrigain Susana , Schreiber Martin J. , Sarnak Mark J. , Schold Jesse D.
Published: August 2012

Background/Aims: Anthropometric measures such as body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) have differential associations with incident chronic kidney disease (CKD) and mortality. We examined the associations of BMI and WC with various CKD complications. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 2,853 adult participants with CKD in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 1999–2006. The associations of BMI and WC (both as categorical and continuous variables) with CKD complications such as anemia, secondary hyperparathyroidism, hyperphosphatemia, metabolic acidosis, hypoalbuminemia and hypertension were examined using logistic regression models while adjusting for relevant confounding variables. Results: When examined as a continuous variable, an increase in BMI by 2 points and in WC by 5 cm was associated with higher odds of secondary hyperparathyroidism, hypoalbuminemia and hypertension among those with CKD. CKD participants with BMI ≥30 have higher odds of hypoalbuminemia and hypertension than those with BMI <30. CKD participants with high WC (>102 cm in men and >88 cm in women) have higher odds of hypoalbuminemia and hypertension and lower odds of having anemia than those with low WC. CKD participants with BMI <30 and high WC (vs. BMI <30 and low WC) were not associated with any increase in CKD complications. Conclusions: Anthropometric measures such as BMI and WC are associated with secondary hyperparathyroidism, hypoalbuminemia and hypertension among adults with CKD. Higher WC among those with BMI <30 is not associated with CKD complications.
Can Long-Term Hearing Preservation be Expected in Children following Cholesteatoma Surgery? Results from a 14-Year-Long Study of Atticotomy-Limited Mastoidectomy with Cartilage Reconstruction
Authors: Kuo Chin-Lung , Shiao An-Suey , Liao Wen-Huei , Ho Ching-Yin , Lien Chiang-Feng
Published: August 2012

Objective: Following cholesteatoma surgery, effective long-term hearing preservation in children is difficult and is not typically expected. Hence, long-term data on hearing outcomes are lacking. The aim of this study was to analyze long-term hearing outcomes in children following cholesteatoma surgery. Methods: For this study, 49 ears in 47 children (≤16 years) with acquired cholesteatomas following atticotomy-limited mastoidectomy with cartilage reconstruction (inside-out approach) during 1986–2010 were included. Pre- and post-operative recidivism-free audiometric results were compared. Hearing success was defined as a post-operative air conduction (AC) threshold of ≤30 dB (serviceable hearing). Logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate potential prognostic factors that independently contributed to the prediction of hearing success. These factors included stapes condition, pre-operative AC threshold, ossicular chain integrity, disease severity, age, and gender. Results: The mean duration of follow-up was 14.2 years. The post-operative AC (33.55 ± 15.42 dB) and air-bone gap (17.88 ± 12.94 dB) were significantly improved compared with the pre-operative AC (42.90 ± 16.47 dB, p < 0.001) and air-bone gap (30.23 ± 13.68 dB, p < 0.001). The probability of hearing success following surgery (40.8%) was significantly higher than prior to surgery (24.5%, p = 0.008). Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed a statistically significant correlation between hearing success and stapes integrity only (p = 0.005). Conclusions: This study provides important information on effective long-term hearing preservation over a mean follow-up of 14 years. In addition, stapes destruction is an independent negative prognostic determinant of achieving hearing success. The prediction model in this study provides otologists with useful pre-operative information to inform patients and parents on expected hearing outcomes and may be useful for post-operative observations.
Medullary Thick Ascending Limb Buffer Vasoconstriction of Renal Outer-Medullary Vasa Recta in Salt-Resistant But Not Salt-Sensitive Rats
Authors: O’Connor Paul M. , Cowley Allen W.
Published: August 2012

We have demonstrated previously that paracrine signaling occurs between medullary thick ascending limb (mTAL) and the contractile pericytes of outer-medullary vasa recta (VR), termed “tubular-vascular cross-talk.” The aim of the current study was to determine whether tubular-vascular cross-talk has a functional effect on vasoconstrictor responses to angiotensin II and to determine whether this is altered in the Dahl salt-sensitive (SS) rat. Studies were performed on salt-resistant consomic SS.13 Brown Norway (BN) and SS rats using a novel outer medullary tissue strip preparation in which freshly isolated VRs within VR bundles were perfused either alone or in combination with nearby mTAL. In VRs from SS.13

bn

rats, angiotensin II (1 µmol/L) increased VR bundle intracellular Ca
2+
concentration 19 ± 9 nmol/L (n=8) and reduced focal diameter in perfused VRs by −20 ± 7% (n=5). In the presence of nearby mTAL, however, VR bundle intracellular Ca
2+
concentration (−9 ± 8 nmol/L; n=8) and VR diameter (−1 ± 4%, n=7) in SS.13

bn

rats were unchanged by angiotensin II. In contrast, in Dahl SS rats, angiotensin II resulted in rapid and sustained increase in VR bundle intracellular Ca
2+
concentration (89 ± 48 nmol/L, n=7; 50 ± 24%, n=8) and a reduction in VR diameter of (−17 ± 7%, n=7; −11 ± 4%, n=5) in both isolated VRs and VRs with nearby mTAL, respectively. In VRs with mTAL from SS13

bn

rats, inhibiton of purinergic receptors resulted in an increase in VR bundle intracellular Ca
2+
concentration, indicating that purinergic signaling buffers vasoconstriction. Importantly, our in vitro data were able to predict medullary blood flow responses to angiotensin II in SS and SS.13

bn

rats in vivo. We conclude that paracrine signaling from mTAL buffers angiotensin II vasoconstriction in Dahl salt-resistant SS.13

bn

rats but not SS rats.
NET, Jarosław Kozłowski in Conversation with Klara Kemp-Welch
Authors: Kozłowski Jarosław , Kemp-Welch Klara
Published: August 2012

Jarosław Kozłowski discusses his role in 1960s and 1970s alternative networks with Klara Kemp-Welch. The conversation begins with an overview of independent artists' initiatives in the period, then moves on to Kozłowski's early correspondence pieces, the conceptual proposition NET initiated in 1971 with Andrzej Kostolowski and mailed to hundreds of international recipients, the reception of the materials received through the NET, Kozłowski's experience of running the gallery Akumulatory 2 in Poznań, and wider issues relating to mail art and 1970s Polish artists' networks.
International Hungary!: György Galántai's Networking Strategies
Authors: Tumbas Jasmina
Published: August 2012

This paper focuses on György Galántai's networking strategies during the socialist period in Hungary. Beginning with the Balatonboglár Chapel Studio exhibitions (1970–1973) and ending with the discussion of Artpool, founded by Galántai and Julia Klaniczay in 1979, the paper considers the position of experimental art in Hungary in the 1970s and 1980s and Galántai's struggles with the authorities. In analyzing the ways in which samizdat publications and the mail art network offered modes of resistance and alternative spaces for artistic exchanges, I propose that those experimental forms of art expanded artists' communication by means of metonymy, conveying corporeal sovereignty among artists across geographical boundaries.
A Window and a Basement: Negotiating Hospitality at La Galerie Des Locataires and Podroom–The Working Community of Artists
Authors: Bago Ivana
Published: August 2012

The text proposes a comparative reading of two self-organized projects of the 1970s, Podroom — the Working Community of Artists, founded in 1978 by a group of artists in Zagreb, and La Galerie des Locataires, founded in 1972 in Paris by art historian Ida Biard. The analysis addresses the issue of work/labor as one of the key preoccupations of both projects, situating it within the theoretical perspectives that define the crisis of Fordist labor in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as its resolution in the transition to the post-Fordist era with its emphasis on immaterial labor, keeping in mind the specificities this transition implied in the context of Western capitalism and socialist self-management in Yugoslavia. Since confronting these questions in the examples of the two discussed projects involved primarily a search for autonomous and non-servile spaces — for art, work and life — they are examined here within an overarching conceptual framework of hospitality as discussed by Jacques Derrida.
Introduction
Authors: Kemp-Welch Klara , Freire Cristina
Published: August 2012

The guest editors' introduction to ARTMargins Issue 1:2–3 proposes that the dynamic marginal art scenes that developed under Latin American military dictatorships and in Late Socialist Eastern Europe in the 1960s and 1970s were characterized by their commitment to freedom and its furthering through cultural exchange and networking. To the extent that direct exchange was controlled from above, its significance, from below, increased in inverse proportion. From the peripheries of the Cold War, a marginal cultural intelligentsia sought creative ways to inhabit counter-cartographies and to foster an alternative sense of belonging. The introduction gives an overview of the transnational networks developed by artists operating outside a market framework, with a view to highlighting the need for scholars to rethink the complexity of past, present and future fields of international artistic exchange.
In the Wake of “In the Wake of the Global Turn”
Authors: D'Souza Aruna
Published: August 2012

This article looks back on the consequence, for a scholar of the art of the western canon, of a two-day conference held at the Clark Art Institute titled “In the Wake of the Global Turn: Propositions for an Exploded Art History Without Borders.” The author reflects on the pedagogical challenges of the ethical and political project of reimagining the limits of the discipline in both geographic and theoretical terms in order to accommodate issues of the untranslatable, incommensurable, and irresolvable when it comes to visual cultures from around the world. As well, the article touches on the ways in which attempts to “expand” the discipline through efforts at writing a global art history have merely reentrenched outmoded ideas about cultural power rather than dislocated the most limiting terms of art historical analysis.
Odds Ratio Forecasts Increase Precautionary Action for Extreme Weather Events
Authors: LeClerc Jared , Joslyn Susan
Published: August 2012

What is the best way to communicate the risk of rare but extreme weather to the public? One suggestion is to communicate the relative risk of extreme weather in the form of odds ratios; but, to the authors’ knowledge, this suggestion has never been tested systematically. The experiment reported here provides an empirical test of this hypothesis. Participants performed a realistic computer simulation task in which they assumed the role of the manager of a road maintenance company and used forecast information to decide whether to take precautionary action to prevent icy conditions on a town’s roads. Participants with forecasts expressed as odds ratios were more likely to take appropriate precautionary action on a single target trial with an extreme low temperature forecast than participants using deterministic or probabilistic forecasts. However, participants using probabilistic forecasts performed better on trials involving weather within the normal range than participants with only deterministic forecast information. These results may provide insight into how best to communicate extreme weather risk. This paper offers clear evidence that people given relative risk information are more inclined to take precautionary action when threatened with an extreme weather event with a low probability than people given only single-value or probabilistic forecasts.
Something like rights? Faith, law and widow immolation debates in colonial Bengal
Authors: Sarkar Tanika
Published: August 2012

The article straddles two separate but intertwined registers. One is the interface between faith and law under early colonial rule. I explore this through the lens of colonial governance of immolations of Hindu widows. The other is the gradual transmutation of an idea or a word: consent, the widow’s consent to burning alive. The early colonial state formally institutionalised the widow’s consent as the basis for all lawful immolations. That, I argue, eventuated, over a long stretch of time, and through a strangely twisted dialectic, in a horizon of female entitlements and immunities. Controversially but recognisably, she became the bearer of something like rights rather than of sacred prescriptions and injunctions alone. This was a development that neither the state nor its Brahman ritual specialists had actually intended.
Formulation of time- and temperature-dependent strength of unidirectional carbon fiber reinforced plastics
Authors: Nakada Masayuki , Miyano Yasushi
Published: August 2012

The time- and temperature-\dependent static strengths for typical three directions of unidirectional carbon fiber reinforced plastic, which are the tensile and compressive static strengths for the longitudinal direction and the tensile static strength for the transverse direction, were measured at various deformation rates and temperatures in our previous paper. By using these measured data, the master curves of these static strengths are constructed based on the time–temperature superposition principle to be held for the viscoelastic behavior of matrix resin. Furthermore, the relationships between the viscoelastic behavior of matrix resin and these static strengths are evaluated on the viewpoints of failure mechanism. The quantitative characteristics of these static strength master curves are discussed using the formulation based on their failure mechanisms.
We’re Graduating, What’s Next? Relational Contribution to the Educational Attainment of Black Bermudian Adolescent Boys
Authors: Jethwani-Keyser Monique , Mincy Ronald , Haldane Eva
Published: August 2012

Guided by ecological and integrative theories of child development, this article examined the associations between multiple systems of influence (school and family) and the educational aspirations of Black Bermudian adolescent boys. This study used qualitative data gleaned from semistructured interviews with students in their senior year at a Bermudian public high school ( N = 18, Mage = 18). Findings revealed that family members and teachers encouraged boys to stay committed to school, thereby supporting high school graduation, academic confidence, and educational aspirations for higher education. However, boys had not learned enough about the complicated process of college and fellowship applications to execute their educational goals, leaving them to wonder “what’s next?” This study contributes to our cross-cultural and nuanced understanding of the important role that families and teachers play in the educational lives of Black male adolescents and suggests that interventions targeting families and teachers might promote the educational attainment, and consequent earnings, of Black male students.
Authentic Leadership, Authentic Followership, Basic Need Satisfaction, and Work Role Performance
Authors: Leroy Hannes , Anseel Frederik , Gardner William L. , Sels Luc
Published: August 2012

Authentic leadership occurs when individuals enact their true selves in their role as a leader. This article examines the role of authentic followership in the previously established relationship between authentic leadership and follower in-role and extrarole performance behaviors. Consideration of followers who enact their true selves is important to understand how authentic leadership fosters follower self-determined work motivation and thus work role performance. Using self-determination theory (SDT) as a guiding framework, the authors propose that authentic leadership, authentic followership, and their interplay are positively related to the satisfaction of followers’ basic needs, which, in turn, are positively related to follower work role performance. The authors conducted a survey study of 30 leaders and 252 followers in 25 Belgian service companies. The results provide evidence of positive relationship for both authentic leadership and authentic followership with follower basic need satisfaction in a cross-level model where authentic leadership was aggregated to the group level of analysis. Cross-level interaction results indicated that authentic leadership strengthened the relationship between authentic followership and follower basic need satisfaction. Follower basic need satisfaction was shown to mediate the relationship of authentic leadership and authentic followership with follower work role performance. A test of mediated moderation further demonstrated that basic need satisfaction mediates the interaction of authentic leadership and authentic followership on follower work role performance. The implications for leadership research and practice are explored.
Multicohort Models in Cost-Effectiveness Analysis
Authors: O’Mahony James F. , van Rosmalen Joost , Zauber Ann G. , van Ballegooijen Marjolein
Published: August 2012

Background. Models used in cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) of screening programs may include 1 or many birth cohorts of patients. As many screening programs involve multiple screens over many years for each birth cohort, the actual implementation of screening often involves multiple concurrent recipient cohorts. Consequently, some advocate modeling all recipient cohorts rather than 1 birth cohort, arguing it more accurately represents actual implementation. However, reporting the cost-effectiveness estimates for multiple cohorts on aggregate rather than per cohort will fail to account for any heterogeneity in cost-effectiveness between cohorts. Such heterogeneity may be policy relevant where there is considerable variation in cost-effectiveness between cohorts, as in the case of cancer screening programs with multiple concurrent recipient birth cohorts, each at different stages of screening at any one point in time. Objective. The purpose of this study is to illustrate the potential disadvantages of aggregating cost-effectiveness estimates over multiple cohorts, without first considering the disaggregate estimates. Analysis. We estimate the cost-effectiveness of 2 alternative cervical screening tests in a multicohort model and compare the aggregated and per-cohort estimates. We find instances in which the policy choices suggested by the aggregate and per-cohort results differ. We use this example to illustrate a series of potential disadvantages of aggregating CEA estimates over cohorts. Conclusions. Recent recommendations that CEAs should consider the cost-effectiveness of more than just a single cohort appear justified, but the aggregation of estimates across multiple cohorts into a single estimate does not.
High Prevalence of Self-Reported Symptoms of Digital Ischemia in Elite Male Volleyball Players in the Netherlands
Authors: van de Pol Daan , Kuijer P. Paul F.M. , Langenhorst Ton , Maas Mario
Published: August 2012

Background:

In the past 3 years, 6 volleyball players with ischemic digits and small microemboli in the digital arteries of the dominant hand presented themselves in our hospital. These complaints were caused by an aneurysmatic dilation of the posterior circumflex humeral artery (PCHA) with distal occlusion and digital emboli in the isolateral limb. All were elite male volleyball players active in the national top league. Little is known about the exact symptoms associated with PCHA pathological lesions with digital emboli (PCHAP with DE) and its prevalence in elite volleyball players. If vascular injury can be identified at an early stage, thromboembolic complications and irreversible damage to the digits might be prevented.

Purpose:

To assess the prevalence of symptoms that are consistent with digital ischemia and may be caused by PCHAP with DE in elite male volleyball players in the Netherlands.

Study Design:

Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

A questionnaire survey was performed among elite volleyball players in the Dutch national top league and the Dutch beach volleyball team. The questionnaire was constructed using literature-based data on symptoms associated with PCHAP with DE, together with data retrieved from medical files.

Results:

A total of 99 of the 107 athletes participated, with a response rate of 93%. The most frequently reported symptoms associated with PCHAP with DE were cold, blue, or pale digits in the dominant hand during or immediately after practice or competition. The prevalence of these symptoms ranged from 11% to 27%. The prevalence of cold digits during practice and competition was 27%. The prevalence of cold, blue, and pale digits during or immediately after practice and competition was 12%.

Conclusion:

An unexpectedly high percentage of elite volleyball players reported symptoms that are associated with PCHAP with DE in the dominant hand. Because these athletes are considered potentially at risk for developing critical digital ischemia, further analysis of the presence of digital ischemia and PCHA injury is warranted.
Hydropower in Asia: Spinning a Dependence and Interdependence Binary
Authors: Tripathi Narendra Kumar
Published: August 2012

The article seeks to put forward a dynamic conception of construction of issues and their resolution, largely falling under the theoretical rubric of constructivism. The hydropower issues on the Asian continent pertaining to transboundary rivers construct a dynamic binary of dependence and interdependence. Instead of being permanently resolved, as suggested by epistemic community proponents, the issues follow a Hegelian dialectical ontology of problem to solution leading to a new problem. The organisation of the article, built around two foci, India and China, is elliptical. Both countries share transboundary rivers with a number of countries. Most bilateral agreements are, when signed, hailed as the dawn of a new era, before themselves becoming contentious, spawning a new cycle of accusations and counter-accusations. River water issues generate a complex binary of dependence and interdependence, played along the intersection of domestic and international.
Politics of Cultural Difference: Identity and Marginality in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh
Authors: Uddin Nasir
Published: August 2012

This article analyses the formation of an ethnic category and its relations with the marginalisation of ethnic minorities in the context of upland–lowland relations in Bangladesh. Three central concerns are highlighted. First, it examines the political and historical trajectories of the South Asian subcontinent which has laid down various identities for groups of people such as the Pahari living in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh. Second, it critically discusses how colonial policy has continued in the postcolonial era, particularly in dealing with people of different cultures living in the same state’s territory. Finally, the article argues that identity formation is closely linked with the politics of marginality, with particular reference to the Pahari people of the CHT. The article is based on comprehensive data collected through ethnographic fieldwork undertaken at different times from 1997 onwards.
Military and the Foreign Policy of Pakistan
Authors: Ahmed Naseem
Published: August 2012

Foreign policies are designed to help protect a country’s national interest—its national security, ideological goals and economic prosperity. Owing to the anarchic nature of the international political system, states feel a high degree of insecurity: lacking systemic guarantees of state security, war remains a legitimate instrument of foreign policy. Self-protection is the sole protection in an essentially anarchical system. While the primary objective of this article is to examine Pakistan’s foreign policy, it also evaluates two approaches to international relations, idealism and realism. Lastly, the article analyses the security perception of Pakistan and the role of the military in foreign policy making. The theoretical foundation of this study is realism, because Pakistan foreign policy is a classic example of political realism.
Intergroup Argumentation in City Government Decision Making
Authors: Beck Stephenson J. , Gronewold Katherine L. , Western Kai J.
Published: August 2012

Intergroup argumentation is an important aspect of civic activism, but it has yet to be studied from an interaction perspective. Using group argumentation research as a foundation, this study analyzed intergroup argumentation complexity and strategy by applying the Conversational Argument Coding Scheme (Canary, Ratledge, & Seibold, 1982) to a Lawrence, KS, USA, city commission meeting. Analysis found that Wal-Mart officials spent the majority of their speaking time framing their positions (i.e., delimitors), whereas city commissioners spent most of their time seeking convergence, and the public spent more time than the other groups using generative mechanisms. Findings suggest the need to distinguish between argument effectiveness and argument complexity, an important theoretical implication for argumentation research.