bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PilR, a Transcriptional Regulator for Pilin and Other Genes Required for Fe(III) Reduction in Geobacter sulfurreducens
Authors: Juárez Katy , Kim Byoung-Chan , Nevin Kelly , Olvera Leticia , Reguera Gemma , Lovley Derek R. , Methé Barbara A.
Published: February 2008

Growth using Fe(III) as a terminal electron acceptor is a critical physiological process in Geobacter sulfurreducens. However, the mechanisms of electron transfer during Fe(III) reduction are only now being understood. It has been demonstrated that the pili in G. sulfurreducens function as microbial nanowires conducting electrons onto Fe(III) oxides. A number of c-type cytochromes have also been shown to play important roles in Fe(III) reduction. However, the regulatory networks controlling the expression of the genes involved in such processes are not well known. Here we report that the expression of pilA, which encodes the pilistructural protein, is directly regulated by a two-component regulatory system in which PilR functions as an RpoN-dependent enhancer binding protein. Surprisingly, a deletion of the pilR gene affected not only insoluble Fe(III) reduction, which requires pili, but also soluble Fe(III) reduction, which, in contrast, does not require pili. Gene expression profiling using whole-genome DNA microarray and quantitative RT-PCR analyses obtained with a PilR-deficient mutant revealed that the expression of pilA and other pilin-related genes are downregulated, while many c-type cytochromes involved in Fe(III) reduction were differentially regulated. This is the first instance of an enhancer binding protein implicated in regulating genes involved in Fe(III) respiratory functions.
The Effect of an Information Leaflet upon Knowledge and Awareness of COPD in Potential Sufferers
Authors: Carré Philippe C. , Roche Nicolas , Neukirch Françoise , Radeau Thierry , Perez Thierry , Terrioux Philippe , Ostinelli Juliette , Pouchain Denis , Huchon Gérard
Published: February 2008

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is markedly under-diagnosed, which may be related to the under-reporting of symptoms and poor awareness of the disease. We hypothesized that written information on COPD may help increase awareness of the disease in people at risk of developing it. Objectives: To evaluate the impact of an information leaflet sent by postal mail on the level of knowledge of COPD in subjects with or at risk of COPD. Methods: A total of 860 subjects with or at risk of COPD were selected by using a phone questionnaire. All subjects who reported a known diagnosis of COPD, a chronic cough and sputum production, or a smoking history of at least 15 pack-years were eligible for selection. Their knowledge of COPD was assessed during a telephone interview (baseline). They were randomized into 2 groups, with only 1 group receiving the information leaflet, and were then contacted 3 months later for a second interview. The changes in the knowledge of COPD from baseline were compared between subjects who reported receiving and reading the leaflet (true sensitized group) and subjects to whom the leaflet was not sent (control group). Results: At the follow-up interview, the proportion of patients who spontaneously mentioned ‘respiratory difficulties’, when asked about the meaning of COPD, significantly increased in the true sensitized group (+11.9%) compared with the control group (+2.6%, p < 0.05). In addition, the frequency of patients who cited lung function test as the primary diagnostic tool for COPD increased by +14.4% in the true sensitized group versus+2.0% in the control group (p < 0.05). However, there was no short-term leaflet-dependent improvement in smoking behaviour or utilization of health-care resources. Conclusions: This study shows that an information leaflet sent by postal mail to subjects with or at risk of COPD can significantly improve their knowledge of COPD; however, it has no significant impact on their behaviour.
Notes on the Theorizing of Global Environmental Politics
Authors: Princen Thomas
Published: February 2008

Although global environmental politics (GEP), like other areas of international relations, should be theorized, no single unified theory of GEP is in the offing, nor should be. Nevertheless, assuming that the ultimate societal goal is ecological and social sustainability, at least three elements are necessary in that theorizing: starting points, metaphors, and normative content. The primary starting points for GEP include concern for irreversible diminution of the earth's life support systems, the consequences of ever-increasing throughput of material and energy, and the injustices of uneven distribution. Inappropriate metaphors of the environment include the machine and the laboratory; appropriate ones include spaceship earth and a watershed. Appropriate norms include ecological capping and zero waste. Finally, the theorizing effort needs to be explicit about the questions being asked. Are they about environmental improvement or sustainability? Are they about easing the environmental burdens of the powerless or easing the adjustment costs of the powerful?
The Architecture of Global Environmental Governance: Bringing Science to Bear on Policy
Authors: Young Oran R.
Published: February 2008

This article draws on the findings of the international research project on the Institutional Dimensions of Global Environmental Change to evaluate current proposals for reforming organizational arrangements that address environmental protection and especially calls for strengthening the UN Environment Programme or creating a UN Environment Organization. The first section explores pitfalls arising when policy-makers focus on form before sorting out functional matters. The next section examines institutional challenges confronting efforts to create effective environmental governance systems. The final section broadens the scope to address issues extending beyond environmental protection in a world of nation states. The goal is not to throw cold water on specific proposals of those who advocate organizational reform. Rather, the article argues that form should follow function in this realm as in others. By itself, organizational reform cannot achieve environmental protection, much less the broader goal of sustainable development.
The World Trade Organization's Report on the EU's Moratorium on Biotech Products: The Wisdom of the US Challenge to the EU in the WTO
Authors: Lieberman Sarah , Gray Tim
Published: February 2008

The World Trade Organization (WTO) recently ruled on the case brought by the US, Canada and Argentina against the moratorium imposed by the European Union (EU) on imports of genetically-modified (GM) food and crops. Although the WTO's ruling has been greeted by the complainant countries as a victory, it found in their favor on only one narrow technical procedural issue, and it rejected more substantive challenges to the EU moratorium. In this article, we analyze the WTO report and explain the issues at stake, focusing particularly on the question of why the USA chose the WTO as the forum for its challenge to the EU moratorium, and whether it was wise to do so. Has the USA achieved its aims through the trade-specific WTO, or should it have taken its challenge to the more hostile, but environment-specific forum of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety? Alternatively, should the USA have refrained from mounting an official international challenge at all?
The Importance of Critical Environmental Studies in the New Environmentalism
Authors: Wapner Paul
Published: February 2008

Over the past few years, environmental studies has been pushed to the sidelines of political discourse as environmental challenges have been overshadowed in world affairs by issues of terrorism, national security and global economic stability. However, a new Democratic Congress in the US and anticipation of a new US president, intensifying global concern about climate change and forward-looking environmental initiatives at the municipal and regional levels the world-over suggest that we may be entering a new era of environmental concern. How should environmental scholars position themselves in the emerging political landscape? This essay argues that, while critical environmental scholarship often occupies the margins of disciplinary space, it is more relevant now than ever before. The essay explains why and how critical environmental studies can adopt the mantle of genuinely effective scholarly engagement.
The Drought of Amazonia in 2005
Authors: Marengo José A. , Nobre Carlos A. , Tomasella Javier , Oyama Marcos D. , Sampaio de Oliveira Gilvan , de Oliveira Rafael , Camargo Helio , Alves Lincoln M. , Brown I. Foster
Published: February 2008

In 2005, large sections of southwestern Amazonia experienced one of the most intense droughts of the last hundred years. The drought severely affected human population along the main channel of the Amazon River and its western and southwestern tributaries, the Solimões (also known as the Amazon River in the other Amazon countries) and the Madeira Rivers, respectively. The river levels fell to historic low levels and navigation along these rivers had to be suspended. The drought did not affect central or eastern Amazonia, a pattern different from the El Niño–related droughts in 1926, 1983, and 1998. The choice of rainfall data used influenced the detection of the drought. While most datasets (station or gridded data) showed negative departures from mean rainfall, one dataset exhibited above-normal rainfall in western Amazonia.

The causes of the drought were not related to El Niño but to (i) the anomalously warm tropical North Atlantic, (ii) the reduced intensity in northeast trade wind moisture transport into southern Amazonia during the peak summertime season, and (iii) the weakened upward motion over this section of Amazonia, resulting in reduced convective development and rainfall. The drought conditions were intensified during the dry season into September 2005 when humidity was lower than normal and air temperatures were 3°–5°C warmer than normal. Because of the extended dry season in the region, forest fires affected part of southwestern Amazonia. Rains returned in October 2005 and generated flooding after February 2006.
Variability in the Position and Strength of Winter Jet Stream Cores Related to Northern Hemisphere Teleconnections
Authors: Strong Courtenay , Davis Robert E.
Published: February 2008

Numerous teleconnections have been identified based upon spatial variability in sea level pressure or lower-tropospheric geopotential height fields. These teleconnections, which are commonly strongest in winter when the mean meridional temperature gradient is large, typically are neither derived from nor linked to changes in the jet stream. Here, winter tropospheric jet stream cores over the Northern Hemisphere (NH) are recovered from 6-hourly gridded data and interannual variability in winter jet core position, speed, and pressure are investigated in the context of NH teleconnections. Common methods for researching jet stream speed and position variability may yield unrepresentative results because jet core pressure variability is ignored (only one isobaric surface is evaluated) or pressure variability effects are smoothed (values are vertically averaged across several isobaric surfaces). In this analysis, data are extracted at the surface of maximum wind, thus controlling for jet core pressure variability and allowing for a more representative tracking of three-dimensional jet core variations.

In the extratropics, the leading pattern of variability in jet core frequency is correlated with the Arctic Oscillation index (AOI) and appears as an oscillation about the spiral-shaped mean configuration of the winter jet stream. In contrast to previous research, the authors find no evidence of Pacific jet deceleration during positive AOI. The second leading mode of variability appears as a split (merged) winter-mean jet stream in the east Pacific together with a merged (split) winter-mean jet stream over North America, a pattern of change that correlates with the Pacific–North American pattern and is reflected in the amplitude of the long-wave ridge over western North America.
Alternative Indices for the Warm-Season NAO and Precipitation Variability in West Greenland
Authors: Aebly Frank A. , Hu Qi , Fritz Sherilyn C.
Published: February 2008

Observed precipitation records from Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, and atmospheric variables from the NCEP–NCAR reanalysis were used in a statistical analysis to elucidate controls on the seasonal variation of precipitation and develop indices that may be potentially useful for analyzing precipitation variability in paleoclimate and future climate change investigations. Three distinct patterns of correlation between precipitation and the 500-hPa geopotential height were found to represent three dominant atmospheric patterns that strongly influence precipitation for different times of the year. All three patterns show a relation to the North Atlantic Oscillation signature found in the first empirical orthogonal function of the 500-hPa height field. Spatially dependent indices were developed based on the 500-hPa geopotential field. The correlation coefficients between precipitation at Kangerlussuaq and these indices range from −0.38 for winter to 0.64 for the warm season (May–September). The warm-season index herein is the first index reported in the literature that correlates significantly with precipitation during the warm season. Correlations of these indices with precipitation in Oslo, Norway, are high and are of opposite sign to west Greenland indices for the winter and summer months. This indicates that they are good representations of the atmospheric patterns associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation and the west Greenland–northern Europe “seesaw.” High correlations are also found with precipitation measured at Nuuk, Qaqortoq, and Upernavik, Greenland.
Interactions between the Responses of North American Climate to El Niño–La Niña and to the Secular Warming Trend in the Indian–Western Pacific Oceans
Authors: Lau Ngar-Cheung , Leetmaa Ants , Nath Mary Jo
Published: February 2008

The modulation of El Niño and La Niña responses by the long-term sea surface temperature (SST) warming trend in the Indian–Western Pacific (IWP) Oceans has been investigated using a large suite of sensitivity integrations with an atmospheric general circulation model. These model runs entail the prescription of anomalous SST conditions corresponding to composite El Niño or La Niña episodes, to SST increases associated with secular warming in IWP, and to combinations of IWP warming and El Niño/La Niña. These SST forcings are derived from the output of coupled model experiments for climate settings of the 1951–2000 and 2001–50 epochs. Emphasis is placed on the wintertime responses in 200-mb height and various indicators of surface climate in the North American sector.

The model responses to El Niño and La Niña forcings are in agreement with the observed interannual anomalies associated with warm and cold episodes. The wintertime model responses in North America to IWP warming bear a distinct positive (negative) spatial correlation with the corresponding responses to La Niña (El Niño). Hence, the amplitude of the combined responses to IWP warming and La Niña is notably higher than that to IWP warming and El Niño. The model projections indicate that, as the SST continues to rise in the IWP sector during the twenty-first century, the strength of various meteorological anomalies accompanying La Niña (El Niño) will increase (decrease) with time. The response of the North American climate and the zonal mean circulation to the combined effects of IWP forcing and La Niña (El Niño) is approximately equal to the linear sum of the separate effects of IWP warming and La Niña (El Niño).

The summertime responses to IWP warming bear some similarity to the meteorological anomalies accompanying extended droughts and heat waves over the continental United States.
A Content Analysis Exploring Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Topics in Foundations of Education Textbooks
Authors: Macgillivray Ian K. , Jennings Todd
Published: February 2008

This research analyzed the most widely used foundations of education textbooks for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) content. Because foundations of education coursework routinely introduces other diversity topics in education, the authors hold it is a good place to introduce LGBT topics. The ways in which LGBT topics are included in textbooks, however, or placed in relation to other material, can reinforce negative stereotypes and marginalize LGBT people. The authors paid particular attention to the textbook's presentation of LGBT topics in the following categories: discrimination and harassment against LGBT people; LGBT identities and experiences; LGBT parents, guardians, and families; LGBT history; strategies, resources, and curricula to increase safety and support; legal issues and professional responsibilities; personal beliefs and opposition; and conceptual terms and frameworks.
Managing Militarily
Authors: Resteigne Delphine , Soeters Joseph
Published: February 2008

In this article, the authors aim to apply well-known concepts of managerial work to the military. The concepts and methods used are derived from Henri Mintzberg, who paved the way in discovering the “nature of managerial work.” The data are based on closely observing two commanding officers at Kabul International Airport, operated by the International Security Assistance Force. Those managers play different managerial roles, and the ability to develop three types of roles—informational, interpersonal, or decisional— depends on their hierarchical level, their own functional area, and the complex environment of the military compound. Compared to conventional managers, military managers during multinational deployments have to cope with specific features such as the importance of language and communication skills (information roles), boredom among the workforce (interpersonal roles), as well as suddenly occurring emergencies and multiple (“political”) authority lines inside and outside the mission area (decisional roles).
The Publicness of Public Administration
Authors: Pesch Udo
Published: February 2008

Public administration theory has always struggled to find a clear-cut understanding of the publicness of public administration. There are at least five different approaches to distinguish public from private organizations. A closer examination shows that these five approaches are based on two conceptual versions of the publicness of public administration. The first conceptual version derives its understanding of publicness from “public goods,” whereas the second conceptual version involves the publicness of the “public interest.” These two versions are derived from two contravening ontological descriptions of publicness that have been developed in modern political theory. Both of these ontological descriptions have to be acknowledged as constitutive for understanding the publicness of public administration: Public administration can be seen as the empirical manifestation of the confrontation of these two meanings, which implies that “public administration” is constituted by an inconsistent conceptual framework.
Negotiating Value
Authors: Degeling Chris
Published: February 2008

At the beginning of the twentieth century, human and veterinary surgeons faced the challenge of a medical marketplace transformed by technology. The socioeconomic value ascribed to their patients was changing, reflecting the increasing mechanization of industry and the decreasing dependence of society on nonhuman animals for labor. In human medicine, concern for the economic consequences of fractures “pathologized” any significant level of posttherapeutic disability, a productivist perspective contrary to the traditional corpus of medical values. In contrast, veterinarians adapted to the mechanization of horsepower by shifting their primary professional interest to companion animals; a type of patient generally valued for the unique emotional attachment of the owner and not their productive capacity. The economic rationalization of human fracture care and the “sentimental” transformation of veterinary orthopedic expertise indicate how these specialists utilized increasingly convergent rhetorical arguments to justify the application of innovative fracture care technologies to their human and animal patients.
Rapid Prototyping of Polyurethane for the Creation of Vascular Systems
Authors: Wei Xu  , Xiao Wang  , Yongnian Yan  , Renji Zhang
Published: February 2008

A precise control over the internal architecture was essential for manufacture of complex organs. To create vascular systems that mimic human livers, we designed and fabricated complex 3D objects with an intrinsic network of interconnected channels. A new elastomeric polyurethane, mainly based on polycaprolactone and poly(ethylene glycol) with excellent biocompatibility and tunable biodegradation properties, was used to fabricate these vascular systems using a low temperature deposition system based on the layer-by-layer manufacturing principle. A specific model was selected via computer aided design (CAD), solid free form fabrication processes are conducted under computer direction. Two example object patterns were produced by precision controlled dispensing of a biodegradable polyurethane into 3D multi-micro-tunnels with multi-micro-pores at a low temperature (-28°C). The design and fabrication strategies used to create physical objects directly from CAD models represent a promising route for the establishment of complex organ vascular systems.
The Anatomy of Two-tier Bargaining Models
Authors: Aarvaag Stokke Torgeir
Published: February 2008

Collective bargaining in most European countries takes the form of multi-employer collective agreements. In the three Scandinavian countries, a two-tier model of bargaining has developed in many sectors: sectoral agreements prescribe national standards and nationally agreed wage increases, but they also give procedural and economic guidelines or frameworks for local or firm-level pay arrangement. Dispute resolution procedures at local level are the crucial link between levels, and a variety of such procedures are discussed. Similar examples of two-tier models can be found in other European countries, but they seem to be more fully developed in the Scandinavian countries. Possible explanations are considered, together with a discussion of the different forms of variation in wages opened up by two-tier models.
The European Company Statute: Implications for Industrial Relations in the European Union
Authors: Gold Michael , Schwimbersky Sandra
Published: February 2008

■ This article explores the origins and development of the European Company Statute, with particular reference to its provisions for employee involvement, both through a `representative body' and through board-level participation. European companies can be seen as `hybrid' organizations in which common European-level elements are combined with supplementary features deriving from the legislation of the country in which they are registered. The article outlines the types of company that have opted so far to become European companies and analyses a variety of the issues raised, including the range of options that now confront management in setting up such a company, the position of the unions and the `Europeanization' of company boards. The principal conclusions are that the Statute represents a further step in the development of `multi-level governance' of the EU, and that it will increase regulatory competition among the member states.
Job Insecurity, Union Support and Intentions to Resign Membership: A Psychological Contract Perspective
Authors: De Witte Hans , Sverke Magnus , Van Ruysseveldt Joris , Goslinga Sjoerd , Chirumbolo Antonio , Hellgren Johnny , Näswall Katharina
Published: February 2008

This article uses psychological contract theory to explore the consequences of job insecurity among union members. We hypothesize that the perception of job insecurity will correlate with a lower level of perceived union support and a higher intention to resign union membership. We also test whether the relationship between job insecurity and membership turnover is mediated by (a lack of) perceived union support. In Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands, an association is found between job insecurity and a reduction in perceived union support, and between job insecurity and the intention to resign membership; this association is also fully mediated by (a lack of) perceived union support. None of these hypotheses are corroborated in Sweden. We discuss implications of these findings for future research and for unions in Europe.
The Emergence of a European Labour Protest Movement?
Authors: Gajewska Katarzyna
Published: February 2008

This article considers what a transnational, and specifically European labour movement, would mean in the context of European integration, and whether there are prospects for its development. There are certainly structures and sporadic actions, so the question is whether they can develop further into a movement. I will summarize the literature on the integration of labour in the EU, which commonly argues that it is divided and incapable of action. These obstacles can be considered in a different light when the strand of social movement approaches is applied. Then I will present two cases of transnational European collective action with a focus on the managing of difference and on developing into a social movement. To summarize I will assess the future of labour mobilization in transnational context and conclude with a tentative explanation.
Contribution of polymorphism in codon 72 of p53 gene to systemic lupus erythematosus in Poland
Authors: Piotrowski P. , Lianeri M. , Mostowska M. , Wudarski M. , Chwalińska-Sadowska H. , Jagodziński PP
Published: February 2008

The contribution of the p53 Arg72Pro polymorphism in the development of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) remains controversial. We investigated the frequency of the p53 Arg72Pro genotype in patients with SLE ( n = 155) and in controls ( n = 150) in Poland. We found a weak contribution of the Arg/Arg genotype to the morbidity of SLE. Odds ratio (OR) for patients with SLE and p53 Arg/Arg genotype was 1.875 [95% CI = 1.180—2.979], P = 0.0075 and OR of the Arg/Arg and Arg/Pro genotypes was 1.549 [95% CI = 0.752—3.195], P = 0.2328.

Since the p53Arg variant supports apoptosis better than the p53Pro variant, our findings can be linked to an increase in the number of apoptotic leucocytes in SLE patients. The distinction between various populations may be because of differences in racial composition and/or exposure to distinct environmental factors that have a different impact on SLE incidence along with the changed Argp53Pro genotype. Lupus (2008) 17, 148—151.
Dying right to live longer: positing apoptosis as a link between maternal autoantibodies and congenital heart block
Authors: Buyon J.P. , Clancy R.M.
Published: February 2008

The association of isolated congenital heart block (CHB) with maternal autoantibodies to SSA/Ro and SSB/La ribonucleoproteins is approaching the predictable, even in mothers who are completely asymptomatic. Indeed, this model of passively acquired autoimmunity offers an exceptional opportunity to examine the effector arm of immunity and define the pathogenicity of an autoantibody in mediating tissue injury. The study of CHB exemplifies not only translational research, which inherently draws upon clinical observations and explores them in the laboratory, but “integrational” research which attempts to fit critical clinical and basic observations together, even those seemingly at odds. The spectrum of conduction abnormalities includes second and third-degree block, but injury can extend to the myocardium and endocardium, in rare cases without AV nodal dysfunction. The rarity of disease continues to drive the search for factors (fetal and environmental) that might amplify the effects of the maternal autoantibodies. The identification of exaggerated apoptosis, macrophage/myfibroblast crosstalk, TGFβ expression, and extensive fibrosis in the conducting system and in some cases surrounding myocardium in fetuses dying with CHB, provide in vivo support for several parallel lines of in vitro investigation. Specifically, the consideration of exaggerated apoptosis as the initial link between maternal antibody and tissue injury led to the observation that cardiocytes are capable of phagocytosing autologous apoptotic cardiocytes and anti-Ro/La antibodies inhibit this function. Recognizing that this perturbation of physiologic efferocytosis might divert uptake to professional FcγR-bearing phagocytes fits well with experiments demonstrating macrophage secretion of pro-inflammatory and fibrosing cytokines when coincubated with apoptotic cardiocytes bound by Ro/La antibodies. While CHB is rare, its study should set precedent for defining the role of autoantibodies in driving end organ disease. Lupus (2008) 17, 86—90.
Rupture of renal artery aneurysm due to salmonella infection in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Chiu K.M. , Lin T.Y. , Chen J.S. , Chu S.H.
Published: February 2008

Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are prone to infection. Immunomodulation treatment increases the susceptibility. Salmonella infections in SLE patients may present with various clinical pictures, like pneumonia, septic arthritis, osteomyelitis, peritonitis, abscess and so on. The vascular complications commonly seen in the general population with salmonella infection are rarely encountered in SLE patients. Here we report an SLE patient who presented with spontaneous rupture of salmonella mycotic aneurysm involving the left renal artery. The 54 year-old woman had a stable premorbid condition and had 30 mg prednisolone per day. Acute abdomen and hypotensive shock developed suddenly without warning signs in advance. Image and tissue culture confirmed the diagnosis. The patient had an uneventful recovery. The rare clinical scenario is reported. Lupus (2008) 17, 135—138.
Azathioprine-induced fatal myelosuppression in systemic lupus erythematosus patient carrying TPMT*3C polymorphism
Authors: Boonsrirat U. , Angsuthum S. , Vannaprasaht S. , Kongpunvijit J. , Hirankarn N. , Tassaneeyakul W. , Avihingsanon Y.
Published: February 2008

Azathioprine (AZA) is a commonly used immunosuppressant for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Myelosuppression is a serious adverse reaction due to AZA and its metabolites. Thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT) is the rate-limiting enzyme. Variations of TPMT enzyme activity may be responsible for myelosuppression. However, a correlation between certain mutant alleles of low TPMT enzyme activity and myelotoxicity has also been suggested as a factor. We describe herein a case of AZA-induced severe myelosuppression associated with TPMT*3C heterozygous mutant allele in a SLE patient. The patient presented with pancytopenia, sepsis, typhlitis and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy after a short period of AZA therapy. The patient had low TPMT activity and TPMT*3C genotype. Measurement of TPMT activity and determination of TPMT variant allele may identify patients at risk for AZA-induced myelosuppression. Lupus (2008) 17, 132—134.
Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome during systemic lupus erythematosus: four new cases and review of the literature
Authors: Leroux G. , Sellam J. , Costedoat-Chalumeau N. , Le Thi Huong D. , Combes A. , Tieulié N. , Haroche J. , Amoura Z. , Nieszkowska A. , Chastre J. , Dormont D. , Piette J-C.
Published: February 2008

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) associates various neurological manifestations (headaches, seizures, altered mental status, cortical blindness, focal neurological deficits, vomiting) and transient changes on neuroimaging consistent with cerebral edema. Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome mainly occurs in the setting of hypertension, eclampsia, renal failure and/or use of immunosuppressive drugs.

We report four cases of PRES complicating systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In all our cases, renal involvement and hypertension were present. Neurological symptoms were typical. Magnetic resonance imaging showed posterior cerebral edema and in one case hemorrhagic complication. With symptomatic treatment and immunosuppressor withdrawal when they were previously used, symptoms fully resolved within 15 days in all cases, but one who had only partial regression related to cerebral hemorrhage.

Including our cases, we reviewed a total of 46 patients with SLE and PRES. Their clinical and radiological presentation was not specific. The peculiar role of SLE itself in the occurrence of PRES was not clear, since hypertension (95%), renal involvement (91%), recent onset of immunosuppressive drugs (54%) and/or recent treatment with high intravenous dose of steroids (43%) were often present. The hypertension and other worsening factors should be treated. Finally, the evolution of this clinical and radiological spectacular syndrome is generally rapidly favorable. Lupus (2008) 17, 139—147.
Clinical features and outcome of neuropsychiatric lupus in Chinese: analysis of 240 hospitalized patients
Authors: Zhou HQ , Zhang FC , Tian XP , Leng XM , Lu JJ , Zhao Y. , Tang FL , Zhang X. , Zeng XF , Zhang ZL , Zhang W. , Dong Y.
Published: February 2008

Neuropsychiatric (NP) events are severe manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and relate to poor outcome. The aims of this study are to investigate the NP manifestations of SLE and to identify the predictive factors for clinical outcome. There was a retrospective review of 240 hospital patients with primary NP events of SLE (NPSLE) from 1990 to 2004. Neuropsychiatric manifestations, SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) score, System lupus International Collaborating Clinic/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index (SLICC/ACR-DI) score, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, treatment and mortality rate were included for analysis. From this group of patients, 15 NP syndromes were identified. The most frequent manifestation was headache, followed by seizure. The mean SLEDAI and SLICC/ACR-DI scores were 19.9 ± 6.9 and 3.5 ± 1.6, respectively. Abnormal MRI features were found in 67% (61/91) patients. At least one intrathecal (IT) injection of methotrexate (MTX) plus dexamethasone (DXM) was administered to 109 (45.4%) patients. High dose (1 g) intravenous methylprednisolone pulse therapy (IVMP) was administered to 167 (69.5%) patients. Multifactor analysis revealed that high SLICC/ACR-DI scores and sets of concurrent NP symptoms were independently associated with poor outcome, whereas pulse IVMP and IT injection of MTX plus DXM were protective factors against poor outcome. From our data, NPSLE is heterogeneous and is usually associated with high disease activity and organ damage scores. High SLICC/ACR-DI score and having more than two sets of NP symptoms are the predictors for poor outcome, whereas pulse IVMP and IT injection of MTX plus DXM can improve the prognosis. Lupus (2008) 17, 93—99.
A/C polymorphism in the interleukin-18 coding region among Taiwanese systemic lupus erythematosus patients
Authors: Lin Y-J. , Wan L. , Sheu Jj-C , Huang C-M. , Lin C-W. , Lan Y-C. , Lai C-H. , Hung C-H. , Tsai Y. , Tsai C-H. , Lin T-H. , Chen C-P. , Tsai F-J.
Published: February 2008

Interleukin-18 (IL-18) is associated with chronic inflammation, autoimmune diseases and various cancers and infectious diseases. An IL-18 genetic A/C polymorphism at coding position 105 (rs549908) has been linked with asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. We tested a hypothesis that the IL-18 genetic polymorphism confers systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) susceptibility. Study participants were Taiwanese SLE patients and a healthy control group. Our results indicate (1) a significantly higher A allele frequency in SLE patients ( P = 0.003; OR = 1.97; 95% CI = 1.26—3.08) and (2) a significantly higher A allele frequency in SLE patients with a central nervous system disorder ( P = 0.027; OR = 7.18; 95% CI = 0.95—54.28). Our results suggest that the A/C polymorphism contributes to SLE pathogenesis. Lupus (2008) 17, 124—127.
A Detour Through `Nascar Nation'
Authors: Newman Joshua I.
Published: February 2008

This study offers an ethnographically informed critical interrogation of the spaces and spectacles of `NASCAR Nation'. Informed by a series of open-ended interviews with fans and administrators at NASCAR races, hundreds of hours of participant observation and spatial analysis at these events, and examination of various mediations of NASCAR driver-celebrity, spectacle, and fandom, this project illuminates the processes by which citizenship and entitlement in `NASCAR Nation' are both constructed and contested. The article also investigates the ways in which NASCAR — often referred to as America's `fastest growing sport' — has played a significant role in articulating the hegemonic structures of consumer capitalist neoliberalism and the current regime's brand of faith-based, militarized neoconservativism to the identity politics of stock car racing fandom.
A Critical Analysis of the Development of Sport Medicine in Canada, 1955–80
Authors: Safai Parissa
Published: February 2008

Using a combination of archival research and semi-structured in-depth interviews, this study outlines the early development of sport medicine in Canada, from the mid-1950s to the late 1970s, in relation to the development of Canadian high performance sport during this period of time. I argue that the early development of sport medicine in Canada dovetailed with and benefited from the broader professionalization and rationalization of high performance sport, and that transformations in the production of international and national sport after the Second World War laid the foundation for the formalized and institutionalized entity we recognize today as sport medicine. These transformations were underpinned by the ideological re-centering of international high performance (specifically Olympic) sport from a moral and educational initiative to the all-out pursuit of sporting excellence that, in turn, was attentive to the claims of expertise from nascent sport medicine practitioners. The development of sport medicine is outlined from the late 1950s to the incorporation of the Sport Medicine Council of Canada (SMCC; later known as the Sport Medicine and Science Council of Canada, SMSCC) in 1978, and particular attention is paid to two turning points in the growth of sport medicine in Canada following initiatives to locate sport medicine in Canadian health and sport circles prior to the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games: a) the negative experiences of the Canadian contingent at the 1968 Games in contrast to; b) the provision and delivery of sport medicine at and following the 1976 Montréal Olympic Games.
Self-Management for Children With High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders
Authors: Wilkinson Lee A.
Published: February 2008

Supporting children with autism spectrum disorders in the general education classroom presents a unique challenge to the teachers and schools that serve them. This article addresses the utility of self-management as a proactive strategy for increasing the task engagement and compliant behavior of high-functioning students with autism. The author discusses the rationale for self-management, outlines the steps for developing an intervention plan, and presents a case vignette to illustrate implementation of a self-management procedure.
Collaboration to Promote Social Competence for Students With Mild Disabilities in the General Classroom
Authors: Meadan Hedda , Monda-Amaya Lisa
Published: February 2008

When students are struggling to be successful in the general classroom, collaborative efforts should include planning for academic and social needs. Students with disabilities may display significant social difficulties such as establishing friendships or feelings of isolation and loneliness. Because peer relationships in childhood play a significant role in later-life adjustment, teachers need to create environments that support and promote social competence and acceptance. This article discusses issues around social competence for students with mild disabilities and provides a social support structure as a basis for collaborating with general education teachers to create socially inclusive learning environments and build social competence.
Digital Stories Targeting Social Skills for Children With Disabilities
Authors: More Cori
Published: February 2008

Many children learn easily by watching others, imitating actions, and cuing into subtle social cues. However, some students with disabilities have trouble acquiring these social skills. These children require a more intensive intervention to make gains in the social area. For students who have difficulties initiating and maintaining interactions, teachers can implement more structure in the environment to gain a student's interest and encourage peer interactions. One strategy that meets these two criteria is the use of social stories. This article describes how digital technology can provide a multidimensional forum for the creation and implementation of social stories.
Validation of the Urdu Translation of the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation
Authors: Ayub Nailah
Published: February 2008

This study aimed at developing an Urdu version of the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSI) for use with Pakistani adolescents and young adults. For this purpose, the English BSI was translated into Urdu and tested for psychometric properties. The analyses were carried out with data from a sample of 904 adolescents and young adults from eight major cities of Pakistan. The Cronbach's alpha of .75 showed that the Urdu version of the BSI has reasonable internal consistency. Principal Component Analysis gave one meaningful component that indicated Active Suicidal Desire. This preliminary validation study of the Urdu version of the BSI showed that it is an acceptable measure to be used with Pakistani adolescents and young adults. The need for further research on suicide in Pakistan is discussed.
Benchmarking the Columbia Supercluster
Authors: Hood Robert , Biswas Rupak , Chang Johnny , Djomehri M. Jahed , Haoqiang Jin
Published: February 2008

Columbia, NASA's 10,240-processor supercluster, has been ranked as one of the fastest computers in the world since November 2004. In this paper we examine the performance characteristics of its production subclusters, which are typically configurations ranging in size from 512 to 2048 processors. We evaluate floating-point performance, memory bandwidth, and message passing communication speeds using a subset of the HPC Challenge benchmarks, the NAS Parallel Benchmarks, and a computational fluid dynamics application. Our experimental results quantify the performance improvement resulting from changes in interconnect bandwidth, processor speed, and cache size across the different types of SGI Altix 3700s that constitute Columbia. We also report on our experiments that investigate the performance impact of processors sharing a path to memory. Finally, our tests of the different interconnect fabrics available indicate substantial promise for scaling applications to run on configurations of more than 512 CPUs.
Performance Analysis of Leading HPC Architectures With Beambeam3D
Authors: Hongzhang Shan  , Strohmaier Erich , Ji Qiang
Published: February 2008

High energy colliders are essential to study the inner structure of nuclear and elementary particles. A parallel particle simulation code, BeamBeam3D, has been developed and actively used to model the beam dynamics and to optimize the performance of these colliders. In this paper, we analyze the performance characteristics of BeamBeam3D on several considerably different leading high performance computing architectures that are being employed either as production or research platforms. We examine different performance questions such as: how the workload should be partitioned among the processors to effectively use the computing resources; whether these platforms exhibit similar performance bottlenecks and how to address them; whether some platforms perform substantially better than others; and finally, what are the implications of BeamBeam3D for the design of the next generation supercomputer architectures.
An Evaluation of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Cray XT3
Authors: Alam Sadaf R. , Barrett Richard F. , Fahey Mark R. , Kuehn Jeffery A. , Bronson Messer O.E. , Mills Richard T. , Roth Philip C. , Vetter Jeffrey S. , Worley Patrick H.
Published: February 2008

In 2005, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) received delivery of a 5294 processor Cray XT3. The XT3 is Cray's third-generation massively parallel processing system. The ORNL system uses a single-processor node built around the AMD Opteron and uses a custom chip—called SeaStar—for interprocessor communication. The system uses a lightweight operating system called Catamount on its compute nodes. This paper provides a performance evaluation of the Cray XT3, including measurements for micro-benchmark, kernel, and application benchmarks. In particular, we provide performance results for strategic Department of Energy applications areas including climate, biology, astrophysics, combustion, and fusion. Our results, on up to 4096 processors, demonstrate that the Cray XT3 provides competitive processor performance, high interconnect bandwidth, and high parallel efficiency on a diverse application workload, typical in the DOE Office of Science.
The Parameters of Party Systems
Authors: Bardi Luciano , Mair Peter
Published: February 2008

Despite the scepticism that increasingly surrounds their role and standing in contemporary democracies, scholarly interest in political parties continues unabated. But this interest is also proving uneven, with relatively little attention now being given to the study of party systems. More specifically, the level of theoretical interest in party systems remains limited, with almost no substantial innovations being made since the publication of Sartori's classic work of 1976. In this article, we seek to redress some of this neglect by identifying the relevant parameters that can be used in the definition of party systems and, possibly, in the explanation of party system change. We then go on to look at the minimum defining characteristics of a system of parties (as opposed to a set of parties) before finally arguing that party systems are best understood as multidimensional phenomena in which we identify and discuss the implications of three types of division — vertical, horizontal and functional.
The Effective Number of Parties At Four Scales
Authors: Blau Adrian
Published: February 2008

Different scholars count `the number of parties' in different ways, partly because they examine different parts of the political process and for different reasons. Sartori's qualitative approach focused mainly on competition for government, but is now largely supplanted by the quantitative `effective number of parties' index, which deals with votes and seats. But some quantitative research requires us to look beyond votes and seats. For example, testing proportional and pluralitarian models of democracy requires us to count parties not just in terms of votes and seats but also in terms of legislative and cabinet power. I estimate party shares of legislative and cabinet power to test democratic norms at British and German elections and parliaments. So, the effective number of parties index needs to be, and can be, extended beyond votes and seats alone.