bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mesotrione: A new herbicide for use in maize
Authors: Elezovic Ibrahim , Stevic Milan , Jovanovic-Radovanov Katarina
Published: September 2009

In 2000 and 2001 field trials were carried out to evaluate the efficacy of herbicide mesotrione in maize. The experiments were established in Zemun Polje and Smederevska Palanka, according to EPPO/OEPP standard methods. Trade formulation Callisto (a.i. mesotrione 480 g/L) used as a experimental sample in two doses 0.15 L/ha and 0.25 L/ha for pre-em, and 0.15 L/ha adjuvant; 0.25 L/ha + adjuvant and 0.25 L/ha alone for foliar application. The most sensitive weed species were: Adonis aestivalis, Amaranthus retroflexus, Cirsium arvense, Chenopodium album, Chenopodium hibridum Lepidium draba, Brassica nigra, Datura stramonium, Kickia spuria, Polygonum lapathifolium, Sinapis arvensis, Solanum nigrum, Stachys annua i Xanthium strumarium.
Statin Therapy and Risk of Developing Type 2 Diabetes: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Rajpathak Swapnil N. , Kumbhani Dharam J. , Crandall Jill , Barzilai Nir , Alderman Michael , Ridker Paul M.
Published: September 2009

OBJECTIVE

Although statin therapy reduces cardiovascular risk, its relationship with the development of diabetes is controversial. The first study (West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study [WOSCOPS]) that evaluated this association reported a small protective effect but used nonstandardized criteria for diabetes diagnosis. However, results from subsequent hypothesis-testing trials have been inconsistent. The aim of this meta-analysis is to evaluate the possible effect of statin therapy on incident diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A systematic literature search for randomized statin trials that reported data on diabetes through February 2009 was conducted using specific search terms. In addition to the hypothesis-generating data from WOSCOPS, hypothesis-testing data were available from the Heart Protection Study (HPS), the Long-Term Intervention with Pravastatin in Ischemic Disease (LIPID) Study, the Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial (ASCOT), the Justification for the Use of Statins in Prevention: an Intervention Trial Evaluating Rosuvastatin (JUPITER), and the Controlled Rosuvastatin Multinational Study in Heart Failure (CORONA), together including 57,593 patients with mean follow-up of 3.9 years during which 2,082 incident diabetes cases accrued. Weighted averages were reported as risk ratios (RRs) with 95% CIs using a random-effects model. Statistical heterogeneity scores were assessed with the Q and I2 statistic.

RESULTS

In the meta-analysis of the hypothesis-testing trials, we observed a small increase in diabetes risk (RR 1.13 [95% CI 1.03–1.23]) with no evidence of heterogeneity across trials. However, this estimate was attenuated and no longer significant when the hypothesis-generating trial WOSCOPS was included (1.06 [0.93–1.25]) and also resulted in significant heterogeneity (Q 11.8 [5 d.f.], P = 0.03, I2 = 57.7%).

CONCLUSIONS

Although statin therapy greatly lowers vascular risk, including among those with and at risk for diabetes, the relationship of statin therapy to incident diabetes remains uncertain. Future statin trials should be designed to formally address this issue.
Workplace Noise Exposure After Modernisation of an Aluminium Processing Complex
Authors: Doko-Jelinić Jagoda , Lukić Jela , Udovičić Ružica , Žuškin Eugenija , Nola Iskra , Zajec Zdenko
Published: September 2009

Workplace Noise Exposure After Modernisation of an Aluminium Processing Complex

The aim of this study was to assess to which extent modernisation of an aluminium production complex reduced occupational noise hazard for jobs with the highest potential of exposure. Periodical measurements of noise level were taken at the same workplaces using the same method, before and after modernisation of all plants. The results were compared with the recommended standard. After modernisation, the noise was significantly reduced in all sections of all plants. The greatest reduction was measured in the foundry. After modernisation, the portion of workplaces with excessive noise level dropped significantly (chisquare=21.315; p<0.0001) from 78.4% to 13%. Noise remained a problem in ingot casting and dross skimming section. In the anode plant, noise remained a problem in the green mill section where noise intensities generated by mills and vibrocompactors varied from 95 dB(A) to 102 dB(A). In the electrolysis plant, the portion of workplaces with extensive noise dropped from 77.8% to 39.3% after modernisation (p=0.0019). Noise remains to be a problem at the anode covering section where levels rise up to 100 dB(A). The modernisation of the factory has considerably reduced the noise level in the working environment of all plants, but it can not be reduced completely.
In Vitro Genotoxicity of Wastewaters from the Town of Settat, Morocco
Authors: El Asslouj Jaouad , Amahdar Loubna , Glouib Kamal , Kholtei Sanae , El Amrani Paaza Namira , Verschaeve Luc , Hilali Abderraouf
Published: September 2009

In Vitro Genotoxicity of Wastewaters from the Town of Settat, Morocco

In recent years, the town of Settat has seen a considerable industrial growth, which has resulted in increased environmental pollution. This includes pollution by household and industrial wastewaters, which are released into the Boumoussa River without any preliminary treatment. The river valley crosses the community of Mzamza 8 km to the north of the town. Years of drought forced members of the community to use this polluted ground water for irrigation and put themselves and the environment at risk.

The aim of this study was to determine the physicochemical and metal profile of Settat wastewaters and to assess their impact on the water table. The second objective was to investigate the genotoxic potential of wastewater on human peripheral blood lymphocytes in vitro, using the micronucleus test and cellular proliferation index.

This study demonstrated significant pollution of Boumoussa valley groundwater and of the local wells. Sampled water induced a clear increase in the frequency of micronucleated cells and a lower cell proliferation in human peripheral blood lymphocytes in vitro.
Human Lifespan: To Live and Outlive 100 Years?
Authors: Roksandić Spomenka , Žuškin Eugenija , Duraković Zijad , Smolej-Narančić Nina , Mustajbegović Jadranka , Pucarin-Cvetković Jasna , Duraković Marjeta , Jelinić Jagoda , Turčić Nada , Milošević Milan
Published: September 2009

Ljudski vijek: doživjeti i nadživjeti 100 godina?

Starenje populacije je dominantno demografsko obilježje razvijenih zemalja. Stogodišnjaci su selekcionirana skupina i samo jedna od 7.000 do 10.000 osoba dosegne tu dob. Čimbenici dugovječnosti vjerojatno su brojni i uključuju gensko predodređenje (lokus na 4. kromosomu), zdrav okoliš i zdrave životne navike (prehrana s malo kalorija), redovita tjelesna i psihička aktivnost, kao i dostupnost te učinkovitost zdravstvene zaštite s primjenom geroprofilakse. Stogodišnjaci se adaptiraju na novi život i na gubitak tjelesnih funkcija koji bivaju postupno sve izraženiji kako se dob povisuje. Granice ljudskog života produžuju se - do sada najstarija poznata osoba doživjela je 128 godina. Pojedina zemljopisna područja bilježe izrazito veći broj stogodišnjaka. Navedene su i neke dugovječne osobe s više od 100 godina u svijetu i na području Republike Hrvatske i nekih susjednih zemalja. Iako se uglavnom smatra da se granica trajanja života čovjeka ne može produžiti iznad 120 godina, za sada je ipak teško predvidjeti gdje su njezine granice.
Comet Assay in Evaluating DNA Damage Associated With Ischaemia-Reperfusion Injury in Patients Undergoing Coronary Surgery
Authors: Karahalil Bensu , Gumus Tulin , Emerce Esra , Izdes Seval , Kanbak Orhan , Kesimci Elvin
Published: September 2009

Comet Assay in Evaluating DNA Damage Associated With Ischaemia-Reperfusion Injury in Patients Undergoing Coronary Surgery

Ischaemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is responsible for a number of conditions such as coronary bypass and myocardial infarction, and deaths. Oxygen-free radicals formed during I/R have been proposed as the leading causes of tissue injury, and they play an important role in I/R injury. I/R induces oxidative DNA damage (such as purinic and pyrimidinic base lesions). Comet assay is a suitable and sensitive method for early detection of low-level DNA damage. We used modified alkaline comet assay in peripheral blood lymphocytes and evaluated I/R-induced DNA damage in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) operation (in vivo model for I/R). No statistically significant difference in DNA damage levels was found before surgery, after anaesthesia, ischemia, reperfusion, and surgery. However, blood lactate levels (assessed in parallel with the comet assay) increased after I/R and did not return to the baseline level. Our findings showed that I/R injury did not induce DNA damage, but increased the lactate levels. This finding suggests that there might be reversible and uncommon necrosis that did not reflect on overall DNA base damage. Further studies are needed using this approach.
Photothermal methods for determination of thermal properties of bulk materials and thin films
Authors: Bodzenta Jerzy , Kaźmierczak-Bałata Anna , Mazur Jacek
Published: September 2009

Information on the thermal properties of materials is very important both in fundamental physical research and in engineering applications. The development of materials with desirable heat transport properties requires methods for their experimental determination. In this paper basic concepts of the measurement of parameters describing the heat transport in solids are discussed. Attention is paid to methods utilizing nonstationary temperature fields, especially to photothermal methods in which the temperature disturbance in the investigated sample is generated through light absorption. Exemplary photothermal measuring techniques, which can be realized using common experimental equipment, are described in detail. It is shown that using these techniques it is possible to determine the thermal diffusivity of bulk transparent samples, opaque and semi-transparent plate-form samples, and the thermal conductivity of thin films deposited on thick substrates. Results of the investigation of thermal diffusivity of the ground in the polar region, which is based on the analysis of the propagation of the thermal wave generated by sun-light, are also presented. Based on chosen examples one can state that photothermal techniques can be used for determination of the thermal properties of very different materials.
Upconversion assisted self-pulsing in a high-concentration erbium doped fibre laser
Authors: Sergeyev Sergey , O’Mahoney Kieran , Popov Sergei , Friberg Ari
Published: September 2009

We report results on experimental and theoretical characterisation of self-pulsing in high concentration erbium doped fibre laser which is free from erbium clusters. Unlike previous models of self-pulsing accounting for pair-induced quenching (PIQ) on the clustered erbium ions, new model has been developed with accounting for statistical nature of the excitation migration and upconversion and resonance-like pumpto-signal intensity noise transfer. The obtained results are in a good agreement with the experimental data.
Raman amplification with reduced polarization impairments in the fibre with tailored spin profile
Authors: Sergeyev Sergey , Popov Sergei , Friberg Ari
Published: September 2009

By using two-section fibre where the first section has no spin and the second one is periodically spun, we demonstrate reduced polarization dependent gain and polarization mode dispersion (0.3 dB and 0.0072 ps·km−1/2 correspondently) in a distributed fibre Raman amplifier.
The phylogeny of the Lepocreadioidea (Platyhelminthes, Digenea) inferred from nuclear and mitochondrial genes: Implications for their systematics and evolution
Authors: Bray Rodney , Waeschenbach Andrea , Cribb Thomas , Weedall Gareth , Dyal Patricia , Littlewood D.
Published: September 2009

The phylogenetic relationships of representative species of the superfamily Lepocreadioidea were assessed using partial lsrDNA and nad1 sequences. Forty-two members of the family Lepocreadiidae, six putative members of the Enenteridae, six gyliauchenid species and one Gorgocephalidae, were studied along with 22 species representing 8 families. The Lepocreadioidea is found to be monophyletic, except for the two species of the putative enenterid genus Cadenatella, which are found to be only distantly related to the lepocreadioids. The Lepocreadioidea is formed of five clades in a polytomy, the Gorgocephalidae, a clade containing the Enenteridae and Gyliauchenidae, a small clade of atypical lepocreadiines and the deep-sea lepidapedine lepocreadiids, a small clade consisting of a freshwater form and a group of shallow-water putative lepidapedines and the final clade includes the remaining lepocreadiids. Thus, the generally accepted concept of the Lepocreadiidae is polyphyletic. The Enenteridae (minus Cadenatella) and the Gyliauchenidae are jointly and individually monophyletic, and are sister groups. The nad1 gene on its own places a deep-sea lepocreadiine with the deep-sea lepidapedines, whereas lsrDNA, combined sequences and morphology place this deep-sea lepocreadiine within a group of typical lepocreadiids. It could not be demonstrated that a significant proportion of sites in the nad1 gene evolved under positive selection; this anomalous relationship therefore remains unexplained. Most deep-sea species are in a monophyletic group, a few of which also occur in shallow waters, retaining some characters of the deep-sea clade. Many lepocreadioid species infect herbivorous fish, and it may be that the recently discovered life-cycle involving a bivalve first intermediate host and metacercariae encysted on vegetation is a common life-cycle pattern. The host relationships show no indication of co-speciation, although the host-spectrums exhibited are not random, with related worms tending to utilize related hosts. There are, however, many exceptions. Morphology is found to be of limited value in indicating higher level relationships. For example, even with the benefit of hindsight the gyliauchenids show little morphological similarity to their sister group, the Enenteridae.
Anomalous chaetotaxy in the quill mites Torotrogla merulae Skoracki et al., 2000 (Acari, Prostigmata, Syringophilidae)
Authors: Głowska Eliza , Skoracki Maciej
Published: September 2009

Mites of the family Syringophilidae are small and uniformly shaped arthropods, inhabiting feather quills of many birds species. Anomalies of setae arrangement are frequently observed in this mite group. Detailed investigation of nymphs and adults Torotrogla merulae Skoracki et al., 2000, reveals the most considerable variability of chaetotaxy aspect in this family. The purpose of our examination is to document anomalies in number and configuration of setae and to hypothesize the possible factors inducing them. As an explanation, a theory based on ‘fluctuating asymmetry’ is proposed.
First occurrence of native cymothoids parasites on introduced rabbitfishes in the Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Shakman Esmail , Kinzelbach Ragnar , Trilles Jean , Bariche Michel
Published: September 2009

This paper presents the first record of two native Mediterranean cymothoid species caught attached to introduced Lessepsian rabbitfishes. This is also the first record of cymothoids from the coastal waters of Libya. Anilocra physodes was collected from Siganus luridus while Nerocila bivittata was found on both Siganus rivulatus and S. luridus. Rabbitfishes in the southern central Mediterranean have acquired native Mediterranean cymothoids but do not seem to be infested along the Levantine coast.
The parasitism of Flamingolepis liguloides (Gervais, 1847) (Cestoda, Hymenolepididae) in Artemia salina (Crustacea, Branchiopoda) in two saline lakes in Algeria
Authors: Amarouayache Mounia , Derbal Farid , Kara M.
Published: September 2009

Studies revealed the role of Artemia salina as intermediate host in the life-cycle of a cestode species parasitizing flamingos, i.e. Flamingolepis liguloides. Cysticercoids of this parasite were found for the first time in the Algerian populations of Artemia salina in winter of 2000 and 2001 in Chott Marouane and spring of 2003 in Sebkha Ez-Zemoul. The prevalence ranged between 10 and 33% for the two examined Artemia populations. The intensity of infection was 1–3 cysticercoids per individual. The abdomen was the most targeted site of infection (95% of the population of Sebkha Ez-Zemoul) followed by the thorax and the ovisac. Infected females were less fertile than uninfected ones (24.83 vs 43.70 cysts/brood) in Sebkha Ez-Zemoul or castrated in Chott Marouane.
Recombinant ferritin protects mice against challenge with Echinococcus granulosus ?
Authors: Wang Yana , Li Zongji , Li Zhaoyu , Bo Yang , Zhao Wei
Published: September 2009

Ferritin is well known as the main intracellular iron storage protein in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, keeping it in a soluble and non-toxic form, though the role of ferritin as a vaccine candidate in echinococcosis has not yet been delineated. Through our study, ferritin was cloned from Echinococcus granulosus and expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant E. granulosus ferritin (rEgferritin) has a molecular weight of 19 kDa and could be recognized by anti-mice serum in Western blotting. The specific antibody was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Mice vaccinated with rEgferritin and challenged intraperitoneally with E. granulosus protoscoleces revealed significant protective efficacy up to 85.6%, compared with the control group. Thus, rEgferritin could be a promising candidate as an effective vaccine to prevent the infection of echinococcosis.
Carios fonsecai sp. nov. (Acari, Argasidae), a bat tick from the central-western region of Brazil
Authors: Labruna Marcelo , Venzal Jose
Published: September 2009

Males, females, and larvae of Carios fonsecai sp. nov. are described from free-living ticks collected in a cave at Bonito, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. The presence of cheeks and legs with micromammillate cuticle makes adults of C. fonsecai morphologically related to a group of argasid species (mostly bat-associated) formerly classified into the subgenus Alectorobius, genus Ornithodoros. Examination of larvae indicates that C. fonsecai is clearly distinct from most of the previously described Carios species formerly classified into the subgenus Alectorobius, based primarily on its larger body size, dorsal setae number, dorsal plate shape, and hypostomal morphology. On the other hand, the larva of C. fonsecai is most similar to Carios peropteryx, and Carios peruvianus, from which differences in dorsal plate length and width, tarsal setae, and hypostome characteristics are useful for morphological differentiation. The mitochondrial 16S rDNA sequence of C. fonsecai showed to be closest (85–88% identity) to several corresponding sequences of different Carios species available in GenBank. Bats identified as Peropteryx macrotis and Desmodus rotundus were found infested by C. fonsecai larvae in the same cave where the type series was collected. C. fonsecai showed to be aggressive to humans in the laboratory.
Occurrence of haemosporidian parasites in the paddyfield warbler, Acrocephalus agricola (Passeriformes, Sylviidae)
Authors: Zehtindjiev Pavel , Ilieva Mihaela , Križanauskienė Asta , Oparina Olga , Oparin Mihail , Bensch Staffan
Published: September 2009

The blood parasite diversity was studied in paddyfield warblers (Acrocephalus agricola) breeding in NE Bulgaria, SW Russia and S. Kazakhstan. Nine cytochrome b gene lineages were recorded, 4 belonging to Haemoproteus spp. and 5 to Plasmodium spp. The overall prevalence of haemosporidians was 33.3%. The composition of parasites varied geographically, with six lineages recorded in Russia, five lineages in Bulgaria and two lineages in Kazakhstan. Two lineages are described for the first time, i.e. ACAGR1 (belonging to Plasmodium sp. and recorded from a single bird in Russia) and ACAGR2 (belonging to Haemoproteus sp., recorded from Bulgaria and Russia). The latter lineage is the most widespread parasite in the Bulgarian population, scarce in Russia and absent in Kazakhstan. It is supposed that ACAGR2 has originated from the widespread lineage ACDUM1 differing from it by a single nucleotide. One lineage only (ACDUM2) occurs in all the three populations studied and is a nonspecific parasite known from various passerines. Six of the registered lineages have been found in a single population of A. agricola and also represent non-specific parasites occurring in a wide range of passerine birds. Their records in A. agricola may indicate the high transmission rate of these parasites in the habitats where this host co-occurs with other passerines. The variation of the composition of the haemosporidian parasite communities through the breeding range of A. agricola makes up heterogeneous selection pressures that may drive intraspecific variation in important life-history traits.
Digenetic trematodes of the Brazilian flathead, Percophis brasiliensis Quoy et Gaimard, 1825 (Percophidae, Perciformes), from Argentinean and Uruguayan waters
Authors: Braicovich Paola , Etchegoin Jorge , Timi Juan
Published: September 2009

Based on the examination of 234 specimens of the Brazilian flathead, Percophis brasiliensis (Percophidae), caught in the Argentinean and Uruguayan Seas, the list of digenean species parasitizing P. brasiliensis is increased from 6 to 9, including the specific identification of two species previously reported at the generic level. The three news digenean records for P. brasiliensis are: Elytrophalloides oatesi, Parahemiurus merus and Aponurus laguncula, while that Ectenurus virgulus and Lecithocladium cristatum were identified to specific level. These reports showed the highest diversity of digeneans registered in fishes from the study region. The diversity of the digenean fauna of P. brasiliensis could be a consequence of the generalist food habits of this fish.
Two cystidicolids (Nematoda, Cystidicolidae) from marine fishes off New Caledonia
Authors: Moravec František , Justine Jean-Lou
Published: September 2009

Two nematode species of the family Cystidicolidae were collected from the digestive tract of marine fishes off New Caledonia, South Pacific: Ascarophis adioryx Machida, 1981 from the stomach of the speckled squirrelfish Sargocentron spiniferum and the sabre squirrelfish Neoniphon sammara (new host record) (both Holocentridae, Beryciformes), and a Spinitectus sp. female, morphologically similar to S. beaveri Overstreet, 1970, from the roundjaw bonefish Albula glossodonta (Albulidae, Albuliformes). Based on light and scanning electron microscopy examinations, A. adioryx is redescribed and a new subgenus Dentiascarophis subgen. nov., characterized by the presence of one dorsal and one ventral median protrusions in the mouth, is established to accommodate it; a key to subgenera of Ascarophis is provided. Ascarophis holocentri Parukhin, 1984 is considered a junior synonym of A. adioryx. The cephalic structure of Spinitectus sp. and S. beaveri is very different from those in other congeners and, therefore, a new subgenus Paraspinitectus subgen. nov., characterized by highly reduced pseudolabia, is erected to accommodate these species. The hemiurid digenean Lecithochirium cirrhiti (Manter et Pritchard, 1960) Yamaguti,1970 was found in the stomach of three species of squirrelfishes. Findings of A. (D.) adioryx, Spinitectus (P.) sp. and L. cirrhiti in New Caledonian waters represent new geographical records of these parasites.
Supporting Young Indigenous Children's Language Development in Canada: A Review of Research on Needs and Promising Practices
Authors: Ball Jessica
Published: September 2009

This article offers an original review of research and reports about young Indigenous children's language development needs and approaches to meeting them. The review addresses not only children's acquisition of an Indigenous language but also their acquisition of other languages (e.g., English and French), because their progress in one linguistic domain affects their progress in others. Indigenous children have inequitable access to supports for optimal health and development and experience persistently high rates of academic failure. A search of peer-reviewed literature yielded no empirical studies that systematically assessed Indigenous children's language development and no controlled studies that evaluated the outcomes of early language facilitation programs or early interventions. Investments in culturally appropriate supports for optimal language development of young First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children are relevant to a range of policy areas, including Residential School healing programs, social justice, education, literacy, community development, employment, and literacy.
François, f / Fransask-qui ? Franco-quoi ? Constructions identitaires d'un enseignant en formation en situation linguistique minoritaire
Authors: Brogden Lace Marie
Published: September 2009

Résumé

Comment les normes linguistiques se manifestent-elles dans le cadre de la formation des enseignant.e.s en situation linguistique minoritaire ? Cet article bilingue présente une étude de cas des perceptions d'un enseignant en formation concernant la reproduction des normes linguistiques au quotidien, dans trois contextes : dans les cours universitaires, dans les expériences de stage et dans le milieu socioculturel. Parmi les environnements linguistiques vécus par les enseignants en formation au sein du Programme du Baccalauréat en éducation à l'Université de Regina, au Canada, deux contextes dominent l'année du préinternat : d'un côté, les étudiants doivent répondre à certaines exigences linguistiques (évaluées dans des tests dont les enjeux sont considérables) ; de l'autre, ils font l'objet d'attentes variées en ce qui concerne les compétences langagières dans leurs cours universitaires et en situation de stage. Deux des thèmes identifiés dans cette étude sont l'impact des tests langagiers dans le cadre de la formation linguistique des enseignants, et le caractère ambigu des catégories linguistiques telles qu'elles sont vécues. De par sa présentation et sous sa forme de discussion théorique, cet article se penche également sur la possibilité des discours académiques bilingues dans le contexte de la formation des enseignant.e.s désirant œuvrer en situation linguistique minoritaire.
From the Dreamwork of Secession to Orgies Mysteries Theatre
Authors: Blau Herbert
Published: September 2009

“To the Age Its Art, to Art Its Freedom.” That abbreviated manifesto of the Viennese Secession, releasing the visual and plastic arts from an imprisoning aesthetic, would presumably carry over to all aspects of cultural performance – which, however, at the turn of the century, had nothing like the performative insolence of the long-neglected Johann Nestroy. Nor did Austrian theatre and culture escape the dynastic censorship that continued through modern history, from Schnitzler to Handke to Bernhard, who found the theatre “disgusting,” the censor still in the wings, and wrote more recently for it with a venomous critique. The critique was there, too, among the rebellious painters who became the Viennese Actionists, only too ready for scandal in a repressed culture that sent several of them to jail, though one of them now, Hermann Nitsch, has become a much-respected iconic figure. The atmosphere of Viennese culture, before and after the Secession, has been characterized by Freud and the alternative to Freud, Weininger, who performed his own suicide, and by the magisterial Karl Kraus, in his encyclopaedic drama, The Last Days of Mankind.
Living at the End of the Irish Century: Globalization and Identity in Declan Hughes's Shiver
Authors: Buchanan Jason
Published: September 2009

The Celtic Tiger – Ireland's economic boom of the 1990s – has often been read as either exemplifying or demonizing the economic and cultural effects of globalization. This essay uses an interdisciplinary approach to analyse the history of the Celtic Tiger and to show how Declan Hughes's play Shiver was one of the first post-Tiger Irish works to assess critically the effects of globalization on Irish culture. Hughes's drama stages Ireland's reaction to the Celtic Tiger as one of paralysis, a harsh critique that destabilizes narratives of newness – with their promises of being transformed into something different – by showing how fulfilment is perpetually deferred in the logic of global capitalism. Trying to authenticate the “new” Ireland is a double bind that dislocates both history and the present. Hughes's play helps to triangulate what globalization can tell us about contemporary Ireland and what Ireland can tell us about contemporary globalization.
The First Three Years of Christianity
Authors: Lüdemann Gerd
Published: September 2009

Abstract:

This study is an initial attempt to unveil the first three years of Christianity. A strict adherence to the seven genuine letters of Paul establishes a clear identification of principal details concerning earliest Christianity. Leaving aside any secondary source, notably the Acts of the Apostles, and spelling out the reasons for doing so, the value of such an approach is put to the test by constructing the chronology of Paul (the first thirty years of Christianity) on the sole basis of the authentic letters. This initial analysis not only demonstrates the ability to construct a history of earliest Christianity using this method, but also concretely illuminates certain facts that otherwise (using Acts) are dealt with in less accurate ways.

In a second step this method is applied exclusively to the first three years of Christianity. By examining two rituals of the Christian group persecuted by Paul—baptism and the Lord's Supper—and reconstructing the first three years of Christianity on the basis of 1 Corinthians 15:3–7 and other pre-Pauline creeds, a stark geographic and ethnographic distinction between the earliest Christian communities—Jerusalem and Damascus being the centres—can be observed. Indeed, the case is being made that within three years of the death of Jesus, these two distinctive Christian communities have arisen. Moreover we are able to identify Paul's affiliation with Damascus-Christianity and then associate this powerful influence with what would become catholic Christianity. This study finally establishes a framework for further inquiries into the first three years of Christianity, giving Paul's genuine letters primary consideration.
From Apologetics to Indology: A Case Study in the Scholarship of Roberto de Nobili, SJ
Authors: Clooney Francis X. SJ
Published: September 2009

Abstract:

Roberto de Nobili (1579–1656), Jesuit missionary to India, was a pioneering scholar in Christianity's encounter with Hinduism, distinguished by personal adaptation, study of Indian religious traditions, and the composition of treatises in Tamil as well as Latin. But this incipient Indology, motivated by apologetic purposes, not only objectified Hinduism but also conferred expert status on the outside observer. This essay compares two treatises: Inquiry into the Meaning of “God” (ca. 1612) and Dispelling Ignorance (ca. 1640). They are similar in shape (an understanding of “God” elaborated in accord with various perfections), purpose (demonstrating the untenable nature of Hindu conceptions of deity), and in the deployment of locally adduced examples showing the implausibility of Hindu beliefs. Dispelling Ignorance more thoroughly objectifies India, reserving superior knowledge to the observer. It marks the path from missionary apologetics to the religiously neutral but still hegemonic Indology that followed. Today, Christian theology requires expert scholarship that is also empathetic, less prone to objectifications of other religions that disregard the self-understanding of their believers.
Philosophy of Religion: A State of the Subject Report
Authors: Schellenberg J.L.
Published: September 2009

Abstract:

This is the inaugural Jay Newman Memorial Lecture in Philosophy of Religion, as delivered to the Canadian Theological Society in May 2009. Its themes are four: (1) the influence of conservative Christian theology in the shaping of contemporary (broadly analytical) philosophy of religion; (2) the resulting difficulty of demarcating philosophy of religion from theology or theological apologetics; (3) the possibility of a new, more progressive evolutionary approach to philosophy of religion, and how not just theological assumptions but certain philosophical assumptions too are standing in its way; and (4) the interesting parallel between where an imaginative, evolutionary philosophy of religion might take us and certain features of non-conservative Christian theology.
Retrieving a Redemptive Past: Protecting Heritage and Heimat in East German Cities
Authors: James Jason
Published: September 2009

In the years following unification, East German cityscapes have been subject to fierce contention because historic preservation and urban renewal have served as a local allegory of national redemption. Using conflicts over preservation and renewal in the city of Eisenach as a case study, I argue that historic cityscapes have served as the focus of many East Germans' efforts to grapple with the problem of Germanness because they address the past as a material cultural legacy to be retrieved and protected, rather than as a past to be worked through. In Eisenach's conflicts, heritage and Heimat serve as talismans of redemption not just because they symbolize an unspoiled German past, but also because they represent structures of difference that evoke a victimized Germanness—they are above all precious, vulnerable possessions threatened with disruption, pollution, or destruction by agents placed outside the moral boundaries of the hometown by its bourgeois custodians.
Nathan Stoltzfus and Henry Friedlander, eds., Nazi Crimes and the Law (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008)
Authors: Bush Jonathan A.
Published: September 2009

Nathan Stoltzfus and Henry Friedlander, eds., Nazi Crimes and the Law (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008).

Nazi Crimes and the Law, a collection of eleven studies introduced and edited by Nathan Stoltzfus and Henry Friedlander, is the best collection to appear in years on war crimes trials of Germans. The following paragraphs will attempt to describe what the various essays offer and why they matter.
Postoperative displacement of hydroxyapatite spacers implanted during double-door laminoplasty
Authors: Kaito Takashi , Hosono Noboru , Makino Takahiro , Kaneko Noriyoshi , Namekata Masato , Fuji Takeshi
Published: September 2009

Object

Double-door laminoplasty using hydroxyapatite (HA) spacers has been widely performed for compressive cervical myelopathy and has provided good neurological outcome. Although HA spacers are used for preventing reclosure of the opened laminae, they are often displaced or dislocated from their original position. The authors investigated the incidence and patterns of postoperative HA spacer displacement to determine the reasons for this unfavorable event.

Methods

Eighty-six patients with compressive myelopathy underwent double-door laminoplasty in which a total of 278 HA spacers were used. The displacement of HA spacers and opened laminae were assessed using postoperative lateral radiographs and CT scans.

Results

Postoperative dorsal migration > 2 mm was found in 116 (42%) of 278 implanted HA spacers. In addition, 33 (38%) of 86 HA spacers rotated > 10° and 29 (34%) of the 86 opened laminae tilted > 10°. Moreover, deformation of the newly formed spinal canal was observed in 51 (59%) of 86 cases, and bone fusion between the HA spacer and spinous process was achieved in only 15 (8.7%) of 172 cases. Neurological worsening and neck pain, however, were not associated with displacement of HA spacers or deformation of the spinal canal.

Conclusions

In double-door laminoplasty, postoperative displacement of the HA spacer with deformation of the enlarged spinal canal occurred frequently. Hydroxyapatite spacers tend to become displaced after surgery. Placing the HA spacer at the base of the spinous process close to the dura mater may prevent postoperative displacement.
Postoperative retroperitoneal hematoma following transforaminal percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy
Authors: Ahn Yong , Kim Jin Uk , Lee Byung Hoi , Lee Sang-Ho , Park Jong Dae , Hong Dong Hyun , Lee June Ho
Published: September 2009

Object

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the clinical characteristics of postoperative retroperitoneal hematoma (RPH) following transforaminal percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD) and to discuss how to prevent the complication of unintended hemorrhage.

Methods

The medical records of 412 consecutive patients treated with transforaminal PELD between January 2005 and May 2007 were reviewed. A total of 4 patients (0.97%) experienced symptomatic postoperative RPH. The clinical outcomes were evaluated using the visual analog scale and the Oswestry Disability Index.

Results

The common symptom in all patients with a hematoma was inguinal pain. The mean hematoma volume was 527.9 ml (range 53.3–1274.1 ml). Two patients with massive diffuse-type RPHs compressing the intraabdominal structures required open hematoma evacuation performed by general surgeons, and the other 2 patients with small, localized RPHs of < 100 ml were treated conservatively. The mean follow-up period was 21.3 months (range 13–29 months). The mean visual analog scale score for radicular leg pain improved from 7.6 to 1.8 and that for back pain improved from 4.3 to 2. The mean Oswestry Disability Index improved from 58.8 to 9.1%. The preoperative symptoms improved after the second treatment without significant neurological sequelae in all patients.

Conclusions

Although transforaminal PELD is a minimally invasive and safe procedure, the possibility of RPH should be kept in mind. Adequate technical and anatomical considerations are important to avoid this unusual hemorrhagic complication, especially in the patient with underlying medical problems or previous operative scarring. A high index of suspicion and early detection is also important to avoid the progression of the hematoma.
Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma inducing acute anterior spinal cord syndrome
Authors: Kunizawa Ai , Fujioka Masayuki , Suzuki Satoshi , Ryu Takashi , Asai Akio , Kawamoto Keiji , Kitazawa Yasuhide
Published: September 2009

Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma (SSEH) is rare. Its etiology remains controversial; however, spinal venous wall susceptibility to intravenous pressure change and the resultant venous rupture seem to be involved. The authors report a case of SSEH dorsal to the spine producing acute anterior spinal cord syndrome. A posterior SSEH between the C-3 and T-5 levels caused progressive tetraparesis and the disappearance of superficial body sensation below the level of C-8, although deep sensation remained completely intact. This neurological false localizing sign seems to have resulted from counterforce by preexisting asymptomatic cervical intervertebral disc herniation at the C6–7 levels inducing direct pressure on the anterior spinal cord. This case is the first reported instance of posterior cervical SSEH manifesting acute anterior spinal cord syndrome as its false localizing sign.
Financial impact of spinal cord stimulation on the healthcare budget: a comparative analysis of costs in Canada and the United States
Authors: Kumar Krishna , Bishop Sharon
Published: September 2009

Object

Many institutions with spinal cord stimulation (SCS) programs fail to realize that besides the initial implantation cost, budgetary allocation must be made to address annual maintenance costs as well as complications as they arise. Complications remain the major contributing factor to the overall expense of SCS. The authors present a formula that, when applied, provides a realistic representation of the actual costs necessary to implant and maintain SCS systems in Canada and the US.

Methods

The authors performed a retrospective analysis of 197 cases involving SCS (161 implanted and 36 failed trial stimulations) between 1995 and 2006. The cost of patient workup, initial implantation, annual maintenance, and resources necessary to resolve complications were assessed for each case and a unit cost applied. The total cost allocated for each case was determined by summing across healthcare resource headings. Using the same parameters, the unit cost was calculated in both Canadian (CAD) and US dollars (USD) at 2007 prices.

Results

The cost of implanting a SCS system in Canada is $21,595 (CAD), in US Medicare $32,882 (USD), and in US Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) $57,896 (USD). The annual maintenance cost of an uncomplicated case in Canada is $3539 (CAD), in US Medicare $5071 (USD), and in BCBS $7277 (USD). The mean cost of a complication was $5191 in Canada (range $136–18,837 [CAD]). In comparison, in the US the figures were $9649 (range $381–28,495) for Medicare and $21,390 (range $573–54,547) for BCBS (both USD). Using these calculations a formula was derived as follows: the annual maintenance cost (a) was added to the average annual cost per complication per patient implanted (b); the sum was then divided by the implantation cost (c); and the result was multiplied by 100 to obtain a percentage (a + b ÷ c × 100). To make this budgetary cap universally applicable, the results from the application of the formula were averaged, resulting in an 18% premium.

Conclusions

For budgeting purposes the institution should first calculate the initial implantation costs that then can be “grossed up” by 18% per annum. This amount of 18% should be in addition to the implantation costs for the individual institution for new patients, as well as for each actively managed patient. This resulting amount will cover the costs associated with annual maintenance and complications for every actively managed patient. As the initial cost of implantation in any country reflects their current economics, the formula provided will be applicable to all implanters and policy makers alike.
Iatrogenic lumbar pseudoaneurysm causing dural sac compression after spine surgery
Authors: Nijenhuis Robbert J. , Sluzewski Menno , van Rooij Willem Jan
Published: September 2009

A 69-year-old man presented 3 months after lumbar spine surgery with progressive paraparesis and bladder and sphincter dysfunction caused by a lumbar artery pseudoaneurysm compressing the dural sac. After embolization with glue, the thrombosed pseudoaneurysm substantially decreased in size and the patient's neurological symptoms improved.
Developing consistently reproducible intervertebral disc degeneration at rat caudal spine by using needle puncture
Authors: Zhang Huina , La Marca Frank , Hollister Scott J. , Goldstein Steven A. , Lin Chia-Ying
Published: September 2009

Object

The goal in this study was to develop a convenient, less-invasive animal model to monitor progression of intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration for future testing of new treatments for disc degeneration.

Methods

Level 5/6 and 7/8 IVDs of rat caudal spine were stabbed laterally with 18- or 21-gauge hypodermic needles to a depth of 5 mm from the subcutaneous surface with the aid of fluoroscopy. In vivo MR imaging studies were performed at 4, 8, and 12 weeks postsurgery to monitor progression of IVD degeneration. Histological analysis including H & E and safranin O staining, and immunohistochemical studies of collagen type II and bone morphogenetic protein receptor type II (BMPRII) were assessed at 12 weeks postsurgery.

Results

The 18- and 21-gauge needle–stabbed discs illustrated decreases in both the T2 density and MR imaging index starting at 4 weeks, with no evidence of spontaneous recovery by 12 weeks. Histological staining demonstrated a decreased nucleus pulposus (NP) area, and the NP–anulus fibrosus border became unclear during the progression of disc degeneration. Similar patterns of degenerative signs were also shown in both safranin O– and collagen type II–stained sections. The BMPRII immunohistochemical analysis of stabbed discs demonstrated an increase in BMPRII expression in the remaining NP cells and became stronger in anulus fibrosus with the severity of disc degeneration.

Conclusions

After introducing an 18- or 21-gauge needle into the NP area of discs in the rat tail, the stabbed disc showed signs of degeneration in terms of MR imaging and histological outcome measurements. Changes in BMPRII expression in this animal model provide an insight for the effectiveness of delivering BMPs into the region responsible for chondrogenesis for disc repair. This convenient, less-invasive, reproducible, and cost-effective model may be a useful choice for testing novel treatments for disc degeneration.
Complications in spinal surgery: comparative survey of spine surgeons and patients who underwent spinal surgery
Authors: Ratliff John K. , Lebude Bryan , Albert Todd , Anene-Maidoh Tony , Anderson Greg , Dagostino Phillip , Maltenfort Mitchel , Hilibrand Alan , Sharan Ashwini , Vaccaro Alexander R.
Published: September 2009

Object

Definitions of complications in spinal surgery are not clear. Therefore, the authors assessed a group of practicing spine surgeons and, through the surgeons' responses to an online and emailed survey, developed a simple definition of operative complications due to spinal surgery. To validate this assessment, the authors revised their survey to make it appropriate for a lay audience and repeated the assessment with a cohort of patients who underwent spine surgery.

Methods

The authors surveyed a cohort of practicing spine surgeons via email and a web-based survey. Surgeons were presented with various complication scenarios and were asked to grade the presence or absence of a complication as well as complication severity, with responses limited to “major complication” and “minor complication/adverse event.” The authors administered a similar assessment, modified for lay persons, to patients in a spinal surgery clinic.

Results

Complete responses were obtained from 229 surgeons; orthopedic surgeons comprised the majority of respondents (73%). The authors obtained completed surveys from 197 patients. Overall, there was consistent agreement between physicians and patients regarding the presence or absence of a complication in the majority of scenarios (8 [73%] of 11 scenarios with agreement that a complication was present). The overall kappa value, evaluating major versus minor complication, and presence or absence of a complication over the entire cohort, was fair (κ = 0.21). The authors found greater variation between the cohorts when evaluating complication severity. Patients were consistently more critical than physicians in the majority of scenarios in which a difference was evident. In 4 scenarios, patients were more likely than surgeons to deem the scenario a complication and to grade the complication as major versus minor (p < 0.01). In 3 additional scenarios, patients were more likely than physicians to grade a major complication as opposed to minor complication (p < 0.01). In only 1 scenario were patients less likely than physicians to report a complication (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Comparing responses of spine surgeons and patients who underwent spinal surgery in assessing a group of common postoperative events, the authors found significant agreement on perception of presence of a complication in the majority of scenarios reviewed. However, patients were consistently more critical than surgeons when differences in reporting were found. The authors' data underscore the importance of reconciling differing opinions regarding complications through open discussions between physicians and patients to ensure accurate patient expectations of planned medical or surgical interventions.