bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Preferred Scale for Warm-Core Instability in a Nonconvective Moist Basic State
Authors: Kahn Brian H. , Sinton Douglas M.
Published: February 2008

The existence, scale, and growth rates of subsynoptic-scale warm-core circulations are investigated with a simple parameterization for latent heat release in a nonconvective basic state using a linear two-layer shallow-water model. For a range of baroclinic flows from moderate to high Richardson number, conditionally stable lapse rates approaching saturated adiabats consistently yield the most unstable modes with a warm-core structure and a Rossby number ∼O(1), with higher Rossby numbers stabilized. This compares to the corresponding most unstable modes for the dry cases that have cold-core structures and Rossby numbers ∼O(10−1) or in the quasigeostrophic range. The maximum growth rates of 0.45 of the Coriolis parameter are an order of magnitude greater than those for the corresponding most unstable dry modes. Because the Rossby number of the most unstable mode for nearly saturated conditions is virtually independent of Richardson number, the preferred scale of these warm-core modes varies directly with the mean vertical shear for a given static stability.

This scale relation suggests that the requirement to maintain nearly saturated conditions on horizontal scales sufficient for development can be met more easily on the preferred subsynoptic horizontal scales associated with weak vertical shear. Conversely, the lack of instability for higher Rossby numbers implies that stronger vertical shears stabilize smaller subsynoptic regions that are destabilized for weaker vertical shears. This has implications for the scale and existence of warm-core circulations in the tropics, such as those assumed a priori in wind-induced surface heat exchange (WISHE).
Wind Spatial Variability and Topographic Wave Frequency
Authors: Shilo Elad , Ashkenazy Yosef , Rimmer Alon , Assouline Shmuel , Mahrer Yitzhaq
Published: February 2008

The association of topographic waves with wind action has been documented in several natural lakes throughout the world. However, the influence of the wind’s spatial variability (wind stress curl) on the frequency of topographic waves has only been partially investigated. Here the role of wind stress curl on the frequency of topographic waves in an idealized elliptic paraboloid basin has been studied both analytically and numerically. It is shown that the analytical solution is the sum of an elliptic rotation determined by the wind stress curl and two counterrotating circulation cells, which propagate cyclonically after the wind ceases. Furthermore, it is shown that cyclonic elliptical rotation (associated with positive wind stress curl) increases the rotation frequency of the double-gyre pattern while anticyclonic elliptical rotation (associated with negative wind stress curl) decreases the oscillatory mode frequency. It is also shown that bottom friction has some effect on the structure of the double-gyre pattern but hardly affects the oscillatory frequency. Numerical solutions of the depth-integrated nonlinear shallow-water equations confirmed that the frequency of the topographic wave increases (decreases) when forcing the model with cyclonic (anticyclonic) wind curl.
Physicians and Nurses Focus on Different Aspects of Guidelines When Deciding Whether to Adopt Them: An Application of Conjoint Analysis
Authors: Goossens Astrid , Bossuyt Patrick M. M. , de Haan Rob J.
Published: February 2008

Objectives. The objectives of this study are to determine the relative importance of 6 guideline features for physicians' and nurses' willingness to adopt practice guidelines, to examine whether physicians and nurses focus on the same or on different aspects of guidelines, and to test whether professionals' learning preference influences their willingness to adopt guidelines. Methods. An orthogonal main effects design was used to develop 16 written guideline descriptions, which varied on 6 characteristics: 1) benefit for the professional, 2) source, 3) support by management, 4) scientific basis, 5) costs, and 6) subject. These descriptions were presented to 251 physicians and 110 nurses working at the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. They indicated their willingness to adopt each guideline on a 7-point scale and completed Kolb's Learning Style Inventory to determine their preferred learning style. Results. The response rate was 55% for physicians and 66% for nurses. The mean age was 40 years; 55% and 25% of the respondents were male. The mean adoption score was 5.26 for physicians and 5.00 for nurses. Of the 6 characteristics, ``scientific basis'' was found to be the strongest determinant for physicians, and the factor ``interesting subject'' was the strongest for nurses. The other characteristics had a limited effect. Theoretically oriented physicians had a significantly lower average score compared with those who preferred active experimentation. No such effects were observed with nurses. Conclusions. Adherence to guidelines is influenced by internal as well as contextual attributes of guidelines. Physicians and nurses focus on different aspects, which is partly influenced by their preferred learning style. This difference in focus should be taken into account when developing an implementation strategy.
Willingness to Use a Nursing Home: A Study of Korean American Elders
Authors: Jang Yuri , Kim Giyeon , Chiriboga David A. , Cho Soyeon
Published: February 2008

This study explored predictors of willingness to use a nursing home in Korean American elders. Andersen's behavioral health model was adapted with predisposing factors (age, gender, education, length of residence in the United States), potential health needs (chronic condition, functional disability, self-perceived health), and network-related enabling factors (marital status and living arrangement, family network, having someone close living in a nursing home). Among 427 participants, 45% reported their willingness to use a nursing home. Logistic regression analysis showed that the likelihood of willingness increased when individuals had poorer perceived health and had a close other living in a nursing home. Findings indicate that (a) self-perceived health serves as a proxy for future needs for long-term care services, and (b) indirect exposure to formal care is an important enabler for more acceptance of nursing home use. Implications of the findings and further directions for research are discussed.
Some observations on English binary metres
Authors: Duffell Martin J.
Published: February 2008

In an earlier article ( Language and Literature, 11(4)) the author argued that Hanson and Kiparsky's parametric theory failed to account for some statistically verifiable features of the English iambic pentameter, in particular, the far from random distribution of mid-line word boundaries in this metre. The present article argues that there are a series of other features of English binary metres that can only be identified and explained if parametric theory is supplemented by quantitative techniques borrowed from Russian linguistic metrics. It analyses samples of verse in various binary metres by Chaucer, Shakespeare, Milton, Pope, Wordsworth, Tennyson, Longfellow, and Browning, and identifies some peculiar properties of each poet's use of tension. It measures inversion and erosion in iambic pentameters, and in iambic, trochaic and mixed tetrameters, and concludes that: (1) more than 85 percent of strong positions in the English iambic pentameter contain a stressed syllable; (2) English iambic verse contains a constraint against two consecutive strong positions lacking stress; (3) the tetrameter is more regularly iambic than the pentameter; (4) the English trochaic tetrameter allows up to half of its lines to have a non-trochaic opening; and (4) Milton's `L'Allegro' and `Il Penseroso' contain a balanced mixture of the metrical features of iambic and trochaic verse.
Genre-dependent metonymy in Norse skaldic poetry
Authors: Sullivan Karen
Published: February 2008

This article describes a metonymic process which is common in skaldic verse, but rare in everyday language. This process allows one member of a category to stand for another (for example, SEA is referred to by the name of another member of BODIES OF WATER, such as `river' or `fjord'). This process has previously been called `metaphor' (cf. Fidjestøl, 1997). However, I show that the process lacks several characteristics of metaphor as defined in cognitive linguistics, including multiple mappings and the creation of target-domain inferences. I suggest that the process is more similar to metonymies such as Category for Member (cf. Radden and Kövecses, 1999), and should be called `Member for Member' metonymy.

I argue that Member for Member metonymy is rare in conversational language because it fails to generate the inferences and cognitive benefits provided by most metaphors and metonymies. However, Member for Member is abundant in skaldic verse, because the aesthetic and sociolinguistic goals of this genre outweigh the considerations of clarity and efficiency imposed on conversation by the Gricean Maxims. I furthermore propose that Member for Member metonymy is a defining feature of classical skaldic poetry, and one that distinguishes this genre from later, more naturalistic styles such as hrynhent.

The observation that Member for Member occurs in a specific literary genre like skaldic poetry — even though it is normally barred from conversational language — indicates that cognitive linguists must study the full range of linguistic genres in order to document the cognitive processes that underlie language use.
The pivotal eighth function and the pivotal fourth character: resolving two discrepancies in Vladimir
Authors: Murphy Terence Patrick
Published: February 2008

In Vladimir Propp's Morphology of the Folktale, uncertainty has continually hovered over the pivotal role occupied by the eighth function in what the Russian theorist suggested was a single invariant wondertale structure. In this article, I suggest that this discrepancy can be resolved: there are in fact two major types of wondertale, with their separate structures pivoting on the choice of one or other of the two eighth function options. By analyzing the Preparation and Complication sections of Charles Perrault's Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper and Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm's `The Robber Bridegroom', I suggest further that the notion of a pivotal eighth function requires the positing of the complementary notion of a pivotal fourth character. In conclusion, I briefly examine the introduction of four pivotal fourth characters in four canonical texts in order to pose the question: do such celebrated texts exhibit canonical ordering?
Dependent Personality Disorder
Authors: Miller Joshua D. , Lynam Donald R.
Published: February 2008

Assessment of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th Ed.; DSM-IV ) personality disorders (PDs) using five-factor model (FFM) prototypes and counts has shown substantial promise, with a few exceptions. Miller, Reynolds, and Pilkonis suggested that the expert-generated FFM dependent prototype might be misspecified in relation to the DSM-IV because of the overemphasis of high Agreeableness and underemphasis of low Conscientiousness in the experts' conception. A meta-analytic review of the relations between the FFM facets and Dependent PD (DPD) was conducted and used to create a revised, empirically based FFM DPD profile and count. The revised profile and count were more strongly correlated with DSM and non-DSM conceptualizations of maladaptive dependency. In addition, the revised FFM DPD profile was able to recreate the patterns of comorbidity typically found when using DSM-IV measures of DPD. Possible explanations for the discrepancy between the expert ratings and the meta-analytic results are offered.
Risk, Stress, and Capacity
Authors: Zahran Sammy , Grover Himanshu , Brody Samuel D. , Vedlitz Arnold
Published: February 2008

Climate change and mitigation policies adopted by a locality indelibly impact urban form, landscape, and economy. The Cities for Climate Protection (CCP) has become a dominant movement organizing the localities to proactively address climate change. This study examines metropolitan area commitment to the CCP. Geographic information systems (GIS) and statistical techniques are used to analyze metros on dimensions of climate change risk, stress, and civic capacity. “Climate change risk” measures a metro area's coastal proximity, ecosystem sensitivity, and susceptibility to extreme weather events. “Climate change stress” summarizes transportation, energy, and production practices that adversely affect climate systems. “Civic capacity” estimates human capital and environmental concern variables that constitute a metro area's ability to commit to policy initiatives. Statistical results indicate that high stressor areas are significantly less likely to participate in the CCP campaign, and metros high in civic capacity are significantly more likely to commit to the CCP campaign.
Shifting Geographies
Authors: Fischer Mary J.
Published: February 2008

This article explores the relationship between Black shifts to the suburbs and metropolitan segregation using the decompositional properties of the entropy index. This method reveals that much of the decline in metropolitan segregation of Blacks from others is because of declining central city segregation; suburban segregation has much lower average declines. Furthermore, a growing proportion of Black/other segregation is explained by residential distributions within the suburbs. Uneven distributions of Blacks across city lines account for nearly a third of Black/other segregation in the Midwest and Northeast in 2000. In the West, within-suburban sorting is by far the most important component of metropolitan segregation of Blacks from others, while in the South, within-city sorting and within-suburb sorting are relatively equal in importance.
Tax Increment Financing and Property Value
Authors: Carroll Deborah A.
Published: February 2008

This paper examines the impact of tax increment financing (TIF) on business property value. Using parcel-level data from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from 1980 to1999, a semilog econometric model is estimated using fixed effects regression. A two-stage estimation process is also used to test and correct for potential self-selection bias and endogeneity associated with TIF implementation. The findings suggest that the provision of public services offered within TIF districts is capitalized into business property value over time. The magnitude of this effect is the largest of all factors considered. The analysis also reveals that self-selection bias is likely associated with TIF implementation. The endogenously determined probability that a property will be placed within a TIF district is positively correlated with the property's value. Finally, the analysis reveals that the impact of TIF might be underestimated in the absence of corrections for self-selection bias and endogeneity.
Super-Cooled Sports Dirt
Authors: Wenner Lawrence A.
Published: February 2008

This study provides a select thick reading of how the moral contagion that followed the exposure of Janet Jackson's breast during the broadcast of the 2004 Super Bowl moved into the commercial realm. It is framed by an assessment of how the Super Bowl was “super-cooled” by the “moral panic” that followed the Jackson incident. Super Bowl commercials, usually “celebrated” in postmortems of the broadcast, came under closer moral interrogation. To understand the cultural fallout and “cooled environment” that ensued, a critical approach that blends concerns over “communicative dirt,” the characterized reader, and ethical criticism is used in the analysis of four commercials that were “banned” from the 2005 Super Bowl broadcast. Conclusions focus on dynamics of moral contagion in the Jackson incident and its likely impact on moral contours of the public sphere in light of changed notions of “banned” texts in the internet era and selectivity in processes that lead to cooling.
Forced oscillations in the clinical setting in young children with neonatal lung disease
Authors: Udomittipong K. , Sly P. D. , Patterson H. J. , Gangell C. L. , Stick S. M. , Hall G. L.
Published: February 2008

The extent of respiratory dysfunction is not well characterised in children with neonatal chronic lung disease (nCLD) too young to perform spirometry. Forced oscillations are easily performed by healthy young children; however, they may be more difficult for those with nCLD. The present study aimed to describe the feasibility of using the forced oscillation technique in children with nCLD in a routine clinical setting and to investigate the influence of neonatal factors on subsequent lung function.

Respiratory function tests were attempted in 64 patients with nCLD aged 3.2–6.6 yrs. Respiratory resistance and reactance at 6, 8 and 10 Hz were expressed as z-scores derived from a healthy reference population. The within-test variation and between-test repeatability were also assessed.

Technically, satisfactory data were obtained from 77% of children. On grouped data, z-scores for all oscillatory indices were different from zero and related to hospital oxygen administration in the neonatal period.

In conclusion, the forced oscillation technique was feasible in preschool children with neonatal chronic lung disease in the clinical outpatient setting. These children had lung function significantly worse than that predicted from healthy children. Respiratory function assessed using forced oscillations appeared to reflect the severity of lung disease during the neonatal period.
Impairment of serum albumin antioxidant properties in obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome
Authors: Faure P. , Tamisier R. , Baguet J-P. , Favier A. , Halimi S. , Lévy P. , Pépin J-L.
Published: February 2008

Antioxidant counteraction of oxidative stress has been poorly explored in obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Serum albumin is a major antioxidant agent and structural modifications induced by glucose or free radicals impair its antioxidant properties.

The aim of the present study was to compare antioxidant capacities and structural changes of albumin in nonobese OSA patients and healthy volunteers.

Albumin structural changes were studied by quenching of fluorescence in the presence of acrylamide. Albumin thiols and fructosamines, reflecting oxidation- and glycation-induced changes in serum albumin, respectively, were assessed. Albumin structural changes were demonstrated by a significant decrease in quenching of fluorescence in OSA patients. Oxidation, resulting in a significant decrease in thiol groups (3.7±0.7versus2.3±0.4 μmol·g−1protein), and glycation, associated with a significant increase in fructosamines (226.6±27versus286±44.4 μmol·L−1), were found when comparing healthy volunteers with OSA patients. There was a significant relationship between both parameters and sleep apnoea severity. After continuous positive airway pressure intervention, albumin thiol groups were reassessed in seven of the 16 OSA patients and increased significantly from 2.25±0.39 to 2.79±0.31 µmol·g−1protein.

Obstructive sleep apnoea patients demonstrated a reduction in serum albumin antioxidant properties that may aggravate oxidative stress and, thus, contribute to cardiovascular and metabolic morbidities.
Extracellular purines are biomarkers of neutrophilic airway inflammation
Authors: Esther C. R. , Alexis N. E. , Clas M. L. , Lazarowski E. R. , Donaldson S. H. , Pedrosa Ribeiro C. M. , Moore C. G. , Davis S. D. , Boucher R. C.
Published: February 2008

Purinergic signalling regulates airway defence mechanisms, suggesting that extracellular purines could serve as airway inflammation biomarkers in cystic fibrosis (CF).

The purines adenosine triphosphate (ATP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP), adenosine monophosphate (AMP) and adenosine were measured in sputum from 21 adults (spontaneously expectorated from seven CF patients, induced from 14 healthy controls) to assess normal values and CF-associated changes. Subsequently, purine levels were measured in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from 37 children (25 CF patients, 12 disease controls) and compared with neutrophil counts, presence of airway infection and lung function. To noninvasively assess airway purines, ATP levels were measured using luminometry in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) from 14 children with CF and 14 healthy controls, then 14 CF children during a pulmonary exacerbation.

Both ATP and AMP were elevated in sputum and BALF from CF subjects compared with controls. In BALF, ATP and AMP levels were inversely related to lung function and strongly correlated with neutrophil counts. In EBC, ATP levels were increased in CF relative to controls and decreased after treatment of CF pulmonary exacerbation.

The purines adenosine triphosphate and adenosine monophosphate are candidate biomarkers of neutrophilic airways inflammation. Measurement of purines in sputum or exhaled breath condensate may provide a relatively simple and noninvasive method to track this inflammation.
Exposure–response analysis of allergy and respiratory symptoms in endotoxin-exposed adults
Authors: Smit L. A. M. , Heederik D. , Doekes G. , Blom C. , van Zweden I. , Wouters I. M.
Published: February 2008

The objective of the present study was to investigate exposure–response relationships between current endotoxin exposure and allergic and respiratory symptoms in adults, taking into account farming exposures during childhood.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 877 Dutch farmers and agricultural industry workers in 2006. Based on 249 full-shift personal airborne endotoxin samples, a job-exposure matrix was constructed to assign endotoxin exposure levels to all participants. Associations between endotoxin exposure and questionnaire data on symptoms were studied by multiple logistic regression.

Adjusted odds ratios (OR) for an interquartile range increase in endotoxin level were elevated for respiratory symptoms such as wheezing (OR 1.41 (95% confidence interval 1.16–1.72)), wheezing with shortness of breath (1.50 (1.18–1.90)) and daily cough (1.29 (1.03–1.62)). In contrast, endotoxin was strongly associated with a decreased prevalence of hay fever (0.62 (0.49–0.78)). Workers who had grown up on a farm had a lower prevalence of hay fever, but no evidence was found of effect modification by farm childhood.

In conclusion, occupational endotoxin exposure in adulthood is associated with an increased risk of asthma-like symptoms but a reduced prevalence of hay fever.
Heart-type fatty acid-binding protein for risk assessment of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension
Authors: Lankeit M. , Dellas C. , Panzenböck A. , Skoro-Sajer N. , Bonderman D. , Olschewski M. , Schäfer K. , Puls M. , Konstantinides S. , Lang I. M.
Published: February 2008

Heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP) is a reliable marker of myocardial injury and was recently identified as a predictor of outcome in acute pulmonary embolism. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prognostic value of H-FABP in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH).

In total, 93 consecutive patients with CTEPH were studied. During long-term follow-up (median duration 1,260 days, interquartile range (IQR) 708–2,460 days), 46 (49%) patients had an adverse outcome, defined as CTEPH-related death, lung transplantation or persistent pulmonary hypertension after pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA).

Baseline H-FABP levels in plasma ranged from 0.69–24.3 ng·mL−1(median (IQR) 3.41 (2.28–4.86) ng·mL−1). Cox regression analysis revealed a hazard ratio of 1.10 (95% confidence interval 1.04–1.18) for each increase of H-FABP by 1 ng·mL−1, and continuous elevations of H-FABP emerged as an independent predictor of adverse outcome by multivariable analysis. PEA was performed in 52 patients and favourably affected the long-term outcome. Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed that patients with baseline H-FABP concentrations >2.7 ng·mL−1, the median value of the biomarker in the surgically treated population, had a lower probability of event-free survival after PEA.

Heart-type fatty acid-binding protein is a promising novel biomarker for risk stratification of patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.
Effects of formoterol and salmeterol on the production of Th1- and Th2-related chemokines by monocytes and bronchial epithelial cells
Authors: Hung C-H. , Chu Y-T. , Hua Y-M. , Hsu S-H. , Lin C-S. , Chang H-C. , Lee M-S. , Jong Y-J.
Published: February 2008

It is unknown whether formoterol and salmeterol, two long-acting β2-adrenoreceptor agonists, have regulatory functions in the production of T-helper cell (Th) type 2- and Th1-related chemokines by monocytes and bronchial epithelial cells.

In the present study, the effects of formoterol and salmeterol on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced expression of the Th2-related chemokine macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC; CCL22) and the Th1-related chemokine interferon-γ-inducible protein (IP)-10 (CXCL10) were investigated in a monocytic cell line, THP-1, and in human primary monocytes. In addition, their effects on the expression of the Th2-related chemokine thymus- and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC; CCL17) were evaluated in an epithelial cell line, BEAS-2B.

Formoterol enhanced MDC but suppressed IP-10 production in monocytes induced by LPS. Higher doses of salmeterol were required to enhance LPS-induced MDC expression in THP-1 cells. Formoterol and salmeterol could significantly suppress TARC expression in BEAS-2B cells. These effects could be reversed by a selective β2-adrenoreceptor antagonist, ICI-118551. Formoterol- and LPS-induced MDC expression was inhibited by budesonide.

Both long-acting β2-adrenoreceptor agonists suppressed thymus- and activation-regulated chemokine expression in bronchial epithelial cells mediatedviaβ2-adrenoreceptors. Formoterol at physiological concentrations could suppress lipopolysaccharide-induced T-helper cell type 1-related chemokine (interferon-γ-inducible protein-10) but enhance T-helper cell type 2-related chemokine (macrophage-derived chemokine) expression in human monocytes. Long-acting β2-adrenoreceptor agonists may increase T-helper cell type 2-related chemokine expression in monocytes and T-helper cell type 2 recruitment and, therefore, long-acting β2-adrenoreceptor agonist monotherapy may not be an appropriate therapeutic option for asthma.
Pseudomonal airway colonisation: risk factor for bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome after lung transplantation?
Authors: Vos R. , Vanaudenaerde B. M. , Geudens N. , Dupont L. J. , Van Raemdonck D. E. , Verleden G. M.
Published: February 2008

Airway colonisation with Pseudomonads, especiallyPseudomonas aeruginosa, is common in lung transplant (LTx) recipients. The current authors investigated whether pseudomonal colonisation affects the prevalence of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) after lung transplantation.

In the present retrospective study, 92 double (SS)LTx recipients (26 cystic fibrosis (CF) and 66 non-CF patients), with at least two consecutive post-operative bronchoalveolar lavage or sputum cultures evaluated for Pseudomonads, were included. Freedom of BOS was investigated in post-operatively colonised and noncolonised patients.

The current study has shown post-operative airway colonisation to be an independent risk factor for BOS stage ≥1 and to be associated with a worse BOS stage ≥1-free survival in univariate analysis, especially in CF SSLTx recipients. Multivariate analysis demonstrated a trend for colonisation only as an independent risk factor for BOS; however, this pointed to a possible role in the development of BOS.

In conclusion, pseudomonal airway colonisation after lung transplantation may be associated with an increased prevalence of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome, especially in cystic fibrosis patients. Possible pathophysiological mechanisms in the development of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome need further investigation, although the induction of neutrophilic airway inflammation seems to be its main characteristic.
Bronchodilator responsiveness in patients with COPD
Authors: Tashkin D. P. , Celli B. , Decramer M. , Liu D. , Burkhart D. , Cassino C. , Kesten S.
Published: February 2008

The degree of acute improvement in spirometric indices after bronchodilator inhalation varies among chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, and depends upon the type and dose of bronchodilator and the timing of administration.

Acute bronchodilator responsiveness at baseline was examined in a large cohort of patients with moderate-to-very-severe COPD participating in the Understanding Potential Long-term Impacts on Function with Tiotropium (UPLIFT) trial, a 4-yr randomised double-blind trial evaluating the efficacy of 18 μg tiotropium daily in reducing the rate of decline in lung function. After wash-out of respiratory medications, patients received 80 μg ipratropium followed by 400 μg salbutamol. Spirometry was performed before and 90 min following ipratropium administration. The criteria used for forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) responsiveness were: ≥12% increase over baseline and ≥200 mL; ≥15% increase over baseline; and ≥10% absolute increase in the percentage predicted value.

Of the patients, 5,756 had data meeting the criteria for analysis (age 64.5 yrs; 75% male; baseline FEV11.10 L (39.3% predicted) and forced vital capacity (FVC) 2.63 L). Compared with baseline, mean improvements were 229 mL in FEV1and 407 mL in FVC. Of these patients, 53.9% had ≥12% and ≥200 mL improvement in FEV1, 65.6% had ≥15% improvement in FEV1, and 38.6% had ≥10% absolute increase in FEV1% pred.

The majority of patients with moderate-to-very-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease demonstrate meaningful increases in lung function following administration of inhaled anticholinergic plus sympathomimetic bronchodilators.
Autopsy findings in 42 consecutive patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Daniels C. E. , Yi E. S. , Ryu J. H.
Published: February 2008

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a relentlessly progressive lung disease that commonly results in respiratory failure and death. However, the cause of death in these patients has not previously been fully defined.

The current study reviews the clinical records and pathological findings of 42 consecutive patients with IPF who underwent apost mortemat the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN, USA) over a 9-yr period, from January 1996 to December 2004.

The median (range) age atpost mortemfor the patients was 74 (46–98 yrs) yrs, which included 25 (60%) males. A total of 31 (74%) patients died in the hospital. The immediate causes of death were reported as: respiratory (64%), cardiovascular (21%), or noncardiopulmonary (14%). Acute exacerbation of IPF was the most common immediate cause of death (29%). Pneumonia, aspiration and drug-induced lung disease were identified as other causes of respiratory death. Evidence of pulmonary hypertension was present in thepost mortemof 19 (45%) patients and was the immediate cause of death in two of these patients. The immediate cause of death was clinically unsuspected in five (12%) patients and IPF was diagnosedpost mortemin nine (21%) patients.

The majority of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis who had undergone apost mortemwere found to have died from respiratory causes. Acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis was found to be the most common cause of death whilst death from the gradual progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis was found to be less common.
Immunohistochemical analysis of changes in signaling pathway activation downstream of growth factor receptors in pancreatic duct cell carcinogenesis
Authors: Pham Nhu-An , Schwock Joerg , Iakovlev Vladimir , Pond Greg , Hedley David W , Tsao Ming-Sound
Published: February 2008

Background

The pathogenesis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) involves multi-stage development of molecular aberrations affecting signaling pathways that regulate cancer growth and progression. This study was performed to gain a better understanding of the abnormal signaling that occurs in PDAC compared with normal duct epithelia.

Methods

We performed immunohistochemistry on a tissue microarray of 26 PDAC, 13 normal appearing adjacent pancreatic ductal epithelia, and 12 normal non-PDAC ducts. We compared the levels of 18 signaling proteins including growth factor receptors, tumor suppressors and 13 of their putative downstream phosphorylated (p-) signal transducers in PDAC to those in normal ductal epithelia.

Results

The overall profiles of signaling protein expression levels, activation states and sub-cellular distribution in PDAC cells were distinguishable from non-neoplastic ductal epithelia. The ERK pathway activation was correlated with high levels of S2448p-mTOR (100%, p = 0.05), T389p-S6K (100%, p = 0.02 and S235/236p-S6 (86%, p = 0.005). Additionally, T389p-S6K correlated with S727p-STAT3 (86%, p = 0.005). Advanced tumors with lymph node metastasis were characterized by high levels of S276p-NFκB (100%, p = 0.05) and S9p-GSK3β (100%, p = 0.05). High levels of PKBβ/AKT2, EGFR, as well as nuclear T202/Y204p-ERK and T180/Y182p-p38 were observed in normal ducts adjacent to PDAC compared with non-cancerous pancreas.

Conclusion

Multiple signaling proteins are activated in pancreatic duct cell carcinogenesis including those associated with the ERK, PKB/AKT, mTOR and STAT3 pathways. The ERK pathway activation appears also increased in duct epithelia adjacent to carcinoma, suggesting tumor micro-environmental effects.
Auxilin is essential for Delta signaling
Authors: Eun Suk Ho , Banks Susan M. L. , Fischer Janice A.
Published: February 2008

Endocytosis regulates Notch signaling in both signaling and receiving cells. A puzzling observation is that endocytosis of transmembrane ligand by the signaling cells is required for Notch activation in adjacent receiving cells. A key to understanding why signaling depends on ligand endocytosis lies in identifying and understanding the functions of crucial endocytic proteins. One such protein is Epsin, an endocytic factor first identified in vertebrate cells. Here, we show in Drosophila that Auxilin, an endocytic factor that regulates Clathrin dynamics, is also essential for Notch signaling. Auxilin, a co-factor for the ATPase Hsc70, brings Hsc70 to Clathrin cages. Hsc70/Auxilin functions in vesicle scission and also in uncoating Clathrin-coated vesicles. We find that like Epsin, Auxilin is required in Notch signaling cells for ligand internalization and signaling. Results of several experiments suggest that the crucial role of Auxilin in signaling is,at least in part, the generation of free Clathrin. We discuss these observations in the light of current models for the role of Epsin in ligand endocytosis and the role of ligand endocytosis in Notch signaling.
Voltage-gated Potassium Channel (Kv) Subunits Expressed in the Rat Cochlear Nucleus
Authors: Rusznák Zoltán , Bakondi Gábor , Pocsai Krisztina , Pór Ágnes , Kosztka Lívia , Pál Balázs , Nagy Dénes , Szücs Géza
Published: February 2008

Because the neuronal membrane properties and firing characteristics are crucially affected by the depolarization-activated K+ channel (Kv) subunits, data about the Kv distribution may provide useful information regarding the functionality of the neurons situated in the cochlear nucleus (CN). Using immunohistochemistry in free-floating slices, the distribution of seven Kv subunits was described in the rat CN. Positive labeling was observed for Kv1.1, 1.2, 1.6, 3.1, 3.4, 4.2, and 4.3 subunits. Giant and octopus neurons showed particularly strong immunopositivity for Kv3.1; octopus neurons showed intense Kv1.1- and 1.2-specific reactions also. In the latter case, an age-dependent change of the expression pattern was also documented; although both young and older animals produced definite labeling for Kv1.2, the intensity of the reaction increased in older animals and was accompanied with the translocation of the Kv1.2 subunits to the cell surface membrane. The granule cell layer exhibited strong Kv4.2-specific immunopositivity, and markedly Kv4.2-positive glomerular synapses were also seen. It was found that neither giant nor pyramidal cells were uniform in terms of their Kv expression patterns. Our data provide new information about the Kv expression of the CN and also suggest potential functional heterogeneity of the giant and pyramidal cells.
Haptoglobin Polymorphism: A Novel Genetic Risk Factor for Celiac Disease Development and Its Clinical Manifestations
Authors: Papp Maria , Foldi Ildiko , Nemes Eva , Udvardy Miklos , Harsfalvi Jolan , Altorjay Istvan , Mate Istvan , Dinya Tamas , Varvolgyi Csaba , Barta Zsolt , Veres Gabor , Lakatos Peter Laszlo , Tumpek Judit , Toth Laszlo , Szathmari Erzsebet , Kapitany Aniko , Gyetvai Agnes , Korponay-Szabo Ilma R
Published: February 2008

Background: Haptoglobin (Hp) α-chain alleles 1 and 2 account for 3 phenotypes that may influence the course of inflammatory diseases via biologically important differences in their antioxidant, scavenging, and immunomodulatory properties. Hp1-1 genotype results in the production of small dimeric, Hp2-1 linear, and Hp2-2 cyclic polymeric haptoglobin molecules. We investigated the haptoglobin polymorphism in patients with celiac disease and its possible association to the presenting symptoms.

Methods: We studied 712 unrelated, biopsy-proven Hungarian celiac patients (357 children, 355 adults; severe malabsorption 32.9%, minor gastrointestinal symptoms 22.8%, iron deficiency anemia 9.4%, dermatitis herpetiformis 15.6%, silent disease 7.2%, other 12.1%) and 384 healthy subjects. We determined haptoglobin phenotypes by gel electrophoresis and assigned corresponding genotypes.

Results: Hp2-1 was associated with a significant risk for celiac disease (P = 0.0006, odds ratio [OR] 1.54, 95% CI 1.20–1.98; prevalence 56.9% in patients vs 46.1% in controls). It was also overrepresented among patients with mild symptoms (69.2%) or silent disease (72.5%). Hp2-2 was less frequent in patients than in controls (P = 0.0023), but patients having this phenotype were at an increased risk for severe malabsorption (OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.60–3.07) and accounted for 45.3% of all malabsorption cases. Celiac and dermatitis herpetiformis patients showed similar haptoglobin phenotype distributions.

Conclusions: The haptoglobin polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to celiac disease and its clinical presentations. The predominant genotype in the celiac population was Hp2-1, but Hp2-2 predisposed to a more severe clinical course. The phenotype-dependent effect of haptoglobin may result from the molecule’s structural and functional properties.
Spontaneous reduction of europium ions below 250 °C in organic–inorganic hybrid low-melting phosphite glasses
Authors: Niida H. , Takahashi M. , Uchino T. , Yoko T.
Published: February 2008

Europium-doped organic–inorganic hybrid low-melting phosphite glass was prepared from SnCl2, Me2SiCl2, and H3PO3 (phosphonic acid) through the nonaqueous acid–base reaction process. The europium-doped glass melted at 250 °C showed fluorescence with a broad peak at 373 nm due to the 4f6 5d1 → 4f7 transition of Eu2+ ions, whereas no fluorescence from the Eu3+ ions was observed. Almost all of the Eu3+ ions incorporated into the glasses could be successfully reduced to Eu2+ ions at a temperature as low as 250 °C by the strong reducing power of H3PO3.
Near-threshold ultraviolet-laser ablation of Kapton film investigated by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
Authors: Zeng D. W. , Yung K. C. , Xie C. S.
Published: February 2008

Near-threshold ultraviolet-laser (355 nm) ablation of 125-μm thick Kapton films was investigated in detail using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Different from the irradiation at higher fluences, the contents of the oxygen, amide group, and C–O group on the ablated surface increased with an increase in the pulse number, whereas the carbon contents decreased, although the contents of the nitrogen and the carbonyl group (C = O) decreased slightly. This implied that there was no carbon-rich residue on the ablated surface. Near the ablation threshold, only photolysis of the C–N bond in the imide rings and the diaryl ether group (C–O) took place due to a low surface temperature rise, and the amide structure and many unstable free radical groups were created. Sequentially, the oxidation reaction occurred to stabilize the free radical groups. The decomposition and oxidation mechanism could explain the intriguing changes of the chemical composition and characteristics of the ablated surface. In addition, the content of the C–O group depended on the opposite factors: the thermally induced decomposition of the ether groups and the pyrolysis of the Caryl–C bond. Upon further irradiation, the cumulative heating may induce the breakage of the Caryl–C bond and enhance the oxidation reaction, resulting in an increase of the content of the C–O group.
Composition control of radio-frequency magnetron sputter-deposited La0.5Sr0.5CoO3−∂ thin films
Authors: Klenov D. O. , Donner W. , Chen L. , Jacobson A. J. , Stemmer S.
Published: February 2008

For this paper, we used radio-frequency (rf) sputter deposition to synthesize epitaxial La0.5Sr0.5CoO3−∂ (LSCO) films. We investigated the influence of sputter deposition parameters, in particular, oxygen partial pressure, plasma power, total sputter pressure, and post-deposition cooling atmosphere on film composition, microstructure, and electrical resistivity. We show that rf sputtering from a single target can produce LSCO films with La/Sr and (La + Sr)/Co ratios of unity and with low electrical resistivities of about 1 mΩ cm. Film microstructures were characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction. Formation of an ordered film superlattice, most likely due to oxygen vacancy ordering, was observed. In this paper, we discuss the relationship between the film microstructure and the electrical resistivity.
Transmission electron microscopy study of the structure of radio frequency sputter-deposited yttria-stabilized zirconia thin films
Authors: Ruddell David E. , Stoner Brian R. , Thompson Jeffrey Y.
Published: February 2008

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to investigate the structural properties of sputter-deposited yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thin films. YSZ films were deposited over a range of temperatures and background oxygen levels. Additionally, a multilayered structure was produced by cyclic application of a substrate bias. Plan-view TEM showed that temperature and oxygen levels did not have a significant effect on grain size but did alter the phases present in the thin films. Cross-sectional TEM showed the development of texture in the multilayer film, both within the individual layers and in the entire film.
Images of War in Greece and Rome: Between Military Practice, Public Memory, and Cultural Symbolism
Authors: Hölscher Tonio
Published: February 2008

Wars were once considered to be the essence of world history, but under the influence of social history, the histoire des mentalités, and the discourse of the ‘cultural turn’ their role has changed fundamentally. More interest is now paid to wars as part of cultural history than as highpoints of histoire événementielle.

Historians of the present generation stand in an ambivalent relation to the phenomenon of war. The ‘cultural turn’ in historical studies has generally focused on anthropological phenomena that are part of general human experience — love and death, body and soul, memory and hope, customs and emotions, mentality and ideologies. These phenomena, which are conceived as driving forces in history, are at the same time parts of the contemporary cultural furniture of those scholars who study their changing aspects as objects of research. The phenomenon of war, however, for the majority of contemporary historians and other observers in Europe and North America, has become a distant spectacle. So, what do we really know about war? And what do we want to know about war?
Theory of optimal blocking of nonregular factorial designs
Authors: Al Mingyao , Zhang Runchu
Published: February 2008

The authors introduce the notion of split generalized wordlength pattern (GWP), i.e., treatment GWP and block GWP, for a blocked nonregular factorial design. They generalize the minimum aberration criterion to suit this type of design. Connections between factorial design theory and coding theory allow them to obtain combinatorial identities that govern the relationship between the split GWP of a blocked factorial design and that of its blocked consulting design. These identities work for regular and nonregular designs. Furthermore, the authors establish general rules for identifying generalized minimum aberration (GMA) blocked designs through their blocked consulting designs. Finally they tabulate and compare some GMA blocked designs from Hall's orthogonal arrayOA(16,215,2) of type III.
Efficient estimation for case‐cohort studies
Authors: Nan Bin
Published: February 2008

The author considers time‐to‐event data from case‐cohort designs. As existing methods are either inefficient or based on restrictive assumptions concerning the censoring mechanism, he proposes a semi‐parametrically efficient estimator under the usual assumptions for Cox regression models. The estimator in question is obtained by a one‐step Newton‐Raphson approximation that solves the efficient score equations with initial value obtained from an existing method. The author proves that the estimator is consistent, asymptotically efficient and normally distributed in the limit. He also resorts to simulations to show that the proposed estimator performs well in finite samples and that it considerably improves the efficiency of existing pseudo‐likelihood estimators when a correlate of the missing covariate is available. Although he focuses on the situation where covariates are discrete, the author also explores how the method can be applied to models with continuous covariates.
Variance estimation for measures of change in probability sampling
Authors: Berger Yves G.
Published: February 2008

Variance estimation of changes requires estimates of variances and covariances that would be relatively straightforward to make if the sample remained the same from one wave to the next, but this is rarely the case in practice as successive waves are usually different overlapping samples. The author proposes a design‐based estimator for covariance matrices that is adapted to this situation. Under certain conditions, he shows that his approach yields non‐negative definite estimates for covariance matrices and therefore positive variance estimates for a large class of measures of change.
(29/25)×(73/43)×(77/65)×(101/75) is close to π
Authors: Goetgheluck P.
Published: February 2008

The aim of this paper is to give some elementary tools to solve problems of the following type: let x be a real number, n a positive integer and ε a positive real number; to find the best approximation of x by a fraction in the interval Iε = [x - ε, x + ε], with denominator at most n and possibly satisfying some additional constraints.