bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Aversive Phototaxic Suppression Assay for Individual Adult Drosophila: Figure 1.
Authors: van Swinderen Bruno
Published: October 2011

Vision is a major sensory modality in Drosophila behavior, with more than one-half of the Drosophila brain devoted to visual processing. The mechanisms of vision in Drosophila can now be studied in individuals and in populations of flies by using various paradigms. Simple strategies for conducting visual perception and learning studies consist of individual studies performed on single flies on solid supports (larvae on agar or adults in a T-maze) using a light/dark association paradigm. These approaches are quite easy to implement but are fairly limited in their ability to address questions of visual perception. Nevertheless, the simpler approaches treating vision in one dimension (light, dark) do provide effective paradigms for genetic analysis. For adult flies, a paradigm called aversive phototaxic suppression (APS), as described here, can be used. This method exploits flies’ phototaxic reflex. By associating a lit chamber with quinine (which is aversive), repeated trials on a single animal result in a learned response to avoid (or to suppress) phototaxis. Of note, the unconditioned stimulus (US) quinine must be present throughout the experiment for APS to work, unlike other memory assays in which the US is removed during testing.
Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy Example: Shift of Autocorrelation Curve: Figure 1.
Authors: Kinjo Masataka , Sakata Hiroshi , Mikuni Shintaro
Published: October 2011

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) has become a powerful and sensitive tool in biochemistry and biophysics. It directly obtains physical parameters such as the average number of fluorescent molecules and their diffusion time in a tiny detection area. It also provides other useful information such as the brightness of molecules. Ultimately, it can give precise information about molecular interactions in the aqueous condition. In FCS experiments, the fluctuation of fluorescence emission intensity from the tiny detection area is monitored as a function of time. The monitored fluorescence fluctuation signals are transformed to an autocorrelation curve according to the autocorrelation calculator unit and the curves are then fitted to an appropriate physical model. This protocol outlines an FCS example involving a shift of the autocorrelation curve.
“Statistics 101”—A Primer for the Genetics of Complex Human Disease
Authors: Sinsheimer Janet
Published: October 2011

This article reviews the basis of probability and statistics used in the genetic analysis of complex human diseases and illustrates their use in several simple examples. Much of the material presented here is so fundamental to statistics that it has become common knowledge in the field and the originators are no longer cited (e.g., Gauss).
The Arabidopsis RING E3 Ubiquitin Ligase AtAIRP2 Plays Combinatory Roles with AtAIRP1 in Abscisic Acid-Mediated Drought Stress Responses
Authors: Cho Seok Keun , Ryu Moon Young , Seo Dong Hye , Kang Bin Goo , Kim Woo Taek
Published: October 2011

The ubiquitin (Ub)-26S proteasome pathway is implicated in various cellular processes in higher plants. AtAIRP1, a C3H2C3-type RING (for Really Interesting New Gene) E3 Ub ligase, is a positive regulator in the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) abscisic acid (ABA)-dependent drought response. Here, the AtAIRP2 (for Arabidopsis ABA-insensitive RING protein 2) gene was identified and characterized. AtAIRP2 encodes a cytosolic C3HC4-type RING E3 Ub ligase whose expression was markedly induced by ABA and dehydration stress. Thus, AtAIRP2 belongs to a different RING subclass than AtAIRP1 with a limited sequence identity. AtAIRP2-overexpressing transgenic (35S:AtAIRP2-sGFP) and atairp2 loss-of-function mutant plants exhibited hypersensitive and hyposensitive phenotypes, respectively, to ABA in terms of seed germination, root growth, and stomatal movement. 35S:AtAIRP2-sGFP plants were highly tolerant to severe drought stress, and atairp2 alleles were more susceptible to water stress than were wild-type plants. Higher levels of drought-induced hydrogen peroxide production were detected in 35S:AtAIRP2-sGFP as compared with atairp2 plants. ABA-inducible drought-related genes were up-regulated in 35S:AtAIRP2-sGFP and down-regulated in atairp2 progeny. The positive effects of AtAIRP2 on ABA-induced stress genes were dependent on SNF1-related protein kinases, key components of the ABA signaling pathway. Therefore, AtAIRP2 is involved in positive regulation of ABA-dependent drought stress responses. To address the functional relationship between AtAIRP1 and AtAIRP2, FLAG-AtAIRP1 and AtAIRP2-sGFP genes were ectopically expressed in atairp2-2 and atairp1 plants, respectively. Constitutive expression of FLAG-AtAIRP1 and AtAIRP2-sGFP in atairp2-2 and atairp1 plants, respectively, reciprocally rescued the loss-of-function ABA-insensitive phenotypes during germination. Additionally, atairp1/35S:AtAIRP2-sGFP and atairp2-2/35S:FLAG-AtAIRP1 complementation lines were more tolerant to dehydration stress relative to atairp1 and atairp2-2 single knockout plants. Overall, these results suggest that AtAIRP2 plays combinatory roles with AtAIRP1 in Arabidopsis ABA-mediated drought stress responses.
Proposal for a Laue lens with quasi-mosaic crystalline tiles
Authors: Guidi Vincenzo , Bellucci Valerio , Camattari Riccardo , Neri Ilaria
Published: October 2011

Quasi-mosaicity is an effect of secondary bending within a crystal driven by crystalline anisotropy. This effect can be used to fabricate a series of curved crystals for the realization of a Laue lens. It is highlighted that crystals bent by the quasi-mosaic effect allow very high resolution focusing with respect to mosaic crystals. Under the same conditions for energy passband, crystal size and flux of incident photons, a Laue lens based on quasi-mosaic crystals would increase the signal-to-noise ratio by about an order of magnitude compared to the same lens with mosaic crystals. Moreover, no mosaic defocusing occurs for quasi-mosaic crystals.
The pore wall structure of porous semi-crystalline anatase TiO2
Authors: Kim Man-Ho , Doh Jeong-Mann , Han Seong Chul , Chae Keun Hwa , Yu Byung-Yong , Hong Kyung Tae , Jackson Andrew , Anovitz Lawrence M.
Published: October 2011

The structure of porous TiO2prepared by electrochemical anodization in a fluoride-containing ethylene glycol electrolyte solution was quantitatively studied using small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and ultra-small-angle neutron scattering (USANS). The cylindrical pores along the coaxial direction were somewhat irregular in shape, were widely distributed in diameter, and seemed to have a broadly pseudo-hexagonal arrangement. The scattering from the pore wall showed a negative deviation from Porod scattering, indicating that the interface between TiO2and the pore was not sharp. A density gradient of around 40–60 Å at the pore wall (i.e.the interface between the pore and the TiO2matrix) was estimated using both constant and semi-sigmoidal interface models. This gradient may be due to the presence of fluorine and carbon partially absorbed by the pore wall from the fluoride-containing electrolyte or to sorbed water molecules on the wall. The neutron contrast-matching point between the TiO2matrix and the pores filled with liquid H2O/D2O mixtures was 51/49%(v/v) H2O/D2O, yielding an estimated mass density of 3.32 g cm−3. The specific surface area of the sample derived from the (U)SANS data was around 939–1003 m2 cm−3(283–302 m2 g−1).
Children’s Use of Knowledge of Place in Understanding Social Relations
Authors: Harju Anne
Published: October 2011

The article explores how children use different types of knowledge of place to make sense of their relations to other children. The participants are children aged 11–12 in a small town in southern Sweden. The methodology used is place mapping with group interviews. A significant outcome is that the children connect emplaced and spatial knowledge in their efforts to understand themselves and others. Their emplaced knowledge is thus not separated from the spatial knowledge. Another significant result is that the participating children are engaged in an exchange of knowledge of place with other children and with adults.
Glucocorticosteroid‐resistant pemphigoid gestationis: Successful treatment with adjuvant immunoadsorption
Authors: WESTERMANN Lilia , HÜGEL Rainer , MEIER Markus , WEICHENTHAL Michael , ZILLIKENS Detlef , GLÄSER Regine , SCHMIDT Enno
Published: October 2011

A 40‐year old prima para presented with multiple urticaria‐like plaques and severe pruritus 2 weeks prior to giving birth by cesarean section. Three days after birth, the disease flared up and tense blisters appeared on hands, lower arms and feet. Based on the clinical presentation, direct immunofluorescence microscopy, complement binding test and detection of high levels of circulating anti‐BP180 antibodies, the diagnosis of pemphigoid gestationis was established. Despite treatment with class IV topical corticosteroid and prednisolone p.o. up to 60 mg/day, both skin lesions and severe pruritus progressed accompanied by increasing anti‐BP180 antibody serum levels. In order to continue breast feeding, the prednisolone dose could not be further increased and 10 immunoadsorptions over 4 weeks were performed. During this period, skin lesions cleared rapidly, pruritus subsided and BP180‐specific serum autoantibodies decreased by 99.5% allowing the reduction of prednisolone to 7.5 mg/day. We conclude that immunoadsorption is an effective and safe adjuvant therapeutic option for severe pemphigoid gestationis.
ACTH‐induced cortisol release is related to the copy number of the C4B gene encoding the fourth component of complement in patients with non‐functional adrenal incidentaloma
Authors: Bánlaki Zsófia , Raizer György , Ács Bence , Majnik Judit , Doleschall Márton , Szilágyi Ágnes , Rácz Karoly , Füst George , Patócs Attila
Published: October 2011

Objective  According to our previous findings, carriers of the C4B*Q0 genotype, which means zero or one copy of the C4B gene, which is located in the RCCX copy number variation region on chromosome 6, have a significantly shorter life‐expectancy and higher risk of cardiovascular disease than non‐carriers. We have postulated that the C4B*Q0 genotype is linked to variant(s) of the neighboring CYP21A2 gene encoding a steroid 21‐hydroxylase with altered function.

Design  Single‐center, observational, retrospective study.

Patients  Seventy‐six patients with non‐functional, benign adrenal incidentaloma.

Measurements  Serum cortisol, aldosterone, 17‐hydroxyprogesterone, corticosterone and ACTH levels basally and after ACTH‐stimulation, metyrapone or dexamethasone tests were determined. C4B gene copy number was quantified.

Results  The ratio of ACTH‐stimulated and baseline cortisol concentrations was significantly higher (P = 0·001) in the group of patients carrying the C4B*Q0 genotype compared to the rest of the patients. This difference remained significant (P = 0·004) after adjustment for sex and age, as well as for tumor size. A significant (P = 0·018), adjusted difference between carriers and non‐carriers was found also for ACTH‐induced/basal aldosterone ratio. In C4B*Q0 carriers, metyrapone hardly reduced the serum cortisol level, while in non‐carriers it induced a highly significant (P = 0·002) decrease.

Conclusions  The C4B*Q0 genotype may be associated with hyperreactivity of the HPA axis (manifested as an increased responsiveness to ACTH‐stimulation), probably through enhanced function of steroid 21‐hydroxylase. Since hyperreactivity of the HPA axis is known to be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, our present findings may explain the increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality of C4B*Q0 carriers.
The impact of low serum sodium level on mortality depends on glycemic control
Authors: Sahin Osman Z. , Asci Gulay , Kircelli Fatih , Yilmaz Mumtaz , Duman Soner , Ozkahya Mehmet , Dogan Cengiz , Odabas Ali R. , Cirit Mustafa , Ok Ercan
Published: October 2011

Eur J Clin Invest 2012; 42 (5): 534–540

Background  Low serum sodium levels have been associated with mortality both in patients with and without chronic kidney disease. In this study, we investigated this association in relation to glycemic control in hemodialysis (HD) patients.

Materials and methods  Between March and September 2005, 697 prevalent HD patients were enrolled in this prospective observational study and followed up for all‐cause and cardiovascular mortality. The associations of serum sodium concentration with both overall and cardiovascular survival rates were studied.

Results  At baseline, mean predialysis serum sodium concentration was 138·4 ± 2·3 mEq/L (range: 130–145 mEq/L). Mild hyponatremia (< 135 mEq/L) was present in only 41 subjects (5·9%), and no patient had serum sodium level < 130 mEq/L. During 20·2 ± 6·2 months of follow‐up, 119 patients (15·9%) died, 68 from CV causes. In adjusted Cox regression analysis, lowest sodium quartile was associated with 2·13‐fold increased risk of overall mortality (95% confidence interval (CI) 1·14–3·98, P = 0·01, model chi‐square 114·6, P < 0·001). As a continuous variable, each 1 mEq/L increase in predialysis sodium concentration was associated with a hazard ratio (HR) of 0·87 for overall mortality (95% CI 0·81–0·95, P = 0·002) and 0·86 for cardiovascular mortality (95% CI 0·78–0·96, P = 0·007). The predictivity of low serum sodium was prominent in diabetic subjects but not in nondiabetics. However, relationship between serum sodium and patient survival in diabetics was lost after adjustment for the HbA1c level: HR 0·91 (95% CI 0·78–1·05, P = 0·20).

Conclusions  Low serum sodium concentration is associated with mortality only in those with diabetes. Furthermore, the impact of serum sodium on survival in these patients seems to be derived from poor glucose control.
Impacts of nitrogen fertilization on volatile organic compound emissions from decomposing plant litter
Authors: Gray Christopher M. , Fierer Noah
Published: October 2011

Nonmethane volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are reactive, low molecular weight gases that can have significant effects on soil and atmospheric processes. Research into biogenic VOC sources has primarily focused on plant emissions, with few studies on VOC emissions from decomposing plant litter, another potentially important source. Likewise, although there have been numerous studies examining how anthropogenic increases in nitrogen (N) availability can influence litter decomposition rates, we do not know how VOC emissions may be affected. In this study, we measured the relative contribution of VOCs to the total carbon (C) emitted from decomposing litter and how N amendments affected VOC emissions. We incubated decomposing litter from 12 plant species over 125 days, measuring both CO2 and VOC emissions throughout the incubation. We found that VOCs represented a large portion of C emissions from a number of the litter types with C emissions as VOCs ranging from 0% to 88% of C emissions as CO2. Methanol was the dominant VOC emitted, accounting for 28–99% of total VOC emissions over the incubation period. N additions increased CO2 production in 7 of the 12 litter types by 5–180%. In contrast, N additions decreased VOC emissions in 8 of the 12 litter types, reducing net VOC emissions to near zero. The decrease in VOC emissions was occasionally large enough to account for the increased CO2 emissions on a per unit C basis, suggesting that N additions may not necessarily accelerate C loss from decomposing litter but rather just switch the form of C emitted. Together these results suggest that, for certain litter types, failure to account for VOC emissions may lead to an underestimation of C losses from litter decomposition and an overestimation of the effects of N additions on rates of litter decomposition.
Mechanical properties of asphalt binders evaluated by atomic force microscopy
Authors: DOURADO E.R. , SIMAO R.A. , LEITE L.F.M.
Published: October 2011

Atomic Force Microscopy was employed in order to relate the features observed on the surface of a 50/70 asphalt binder according to its local stiffness and elastic recovery. Indentations were performed in different points of the surface and a significant variation of elasticity was observed between the points on the so‐called bee structure and the matrix. Also, indentations varying the maximum force were performed on similar white spots in the bee structure and the recovery was followed up to 1 h after indentation. It was observed that the elastic recovery is very much dependent on the colloidal structure of the bee. The final surface state of the binder, close to the bee for usual bees is not the same as the initial one indicating severe plastic deformation. Also, permanent phase change could be observed for bright spots presented in not well‐structured bee arrangements. A surface hardening was observed in the bee region.
Factors influencing adherence to antiretroviral treatment in Asian developing countries: a systematic review
Authors: Wasti Sharada P. , van Teijlingen Edwin , Simkhada Padam , Randall Julian , Baxter Susan , Kirkpatrick Pamela , GC Vijay S.
Published: October 2011

Objective  To systematically review the literature of factors affecting adherence to Antiretroviral treatment (ART) in Asian developing countries.

Methods  Database searches in Medline/Ovid, Cochrane library, CINAHL, Scopus and PsychINFO for studies published between 1996 and December 2010. The reference lists of included papers were also checked, with citation searching on key papers.

Results  A total of 437 studies were identified, and 18 articles met the inclusion criteria and were extracted and critically appraised, representing in 12 quantitative, four qualitative and two mixed‐method studies. Twenty‐two individual themes, including financial difficulties, side effects, access, stigma and discrimination, simply forgetting and being too busy, impeded adherence to ART, and 11 themes, including family support, self‐efficacy and desire to live longer, facilitated adherence.

Conclusion  Adherence to ART varies between individuals and over time. We need to redress impeding factors while promoting factors that reinforce adherence through financial support, better accessible points for medicine refills, consulting doctors for help with side effects, social support and trusting relationships with care providers.
Identification of a novel HLA‐DRB3 allele, DRB3*02:27, in a potential haematopoietic stem cell transplant recipient
Authors: Battle R. , Poole K. , McWhinnie A. , Marsden N. , Clark B.
Published: October 2011

HLA‐DRB3*02:27 was detected following investigations into an unusual haplotype, and differs to DRB3*02:02:01 at codons 73–77.
Enzymatic activity of Microsporum canis and Trichophyton mentagrophytes from breeding rabbits with and without skin lesions
Authors: Cafarchia Claudia , Figueredo Luciana A. , Coccioli Carmela , Camarda Antonio , Otranto Domenico
Published: October 2011

Microsporum canis and Trichophyton mentagrophytes are zoophilic dermatophytes which can cause skin infections in animals and humans. The clinical expression of this infection strongly varies depending on host, fungal species as well as enzyme production. No comparative studies are available on the enzymatic activities of M. canis and T. mentagrophytes isolated from breeding rabbits. Thus, the aim of this work was to assess the capability of M. canis and T. mentagrophytes isolated from rabbits both with and without lesions in producing different enzymes. The relationship of dermatophyte enzymatic activities and presence/absence of skin lesions has also been investigated. A total of 260 isolates of T. mentagrophytes and 25 isolates of M. canis sampled both from healthy and lesioned skin of rabbits, as well as from air samples of positive farms were examined. The results showed that T. mentagrophytes and M. canis from rabbits produce different enzymes. However, only elastase and gelatinase were linked to the appearance of lesions in T. mentagrophytes infections, whereas lipase in those by M. canis.
Safety of withholding anticoagulation in patients with mechanical prosthetic valves and intracranial haemorrhage
Authors: Krittalak K. , Sawanyawisuth K. , Tiamkao S.
Published: October 2011

Patients with prosthetic heart valves require lifelong anticoagulation to prevent thromboembolism. When they have intracranial haemorrhage, anticoagulation has to be withheld. This study was aimed to identify safety duration and complications of anticoagulation withholding in patients with prosthetic heart valves and intracranial haemorrhage. This was a retrospective descriptive study in 26 prosthetic heart valve patients hospitalised in Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen University because of intracranial haemorrhage from 2003 to 2008. Range of anticoagulation withholding was 1 to 26 days with mean 8.5 ± 7.7 days. Most patients (84.6%) were withheld anticoagulation for less than 14 days. There were five in‐hospital deaths mostly within 3 days of admission from severe intracranial haemorrhage. No data of reintroduction of anticoagulation was found in three patients because they were lost to follow up. One patient had right basal ganglia infarction after 7 days of anticoagulation withholding. Prosthetic heart valve dysfunction was suspected in one patient who withheld anticoagulant for 76 days. Discontinuation of anticoagulation in patients with prosthetic heart valves and intracranial haemorrhage for less than 7 days was associated with low thromboembolic risk and there was no clinical evidence of prosthetic heart valve dysfunction when anticoagulation was withheld for less than 14 days.
‘Like two pieces of the sky’: Seeing North Korea through accounts of the famine (Respond to this article at http://www.therai.org.uk/at/debate)
Authors: Fahy Sandra
Published: October 2011

North Korea is renowned for its inaccessibility, with anthropologists and others compelled to work beyond its borders. Presented in this article are select findings from ethnographic research carried out in 2006 among refugee survivors of the North Korean famine living in South Korea. The ethnographic material shows how refugees’ accounts of their plight are shaped by the political conditions of North Korea.
Crisis attack: Impromptu ethnography in the Greek maelstom (Respond to this article at http://www.therai.org.uk/at/debate)
Authors: Herzfeld Michael
Published: October 2011

Assailed by mounting debt and increasing economic distress, Greece today is also the target of media representations that emphasize violence and disorder. Michael Herzfeld – who was mugged and tear‐gassed in Athens this past July – argues that these representations are misleading and indeed are part of the problem they seek to explain. The structural violence of an insistent barrage of negative media coverage as well as that of international financial pressures undermines a previously stable and relatively crime‐free country, encouraging new forms – including police and popular racism, physical violence at demonstrations, and acts of petty crime – of what had once been a largely codified and ritualized idiom of aggression. While many Greeks do feel that debts should be paid, increasing economic desperation fuels a different view, and one that can best be interpreted in light of the social values that anthropologists have long studied in Greece: that the country's creditors are violating their own obligations toward Greece and thus deserve to face both default on the massive debt and the public hostility of the Greek people.
Visualizing Strain Anisotropy in Mantle Flow Fields
Authors: Obermaier H. , Billen M. I. , Hagen H. , Hering‐Bertram M. , Hamann B.
Published: October 2011

The evolution of strain and development of material anisotropy in models of the Earth’s mantle flow convey important information about how to interpret the geometric relationship between observation of seismic anisotropy and the actual mantle flow field. By combining feature extraction techniques such as path line integration and tensor accumulation, we compute time‐varying strain vector fields that build the foundation for a number of feature extraction and visualization techniques. The proposed field segmentation, clustering, histograms and multi‐volume visualization techniques facilitate an intuitive understanding of three‐dimensional strain in such flow fields, overcoming limitations of previous methods such as 2‐D line plots and slicing. We present applications of our approach to an artificial time varying flow data set and a real world example of stationary flow in a subduction zone and discuss the challenges of processing these geophysical data sets as well as the insights gained.
Explaining Cross-Country Differences in Survey Contact Rates: Application of Decomposition Methods
Authors: Blom Annelies G.
Published: October 2011

Survey contact rates differ across countries. However, to date the reasons for these cross-country differences have not been identified. Differences can be due to differences in survey characteristics, differences in population characteristics and differences in processes, i.e. in the association between the first and second reasons and contact propensity. The paper investigates correlates of contact by decomposing cross-country differences in predicted mean contact propensities into these three components. The findings explain which fieldwork strategies and population characteristics are related to cross-country differences in contact rates. The analyses distinguish factors explaining within-country contact propensity from factors explaining cross-country differences. We demonstrate the suitability of decomposition methods for analysing group differences in survey outcomes.
CONNECTING THE NEW POLITICAL HISTORY WITH RECENT THEORIES OF TEMPORAL ACCELERATION: SPEED, POLITICS, AND THE CULTURAL IMAGINATION OF FIN DE SIÈCLE BRITAIN
Authors: VIEIRA RYAN ANTHONY
Published: October 2011

The political impact of “social acceleration” has recently attracted much attention in sociology and political theory. The concept, however, has remained entirely unexplored in the discipline of history. Although numerous British historians have noted the prominent position of acceleration in the late‐Victorian and Edwardian imagination, these observations have never expanded beyond the realm of rhetorical flourish. The present paper attempts to build a two‐way interdisciplinary bridge between British political history and the theories of social acceleration that have been posited in the social sciences, arguing that both British political historians and acceleration theorists have much to gain from further dialogue.
SCHOLARSHIP AND PERIODIZATION
Authors: Fasolt Constantin
Published: October 2011

Davis argues that the familiar periodization dividing European history into medieval and modern phases disguises a claim to power as a historical fact. It justifies slavery and subjugation by projecting them onto the “feudal” Middle Ages and non‐European present, while hiding forms of slavery and subjugation practiced by “secular” modernity. Periodization thus furnishes one of the most durable conceptual foundations for the usurpation of liberty and the abuse of power.

In part I, devoted to “feudalism,” Davis traces the legal, political, and colonial struggles behind the development of the concept of “feudal law” in early modern France and England and unravels just how that concept hides colonial oppression while justifying European sovereignty. In part II, devoted to “secularization,” she demonstrates the failure of twentieth‐century critics of “secularization” like Carl Schmitt, Walter Benjamin, Karl Löwith, Hans Blumenberg, and Reinhart Koselleck to break out of the limits imposed by the medieval/modern periodization. Part II concludes with a look at conceptual alternatives in the writings of Amitav Ghosh and the Venerable Bede.

Three limitations of this book are worth mentioning. It traces the political history hidden by the concept of “feudalism,” but does not trace the political history hidden by the concept of “religion.” It offers no answer to the question of how to break the link between scholarship and politics without ending up in a logical impasse or reinforcing the link. It does not address the possibility that answering this question may require breaking with the terms of professional historical inquiry. Perhaps the question could be answered in terms like those that led Wittgenstein to characterize his Philosophical Investigations as remarks on the natural history of human beings.
PHILOSOPHY AS PERPETUAL MOTION: PRAGMATISM MOVES ON
Authors: Jay Martin
Published: October 2011

Two new books about the Pragmatist tradition, Richard Bernstein's The Pragmatic Turn and Colin Koopman's Pragmatism as Transition, represent respectively a summing up of the past half‐century of the tradition's history and a possible program for its future development. Bernstein ecumenically considers the achievements of a wide range of thinkers from Peirce, Dewey, and James to Brandom, Putnam, and Rorty, drawing valuable lessons from each, while not sparing criticism of their flaws. Koopman also tries to bridge the gap between what he calls “classicopragmatism” and “neopragmatism,” although he finds more to admire in Rorty than in his predecessors. Whereas Bernstein attempts to supplement the pragmatist tradition by turning to Habermas, Koopman finds his inspiration in Foucault. Both authors emphasize the historicist, evolutionary, and transitionalist implications of pragmatism, paying as a result insufficient attention to the historical possibilities of repetition, rupture, discontinuity, and the unexpected event. In terms of the political implications they draw, Koopman advocates a meliorist incrementalism that lacks any real bite, while Bernstein expresses dissatisfaction with the democratic pieties of Rorty's final work, but doesn't really provide a sustained alternative.
Governance and social security: Moving forward on the ISSA good governance guidelines
Authors: Musalem Alberto R. , Ortiz Maribel D.
Published: October 2011

Governments in many countries are redefining policies and strategies in order to respond to the profound and growing social security needs of their citizens. Good governance in social security administration is indispensable to achieve the desired results because new policies and strategies can only be as good as their implementation. The article focuses on good governance at two levels of authority: i) the social security organization, and ii) national Government. At the level of a social security organization, we discuss a stylized governance framework that provides an overview of what is involved in the implementation of a social security programme. The discussion is elevated to the national level in order to focus on the governance of a social security system. From a governance point of view, this article underscores the primary role of governments to facilitate national consensus on the overall objectives of the country's social security system. It argues for the designation of a national authority on social security to ensure the coherent implementation and development of the various programmes that comprise the country's social security system. Greater synchronization of social security policy with employment and labour market policies is important to ensure positive synergies and joint effectiveness in providing access to work opportunities in the formal sectors of the economy, which is key to tackling poverty and social exclusion and to enabling the poor greater access to more comprehensive forms of social security protection. Good governance will better ensure the sustained and lasting contribution of social security to national economic growth and development.
Social dialogue and social security governance: A topical ILO perspective
Authors: Ghellab Youcef , Varela Nancy , Woodall John
Published: October 2011

Amongst all the topics addressed in the world of work, none, perhaps, reflect the principles of tripartism and social dialogue better than social security. It is natural, therefore, to ask how effectively these key instruments of sound governance have been and are being used in addressing significant challenges presently facing social security systems in many countries. The process of social security reform, notably in pension provision, has been high on the agenda of many countries in recent decades, reflecting the impact of factors such as globalization and demographic ageing. More recently, fresh strains have arisen as a result of the global financial and economic crisis. The International Labour Office (ILO) has sought to analyse and understand these questions, and the ILO Departments of Social Dialogue and Social Security have jointly undertaken studies both before and in the aftermath of the crisis. The evidence shows mixed outcomes. In a range of countries with strong traditions of effective social dialogue, their value has been reiterated. Disappointingly, however, in other countries, often under the pressures of severe economic strains and urgent demands of the international financial institutions (IFIs) and other agencies, governments have acted unilaterally, sometimes with rather little heed of constitutional responsibilities. The authors conclude that there is both the need and scope for a renewed focus to secure an appropriate degree of political will and commitment to the process of tripartite social dialogue in addressing what are often complex and sensitive policy issues in the field of social security.
Wnt/β‐catenin signaling is critical for dedifferentiation of aged epidermal cells in vivo and in vitro
Authors: Zhang Cuiping , Chen Peng , Fei Yang , Liu Bo , Ma Kui , Fu Xiaobing , Zhao Zhili , Sun Tongzhu , Sheng Zhiyong
Published: October 2011

Aged epidermal cells have the capacity to dedifferentiate into stem cell‐like cells. However, the signals that regulate the dedifferentiation of aged epidermal cells remain unclear. Here, we provide evidence that Wnt/β‐catenin is critical for aged epidermal cell dedifferentiation in vivo and in vitro. Some aged epidermal cells in human ultrathin epidermal sheets lacking basal stem cells transplanted onto wounds dedifferentiated into stem cell‐like cells that were positive for CK19 and β1 integrin but negative for CK10. In addition, Wnt/β‐catenin pathway was activated during this process. There was increased expression of Wnt‐1, Wnt‐4, Wnt‐7a, β‐catenin, cyclin D1, and c‐myc. Secreted frizzled‐related protein 1, a Wnt/β‐catenin pathway inhibitor, blocked dedifferentiation in vivo. Then, the activator, a highly specific glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)‐3β inhibitor, of Wnt/β‐catenin pathway was added to the culture medium of aged epidermal cells. Surprisingly, we found that the activator induced higher expression of CK19, β1 integrin, Oct4, and Nanog proteins. The induced aged epidermal cells exhibited high colony‐forming efficiency, long‐term proliferative potential and could regenerate a skin equivalent (as do epidermal stem cells). These results suggested that activation of Wnt/β‐catenin pathway induced the dedifferentiation of aged epidermal cells, which suggest a new approach to generate epidermal stem cell‐like cells.
Assemblage and social movements: Tibet Support Groups and the spatialities of political organisation
Authors: Davies Andrew D
Published: October 2011

This paper engages in debates about the spatiality of social movements which have argued that examining politics purely through territorial or relational understandings of space does not adequately grasp the ways in which social movements undertake their activities. The paper argues that a possible route through this debate lies in the concept of assemblage, which has recently been deployed in geography in order to understand the emergence and practice of social organisation and activity. The paper develops these ideas through an empirical discussion of the practices that help to maintain a particular social movement organisation – a Tibet Support Group (TSG). Through ethnographic engagement with a particular TSG, the paper argues that through the quotidian activities like delivering the mail we can understand how sociospatial practices within an organisation display both territorial and relational elements at the same time. This develops an account that advances knowledge of the spatiality of political action, and with it the ability of assemblage to understand organisational practices, but also develops theoretical insights into TSGs as a particular type of organisation.
The ‘Nation’ in Indian Cinema
Authors: Gooptu Sharmistha
Published: October 2011

Indian cinema studies, since the late 1990s, have witnessed a fast rising curve, and we now have a field which is almost saturated with the idea of ‘Bollywood’. ‘Bollywood cinema’ which is commonly understood as being a ‘national popular’ has come to occupy the central position in the scholarship on Indian cinema. While the term ‘Bollywood’ itself is contested, and has been the subject of debate among scholars, it has, more often than not, been used to signify the larger body of the Hindi cinema made in Bombay or Mumbai. This cinema has been identified as having certain attributes, which makes it the key arbiter (and for some the sole arbiter) of the ‘national’ filmic imaginary. More recently, however, there has evolved the paradigm of ‘pluralising’ the idea of a national cinema in India, and is evidenced in a deliberated turn to other Indian cinemas, like Tamil and Bengali. Scholars studying these other cinemas are attempting to demonstrate the complexities of the relation between the nationally dominant (but not ‘the national’) Hindi film and the other cinemas, indicating the interconnected and intersected nature of Indian cinemas, and problematizing the powerful trope of the nation in Indian cinema studies.
Mitochondrial function and pathology in status epilepticus
Authors: Bindoff Laurence A.
Published: October 2011

The mitochondrial respiratory chain is the final common pathway for energy production. Defects affecting this pathway can give rise to disease that presents at any age and affects any tissue. However, irrespective of genetic defect, epilepsy is common and there is a significant risk of status epilepticus. We have studied two types of mitochondrial disease: one arising from a defect in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) (MELAS) and one due to a nuclear gene mutation (POLG). These two disorders show similarities in their clinicopathologic evolution and in findings in postmortem samples. Our findings based on antemortem magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and postmortem studies suggest that the status epilepticus that is seen in both appears to be the result of cortical damage resulting from a common mechanism, namely energy failure.
Potentially pathogenic autoantibodies associated with epilepsy and encephalitis in children and adults
Authors: Vincent Angela , Irani Sarosh R. , Lang Bethan
Published: October 2011

Autoantibodies to surface proteins that influence neuronal excitability are increasingly found in different forms of epilepsy or encephalitis in adults, and are also beginning to be identified in children. The conditions are often refractory to traditional antiepileptic drugs. Detection of these antibodies can help to identify forms of epilepsy that may respond to immunotherapies.
What is the evidence to use new intravenous AEDs in status epilepticus?
Authors: Trinka Eugen
Published: October 2011

Current standard treatment of established status epilepticus after failure of benzodiazepines is intravenous phenytoin/fosphenytoin, phenobarbital, or valproate. Since 2006 two new antiseizure drugs have become available as intravenous formulation: levetiracetam (2006) and lacosamide (2008). Both drugs have been taken up very rapidly by the clinicians to treat acute seizures and status epilepticus, despite lack of evidence from randomized controlled trials. The favorable pharmacokinetic profile and the good tolerability, especially the lack of sedating effects of both drugs make them promising potential alternatives to the standard antiseizure drugs. Future randomized controlled trials are needed to inform clinicians better about the best choice of treatment in established status epilepticus. The experimental evidence as well as the current clinical experience with levetiracetam and lacosamide are summarized in this review.
Anesthestic agents and status epilepticus
Authors: Smith Martin
Published: October 2011

There is little evidence to guide the choice of intravenous anesthetic agent to treat refractory status epilepticus but midazolam, propofol, and barbiturates are widely used. It is impractical to use inhalational anesthetic agents in most circumstances and there is little experience with non‐GABA‐ergic agents such as ketamine. A more aggressive treatment approach, aiming for EEG suppression, is most likely to result in sustained cessation of seizure activity but this is associated with increased treatment‐related complications. Side effects of treatment, including hypotension, gastric paresis, and pneumonia, are common and contribute independently to poor outcome and death.
A prehospital randomized trial in convulsive status epilepticus
Authors: Navarro Vincent , Dagron Christelle , Demeret Sophie , An Kim , Lamhaut Lionel , Bolgert Francis , Baulac Michel , Carli Pierre
Published: October 2011

Therapeutic strategies for patients with generalized convulsive status epilepticus (GCSE) need to be improved. We present the design of an add‐on, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, phase III clinical trial, to compare the efficacy for GCSE of intravenous levetiracetam in association with clonazepam versus clonazepam alone. In the therapeutic arm, 1 mg clonazepam is injected together with 2500 mg levetiracetam over 5 min. In the control arm, 1 mg clonazepam is injected together with a placebo over 5 min. This ongoing study is managed by prehospital physicians within emergency mobile units (SAMU). Adult patients with GCSE lasting more than 5 minutes are included in the study. The primary outcome measure is the percentage of patients with cessation of convulsions within 15 minutes of the onset of initial injections. Emergency medical consent is obtained from family members. An informed consent for continued participation is also obtained from patients when they wake. The study is currently recruiting participants.
Established Status Epilepticus Treatment Trial (ESETT)
Authors: Cock Hannah R. ,   on behalf of the ESETT Group
Published: October 2011

Phenytoin (PHT) has been the standard treatment for convulsive status epilepticus (SE) where initial benzodiazepines have failed for many years, despite that it has many limitations in the emergency situation. Valproate (VPA) and levetiracetam (LEV) are emerging as potentially superior alternatives, and there is an urgent need for an adequately powered comparative randomized controlled trial (RCT). An international group, having not succeeded in obtaining funding from the United Kingdom in 2010, is now preparing a revised proposal for submission to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) to undertake a blinded comparative RCT using an adaptive design. This will be necessarily international and multicenter, requiring up to 1,500 patients from over 50 centers, and if successful will commence recruiting in 2012. The primary outcome, agreed from the 2009 SE workshop as pragmatic, generalizable, and clinically meaningful, will be cessation of seizures without need for other drug or sedation, and without serious adverse events, maintained for at least 2 h.
The potential of brain stimulation in status epilepticus
Authors: Walker Matthew C.
Published: October 2011

There is a long history of the use of brain stimulation in the treatment of epilepsy but relatively little experience for its use in status epilepticus. Electroconvulsive therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, subcortical and cortical stimulation have all been tried with varying degrees of success in single cases or small case series. It remains unclear, however, which brain areas should be stimulated and the parameters that should be used. Moreover, the aim (stopping status epilepticus) is different from preventing seizures and so the brain areas and parameters that are useful in epilepsy may not directly translate to the treatment of status epilepticus.
What is the value of hypothermia in acute neurologic diseases and status epilepticus?
Authors: Rossetti Andrea O.
Published: October 2011

Patients with status epilepticus that proves refractory to anesthetic agents represent a daunting challenge for treating clinicians. Animal data support the neuroprotective action of brain hypothermia, and its efficacy in status epilepticus models. This approach, targeting a core temperature of about 33°C for at least 24 hours together with pharmacological sedation, has been described in adults and children. However, although relatively safe if concomitant barbiturates are avoided, it seems that mild hypothermia rarely allows a sustained control of ongoing status epilepticus, since seizures tend to recur in normothermia. Conversely, mild hypothermia has a high‐evidence level and is increasingly used in postanoxic encephalopathy, both in newborns and adults. Due to the paucity of available clinical data, prospective studies are needed to assess the value of hypothermia in status epilepticus.
Anatomic variations and lesions of the maxillary sinus detected in cone beam computed tomography for dental implants
Authors: Pelinsari Lana Juliana , Moura Rodrigues Carneiro Pollyanna , de Carvalho Machado Vinícius , Eduardo Alencar de Souza Paulo , Ricardo Manzi Flávio , Campolina Rebello Horta Martinho
Published: October 2011

Objective

To evaluate the presence of anatomic variations and lesions of the maxillary sinus in cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) of the maxilla required for dental implant planning.

Material and methods

This transversal prevalence study evaluated a sample of 500 consecutive CBCT exams. The inclusion criteria were CBCT exams of the maxilla required for dental implant planning. The CBCT exams were independently evaluated by two oral and maxillofacial radiologists who assessed the presence of anatomic variations and lesions of the maxillary sinus. As most of the CBCT exams did not allow the evaluation of the area close to the maxillary sinus roof, anatomic variations that take place at this site were not assessed.

Results

The anatomic variations detected were pneumatization (83.2%), antral septa (44.4%), hypoplasia (4.8%), and exostosis (2.6%). The identified lesions were mucosal thickening (≤3 mm in 54.8% and >3 mm in 62.6%), polypoid lesions (21.4%), discontinuity of the sinus floor (17.4%), air‐fluid level (4.4%), bone thickening of the maxillary sinus wall (3.8%), antroliths (3.2%), discontinuity of the sinus lateral wall (2.6%), sinus opacification (1.8%), and foreign body (1.6%).

Conclusion

Anatomic variations and lesions of the maxillary sinus were common findings in CBCT exams of the maxilla required for dental implant planning. As some of these conditions can modify dental implant planning and must require specialized treatment, its recognition is noteworthy in dental practice, and especially in implantology. The amount and significance of the anatomic variations and lesions detected in this study reinforces the importance of computed tomography in preoperative dental implant planning.