bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sensitisation of Candida albicans to killing by low‐power laser light
Authors: Wilson M. , Mia N.
Published: April 2006

The purpose of this study was to determine whether Candida albicans, and other Candida spp. responsible for HIV‐associated candidosis, could be sensitised to killing by low‐power laser light. Suspensions of C. albicans were treated with a number of potential photosensitisers, exposed to laser light from a Helium/ Neon (HeNe) or Gallium aluminium arsenide (GaAs) laser for 120 s and survivors enumerated. Toluidine blue O (TBO), thionin and crystal violet were able to sensitise the yeast to killing by light from the HeNe laser (energy dose = 876 mJ at a density of 66.36 J/cm2), the kills achieved being 6.8 × 106 cfu/ml, 3.1 × 106 cfu/ml and 1.3 × 106 cfu/ml respectively. TBO was also able to sensitise several other Candida spp. to killing by HeNe laser light. Dihaematoporphyrin ester was not an effective photosensitiser under the conditions employed. Methylene blue, but not aluminium disulphonated phthalocyanine, was able to sensitise C. albicans to killing by light from the GaAs laser (energy dose 1.32 J at a density of 2.04 J/cm2). The viability of the yeast was not affected by exposure to laser light in the absence of the photosensitisers. As killing of dye‐sensitised C. albicans, and other Candida spp., could be achieved by exposure to low‐power laser light for short periods of time, this approach merits further investigation as a potential therapeutic modality for HIV‐associated candidosis.
Ultrastructural localization of microliths in salivary glands of cat
Authors: Harrison J. D. , Triantafyllou A. , Garrett J. R.
Published: April 2006

Although microliths occur in normal human salivary glands and may be an aetiological factor of sialadenitis, little is known of their natural history. In an attempt to remedy this, we investigated a large archival collection of normal and experimental feline parotid, submandibular and sublingual salivary glands. In submandibular and sublingual glands, microliths were detected ultrastructurally in: all types of acinar secretory cells; myoepithelial cells; ductal cells; lumina; intercellular spaces; basement membrane; stroma; macrophages; multinuclear giant cells; and neutrophils. Microliths were not detected ultrastructurally in parotid glands. Microliths appear to form in acinar cells during autophagy and in stagnant secretory material in lumina. Microliths appear to be removed by secretion in the saliva, discharge from cells laterally and basally, and engulfment by macrophages. There appears to be a turnover of microliths, which possibly is upset by secretory inactivity with a resulting accumulation that leads to localized obstruction and sialadenitis.
Alterations of p16/CDKN2, p53 and ras genes in oral squamous cell carcinomas and premalignant lesions
Authors: Matsuda H. , Konishi N. , Hiasa Y. , Hayashi I. , Tsuzuki T. , Tao M. , Kitahori Y. , Yoshioka N. , Kirita T. , Sugimura M.
Published: April 2006

Exons 1–3 of the p16/CDKN2 gene, exons 4–9 of the p53 gene and exons 1 and 2 of H‐, K‐ and N‐ras genes were screened for mutations by a combination of immunohistochemistry and single‐strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) analyses of polymerase chain reaction products from human surgical samples of both frank oral squamous cell carcinomas and premalignant lesions. The samples included 20 squamous cell carcinomas. 10 epithelial dysplasias and 10 epithelial hyperplasias. No identifiable gene mutations were detected in any of the dysplasias or hyperplasias, while 2 (10%) deletions and 2 (10%) mutations of p16/CDKN2, along with 5 (25%) p53 mutations were found in the advanced carcinomas, yielding characteristic p16/CDKN2 and p53 changes. A mutation in the K‐ras gene was found in single carcinoma and dysplastic samples. From the data, it can be argued that p16/CDKN2 and p53 mutations are relatively late occurrences in human oral tumorigenesis and that genetic alterations of the ras genes may not play a significant role in squamous neoplasia.
Mild forms of dentinogenesis imperfecta in association with osteogenesis imperfecta as characterized by light and transmission electron microscopy
Authors: Waltimo Janna , Ojanotko‐Harri Anita , Lukinmaa Pirjo‐Liisa
Published: April 2006

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) results from various gene mutations leading to defects in type I collagen, which is the major component of both bone and dentin. Yet dentinogenesis imperfecta (DI) is found only in half of the patients with OI. Here we document patients from three families with OI and DI lacking the clinical and radio‐graphic features of DI in permanent teeth. However, light and transmission electron microscopic studies of dentin of deciduous and permanent teeth revealed various changes in the morphology of the dentinal tubules and collagen fibers. In one family, diagnosis of DI preceded that of OI. The grade of severity of dentinal manifestations in patients with OI apparently forms a continuum from normal dentin structure to severe DI. and the marked difficulty in diagnosing mild DI may have led to underestimating its frequency. Furthermore, patients with DI should be carefully examined for the possible presence of OI.
Intravascular fibrin thrombi and endothelial cell damage in central giant cell granuloma
Authors: El‐Labban N. G.
Published: April 2006

Two cases of central giant cell granuloma were studied ultrastructurally. The majority of vessels showed intravascular fibrin thrombi and endothelial cell damage, with gaps in their walls. Plasma, red cells and fibrin were seen subendothelially. The basal lamina was absent from endothelial cells where these components were in contact with their plasma membrane; otherwise it showed multiplication. It is suggested that the absence of basal lamina is the result of degeneration and that these vessels are probably venules and capillaries rather than lymphatics. Myofibroblasts were the dominant stromal cells. Giant cells had little phagocytic activity. It seems that the main function for the stromal cells is the repair of the haematoma and the damaged vessels. It is proposed that the term giant cell reparative granuloma is appropriate, but it should not be used indiscriminately for all jaw lesions containing giant cells.
Cyclosporin A upregulates prostaglandin E2production in human gingival fibroblasts challenged with tumor necrosis factor alpha in vitro
Authors: Wondimu Biniyam , Modéer Thomas
Published: April 2006

The effect of Cyclosporin A (CsA) on prostaglandin E2(PGE2) production in human gingival fibroblasts challenged with tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) was studied. TNF‐α (1‐100 ng/ml) dose‐dependently stimulated PGE2; formation in 24 h cultures. CsA (1‐100 ng/ml) did not induce PGE2; formation itself but potentiated TNF‐α induced PGE; formation in gingival fibroblasts in a manner dependent on the concentrations of both CsA and TNF‐α. TNF‐α (10 ng/ml) stimulated the release of [3H]‐arachidonic acid (A.A) from prelabelled fibroblasts that was potentiated by CsA (100 ng/ml). Addition of exogenous unlabelled AA (5‐20 μM/ml) to the cells resulted in enhanced PGE2: formation that was not potentiated by CsA (100 ng/mi). Furthermore. CsA (100 ng/ml) did not further increase the level of cyclooxygenase‐2 mRNA induced by TNF‐α (10 ng/ml). although PGE2formation was enhanced. The results indicate that CsA and TNF‐α act in concert on PGE2formation in gingival fibroblasts. which may be of importance in the pathogenesis of gingival overgrowth induced by the drug.
Raised levels of circulating VCAM‐1 and circulating E‐selectin in patients with recurrent oral ulceration
Authors: Healy C.M. , Enobakhare B. , Haskard D.O. , Thornhill M.H.
Published: April 2006

Endothelial cell (EC) adhesion molecules VCAM‐1 (vascular cell adhesion molecule‐1). E‐selectin and 1CAM‐1 (intercellular adhesion molecule‐1) are essential for the binding of inflammatory cells to ECs. Recently, circulating forms of these molecules have been detected in a number of vasculitic disease processes. Recurrent oral ulceration (ROU I has some features of a vasculitic disease process. The purpose of this study was. therefore, lo compare cVCAM‐1, cE‐selectin and cICAM‐1 levels in 50 patients with ROU and 50 age‐ and sex‐matched controls. Levels of circulating adhesion molecules were quantified using specific “sandwich” ELISA assays. The cVCAM‐J and cE‐selectin levels were significantly raised in ROU patients (P < 0.00005 and P < 0.05, respectively) but there was no significant increase in cICAM‐1 levels. These findings may result from endothelial cell activation or damage at the ulcer site.
Amyloid deposits in labial salivary glands identified by electron microscopy
Authors: Delgado Wilson A. , Arana‐Chavez Victor E.
Published: April 2006

Abnormal proteinaceous deposits identified by light microscopy as amyloid in labial salivary gland biopsies were studied by transmission electron microscopy in order to establish (heir ultrastructural characteristics. Results showed fine fibrils approximately 10 nm in diameter located in close relation to the basal lamina of the secretory end‐pieces and ducts as well as in the interstitial connective tissue stroma of labial salivary glands: these are the typical features of amyloid. Thus, the present study confirms the light microscopy diagnosis of amyloid deposits in labial salivary gland biopsies, supporting the use of lip biopsy as a readily accessible method for the diagnosis of secondary amyloidosis.
Evaluation of argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs) in oral carcinomas in relation to human papillomavirus infection and cytokinetics
Authors: Chatterjee R. , Mukhopadhyay D. , Chakraborty R. N. , Mitra R. Basu
Published: April 2006

The numbers of argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs) were quantified in oral carcinomas (n= 39) with or without human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. The AgNOR counts of the HPV‐positive samples (7.15±2.13) were not significantly (P= 0.09) higher than those of the HPV‐negative ones (6.16±1.89). Furthermore, the lesions infected with multiple HPV types had greater counts than those with HPV type 16/18 infection alone. Significant differences were observed between the mean counts of the poorly (10.50±0.54), moderately (7.31±1.07) and well‐ (5.12±0.85) differentiated carcinomas. The mean AgNOR numbers in the oral carcinomas at TNM stages III/IV were found to be significantly (P < 0.01) higher than the numbers in corresponding stage II lesions. Cytokinetics of the lesions assessed by the bromodeoxyuridine (Brdu) labelling index (LI%) showed a linear correlation (r=0.91: P < 0.0001) with their respective mean AgNOR counts.
p53 gene mutations and HPV infection in primary head and neck squamous cell carcinomas do not correlate with overall survival: a long term follow‐up study
Authors: Riethdorf Sabine , Friedrich Reinhard E. , Ostwald Christians , Batten Malte , Gogacz Pawei , Gundlach Karsten K. H. , Schlechte Horst , Becker Jürgen , Bregenzer Thomas , Riethdorf Lutz , Löning Thomas
Published: April 2006

We analyzed specimens of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) from 110 patients for p53 gene mutations, and 92 of them for human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, in order to evaluate the prognostic significance of these factors by comparison with clinical follow‐up data. Mutations within the exons 5 to 8 of the p53 gene were found in 48 tumors (44%). Sequencing revealed in most cases mis‐sense mutations (16/21). Frequency of p53 gene mutations was not related to the tumor stage or the presence of lymph node metastases. Of the 46 tumors that were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. 26 stained positively (56%). The number of positively stained nuclei increased slightly with decreasing differentiation of the tumors, whereas no correlation was found between tumor stage and immunoreactivity. An infection with the high‐risk HPV types 16 and 18 could be detected in 39/92 tumor specimens (42%.). Follow‐up data were obtained from 99 patients within a range of 2 to 112 months. No dependence of overall survival on the presence of p53 gene mutations or HPV infection could be observed. The absence of statistically significant correlations between p53 gene mutation and progressive disease, however, does not deny its putative relevance in early phases of tumor development.
The mitogenic effect of KGF and the expression of its cell surface receptor on cultured normal and malignant human oral keratinocytes and on contiguous fibroblasts
Authors: Drugan Caroline S. , Stone Andrea , Game Steve M. , Prime Stephen S.
Published: April 2006

This study examined the mitogenic response to keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) of normal and tumour‐derived human oral keratinocytes in which the degree of cellular differentiation was known and in contiguous fibroblast cultures derived from the malignant epithelial cultures. Keratinocytes, but not fibroblasts, were stimulated by KGF. There by demonstrating epithelial target cell specificity of the ligand. KGF‐induced stimulation of the tumour‐derived keratinocytes cultured in the absence of the 3T3 fibroblast support broadly correlated with the degree of cellular differentiation; well‐differentiated keratinocytes were stimulated more by KGF than their less differentiated counterparts. Malignant oral keratinocytes expressed KGF cell surface receptors (KD 451‐709 pM; receptors/cell 2306‐413645), but KGF receptor mRNA did not correlate with either KGF‐induced mitogenesis or the degree of epithelial cell differentiation. When the tumour‐derived keratinocytes were cultured in the presence of 3T3 fibroblasts, the mitogenic response to KGF was comparable to normal epithelial cells. The results suggest that KGF‐mediated growth stimulation may not be significant in providing a selective advantage for the growth of malignant keratinocytes.
Effect of snuff and smoking on tenascin expression in oral mucosa
Authors: Luomanen Marita , Tiitta Outi , Heikinheimo Kristiina , Leimola‐Virtanen Riitta , Heinaro Ilkka , Happonen Risto‐Pekka
Published: April 2006

We have shown, by using two monoclonal antibodies (143DB7 and 100EB2), that the expression of the extracellular matrix protein tenascin (Tn) is increased in the connective tissue of biopsies taken from snuff users' and tobacco smokers' oral mucosa. In normal oral mucosa Tn was, seen to underlie the epithelium as a thin delicate band. The most intense increase in Tn reaction was observed in snuff users “mucosa while the immunoreaction in smokers' mucosa was less conspicuous. Often the most prominent Tn reaction took place in association with round ceil inflammatory infiltration, indicating epithelial irritation. Tn has been shown to take part in epithelial‐mesenchymal interactions during embryogenesis wound healing and tumorigenesis. Here, a superficial epithelial irritant has been shown to cause conspicuous alterations not only in the epithelial cell layers but also in the underlying connective tissue by increasing its Tn content. As a result of our findings we suggest a further link for Tn in a dynamic epithelial‐mesenchymal interplay by virtue of this marked connective tissue reaction in snuff users” and smokers' oral mucosa.
Basaloid‐squamous cell carcinoma of the floor of the mouth: characterization of a cell line
Authors: Abiko Yoshihiro , Okumura Kazuniko , Ohuehi Tomoyuki , Konisht Tohru , Kanazawa Masaaki , Kaku Tohru
Published: April 2006

Since it was first described in 1986. basaloid‐squamous cell carcinoma (BSC) has been considered a distinct variant of squamous cell carcinoma that occurs in a variety of anatomic sites, including the head and neck region. We report the characterization of the first cell line established from a basaloid‐squamous cell carcinoma of the floor of the mouth. The cell line exhibited a highly invasive capacity, indicating that BSC has very aggressive behavior. This cell line may be a useful model for elucidation of the biological characteristics of BSC.
WHAT HAS RACE GOT TO DO WITH IT? UNRAVELING THE ROLE OF RACIOETHNICITY IN JOB SEEKERS' REACTIONS TO SITE VISITS
Authors: McKAY PATRICK F. , AVERY DEREK R.
Published: April 2006

Racioethnic minorities have constituted a substantial portion of new labor market entrants in the past decade (Fullerton & Toossi, 2001). Yet, the recruitment literature has not attended to issues of racioethnicity, and more specifically, how racioethnic groups may differ in the factors used to determine job acceptance intentions after site visits. This article aims to rectify that omission by providing a theoretical model explaining how organizational and surrounding community attributes differentially affect the decision‐making process of minority and majority group job applicants. Several individual difference moderators (i.e., racioethnic identity, social dominance orientation, other‐group orientation, and perceived job opportunities) also are discussed in terms of their potential influence on job acceptance intentions. The article concludes with coverage of relevant research and practical implications of the racioethnic model of site visit reactions.
THE SCIENCE AND PRACTICE OF A STRUCTURED EMPLOYMENT INTERVIEW COACHING PROGRAM
Authors: MAURER TODD J. , SOLAMON JERRY M.
Published: April 2006

We describe a scientist–practitioner collaboration around a structured employment interview coaching program. This description includes information on how the program was developed and applied, the program content, connections with past literature, and a description of context. We also provide rich anecdotal information and surveys on reactions by users as well as input from the community and various other constituencies. We also describe scientific research on this intervention that has examined its various effects. The specific project goals were to (a) provide assistance to promotion candidates in preparing for a structured panel interview and to survey employee reactions to the program, (b) determine whether the intervention had an effect on interview performance and what preparation and response strategies in a structured interview seemed to be associated with performance, and (c) provide these benefits without negatively influencing validity and reliability of interview procedures, and if possible, enhance these psychometric characteristics. The information provided here can assist those who want to apply this type of intervention successfully in other selection settings.
A Teacher of Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhāb: Muhammad Hayāt al-Sindī and the Revival of Ashāb al-Hadīth's Methodology
Authors: Nafi Basheer
Published: April 2006

Muhaammad Hayāt al-Sindī, the most eminent

hadīth

scholar in the Hijazi city of Madina in the first half of the eighteenth century, was one of the teachers of the controversial Najdī reformist Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Wah-hāb. Scholars of early modern Islamic thought disagree about al-Sindī's influence on Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhāb. In this article I present a brief study of the life and works of Hayāt al-Sindī, focusing on his approach to

hadīth

as a primary source of

fiqh

, his call for

ijtihād

, and his opposition to the legacy of the

madhhab

s and to the divisions caused by partisan adherence to the

madhhab

. Although he was influenced by the Hanbalī Ibn Taymiyya, Hayāt al-Sindī's outlook and methodology are closer to those of the classical

ahl al-Hadīth

. Like Hayāt al-Sindī, Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhāb was critical of the established

madhhabī

system, disregarded the instruments of

usūl al-fiqh

, and appears to have been irreverent to the legacy of

fiqh

.
Divorce Reform in the Sharia Court of Appeals in Israel (1992-2003)
Authors: Ramadan Moussa Abou
Published: April 2006

In this article, I study Article 130 of the Ottoman Family Law, which is still applied in Israel, with special attention to developments within the Sharia Court of Appeals between the years 1992 and 2003. I argue that this Court has encouraged reform regarding the issue of

niza wa-shiqāq

(quarrel and disagreement). This reform has four main components. First, it entails a weakening of the patriarchal concept that limits a woman's role within Muslim society, her authority over her body, and her movements. Second, it eases the burden of proof by lowering evidentiary requirements. Third, it improves the procedure of arbitration by better defining the suitability of the arbitrators and supervising the methods of their work. Fourth, it enables the Sharia Court to nominate arbitrators and control their decisions. This reform has improved women's rights to divorce and has made divorce a relatively easy option. The reform also makes it easier for both men and women to obtain divorce, particularly as compared to other religious minorities in Israel.
Charitable Choice: The Religious Component of the US-Welfare-Reform — Theoretical and Methodological Reflections on "Faith-Based-Organizations" as Social Service Agencies
Authors: Nagel Alexander-Kenneth
Published: April 2006

Are religious institutions gaining new strength in the modern welfare state? The concept of "Charitable Choice" is part of a comprehensive welfare reform under the Clinton-Government in 1996. It aims at the formal inclusion of religious organizations ("Faith-Based-Organizations") into the public welfare system. The new relevance of religious organizations as social service providers goes along with a shift of ideas of social inequality and deviant behaviour in terms of having not only structural and economic but also behavioural and moral reasons. The question arises, what is so productive about Faith-Based-Organizations, and, are religious institutions perhaps even more efficient than "secular" agencies? In this essay, I will discuss these questions from a theoretical and methodological point of view, arguing that religious studies have to adjust their analytical framework to the new situation. Religion has by no means lost its collective and material dimension. Therefore, I shall present neo-institutional- and neo-capital-theories as more appropriate approaches than the outdated remains of secularization theory or postmodern etherealism.
Text, Tradition, and Imagination: Evoking the Normative in Everyday Hindu Life
Authors: Prasad Leela
Published: April 2006

For over two thousand years, the notion of śāstra has had an astonishing presence in Hindu normative thought and culture, and śāstra, as codifications of knowledge, have been composed in virtually every aspect of life from love and politics to thieving and horse rearing. The concept of śāstra yokes precept and practice in a way that perhaps no other concept in Hindu life does, and indexes a complexity that is understated by dictionary meanings of the term which include "to instruct," "order," "command," "precept," "rules," "scientific treatise," or "law-book." Drawing on my ethnographic research in the Hindu pilgrimage town of Sringeri, south India, my essay explores how the notion of śāstra, or, more widely, the "normative," is expressed in everyday contexts of Sringeri. The location of Sringeri itself is significant. A small town in the lush southwestern mountains of India, Sringeri is famous for its smārta matha (monastery) and its temples which are believed to have been founded by Śankara in approximately 800 A.D. Historical records of the matha show that in an unbroken lineage of over 1200 years, the gurus who head the matha have counseled royalty and laypersons on matters ranging from military campaigns and land disputes to propriety of marriage alliances and business practice. The matha today is an influential interpreter of the Hindu codes of conduct, the Dharmaśāstras, for a large following of Hindus in south India. To a visitor to Sringeri, the monastic institution with its emphasis on śāstra, would seem to symbolize a normative centrality in the lives of Sringeri residents. However, conversations and oral narratives from Sringeri challenge this assumption, and demonstrate that śāstra is one concept among others such as paddhati (custom), ācāra (proper conduct), sampradāya (tradition), and niyama (principle; restraint) that individuals employ to indicate moral authority and enactment. While these terms are often used interchangeably, they highlight subtle differences in agency, textuality, historicity, jurisdiction, and permissibility in the context of the normative. I argue that underlying ethical practice is a dynamically-constituted "text" that draws on and weaves together various sources of the normative — a sacred book, an exemplar, a tradition, a principle, and so on. Such a text is essentially an imagined text, a fluid "text" which engages precept and practice, and in a sense, is always intermediary. In this imagined text, the normative manifests as emergent, situated in the local and the larger-than-local, the historical, and the interpersonal.
Seven papyrus fragments of a Greek manuscript of Exodus
Authors: Desilva David A. , Adams Marcus P.
Published: April 2006

This article presents critical texts of seven previously unpublished fragments of Exodus in Greek, written in expert uncial script and employing standard nomina sacra and critical marks, dating from between the mid-fourth to the mid-fifth century CE, and containing portions of Exod 10:3-5, 8-9, 12-15, 17-22, 24-28; 11:2-5; 12:9-12, 15-18; 26:21-25, 30-33; 30:11-15, 18-21; 34:12-15, 20-24; 35:9-17, 22-25. These seven fragments show considerable independence of both Alexandrinus and Vaticanus and resist pre-Origenian recensional work bringing the readings in line with the Hebrew. The manuscript represented by the fragments recommends itself to textual critics on the basis of its antiquity, its independence, its non-revisionist character (in regard to the MT tradition), its tendency to preserve shorter readings rather than to expand the text, and its general avoidance of carelessness in reproducing its exemplar.
"The plain and literal sense": on contemporary assumptions about the Song of Songs
Authors: Patmore Hector
Published: April 2006

This paper challenges the dominant contemporary understanding of the Song of Songs. First, M. V. Fox's thesis, The Song of Songs and the Ancient Egyptian Love Songs, is tackled and found to be lacking: significant difference between the Egyptian songs and Canticles are identified, and weaknesses in the apparent similarities are observed. The categories Fox uses to demonstrate the influence of the Egyptian songs on Canticles are then applied Middle English courtly love lyrics, Shakespeare and Robert Burns and are show to be too generic to be meaningful. Secondly, I briefly outline some of the problems raised by a secular-sexual reading of Canticles and contemporary responses to these problems. Finally, I respond to the questions, What is wrong with a secular-sexual understanding of Canticles if that is the plain sense of it? And expose some of the assumptions that underlie a "plain sense" reading of Canticles.
The literary criticism and rhetorical logic of Deuteronomy i-iv
Authors: MacDonald N.
Published: April 2006

It is generally accepted that the first speech of Moses in Deuteronomy (i 1-iv 40) is not of one piece, and that a clear distinction needs to be recognized between the rhetorical parenesis of chapter iv and the narrative recapitulation in chapters i-iii. This analysis has even proved determinative for scholars interested in the final form of the biblical text, despite the recognition that the chapters are portrayed canonically as Moses's first speech. A lack of substantive thematic connections between the two parts of the speech prevents any attempt to trace unity across the whole. This article argues that the consensus on the literary history of these chapters may be more problematic than commonly thought. Further, it is proposed that common to both the narrative and the parenetic sections of Moses's first speech are the complex interrelationship between the themes of divine presence, human obedience, election and the land.
Desire, Foresight, Intentions, and Intentional Actions: Probing Folk Intuitions
Authors: Nadelhoffer Thomas
Published: April 2006

A number of philosophers working under the rubric of "experimental philosophy" have recently begun focusing on analyzing the concepts of ordinary language and investigating the intuitions of laypersons in an empirically informed way. In a series of papers these philosophers – who often work in collaboration with psychologists – have presented the results of empirical studies aimed at proving folk intuitions in areas as diverse as ethics, epistemology, free will, and the philosophy of action. In this paper, I contribute to this research program by discussing the results of some new experiments that further probe folk intuitions about the relationship between desire, foresight, intent, intentional action, and moral considerations.
Stages or Lifespan? an Alternative Approach to Religious Development in Adulthood
Authors: Feeser-Lichterfeld Ulrich , Kläden Tobias
Published: April 2006

The investigation and interpretation of individualised and pluralised religious attitudes and behaviour has been at the top of the research agenda of practical theology for some decades. With regard to the description of religious development especially in childhood and adolescence, but also in adulthood, the stage theories by J.W. Fowler and F. Oser/P. Gmünder have played a prominent role. In current developmental psychology, the lifespan approach has been established as a new paradigm that conceives development as a lifelong and multidirectional process and particularly takes into account developmental processes in the higher and highest adulthood. We will discuss these developmental theories and present the lifespan approach as an additional – and even more comprehensive – theory for the description and understanding of religious biographies, taking up the results of the empirical theological research project "Religious development in adulthood" (cf. Fürst et al. [Eds.], 2003).
Advocacy, patronage and character at the eighteenth-century Scots bar
Authors: Finlay John
Published: April 2006

Beginning with two case studies, this article seeks to investigate the impact of patronage on conceptions of the ethical behaviour of practising advocates in post-Union Scotland. It is argued that efforts by individuals to protect their reputation and defend their character by reference to traditional notions of the virtuous advocate distort reality. The formal care taken by the Faculty of Advocates over admission to what it regarded as a noble profession, and in the promotion of ethical behaviour by ensuring that only competent men of good character took up the office of advocate, belies the fact that beneath the surface, concern with good character was often less important than family and political factors in securing acceptance and success at the bar.
'Zur Abkurtzung unnötiger Processualweitläufigkeiten', Een bijdrage over de geschiedenis van het Hof van Appel te Thorn 1718–1795
Authors: Berkvens A.M.J.A.
Published: April 2006

Until the end of the War of the Spanish Succession, the constitutional status of the former kaiserlich freie Reichsstift Thorn in the present Dutch province of Limburg was disputed. After the Emperor Charles VI had established its constitutional position as a member of the Holy Roman Empire in 1718, a Court of Appeal was established to symbolise Thorn's sovereignty and serve as an intermediary court between the local lower jurisdictions and the Reichskammergericht and the Reichshofrat. The organisation and jurisdiction of the Court of Appeal were laid down in ordinances by the sovereign abbess Francisca Christina of Paltz-Sulzbach (1717–1776). Since the Court's judges did not reside in Thorn – they lived predominantly in the free imperial town of Aachen – complaints about undue delay in civil proceedings and the high cost involved urged the sovereign abbess to directly intervene in the Court's jurisdiction. The ensuing conflicts negatively affected the Court's credibility, as is evidenced by the number of revision petitions and appeals lodged with the Reichskammergericht from ca. 1775 onwards. Reform efforts undertaken by the sovereign abbess Maria Cunegonda of Saxony (1776–1795) arrived too late to restore the credibility and authority of the Court of Appeal.
With Aristotelians Like These, Who Needs Anti-Aristotelians? Chymical Corpuscular Matter Theory in Niccolò Cabeo's Meteorology
Authors: Martin Craig
Published: April 2006

Niccolò Cabeo, a Jesuit based in Northern Italy, wrote a massive commentary on Aristotle's Meteorology that was first printed in 1646. The central concepts of this work emerged from the chymical philosophy of his time. Cabeo advocated a corpuscular matter theory that integrated Paracelsian principles and Aristotelian elements. Furthermore, he rejected the application of metaphysics and mathematics to natural philosophy. Instead he promoted experiential and experimental practices, including chymical ones, to investigate what he called the "real physical" world. Cabeo's epistemology sustained his adaptation of Aristotle, whereby substantial forms have no explanatory role, but matter and form are two different kinds of substances that differ with respect to the size of their constituent corpuscles and their forces. Maintaining the need to use Aristotle as a foundation, Cabeo relied on his unique interpretations of the text of the Meteorology in order to demonstrate that his matter theory was not alien to Aristotelianism.
The influence of early cycling training on balance in stroke patients at the subacute stage. Results of a preliminary trial
Authors: Katz-Leurer Michal , Sender Iris , Keren Ofer , Dvir Zeevi
Published: April 2006

Objective: To investigate the effect of early cycling training on balance and motor abilities of stroke patients in their subacute stage.

Design: Randomized clinical trial.

Setting: Inpatient rehabilitation.

Subjects: Twenty-four patients who had had a first stroke were randomly assigned to a cycling training group ( n = 10) or to a control ( n = 14) group.

Intervention: All subjects received their usual rehabilitation programme; the cycling training group received in addition a daily session of leg cycle ergometer, lasting three weeks. Both groups were followed for six weeks.

Main outcome measurements: Balance was assessed using the Postural Assessment Scale for Stroke Patients (PASS) and the standing balance test. The motor function of the lower extremity was also assessed by the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA).

Results: In the within-group comparison, both the exercise group and the control group had improved significantly (P B=0.01) with time with respect to PASS total (exercise group 18.79=2.8 to 31.19=2.2, control group 18.19=3.2 to 26.49=3.8) and PASS subscores, as well as the FMA score (exercise group 17.29=7.5 to 29.19=5.9, control group 16.69=6.4 to 22.19=6.8). In addition there was a significant group=time interaction effect, with exercise group patients demonstrating better performance in both the total PASS score and PASS subscores and FMA score relative to the control patients (P B=0.01).

Conclusions: These preliminary findings suggest that stroke patients in the subacute stage can improve their motor and balance abilities after an early short duration of cycling training.
Jump training is feasible for nearly ambulatory patients after stroke
Authors: Mehrholz Jan , Rutte Katja , Pohl Marcus
Published: April 2006

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of jump training for nearly ambulatory patients after stroke.

Design: Case series.

Setting: A rehabilitation centre for adult people with neurological disorders.

Subjects: Six subacute, nearly ambulatory patients with hemiparesis due to stroke.

Interventions: A modified form of jump training performed over a period of six weeks.

Measures: Impairments: We used the Motricity Index to measure strength, the Fugl-Meyer subtest passive joint motion/pain for range of motion and pain and the modified Tardieu Scale to measure spasticity at baseline and after six weeks. Activity level: To assess walking ability we used the Functional Ambulation Category, to measure walking quality we used 10-m gait velocity, stride length and Rivermead Visual Gait Index and to assess walking capacity we used the six-minute walk test.

Results: No severe adverse events were observed during the study period. Motricity Index sum score of the affected leg increased from 38±11 points (mean±SD) to 56±15 points; P = 0.028. Modified Tardieu Scale and Fugl-Meyer subtest passive joint motion/pain remained unchanged over time (P=1.0; P=0.157, respectively). All patients were able to walk at the end of training (median Functional Ambulation Category grade five, P=0.023). Gait quality improved as shown in increased gait velocity (from 0.3±0.1 to 1.1±0.5 m/s; P = 0.028), improved stride length (from 0.3±0.1 to 0.6±0.2 m; P = 0.028) and improved Rivermead Visual Gait Index score (from 38.7±5.6 points to 24.8±7.0 points; P = 0.027). All patient increased gait capacity (from 97±33 m to 289±134 m; P = 0.028).

Conclusion: Jump exercises are feasible for selected subacute stroke patients with hemiparesis.
Effects of botulinum toxin type A on upper limb function in children with cerebral palsy: a systematic review
Authors: Reeuwijk Alexander , van Schie Petra EM , Becher Jules G , Kwakkel Gert
Published: April 2006

Objective: To evaluate whether botulinum toxin type A injections improve upper limb function in children with cerebral palsy.

Methods: An extensive search was carried out in PUBMED, CINAHL, PICARTA, EMBASE, PEDRO and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register. Controlled and uncontrolled studies were included and evaluated on the basis of a best evidence synthesis.

Results: Twelve out of 645 identified studies were included: three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) ( n = 64) of high methodological quality, and nine uncontrolled studies ( n = 107) of sufficient methodological quality. In one of the three RCTs a short-term, significant decrease of spasticity was found in favour of the botulinum toxin type A group, which was supported by five of the seven uncontrolled studies that also measured spasticity. In one RCT significant changes in range of motion were reported for wrist and thumb extension. This finding was supported by two out of seven uncontrolled studies. One RCT reported a significant improvement in activities after one month, according to the Quality of Upper Extremity Skills Test and the Pediatric Evaluation Disability Inventory, whereas five out of the nine uncontrolled studies reported an improvement in functional activities.

Conclusion: Insufficient evidence is found for the effects of botulinum toxin type A injections to reduce spasticity or to increase range of motion and upper limb function in children with cerebral palsy. Besides differences in treatment goals, the lack of evidence is mainly due to the use of invalid assessment instruments and insufficient statistical power to demonstrate treatment effects.
Driving experiences of disabled drivers
Authors: Prasad R S , Hunter J , Hanley J
Published: April 2006

Objective: To study the influence of non-standard controls on return to driving after disability, including prevalence of accidents/retraining difficulties.

Design: Postal questionnaires sent within two years of assessment to 972 disabled drivers seen over a three-year period.

Setting: Scottish Driving Assessment Service.

Subjects: All patients considered capable of driving after assessment during the study period.

Results: Five hundred and eighty-nine people (61%) replied who were representative of the total population (mean age 55 years, range 19-87); 73% were male and 70% were disabled for up to two years. Overall 79% respondents had returned to driving (highest reported success with standard manual car (86%) and lowest using left foot to accelerate and brake (66%) (χ2 = 16.6, P = 0.005)). A significantly higher proportion of the 30 patients (6.5%) admitting to accidents and 25 (5.4%) to problems with retraining were using non-standard driving techniques, especially the use of hand controls.

Conclusion: Disabled drivers returning to drive using non-familiar controls had lower success and a higher proportion of accidents and/or problems with retraining than people using conventional controls. If confirmed in larger studies this may have implications for policy-makers as well as specialist practitioners.
Gait analysis and WOMAC are complementary in assessing functional outcome in total hip replacement
Authors: Lindemann U , Becker C , Muche R , Aminian K , Dejnabadi H , Nikolaus Th , Puhl W , Huch K , Dreinhöfer K E
Published: April 2006

Objective: To investigate the correlation between objective and subjective evaluation of patients with total hip replacement.

Design: Prospective preliminary trial comparing the Western Ontario and McMaster University questionnaire (WOMAC) and gait analysis preoperatively and three months postoperatively.

Setting: A German academic orthopaedic centre specializing in total hip replacement surgery.

Subjects: Seventeen patients (median age 70 years) with hip osteoarthritis.

Intervention: All patients had had a primary unilateral total hip replacement.

Main measures: WOMAC questionnaire to assess self-perceived health status and gait analysis to determine objective gait parameters.

Results: Performance of walking as well as subjective judgement of health status improved following surgery (gait speed P = 0.0222; stride length P = 0.038; stance phase ratio P = 0.0466; WOMAC P < 0.0001). However, the correlation between gait parameters and WOMAC was poor ( r = -0.27 or less). Correlation between changes of walking parameters and WOMAC was bad to good ( r = 0.01 to r = -0.72).

Conclusion: The WOMAC questionnaire might not reflect walking performance. The addition of gait analysis is recommended to gain objective information about the quality of gait.
The effect of visual feedback plus mental practice on symmetrical weight-bearing training in people with hemiparesis
Authors: Yoo Eun-young , Chung Bo-in
Published: April 2006

Objective: To investigate the effect of visual feedback with mental practice on symmetrical weight-bearing training in three individuals with hemiparetic stroke.

Design: A single-subject experimental design, alternating with multiple baselines across individuals.

Setting: Laboratory of a department of occupational therapy.

Participants: Three individuals with left hemiparesis from stroke.

Intervention: Visual feedback with mental practice on symmetrical weight-bearing training.

Main outcome measures: The proportion of the participant's weight-bearing by the affected limb while standing was measured using Limloader.

Results: For participants 1, 2 and 3, the respective average weight-bearing proportions of the affected limb were 27%, 31% and 21% at baseline, 47%, 48% and 47% after visual feedback with mental practice, and 42%, 48% and 42% after visual feedback only, immediately following each training session. When the participants had visual feedback with mental practice, they placed a greater proportion of their weight on the affected limb, and this effect was maintained for 1 h.

Conclusion: These findings indicate that the visual feedback approach alone can effect improvement but visual feedback together with mental practice produces further positive effect on improving and maintaining a symmetrical stance posture in people with hemiparetic stroke.
Neonatal antiphospholipid syndrome
Authors: Rolim A M Soares , Castro M , Santiago M B
Published: April 2006

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a clinical entity characterized by arterial and venous thrombosis, adverse obstetric outcome and the presence of antibodies against phospholipids in serum or plasma. The objective of the present study is to describe a rare case of APS that occurred in a neonate born from a patient previously diagnosed as primary APS. A male, preterm born twin infant, whose mother had been diagnosed as primary APS, developed thrombocytopenia, livedo reticularis, pericardial effusion and thrombosis of the left subclavian and external jugular veins concomitantly with severe respiratory tract infection soon after his delivery, that culminated with his death two months after the birth, in spite of the large spectrum antibiotic therapy and all supportive measures. Laboratory findings included high titers of IgM anticardiolipin antibodies and moderate titers of IgG isotype and negative antinuclear antibody, configuring a case of neonatal APS. Neonatal APS is a rare clinical condition, with only a few cases described in the literature. Its occurrence may depend on the passage of antibodies through the placenta or, as it seems to have occurred in the present case, by the production of de novo antibodies by the fetus. The present case illustrates the necessity of a higher surveillance of the neonates born from mothers with primary APS or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) for the eventual development of such complication.
Estimation of glomerular filtration rate in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Leung Y Y , Lo K M , Tam L S , Szeto C C , Li E K , Kun E W
Published: April 2006

The objective of this study was to compare the limit of agreement of creatinine clearance (CrCl) estimated by different equations with the CrCl measured by 24-hour urine collection in Hong Kong Chinese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Forty-three SLE patients with mild to moderate renal impairment (serum creatinine concentration 80 mol/L to 300 mol/L for females; and 106 mol/L to 300 mol/L for males) and not requiring renal replacement therapy were assessed. The estimated clearances were calculated by the Cockcroft-Gault (CG) equation, the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) study equation and the abbreviated MDRD (aMDRD) study equation. The estimated clearances were compared against the measured CrCl by 24- hour urine collection for their limit of agreement. Forty-three patients with mean (SD) age of 41.6 (8.4) years were assessed. As compared to the measured CrCl in patients with SLE, the clearances by CG equation, MDRD and aMDRD equations predicted a mean difference of 0.8% (95% confidence interval, 43.9-42.3%); 8.6% (95% CI, 24.3-7.2%) and 4.7% (95% CI, 21.4-12%), respectively. There is a tendency for the MDRD and aMDRD study equations to underestimate CrCl. The MDRD and aMDRD study equations have better predictive value than the CG equation.
Anti-dsDNA and anti-Sm antibodies do not predict damage in systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Prasad R , Ibañez D , Gladman D , Urowitz M
Published: April 2006

We aimed to determine whether anti-dsDNA and anti-Sm antibodies predict damage in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Five-hundred inception patients from the University of Toronto Lupus Clinic were studied. Predictors assessed for the entire study period were: 1) raised anti-dsDNA on two consecutive occasions; 2) anti-dsDNA levels (normal, mildly or highly elevated); 3) presence of anti-Sm on any occasion. To account for disease duration, the following were assessed at three years post-inception: raised anti-dsDNA on two consecutive occasions; anti-dsDNA levels. These predictors were correlated with the following outcomes: 1) overall SLICC/ACR Damage Index (SDI) at the end of the study period; 2) frequency of damage in the cardiovascular, neuropsychiatric, musculoskeletal and renal components of SDI; 3) SDI at five years for the predictors assessed at three years post-inception.

In the multivariate analysis, presence of anti-DNA antibodies or of anti-SM were non-significant but sex, age at SLE diagnosis, disease duration, corticosteroid use and cumulative dose were strong predictors of damage. Raised anti-dsDNA on two occasions or anti-dsDNA levels in the three years post-inception patients did not predict damage at five years. The presence and levels of anti-dsDNA and anti-Sm antibodies do not predict damage in SLE.