bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Calcification of the Thoracic Aorta as Detected by Spiral Computed Tomography Among Stable Angina Pectoris Patients
Authors: Eisen Alon , Tenenbaum Alexander , Koren-Morag Nira , Tanne David , Shemesh Joseph , Imazio Massimo , Fisman Enrique Z. , Motro Michael , Schwammenthal Ehud , Adler Yehuda
Published: September 2008

Background—

Calcification of the thoracic aorta is associated with atherosclerotic risk factors, yet its pathogenesis and clinical implications are not yet elucidated. The goal of the present study was to assess whether thoracic aorta calcification is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events and death in patients with stable angina pectoris.

Methods and Results—

A prospective cohort of 361 stable angina pectoris patients (307 men, 54 women; age range, 37 to 83 years) underwent chest spiral computed tomography and were evaluated for aortic calcification. We recorded the incidence of cardiovascular events and death during a 4.5- to 6-year follow-up. Aortic calcification was documented in 253 patients (70% of patients; 213 men, 40 women). Patients with aortic calcification were older (mean age, 65±7 versus 55±9 years;
P
<0.001), and fewer were classified as smokers (13% versus 26%;
P
=0.014) compared with patients without aortic calcification. Significant correlation was found between patients with and those without aortic calcification for the presence of aortic valve calcification (28% versus 11%;
P
<0.001), mitral annulus calcification (29% versus 4%;
P
<0.001), and coronary calcification as expressed by coronary calcium score. (
P
<0.001). During 4.5 to 6 years of follow-up, 19 patients died, all of whom were in the aortic calcification group. Age-adjusted hazard ratios for total events and cardiovascular events by aortic calcification were 2.84 (95% CI, 1.52 to 5.30;
P
=0.001) and 2.70 (95% CI, 1.33 to 5.47;
P
=0.006), respectively. In multivariable analysis, hazard ratios for total events and cardiovascular events were 2.79 (95% CI, 1.46 to 5.20;
P
=0.002) and 4.65 (95% CI, 1.19 to 18.26;
P
=0.028), respectively.

Conclusions—

Calcification of the thoracic aorta is age related and associated with coronary calcification and valvular calcification. Thoracic aortic calcification is associated with an increased risk of death and cardiovascular disease.
Inhibition of Restenosis in Femoropopliteal Arteries
Authors: Werk Michael , Langner Soenke , Reinkensmeier Bianka , Boettcher Hans-Frank , Tepe Gunnar , Dietz Ulrich , Hosten Norbert , Hamm Bernd , Speck Ulrich , Ricke Jens
Published: September 2008

Background—

The success of percutaneous intervention in peripheral arterial disease is limited by restenosis. The aim of the present pilot study was to evaluate a novel method of local drug delivery.

Methods and Results—

This randomized multicenter study with blinded reading enrolled 87 patients in Rutherford class 1 to 4 with occlusion or hemodynamically relevant stenosis, restenosis, or in-stent restenosis of femoropopliteal arteries. Treatment was performed by either conventional uncoated or paclitaxel-coated balloon catheters. The primary end point was late lumen loss at 6 months. Secondary end points included restenosis rate, ankle brachial index, Rutherford class, target lesion revascularization, and tolerance up to >18 months. Before intervention, there were no significant differences in lesion characteristics such as reference diameter (5.3±1.1 versus 5.2±1.0 mm), degree of stenosis (84±11% versus 84±16%), proportion of restenotic lesions (36% versus 33%), and mean lesion length (5.7 cm [0.8 to 22.6 cm] versus 6.1 cm [0.9 to 19.3 cm]) between treatment groups. The 6-month follow-up angiography performed in 31 of 45 and 34 of 42 patients showed less late lumen loss in the coated balloon group (0.5±1.1 versus 1.0±1.1 mm;
P
=0.031). The number of target lesion revascularizations was lower in the paclitaxel-coated balloon group than in control subjects (3 of 45 versus 14 of 42 patients;
P
=0.002). Improvement in Rutherford class was greater in the coated balloon group (
P
=0.045), whereas the improvement in ankle brachial index was not different. The difference in target lesion revascularizations between treatment groups was maintained up to >18 months. No adverse events were assessed as related to balloon coating.

Conclusions—

In this pilot trial, paclitaxel balloon coating caused no obvious adverse events and reduced restenosis in patients undergoing angioplasty of femoropopliteal arteries.
Recurrent Thrombosis and Survival After a First Venous Thrombosis of the Upper Extremity
Authors: Flinterman L.E. , van Hylckama Vlieg A. , Rosendaal F.R. , Doggen C.J.M.
Published: September 2008

Background—

Little is known about the consequences of a first venous thrombosis in the upper extremity. We studied the incidence of, survival, and risk factors for recurrence in a follow-up study.

Methods and Results—

We followed up 224 patients 18 to 70 years of age after a first venous thrombosis of the arm. Information was collected through anticoagulation clinics, the national death registry, discharge letters, and questionnaires. The median follow-up was 3 years, during which time 30 patients experienced a recurrent event, yielding an incidence rate of 43.2 per 1000 person-years. Survival was reduced: 55 of 224 patients died, which was 5.4-fold higher than age- and sex-adjusted population rates (standardized mortality ratio, 5.4; 95% CI, 4.2 to 7.0). The risk of recurrence was 2-fold higher in women than in men (hazard ratio, 1.8; 95% CI, 0.9 to 3.9). A central venous catheter at the time of first thrombosis was associated with a reduced risk of recurrence. A body mass index ≥25 kg/m
2
and a first nonsubclavian thrombosis appeared to increase the risk of a recurrent event. Prothrombotic mutation carriers did not appear to have an increased recurrence risk.

Conclusions—

The risk of recurrence was high, with women, patients with body mass index ≥25 kg/m
2
, and patients with a first nonsubclavian vein thrombosis having a higher risk of recurrence. Patients with a first venous thrombosis of the arm have a poor vital prognosis.
Suppression of the JNK Pathway by Induction of a Metabolic Stress Response Prevents Vascular Injury and Dysfunction
Authors: Schulz Eberhard , Dopheide Jörn , Schuhmacher Swenja , Thomas Shane R. , Chen Kai , Daiber Andreas , Wenzel Philip , Münzel Thomas , Keaney John F.
Published: September 2008

Background—

Oxidative injury and dysfunction of the vascular endothelium are early and causal features of many vascular diseases. Single antioxidant strategies to prevent vascular injury have met with mixed results.

Methods and Results—

Here, we report that induction of a metabolic stress response with adenosine monophosphate kinase (AMPK) prevents oxidative endothelial cell injury. This response is characterized by stabilization of the mitochondrion and increased mitochondrial biogenesis, resulting in attenuation of oxidative c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation. We report that peroxisome proliferator coactivator 1α is a key downstream target of AMPK that is both necessary and sufficient for the metabolic stress response and JNK attenuation. Moreover, induction of the metabolic stress response in vivo attenuates reactive oxygen species–mediated JNK activation and endothelial dysfunction in response to angiotensin II in wild-type mice but not in animals lacking either the endothelial isoform of AMPK or peroxisome proliferator coactivator 1α.

Conclusion—

These data highlight AMPK and peroxisome proliferator coactivator 1α as potential therapeutic targets for the amelioration of endothelial dysfunction and, as a consequence, vascular disease.
Impact of Inherited Thrombophilia on Venous Thromboembolism in Children
Authors: Young Guy , Albisetti Manuela , Bonduel Mariana , Brandao Leonardo , Chan Anthony , Friedrichs Frauke , Goldenberg Neil A. , Grabowski Eric , Heller Christine , Journeycake Janna , Kenet Gili , Krümpel Anne , Kurnik Karin , Lubetsky Aaron , Male Christoph , Manco-Johnson Marilyn , Mathew Prasad , Monagle Paul , van Ommen Heleen , Simioni Paolo , Svirin Pavel , Tormene Daniela , Nowak-Göttl Ulrike
Published: September 2008

Background—

The aim of the present study was to estimate the impact of inherited thrombophilia (IT) on the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) onset and recurrence in children by a meta-analysis of published observational studies.

Methods and Results—

A systematic search of electronic databases (Medline, EMBASE, OVID, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library) for studies published from 1970 to 2007 was conducted using key words in combination as both MeSH terms and text words. Citations were independently screened by 2 authors, and those meeting the inclusion criteria defined a priori were retained. Data on year of publication, study design, country of origin, number of patients/controls, ethnicity, VTE type, and frequency of recurrence were abstracted. Heterogeneity across studies was evaluated, and summary odds ratios and 95% CIs were calculated with both fixed-effects and random-effects models. Thirty-five of 50 studies met inclusion criteria. No significant heterogeneity was discerned across studies. Although >70% of patients had at least 1 clinical risk factor for VTE, a statistically significant association with VTE onset was demonstrated for each IT trait evaluated (and for combined IT traits), with summary odds ratios ranging from 2.63 (95% CI, 1.61 to 4.29) for the factor II variant to 9.44 (95% CI, 3.34 to 26.66) for antithrombin deficiency. Furthermore, a significant association with recurrent VTE was found for all IT traits except the factor V variant and elevated lipoprotein(a).

Conclusions—

The present meta-analysis indicates that detection of IT is clinically meaningful in children with, or at risk for, VTE and underscores the importance of pediatric thrombophilia screening programs.
Differential Citation Rates of Major Cardiovascular Clinical Trials According to Source of Funding
Authors: Conen David , Torres Jose , Ridker Paul M
Published: September 2008

Background—

Prior work indicates that therapeutic trials funded by for-profit organizations are more likely to report positive findings than trials funded by not-for-profit organizations. What impact, if any, funding source has on subsequent dissemination of trial data is uncertain. To address this issue, we used the number of citations per publication per year to assess differences in trial dissemination according to funding source.

Methods and Results—

We assessed 303 consecutive superiority trials of cardiovascular medicine published between January 1, 2000, and July 30, 2005, in the
Journal of the American Medical Association
,
The Lancet
, and the
New England Journal of Medicine
. The primary outcome measure was the number of citations per publication per year up to December 31, 2006. Overall, the median number of citations per publication per year was 46 for trials funded exclusively by for-profit organizations, 37 for trials jointly funded, and 29 for trials funded by not-for-profit organizations (
P
=0.0007). Higher citation rates for trials funded by for-profit organizations were consistently observed in analyses stratified by journal and various trial design features and were most striking when the new intervention was favored over the standard of care; in this subgroup, the median number of citations per publication per year was 52 for trials funded by for-profit organizations compared with 25 for trials funded by not-for-profit organizations (
P
=0.0006). In marked contrast, in analyses limited to trials in which the new intervention was significantly worse than the standard of care, an inverse pattern was observed with fewer citations per publication per year for trials funded by for-profit organizations compared with not-for-profit organizations (33 versus 41;
P
=0.048). Higher citation rates were observed for industry-funded trials than for federally funded trials even when the trials dealt with similar issues and were published back-to-back in the same journal.

Conclusions—

Dissemination of clinical trial results is important for clinical practice but appears to be biased in favor of for-profit entities. Consideration should be given to more extensive promotion of clinical trial results that are funded by not-for-profit organizations.
Adrenergic, Metabolic, and Reflex Abnormalities in Reverse and Extreme Dipper Hypertensives
Authors: Grassi Guido , Seravalle Gino , Quarti-Trevano Fosca , Dell'Oro Raffaella , Bombelli Michele , Cuspidi Cesare , Facchetti Rita , Bolla Gianbattista , Mancia Giuseppe
Published: September 2008

Limited information is available on whether and to what extent the different patterns of the nocturnal blood pressure profile reported in hypertension are characterized by differences in sympathetic drive that may relate to, and account for, the different day-night blood pressure changes. In 34 untreated middle-aged essential hypertensive dippers, 17 extreme dippers, 18 nondippers, and 10 reverse dippers, we assessed muscle sympathetic nerve traffic, heart rate, and beat-to-beat arterial blood pressure at rest and during baroreceptor deactivation and stimulation. Measurements were also performed in 17 age-matched dipper normotensives. All patients displayed reproducible blood pressure patterns at 2 different monitoring sessions. The 4 hypertensive groups did not differ by gender or 24-hour or daytime blood pressure. Muscle sympathetic nerve traffic was significantly higher in nondipper, dipper, and extreme dipper hypertensives than in normotensive controls (58.6±1.8, 55.6±0.9, and 53.3±0.8 versus 43.5±1.4 bursts/100 heartbeats, respectively;
P
<0.01 for all), a further significant increase being detected in reverse dippers (76.8±3.1 bursts/100 heartbeats;
P
<0.05). Compared with normotensives, baroreflex-heart rate control was similarly impaired in all the 4 hypertensive states, whereas baroreflex-sympathetic control was preserved. The day-night blood pressure difference correlated inversely with sympathetic nerve traffic (
r
=−0.76;
P
<0.0001) and homeostasis model assessment index (
r
=−0.32;
P
<0.005). Thus, the reverse dipping state is characterized by a sympathetic activation greater for magnitude than that seen in the other conditions displaying abnormalities in nighttime blood pressure pattern. The present data suggest that in hypertension, sympathetic activation represents a mechanism potentially responsible for the day-night blood pressure difference.
Nonnegative Matrix Factorization with the Itakura-Saito Divergence: With Application to Music Analysis
Authors: Févotte Cédric , Bertin Nancy , Durrieu Jean-Louis
Published: September 2008

This letter presents theoretical, algorithmic, and experimental results about nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) with the Itakura-Saito (IS) divergence. We describe how IS-NMF is underlaid by a well-defined statistical model of superimposed gaussian components and is equivalent to maximum likelihood estimation of variance parameters. This setting can accommodate regularization constraints on the factors through Bayesian priors. In particular, inverse-gamma and gamma Markov chain priors are considered in this work. Estimation can be carried out using a space-alternating generalized expectation-maximization (SAGE) algorithm; this leads to a novel type of NMF algorithm, whose convergence to a stationary point of the IS cost function is guaranteed.

We also discuss the links between the IS divergence and other cost functions used in NMF, in particular, the Euclidean distance and the generalized Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence. As such, we describe how IS-NMF can also be performed using a gradient multiplicative algorithm (a standard algorithm structure in NMF) whose convergence is observed in practice, though not proven.

Finally, we report a furnished experimental comparative study of Euclidean-NMF, KL-NMF, and IS-NMF algorithms applied to the power spectrogram of a short piano sequence recorded in real conditions, with various initializations and model orders. Then we show how IS-NMF can successfully be employed for denoising and upmix (mono to stereo conversion) of an original piece of early jazz music. These experiments indicate that IS-NMF correctly captures the semantics of audio and is better suited to the representation of music signals than NMF with the usual Euclidean and KL costs.
The Problem of Rapid Variable Creation
Authors: Hadley Robert F.
Published: September 2008

Both Marcus ( 2001 ) and Jackendoff ( 2002 ) have emphasized the importance of finding credible explanations for the occurrence of variables within cognitive representations. Marcus, in particular, has argued that a prevailing form of connectionist modeling, eliminative connectionism, cannot adequately explain crucial forms of human generalization. Eliminative connectionism eschews the use of explicitly represented variables, and the latter, Marcus contends, play an essential role in the forms of generalization that he considers. Recently, van der Velde and de Kamps ( 2006 ) proposed a neural blackboard architecture, which they assert to have satisfied the variable representation needs that Marcus and Jackendoff identified. However, this letter argues that closely related variants of Marcus's generalization examples possess variable requirements that are incompatible with the van der Velde and de Kamps approach. Moreover, it is argued here that these newly proposed variants present a severe challenge not only for eliminative connectionism but for all network training methods that require iterative tuning of synaptic strengths. The letter focuses on generalization cases that necessitate either virtually instantaneous creation of variables or very rapid deployment of preexisting variables within highly novel contexts.
A Gradient Learning Rule for the Tempotron
Authors: Urbanczik Robert , Senn Walter
Published: September 2008

We introduce a new supervised learning rule for the tempotron task: the binary classification of input spike trains by an integrate-and-fire neuron that encodes its decision by firing or not firing. The rule is based on the gradient of a cost function, is found to have enhanced performance, and does not rely on a specific reset mechanism in the integrate-and-fire neuron.
Identifying Functional Connectivity in Large-Scale Neural Ensemble Recordings: A Multiscale Data Mining Approach
Authors: Eldawlatly Seif , Jin Rong , Oweiss Karim G.
Published: September 2008

Identifying functional connectivity between neuronal elements is an essential first step toward understanding how the brain orchestrates information processing at the single-cell and population levels to carry out biological computations. This letter suggests a new approach to identify functional connectivity between neuronal elements from their simultaneously recorded spike trains. In particular, we identify clusters of neurons that exhibit functional interdependency over variable spatial and temporal patterns of interaction. We represent neurons as objects in a graph and connect them using arbitrarily defined similarity measures calculated across multiple timescales. We then use a probabilistic spectral clustering algorithm to cluster the neurons in the graph by solving a minimum graph cut optimization problem. Using point process theory to model population activity, we demonstrate the robustness of the approach in tracking a broad spectrum of neuronal interaction, from synchrony to rate co-modulation, by systematically varying the length of the firing history interval and the strength of the connecting synapses that govern the discharge pattern of each neuron. We also demonstrate how activity-dependent plasticity can be tracked and quantified in multiple network topologies built to mimic distinct behavioral contexts. We compare the performance to classical approaches to illustrate the substantial gain in performance.
A Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Space Framework for Spike Train Signal Processing
Authors: Paiva António R. C. , Park Il , Príncipe José C.
Published: September 2008

This letter presents a general framework based on reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces (RKHS) to mathematically describe and manipulate spike trains. The main idea is the definition of inner products to allow spike train signal processing from basic principles while incorporating their statistical description as point processes. Moreover, because many inner products can be formulated, a particular definition can be crafted to best fit an application. These ideas are illustrated by the definition of a number of spike train inner products. To further elicit the advantages of the RKHS framework, a family of these inner products, the cross-intensity (CI) kernels, is analyzed in detail. This inner product family encapsulates the statistical description from the conditional intensity functions of spike trains. The problem of their estimation is also addressed. The simplest of the spike train kernels in this family provide an interesting perspective to others' work, as will be demonstrated in terms of spike train distance measures. Finally, as an application example, the RKHS framework is used to derive a clustering algorithm for spike trains from simple principles.
Relationship between juvenile hatching and acridine orange fluorescence of Heterodera glycines eggs
Authors: Charlson Dirk V. , Harkins Kristi R. , Tylka Gregory L.
Published: September 2008

Uptake of acridine orange resulting from increased eggshell permeability is a
reliable predictor of hatching for Globodera rostochiensis eggs. We
conducted laboratory experiments to determine whether fluorescence of
Heterodera glycines eggs stained with acridine orange correlated with
hatching. Heterodera glycines eggs were incubated in sterile distilled
water, zinc sulphate or soybean root diffusate and were stained with
acridine orange 24 h prior to assessing fluorescence. Fluorescence of mature
eggs positively correlated with hatching in zinc sulphate. Correlations in
soybean root diffusate were positive, negative or non-existent, depending on
the concentration of the diffusate. Although there were some significant
correlations between hatching and fluorescence of H. glycines eggs in zinc
sulphate, the relationships were not sufficiently consistent for this
technique to be used reliably to predict H. glycines hatching in soybean
root diffusate.
The Two Choruses Become One: The Absence/Presence of Women in Philo's On the Contemplative Life
Authors: Golberg Shari
Published: September 2008

Philo is not known for his positive portrayals of the feminine. Consequently, many scholars have puzzled over his seemingly glowing account of the Therapeutrides, a group of celibate, female ascetics described in On the Contemplative Life. While it is tantalizing to consider that Philo included the Therapeutrides in his work to prove that mystical union with God was just as viable an option for women as it was for men, by examining the textual allusions to other female figures such as Miriam, Sarah and Diotima, this paper asks whether the piece is meant to depict any real women at all.
Matthew and the History of its Interpretation
Authors: Allison Dale C.
Published: September 2008

Over the past two decades, scholars have become increasingly interested in the history of the interpretation (Wirkungsgeschichte) of Matthew. Four lessons are already obvious. First, the history of interpretation helps us to evaluate contemporary proposals about intertextuality. Second, some credible interpretations that were once popular have unaccountably fallen out of the modern commentaries and need to be recovered. Third, engagement with earlier interpreters helps us to understand better our own context and to appreciate our limitations. Finally, the post-history of texts can be viewed as belonging to the revelatory process itself.
`For those Outside, Everything Comes in Parables': Recent Readings of the Parables from the Inside
Authors: Jack Alison
Published: September 2008

The recovery of the historical intention behind the parables of Jesus remains a contentious issue in recent parable research. Some commentators maintain a belief in the possibility of recovering something of the intention of Jesus, while others study the intention of the evangelists in their adaptation and interpretation of the parables. Also of interest are socio-scientific readings of the texts, which read the parables through the lens of various social theories; and feminist readings, which place less emphasis on the historical situation of the parables, and more on the response of modern readers to their surface structure or underlying message. Theological and homiletic concerns are also well represented in the literature of the past ten years.
Black Theology in Britain
Authors: Reddie Anthony G.
Published: September 2008

This article provides a summary for the definition, development and future direction of Black theology in Britain. The author seeks to outline the character and intent of Black theology in Britain, comparing and contrasting the nature of this enterprise with the established theory and praxis of this discipline within the United States of America. The article concludes with a brief assessment of the future direction of Black theology in this country. Given that Black theology is still in its infancy within the UK, this work offers an important introduction to the nature and intent of this discipline.
Occupation and the Just War
Authors: Kuo Raymond
Published: September 2008

Just war theorists have had difficulty assessing the moral character of occupations, since they often fail to engage with the broader mechanisms and ethical issues of control and power inherent to that state of conflict. These challenges, however, cut to the heart of many of the just war tradition's assumptions, requiring new conceptualizations of its principles and rules for appropriate conduct. This article takes a first step in that direction, recasting the tradition to encompass a wider view of threat and violence in military occupations, using the Israel—Palestine conflict as an illustrative case.
Introducing the Concept of a Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone
Authors: Plesch Dan
Published: September 2008

This Forum arises from a new research programme at the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy (CISD) at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) centred on `Disarmament and Globalisation', of which the Middle East Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone (ME WMDFZ or `the Zone') project is the first fruit. The issue of WMD is one of the most politically sensitive and diplomatically intractable problems in the region. The project is designed as applied international relations. Through public policy development and international dialogue both governments and civil society are engaged in a form of twin-track diplomacy. The central challenge has been to explore the UN Security Council and General Assembly's objective of freeing the region of WMD. While the majority of contributions to the Forum focus on the core proposal, there are also general reflections on the problems of arms control and disarmament agreements in contemporary international relations theory and practice. Many contributions discuss the requisite political conditions, but there is a strong focus on the mechanisms needed for this particular security regime. These include the verification and monitoring system, confidence- and security-building measures and the WMD—conventional weapon dynamic in the region. To date, political circumstances have more or less precluded negotiations even at a basic stage. The weak diplomatic interest in the Zone is echoed in the few studies and conferences on the topic. This project amplifies the concerns of the international community.
Importance of Characterizing Determinants of Variability in Exposure: Application to Dasatinib in Subjects With Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Dai Guowei , Pfister Marc , Blackwood‐Chirchir Anne , Roy Amit
Published: September 2008

Characterizing the key determinants of variability in the exposure of orally administered drugs may be important in understanding the implications of exposure variability on clinical responses. In particular, partitioning overall variability into interoccasion variability (IOV) and interindividual variability (IIV) allows a better assessment of the clinical importance of exposure variability. The IOV characterizes the dose‐to‐dose variability in exposure within a subject and is likely to be less clinically relevant than IIV for chronically administered drugs as the effect of IOV averages out over repeated dosing. The main aims of this model‐based analysis were (1) to characterize the IOV and IIV of dasatinib, a novel, orally administered, multitargeted kinase inhibitor of BCR‐ABL and SRC family kinases that is indicated for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia and Philadelphia‐positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia and (2) to demonstrate using simulated data that it is possible to estimate IIV and IOV in relative bioavailability (FR) of an orally administered drug, given an adequate sampling scheme. Variability in dasatinib exposure was estimated to be mainly due to IOV in FR (44% coefficient of variation [CV]) and, to a lesser extent, due to IIV in FR and IIV in clearance (32% and 25% CV, respectively). The IIV is expected to be more clinically relevant than IOV for chronically administered oral drugs such as dasatinib, as the overall variability in cumulative exposure will be mainly due to IIV. The analysis of simulated data demonstrated that models ignoring either IIV or IOV in FR resulted in upwardly biased estimates of interindividual or residual variability. Thus, it may be important to account for both IIV and IOV in FR, particularly for orally administered agents that exhibit absorption‐related variability in exposure.
Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, Tolerability, and Safety of the Soluble Guanylate Cyclase Activator Cinaciguat (BAY 58‐2667) in Healthy Male Volunteers
Authors: Frey Reiner , Mück Wolfgang , Unger Sigrun , Artmeier‐Brandt Ulrike , Weimann Gerrit , Wensing Georg
Published: September 2008

Preclinical data indicate that the nitric oxide—independent soluble guanylate cyclase activator cinaciguat (BAY 58–2667), which is a new drug in development for patients with heart failure, induces vasodilation preferentially in diseased vessels. This study aimed to assess the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of cinaciguat. Seventy‐six healthy volunteers were included in this randomized, placebo‐controlled study. Cinaciguat (50–250 μg/h) was administered intravenously for up to 4 hours in a maximum of 6 individuals per dose group. No serious adverse events were reported. Four‐hour infusions (50–250 μg/h) decreased diastolic blood pressure and increased heart rate (all P values < .05) versus placebo, without significantly reducing systolic blood pressure (P between 0.07 and 0.56). At higher doses (150–250 μg/h), 4‐hour infusions decreased mean arterial pressure and increased plasma cyclic guanosine monophosphate levels (all P values < .05). Pharmacokinetics showed dose‐proportionality with low interindividual variability. Plasma concentrations declined below 1.0 μg/L within 30 minutes of cessation of infusion. Cinaciguat had potent cardiovascular effects reducing preload and afterload, warranting further investigation in patients with heart failure.
How “Specific” Are Gender-Specific Rehabilitation Needs? An Empirical Analysis
Authors: Heilbrun Kirk , DeMatteo David , Fretz Ralph , Erickson Jacey , Yasuhara Kento , Anumba Natalie
Published: September 2008

There has been relatively little empirical research on the distinctive characteristics and needs of female offenders that could help guide rehabilitative approaches that are gender specific. This study considered a sample of female offenders ( N = 886) and male offenders ( N = 1,435) who had been released from incarceration and provided with assessment services as part of the community reentry process. Comparisons were conducted using the employment, companions, and financial domains of the Level of Service Inventory (LSI-R and LS-CMI). Female offenders received significantly higher ratings in companion and financial deficits, consistent with some prior research suggesting that social and financial risk factors for offending may be more substantial in women. Implications for research and the practice of gender-specific rehabilitation approaches are discussed.
Travels in Thirdspace
Authors: Lagerkvist Amanda
Published: September 2008

What happens to people's relationship to places that have been subjected to a high degree of mediation? The aim of this article is to engage in current debates on mediaspace and the mediatization of travelling, by offering an empirical and conceptual qualification to this discussion, through a study of the experiences of Swedes travelling in the US in the 1950s. This article shows that in understanding the relationship between communication and geography, it is vital to focus on the level of experience and on what Edward Soja, following Henri Lefebvre, calls `thirdspace '. The argument is that while the journeys were scripted, travellers' 'knowledge' of the land was seriously challenged as they ended up in thirdspace suspense, displaced in a country that was both fiction and fact, known and unknown. Studying the intersection of travelling and mediation will render new insights into the meanings that mediation carries, which push beyond common polarizations: mediation has to be conceived in terms of more than either powerful images or playfulness/resistance. As mediation interlaces with the imagined and the lived, ambivalences, dissonances and incommensurable affections towards the places at hand are generated.
Do Variables Associated With Quality Child Care Programs Predict the Inclusion of Children With Disabilities?
Authors: Essa Eva L. , Bennett Patrick R. , Burnham Melissa M. , Martin Sally S. , Bingham Ann , Allred Keith
Published: September 2008

Little research has been carried out on the inclusion of children with special needs in child care. The purpose of this study was to determine what variables predict the inclusion of children with disabilities in centers and home care. Logistic regression was used to examine the association of several indicators of quality child care and inclusion. For directors, teachers, and home care providers, the strongest predictor was having taken a course on working with children with disabilities. Larger centers and groups were more likely to include children with special needs. The somewhat surprising results and implications are discussed.
The Epidemiology of Ankle Injuries in Professional Rugby Union Players
Authors: Sankey R. Andrew , Brooks John H. M. , Kemp Simon P. T. , Haddad Fares S.
Published: September 2008

Background

Ankle injuries represent a considerable proportion of injuries to professional rugby union players; however, there is a scarcity of detailed epidemiology about these injuries.

Purpose

To describe the epidemiology and assess the risk factors associated with ankle injuries sustained by a cohort of professional rugby union players.

Study Design

Descriptive epidemiology study.

Method

Medical personnel prospectively reported time-loss injuries in professional rugby union in England, and the ankle injuries were evaluated.

Results

Lateral ankle ligament injuries were the most common injury reported during matches and training, and together with Achilles tendon injuries, they accounted for more than half of the absence due to injury. The incidence rate of injuries was highest in second-row forwards. More than a quarter of injuries were recurrences.

Conclusion

Lateral ankle ligament injuries and Achilles tendon injuries should be a focus of injury prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation strategies in professional rugby union players.
In-Class—Online Hybrid Methods of Teaching Planning Theory
Authors: Willson Richard W.
Published: September 2008

Planning education can benefit from hybrid teaching methods that use online activities to replace a portion of in-class activity. Research on hybrid courses is lacking, especially for discussion-oriented planning classes. This research evaluates a graduate planning theory course delivered in both hybrid and traditional formats, analyzing student performance, class evaluations and supplemental surveys, and instructor reflection. The findings are as follows: (1) performance of students in the hybrid class was no worse than the traditional class, (2) students were satisfied with online activities but class evaluations were somewhat lower, and (3) the instructor found student learning benefits, but hybrid teaching was more time consuming. The results suggest that planning educators should test and evaluate hybrid teaching for a wide range of planning courses.
A Multistate Survey of Special Education Teachers' Perceptions of Their Transition Competencies
Authors: Benitez Debra T. , Morningstar Mary E. , Frey Bruce B.
Published: September 2008

Adult outcomes for students with disabilities continue to remain below their peers without disabilities, and such poor postsecondary outcomes may be due to special education teachers who are unprepared to plan and deliver effective transition services. This study examined the perceptions of 557 middle and high school special education teachers from 31 states. A transition competencies survey was developed to collect data on teacher demographic variables as well as ratings of their levels of proficiency in (a) preparation to plan and deliver transition services, (b) satisfaction with transition training, and the (c) frequency with which they deliver specific competencies. Implications for including transition content in both special education personnel preparation programs and professional development opportunities for teachers of transition-aged youth are discussed.
The Quest for Institutional Reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Authors: Søberg Marius
Published: September 2008

This article investigates the quest for institutional reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina since the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement. Reform does not take place in a vacuum and the successful reform of the Bosnian polity is dependent on public support. Public demands for reform are likely to be influenced by how the current institutions are believed to be functioning and by the public support for the current institutional set-up as such. Still, the demands for alterations by the political elites of the different national communities highlight a continuing lack of consensus. Although the Constitution allows for a revision, the political room for such changes is limited, and the challenge remains to provide adequate degree of autonomy of national groups without diminishing the quality of democracy. The need to differentiate between the protection of legitimate national and minority rights and unacceptable nationalist demands emerges as a challenge with no easy solution.
'In Spirit and in Truth': Can Charles Taylor Help the Woman At the Well Find Her Authentic Self?
Authors: Jensen Michael P.
Published: September 2008

This article evaluates the usefulness of `authenticity' for a theological analysis of selfhood. In his Ethics of Authenticity , Charles Taylor makes a case for the retrieval of authenticity which seems to invite a theological account of the self, one he stops short of offering. Taylor's argument is expounded, and a preliminary critique is offered. The theological possibility invited by Taylor is then examined by means of a reading of John 4:1—34. With John we conclude that while authenticity may begin and frame such a discussion, knowledge of the truth of the self is given by divine revelation.
'We've Read the End of the Book': An Engagement with Contemporary Christian Zionism Through the Eschatology of John Howard Yoder
Authors: Phillips Elizabeth
Published: September 2008

American Christian Zionism has recently become the subject of much publishing and discussion, most of which focuses on the idea that millenarian convictions are motivating Christian Zionists to attempt to hasten the apocalypse. This approach is neither entirely fair nor particularly beneficial for the purposes of challenging this influential movement, as it trades more in the easy dismissal of caricatures than in substantive theological engagement. This essay explores a narrow facet of such engagement through dialogue between the eschatologies of John Howard Yoder and contemporary American Christian Zionism. An exposition of the connections between the cross, ecclesiology, social action, and apocalyptic in Yoder's eschatology will bring into relief particularly problematic aspects of traditional dispensationalist Christology and ecclesiology which leave continuing legacies in the system of convictions which sustains contemporary Christian Zionist activism.
On the Christological Transfiguration of Culture: Toward a Mendicant Ethic
Authors: Woodard-Lehman Derek Alan
Published: September 2008

Read in isolation, H. Richard Niebuhr's Christ and Culture is seen to render a settled verdict against the sectarian anticultural type and in favour of the transformative type. But this ignores the interrelated dialectics of movement and institution, withdrawal and identification, accommodation and transformation characteristic of his critical project. It further occludes Niebuhr's variegated treatment and deployment of `the monastic' within his larger corpus, and especially in the lesser-known texts such as The Church Against the World . This essay reconsiders Christ and Culture within this broader critical and textual context. It revisits the question posed in `Back to Benedict?': `It is worthwhile raising the question, therefore, whether Protestantism can and ought to continue to reject the monastic ideal out of hand'. It retrieves the full valence of hermetic, cenobitic, and mendicant forms of asceticism conflated by Niebuhr's equivocal designation of `monasticism'. In so doing, it argues for a mendicant cultural ethic which can account for the full dialectical range of Niebuhr's sectarian and transformative types within the sectarian type itself.
Patterns of Decision Making by Wives of Patients With LifeThreatening Cardiac Disease
Authors: Hall Patricia , Sanford Julie T. , Demi Alice S.
Published: September 2008

Implementation of the Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA) in the United States has transferred decision making from the responsibility of health care professionals to the responsibility of family members. Dilemmas occurring as a result of this responsibility may cause stress and conflict among family members. The purpose of this study is to describe the patterns of decision making by family members of patients with life-threatening cardiac disease. Purposive sampling is used to select 10 wives of patients with life-threatening cardiovascular disease. Data are gathered through unstructured interviews and are analyzed using grounded theory and theory triangulation. Analysis of the data reveal three patterns of decision making: advocacy, acquiescence, and abdication.
Family Intervention Sessions
Authors: Clausson Eva , Berg Agneta
Published: September 2008

This study examines the effectiveness of therapeutic conversations with families (through family sessions) in alleviating health complaints among adolescent girls in a school setting. Four girls with recurrent, subjective health complaints and their families were included in the study. Three sessions were held with each family, using genograms, ecomaps, interventive questions, and other family nursing interventions; practicing school nurses were also present. A therapeutic letter was sent to each family at the end of the sessions. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire was used as a pre- and posttest measure. Evaluative interviews were carried out with the families and with school nurses. The families reported feeling relief and described positive affective, behavioral, and cognitive changes as a consequence of the interventions. The school nurses experienced the family sessions as time-saving and easy-to-use tools in their work. Involving the family when schoolchildren's recurrent mental health problems are addressed may reduce future suffering.
The Illness Demands of Diabetes on Couples in Botswana
Authors: Sabone Motshedisi B.
Published: September 2008

This report is part of a larger study that investigated the relationships between illness demands, marital support, and psychological adjustment in the context of diabetes mellitus in rural and urban middle-aged marital couples in Botswana. Ninety-six persons experiencing diabetes and 87 of their spouses participated in the study. This report is based on data from 87 diabetic patients and their spouses. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews. Patients and their spouses were interviewed separately. Three open-ended questions elicited participants' personal experiences of illness demands. The couple participants reported many challenging illness experiences associated with the illness and contextual factors that influenced their perception about the burden of illness and reported that the illness experienced was often a growth-enhancing and maturing process.
Children With Autism
Authors: Hoffman Charles D. , Sweeney Dwight P. , Lopez-Wagner Muriel C. , Hodge Danelle , Nam Cindy Y. , Botts Betsy H.
Published: September 2008

Parenting a child with autism has been associated with maternal stress. The present investigation examined children's sleep difficulties and severity of autism along with mothers' sleep problems in relation to stress levels reported by mothers ( N = 72). Mothers' reports of their children's sleep problems were related to mothers' reports of their own sleep difficulties and to the severity of children's autistic symptoms. Severity of autism was predictive of mothers' stress. After controlling for child age and gender, mothers' sleep, and severity of autism, children's sleep was a significant predictor ( p < .001) of maternal stress. Findings suggest including children's sleep problems along with their symptomatic behavior when examining factors that contribute to stress in mothers of children with autism.
Parental Talk About Internal States to Their Child With Autism
Authors: Kay-Raining Bird Elizabeth , Cleave Patricia L. , Curia Joanne , Dunleavy Michelle
Published: September 2008

In this case study, all parental talk directed to a young child with autism at home over a 3-day period was analyzed for internal state (IS) language, which explicitly focuses upon the thoughts, feelings, and perceptions of animate beings. The mother and father used IS terms in 33% and 24% of their utterances, respectively, with sensory and desire categories occurring most frequently. Rarely did either parent elaborate on the causes or consequences of the IS terms they used. Comparison of these data to the literature on typically developing children with the same language age suggests similarities in the pattern of IS language input. However, the overall frequency appeared to be lower. Implications of these findings are discussed.
HCAI Technology Innovation Programme — Helping to get evidence into practice
Authors: Cryer Paul , Cooper Tracey
Published: September 2008

Since July 2007 the Department of Health (DH) in England and the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (NHS PASA) have been working jointly and have developed the HCAI Technology Innovation Programme, which has been formally acknowledged in the DH HCAI strategy for 2008 — Clean Safe Care (DH, 2008). Funding has been made available to support the programme as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review for 2008-09.

This paper provides an overview of the programme including the predicted benefits and outcomes. The actual outcomes from the programme will be published as academic papers in a range of journals, including the journal of the Infection Prevention Society.