bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preclinical Studies of Vorinostat (Suberoylanilide Hydroxamic Acid) Combined with Cytosine Arabinoside and Etoposide for Treatment of Acute Leukemias
Authors: Shiozawa Ken , Nakanishi Takeo , Tan Ming , Fang Hong-Bin , Wang Wen-chyi , Edelman Martin J. , Carlton David , Gojo Ivana , Sausville Edward A. , Ross Douglas D.
Published: February 2009

Purpose: Vorinostat [suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA)] is a potent histone deacetylase inhibitor with promising clinical efficacy as an anticancer agent. In this preclinical study, we evaluated combining cytosine arabinoside [1-β-d-arabinofuranosylcytosine (ara-C)] and/or etoposide with vorinostat for use in the treatment of acute leukemias.

Experimental Design: Cell survival was examined in vitro in HL-60 human myeloid leukemia cells and K562 myeloid blast crisis chronic myelogenous leukemia cells, using the 2,3-bis[2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl]-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide inner salt and/or fluorescein diacetate/propidium iodide assays. Drug interactions were analyzed by the combination index method (CalcuSyn) and by a novel statistical method that we developed (SynStat). Cell cycle phase distribution was measured by flow cytometry.

Results: Cytotoxic antagonism resulted when vorinostat was combined concomitantly with ara-C; however, when vorinostat was given first followed by a drug-free interval before ara-C treatment, this sequential combination was mostly synergistic. Etoposide combined with vorinostat was additive to synergistic, and the synergism became more pronounced when etoposide was given after vorinostat. Cell cycle analyses revealed that the sequence-dependent interaction of vorinostat and ara-C or etoposide reflected the arrest of cells in G1 or G2 phase during vorinostat treatment and recovery into S phase after removal of vorinostat.

Conclusions: These findings using two independent methods to assess drug combination effects provide a preclinical rationale for phase I trials of the sequential combination of vorinostat followed by ara-C and etoposide in patients with advanced or refractory leukemias. CalcuSyn findings were concordant with those of SynStat, validating the use of the latter in analyzing drug interactions.
Oncolytic Adenoviral Mutants with E1B19K Gene Deletions Enhance Gemcitabine-induced Apoptosis in Pancreatic Carcinoma Cells and Anti-Tumor Efficacy In vivo
Authors: Leitner Stephan , Sweeney Katrina , Öberg Daniel , Davies Derek , Miranda Enrique , Lemoine Nick R. , Halldén Gunnel
Published: February 2009

Purpose: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is a rapidly progressive malignancy that is highly resistant to current chemotherapeutic modalities and almost uniformly fatal. We show that a novel targeting strategy combining oncolytic adenoviral mutants with the standard cytotoxic treatment, gemcitabine, can markedly improve the anticancer potency.

Experimental Design: Adenoviral mutants with the E1B19K gene deleted with and without E3B gene expression (AdΔE1B19K and dl337 mutants, respectively) were assessed for synergistic interactions in combination with gemcitabine. Cell viability, mechanism of cell death, and antitumor efficacy in vivo were determined in the pancreatic carcinoma cells PT45 and Suit2, normal human bronchial epithelial cells, and in PT45 xenografts.

Results: The ΔE1B19K-deleted mutants synergized with gemcitabine to selectively kill cultured pancreatic cancer cells and xenografts in vivo with no effect in normal cells. The corresponding wild-type virus (Ad5) stimulated drug-induced cell killing to a lesser degree. Gemcitabine blocked replication of all viruses despite the enhanced cell killing activity due to gemcitabine-induced delay in G1/S-cell cycle progression, with repression of cyclin E and cdc25A, which was not abrogated by viral E1A-expression. Synergistic cell death occurred through enhancement of gemcitabine-induced apoptosis in the presence of both AdΔE1B19K and dl337 mutants, shown by increased cell membrane fragmentation, caspase-3 activation, and mitochondrial dysfunction.

Conclusions: Our data suggest that oncolytic mutants lacking the antiapoptotic E1B19K gene can improve efficacy of DNA-damaging drugs such as gemcitabine through convergence on cellular apoptosis pathways. These findings imply that less toxic doses than currently practiced in the clinic could efficiently target pancreatic adenocarcinomas when combined with adenoviral mutants.
mTOR Inhibitor RAD001 (Everolimus) Has Antiangiogenic/Vascular Properties Distinct from a VEGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor
Authors: Lane Heidi A. , Wood Jeanette M. , McSheehy Paul M.J. , Allegrini Peter R. , Boulay Anne , Brueggen Joseph , Littlewood-Evans Amanda , Maira Sauveur-Michel , Martiny-Baron Georg , Schnell Christian R. , Sini Patrizia , O'Reilly Terence
Published: February 2009

Purpose: Comparison of the antiangiogenic/vascular properties of the oral mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor RAD001 (everolimus) and the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) inhibitor vatalanib (PTK/ZK).

Experimental Design: Antiproliferative activity against various tumor histotypes and downstream effects on the mTOR pathway were measured in vitro. In vivo, antitumor activity, plasma, and tumor RAD001 levels were measured. Activity in several different angiogenic/vascular assays in vitro and in vivo was assessed and compared with PTK/ZK.

Results: RAD001 inhibited proliferation in vitro (IC50 values <1 nmol/L to >1 μmol/L), and in sensitive and insensitive tumor cells, pS6 kinase and 4E-BP1 were inhibited. Activity in vitro did not correlate with activity in vivo and significant responses were seen in tumors with IC50 values >10-fold higher than tumor RAD001 concentrations. In vitro, RAD001 inhibited the proliferation of VEGF-stimulated and fibroblast growth factor-stimulated human endothelial cells but not dermal fibroblasts and impaired VEGF release from both sensitive and insensitive tumor cells but did not inhibit migration of human endothelial cells. In vivo, in tumor models derived from either sensitive or insensitive cells, RAD001 reduced Tie-2 levels, the amount of mature and immature vessels, total plasma, and tumor VEGF. RAD001 did not affect blood vessel leakiness in normal vasculature acutely exposed to VEGF nor did it affect tumor vascular permeability (Ktrans) as measured by dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. However, the pan-VEGFR inhibitor PTK/ZK inhibited endothelial cell migration and vascular permeability but had less effect on mature vessels compared with RAD001.

Conclusions: VEGFR and mTOR inhibitors show similar but also distinct effects on tumor vascular biology, which has implications for their clinical activity alone or in combination.
Transcription Deregulation at the15q25Locus in Association with Lung Adenocarcinoma Risk
Authors: Falvella Felicia S. , Galvan Antonella , Frullanti Elisa , Spinola Monica , Calabrò Elisa , Carbone Antonino , Incarbone Matteo , Santambrogio Luigi , Pastorino Ugo , Dragani Tommaso A.
Published: February 2009

Purpose: We characterized the candidacy of the six candidate genes mapping in the chromosome 15q25 locus, which was previously reported as associated with lung cancer risk, and confirmed the locus association with lung cancer risk in an Italian population of lung adenocarcinoma patients and controls.

Experimental Design: We did a quantitative analysis of mRNA levels of IREB2 (iron-responsive element-binding protein 2), LOC123688, PMSA4 [proteasome (prosome, macropain) subunit α type 4], CHRNB4 (cholinergic receptor nicotinic β 4), CHRNA3 (cholinergic receptor nicotinic α 3), and CHRNA5 (cholinergic receptor nicotinic α 5) genes in paired normal lung and lung adenocarcinoma tissue, and an immunohistochemical localization of CHRNA3- and CHRNA5-encoded proteins. We also examined the association of CHRNA5 D398N polymorphism with lung cancer risk and with CHRNA5 mRNA levels in the normal lung.

Results: Expression analysis of the six candidate genes mapping in the lung cancer risk–associated chromosome 15q25 locus revealed a 30-fold up-regulation of the gene encoding the CHRNA5 subunit and a 2-fold down-regulation of the CHRNA3 subunit in lung adenocarcinoma as compared with the normal lung. The expression of the four other candidate genes resulted either unchanged or absent. The carrier status of the 398N allele at the D398N polymorphism of the CHRNA5 gene was associated with lung adenocarcinoma risk (odds ratio, 1.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-2.0) in a population-based series of lung adenocarcinoma patients (n = 467) and healthy controls (n = 739). Analysis of a family-based series of nonsmoker lung cancer cases (n = 80) and healthy sib controls (n = 80) indicated a similar trend. In addition, the same D398N variation correlated with CHRNA5 mRNA levels in normal lung of adenocarcinoma patients.

Conclusions: Our results point to the candidacy of the CHRNA5 gene for the 15q25 locus.
Toxic and Chemopreventive Ligands Preferentially Activate Distinct Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Pathways: Implications for Cancer Prevention
Authors: Okino Steven T. , Pookot Deepa , Basak Shashwati , Dahiya Rajvir
Published: February 2009

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated regulatory protein that controls estrogen action through two distinct pathways. In one pathway, AhR acts as a transcription factor that induces the expression of the CYP1 family of estrogen-metabolizing genes; in the other pathway, AhR initiates the degradation of the estrogen receptor and suppresses estrogen signaling. The AhR ligand 3,3′-diindolylmethane (DIM) is a beneficial dietary constituent that prevents breast tumors in rodents and is associated with decreased breast cancer risk in humans. 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is a toxic AhR ligand that is implicated in birth defects, infertility, and cancer. We analyzed MCF-7 cells to gain insight into how two AhR ligands can exert such fundamentally different health effects. We find that DIM and TCDD have differing abilities to activate the distinct AhR-controlled pathways. TCDD strongly induces AhR-dependent CYP1 gene expression, whereas DIM is a relatively weak CYP1 inducer. DIM strongly inhibits estrogen receptor-α expression and estrogen signaling, whereas TCDD has a notably weaker effect on these processes. Small interfering RNA knockdown of AhR confirms that the effects of DIM and TCDD are indeed AhR dependent. Our findings reveal that DIM and TCDD each elicit a unique pattern of change in pathways that control estrogen action; such patterns may determine if an AhR ligand has beneficial or adverse health effects.
Vitamin E Supplementation Reduces Oxidative Stress in Beta Thalassaemia Intermedia
Authors: Pfeifer W.P. , Degasperi G.R. , Almeida M.T. , Vercesi A.E. , Costa F.F. , Saad S.T.O.
Published: February 2009

Objective: The aim of this investigation was to study the effect of vitamin E treatment in oxidative stress of red and white cells of β-thalassaemia intermedia patients. Methods: Nine patients undergoing occasional transfusions (5 females/4 males), median age 39 years (range 15–74), were recruited for oral daily administration of 400 IU vitamin E for 3 months. Twenty-seven milliliters of peripheral blood was obtained before and after 3 months of treatment, and 3 months after treatment completion. In the case of transfused patients (n = 4), blood was obtained at least 30 days after transfusion. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) was measured by flow cytometry; red blood cell (RBC) reduced glutathione (GSH) was measured by dinitrothiocyanobenzene reduction, serum malondialdehyde was measured in terms of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), and α-haemoglobin-stabilizing protein (AHSP) mRNA expression was measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction of reticulocyte RNA extracts. Results: β-Thalassaemia patients presented basal levels of RBC ROS, GSH and serum TBARS statistically different compared with healthy controls. However, after vitamin E administration, patients presented a significant reduction in erythrocyte RBC ROS and serum TBARS levels. In parallel, red cell GSH was significantly increased after treatment. Peripheral mononuclear cells and T lymphocytes also demonstrated a reduction in ROS production. Therefore, after treatment, no significant differences were detected comparing patients and normal controls. Three months after treatment completion, all measurements showed a tendency of returning to basal values. A significant reduction in reticulocyte number was observed after vitamin E treatment. Vitamin E treatment did not modify levels of haemoglobin or AHSP mRNA expression. Conclusion: Although vitamin E is not capable of reducing anaemia in these patients, it could be useful for reducing oxidative damage in other target organs of β-thalassaemic patients. Finally, this is the first study to analyse the effects of vitamin E on ROS production in red and white blood cells and AHSP mRNA expression.
Troponin T Concentration 3 Days after Acute ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Predicts Infarct Size and Cardiac Function at 3 Months
Authors: Bøhmer Ellen , Hoffmann Pavel , Abdelnoor Michael , Seljeflot Ingebjørg , Halvorsen Sigrun
Published: February 2009

Objectives: The evaluation of infarct size and left ventricular function after acute myocardial infarction is important for predicting the subsequent clinical course. This assessment can be achieved by non-invasive imaging methods, but biochemical assays are frequently used as an alternative. We investigated the ability of a single measurement of cardiac troponin T (cTnT) the third morning after onset of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) to predict infarct size and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Methods: The study population consisted of 103 patients with their first STEMI treated with thrombolysis. Blood samples for determination of cTnT were drawn the third morning after onset of symptoms. Infarct size and LVEF were assessed by magnetic resonance imaging 3 months later. Results: Linear regression analysis showed a strong, significant correlation between third-day cTnT and infarct size at 3 months (r = 0.84, p < 0.0001). A significant but inverse and weaker correlation was obtained between third-day cTnT and LVEF (r = –0.63, p < 0.0001). Adjusting for age, gender, infarct location and medication changed the results marginally. Conclusions: A single cTnT value the third morning after onset of STEMI predicted the final infarct size in this group of patients with their first STEMI, and might be useful for ruling out impaired LVEF.
Atherosclerotic Carotid Vulnerable Plaque and Subsequent Stroke: A High-Resolution MRI Study
Authors: Gao Tianli , Zhang Zhuo , Yu Wei , Zhang Zhaoqi , Wang Yongjun
Published: February 2009

Background: High-resolution contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CEMRI) has been proven to be an effective tool for the identification of carotid atherosclerotic vulnerable plaque, such as a large lipid core and thin fibrous cap. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between carotid plaque characteristics and the types of stroke in patients who had carotid artery (CA) stenosis ≥50%. Methods: 102 consecutive subjects (mean age 67.2 ± 10.2 years; 73 males) who initially had ischemic stroke or asymptomatic CA stenosis from 50 to 100% diagnosed by ultrasound were included in this study. Carotid CEMRI, brain MRI and magnetic resonance angiography were performed to understand the infarct patterns and to exclude intracranial artery stenosis. The modified American Heart Association (AHA) plaque classification was used in our study. Results: Our study demonstrated that 45 patients had CA stroke, and 55 patients had lacunar and asymptomatic lesions. The majority of patients had AHA classification type IV–V and VI which presented as vulnerable plaques. Of 63 patients with mild to moderate stenosis (≤70%), 44 (69.8%) had type IV–V vulnerable plaques, which was significantly higher than those of patients with severe stenosis (>70%; p < 0.001). In CA stroke, the number of patients with a thin or ruptured fibrous cap was twice that of those with a thick and intact fibrous cap. Conclusions: CEMRI may have important applications in clinical risk evaluations in CA atherosclerosis. Physicians ought to recognize that different types of stroke should be identified by brain MRI detection before invasive therapies.
Risk of Symptomatic Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Patients Treated with Intra-Arterial Thrombolysis
Authors: Singer O.C. , Berkefeld J. , Lorenz M.W. , Fiehler J. , Albers G.W. , Lansberg M.G. , Kastrup A. , Rovira A. , Liebeskind D.S. , Gass A. , Rosso C. , Derex L. , Kim J.S. , Neumann-Haefelin T.
Published: February 2009

Background: In intra-arterial (IA) thrombolysis trials, higher rates of symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage (sICH) were found than in trials with intravenous (IV) recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (tPA); this observation could have been due to the inclusion of more severely affected patients in IA thrombolysis trials. In the present study, we investigated the rate of sICH in IA and combined IV + IA thrombolysis versus IV thrombolysis after adjusting for differences in clinical and MRI parameters. Methods: In this multicenter study, we systematically analyzed data from 645 patients with anterior-circulation strokes treated with either IV or IA thrombolysis within 6 h following symptom onset. Thrombolytic regimens included (1) IV tPA treatment (n = 536) and (2) IA treatment with either tPA or urokinase (n = 74) or (3) combined IV + IA treatment with either tPA or urokinase (n = 35). Results: 44 (6.8%) patients developed sICH. sICH patients had significantly higher scores on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) at admission and pretreatment DWI lesions. The sICH risk was 5.2% (n = 28) in IV thrombolysis, which is significantly lower than in IA (12.5%, n = 9) or IV + IA thrombolysis (20%, n = 7). In a binary logistic regression analysis including age, NIHSS score, time to thrombolysis, initial diffusion weighted imaging lesion size, mode of thrombolytic treatment and thrombolytic agent, the mode of thrombolytic treatment remained an independent predictor for sICH. The odds ratio for IA or IV + IA versus IV treatment was 3.466 (1.19–10.01, 95% CI, p < 0.05). Conclusion: In this series, IA and IV + IA thrombolysis is associated with an increased sICH risk as compared to IV thrombolysis, and this risk is independent of differences in baseline parameters such as age, initial NIHSS score or pretreatment lesion size.
Nigral Degeneration with Inclusion Body Formation and Behavioral Changes in Rats after Proteasomal Inhibition
Authors: Niu Chaoshi , Mei Jiaming , Pan Qi , Fu Xianming
Published: February 2009

Objective: We were interested in studying nigral degeneration with inclusion body formation and behavioral changes in rats after proteasomal inhibition. Methods: Observation of progressive behavioral and pathological changes in rats following a unilateral nigral injection of lactacystin, a selective proteasome inhibitor. Results: After administration at a concentration of 10 μg (2 μl) of lactacystin, when tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunostaining decreased gradually in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) and corpus striatum, α-synuclein-immunopositive inclusion appeared extensively in the surviving neurons. We also observed the degeneration of diverse cellular organelles by transmission electron microscopy. The effect of cellular organelle degeneration on behavior, a clinical index, was striking and was statistically significant. Over the 3 weeks following the administration of lactacystin, a highly significant decrease in TH immunostaining was observed and α-synuclein-immunopositive inclusions gradually appeared. Interestingly, there was a strong correlation in behavioral changes and the increase in α-synuclein-immunopositive inclusions whereas the decrease in TH immunostaining did not seem to induce any behavioral changes. Conclusions: Our results reveal that unilateral nigral proteasome inhibition induces degeneration in the SNc and corpus striatum as well as behavioral changes demonstrating strong time dependence. Behavioral changes were driven by the formation of α-synuclein inclusions, but not by decreased TH neurons.
Robotic Neurological Surgery Applications: Accuracy and Consistency or Pure Fantasy?
Authors: Eljamel M.S.
Published: February 2009

Introduction: Minimally invasive surgery was born out of recent advances in neuroimaging and stereotaxy, and the scale of future neurosurgical procedures will soon be so small that it will not be possible for the unassisted surgeons. Hence, neurosurgical robotics is a natural evolution in this field. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of a new robotic system in a wide range of neurosurgical applications. Methods: Patients undergoing image-guided surgical procedures were recruited to participate in this prospective ethically approved study from 2005. The PathFinder (Prosurgics, UK) is a neurosurgical robotic system with 6 degrees of freedom. It uses a fiducial system that is automatically detectable by the planning software and a camera system embedded in the robot’s head. The registration procedure was performed automatically by photographing the fiducials from different angles. The robot then aligns its end-effector and tool holder along the specified path for the surgeon to pass the probe to the target. We recruited 37 consecutive patients to test the application accuracy and consistency of the system using three different fiducial fixation mechanisms: a double adhesive fixed to the skin, an ECG lead dot fixed to the skin, and a registration plate fixed to the skull. Results: Out of 37 consecutive patients, 17 were males and 20 were females, with a mean age of 46.6 years. The procedures were: transsphenoidal in 8, malignant tumour biopsies in 3 and resections in 5, benign tumour excisions in 6 and functional procedures in 15 [6 bilateral deep-brain stimulations (DBSs) of the subthalamic nucleus for Parkinson’s disease, 3 bilateral anterior cingulotomies for depression, 3 bilateral DBSs of the ventral intermediate nucleus of the thalamus for tremor and 3 depth electrodes during epilepsy surgery]. We tested a total of 140 targets with an average of 3–4 targets per patient. The mean application accuracy was less than 1 mm and the application accuracy was consistent in all targets in the same patient. Conclusions: This robotic system was very accurate and consistent in practice as long as the robot had achieved acceptable registration.
Feasibility of an Operational Standardized Checklist for Movement Disorder Surgery
Authors: Connolly Patrick J. , Kilpatrick Michaux , Jaggi Jurg L. , Church Ephraim , Baltuch Gordon H.
Published: February 2009

Despite the clinical success of deep brain stimulation (DBS), it remains to be elucidated where within the work process the surgical result could diverge from the surgical plan. We sought to determine this. We implemented a standardized checklist to detect and remediate procedural errors. A consecutive series of 13 patients was studied. Revisions, explantations and thermal lesions were excluded. We tabulated the number and type of errors that could occur when implementing a surgical plan. Errors were categorized as minor or major. The elapsed time was also assessed. A mean of two errors per case were identified: 1.15 major errors/case and 0.85 minor errors per case. The total number of errors identified per case did not change significantly over the course of the series. Time to complete the checklist decreased monotonically from 4 min 5 s to 1 min 10 s. The checklist applied in this scenario is a useful tool to identify and remediate errors during DBS, adding minimal additional operative time and consistently identifying errors.
Venous Thromboembolism
Authors: Zhu Tienan , Martinez Isabelle , Emmerich Joseph
Published: February 2009

Patients who have a first episode of venous thromboembolism (VTE) have an elevated risk of a recurrent episode, and this necessitates secondary prophylaxis. Anticoagulant therapy is a double-edged sword, however, as it reduces the risk of recurrent VTE but increases the risk of hemorrhage. This balance must be taken into account when assessing the risk-benefit ratio of long-term anticoagulation. Some clinical characteristics of the index VTE event can help to categorize the individual risk of recurrence. Patients with persistent risk factors such as cancer have a significantly higher risk of recurrent thrombosis. In contrast, VTE provoked by transient risk factors is associated with a lower risk of recurrence. Intrinsic features of patients with VTE (gender, age, hereditary thrombophilia) have also been linked to the risk of recurrent VTE. There is increasing evidence that a normal D-dimer level and the absence of residual venous thrombosis after discontinuation of oral anticoagulation are associated with a lower risk of recurrent VTE events. Future studies are needed to refine the predictive value of known risk factors for VTE recurrence and to discover better markers.
Xiphinema iranicum n. sp. (Nematoda: Longidoridae) from north-western Iran
Authors: Pedram Majid , Robbins Robert , Ye Weimin , Niknam Gholamreza , Karegar Akbar
Published: February 2009

Xiphinema iranicum n. sp. is described from soil samples collected about the rhizosphere of Rosa sp. growing in a natural mountainous region close to Maragheh city, north-western Iran. The new species belongs to group 6 of the polytomous key to species identification and is unique by having a medium body length (3.8-4.3 mm), odontostyle length of 141-162 μm, odontophore length of 90-98 μm, mid-body diam. of 69-88 μm, presence of spines in the uterus and a hemispherical to conoid tail with a rounded terminus or minute bulge. It resembles X. ingens, X. aceri, X. aequum, X. smoliki, X. illyricum, X. macedonicum and X. vuittenezi but differs from X. aceri and X. aequum by having different tail shape, longer odontophore, lower ratio a, higher ratio c and lower ratio c′. Compared to X. ingens and X. smoliki, it differs by having lower ratio a, lower ratio b, spines in uterus vs crystalline bodies plus pseudo Z-organ in X. ingens and spines plus pseudo Z-organ in X. smoliki and also by the presence of rare males, and, finally, it can be distinguished from X. vuittenezi by body and odontostyle length, characters of juveniles and molecular differences. The new species has similar polytomous identification codes to X. illyricum and X. macedonicum but can be differentiated from both by longer body, higher ratio c, higher V, longer odontostyle and odontophore and larger body diam. at mid-body and anus level. Ribosomal gene 18S rDNA and ITS1 of X. iranicum n. sp., X. aceri, X. montenegrinum and X. macedonicum, all obtained from north-western Iran in the same survey, were sequenced to investigate the phylogenetic relationships with other sequenced Xiphinema species.
Additional data on Aorolaimus banoae (Rashid, Geraert & Sharma, 1987) from the Brazilian Atlantic forest
Authors: Silva Rosangela , Bessi Rosana , Inomoto Mário , Monteiro Ailton
Published: February 2009

A population of the little-known species Aorolaimus banoae was collected in the municipality of Cananéia, São Paulo state, Brazil, in a remnant of the once far more extensive Brazilian Atlantic Forest. As the original description of this species was based on only three females and nine males, additional morphometric and morphological data, including SEM studies, are presented. It is suggested that A. banoae is a member of the original fauna associated with the coastal Atlantic forest.
Nematodes of the order Rhabditida from Andalucía Oriental, Spain. The genus Ablechroiulus Andrássy, 1966 with description of three new species and a key to species
Authors: Peña-Santiago Reyes , Abolafia Joaquín
Published: February 2009

Three new species of the genus Ablechroiulus are described from natural areas in the SE Iberian Peninsula. Ablechroiulus castaneanus sp. n. is characterised by a body length of 0.69-0.80 mm in females and 0.58-0.76 mm in males, lip region offset by a shallow constriction and with six rounded lips bearing setae, stoma 18-20 μm long, metacorpus cylindrical, vulva prominent with high lips, female tail (45-52 μm, c = 12.5-15.6, c′ = 2.5-2.7) divided into two distinct regions, phasmid at base of anterior region of tail, male tail (39-63 μm, c = 12.1-14.8, c′ = 2.6-2.7) with posterior filiform part and acute terminus, bursa leptoderan with nine pairs of papillae (1 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 3), spicules 21-25 μm long and gubernaculum 10-15 μm long. Ablechroiulus querquetulanus sp. n. is characterised by a body length of 1.2-1.5 mm in females and 1.4 mm in male, stoma 24-31 μm long, procorpus 1.5 times longer than metacorpus, female tail filiform (262-318 μm, c = 4.2-4.7, c′ = 9-11), male tail (180-228 μm, c = 6.2-7.8, c′ = 3.8-5.4) with very long posterior filiform part, bursa leptoderan with nine pairs of papillae (1 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 1 + 2) of which papillae 2-3 and 5-6 are fused at base, spicules 63-72 μm long and fused at terminus and gubernaculum 32-46 μm long. Ablechroiulus verminosus sp. n. is characterised by a body length of 0.76-1.10 mm in females and 0.83-0.97 mm in males, lip region with six rounded lips bearing three setae on each side, stoma 18-26 μm long, female tail filiform (88-167 μm, c = 6.6-8.7, c′ = 5.0-7.1), male tail (63-81 μm, c = 11.0-13.3, c′ = 2.7-3.2) with posterior filiform part, bursa leptoderan with nine pairs of papillae (1 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 3) of which papillae 5-6 are fused at base, spicules 29-42 μm long, and gubernaculum 10-24 μm long. SEM pictures are provided for A. verminosus sp. n. An identification key to species of the genus as well as a tabular compendium are also provided.
Should Constitutional Courts Adjudicate Political Disputes? The Perspectives of Democratization in Soviet Successor States
Authors: Mazmanyan Armen
Published: February 2009

This article explores the consequences and the opportunities of political involvement of constitutional courts in post-Soviet countries. The answers to this inquiry allow a discussion on institutional design alternatives that would help constitutional courts to better support democracy. The author identifies particular practical difficulties with the present institutional settings (referring to them as to a 'paradox of political empowerment') and investigates the options for addressing the limitations created by the described model. In particular, the article reconsiders the widely accepted opinion that constitutional designers should have abandoned the 'political' responsibilities of constitutional courts (such as review of electoral disputes, inter-branch conflicts of jurisdictions, etc.) in these countries for the sake of preserving their institutional survival and legitimacy. The author argues that these 'political' responsibilities are essential for enabling democratic contributions by constitutional courts, and two conceptual justifications are forwarded to support this proposition. In contrast to the suggestions to abandon the 'political' responsibilities, the article proposes to address the problem of constitutional courts' political involvement and the hazard of damaging their legitimacy by enhancing the discretion of constitutional courts through introduction of a sound 'political question doctrine'.
Attitude towards Islam: Adaptation and Initial Validation of the Francis Scale of Attitude towards Christianity in a Sample of Israeli-Arab Muslims1
Authors: Abu-Rayya Hisham Motkal , Abu-Rayya Maram Hussien
Published: February 2009

The present study ascertained the validity and reliability of the Attitude towards Islam measure, modified from Francis's short version (7-items) Scale of Attitude towards Christianity (Francis, 1978). 443 Arab Muslims from high schools and colleges in Israel with an age range of 17-38 years participated in the study. Factor analysis revealed two dimensions of the measure, labelled experiential and judgemental, in each of the samples. The findings also revealed high validity and reliability of the measure in the case of the whole scale and experiential dimension, and less so in the case of the judgemental dimension.
Riming of Graupel: Wind Tunnel Investigations of Collection Kernels and Growth Regimes
Authors: von Blohn Nadine , Diehl Karoline , Mitra Subir K. , Borrmann Stephan
Published: February 2009

Laboratory experiments were carried out in the vertical wind tunnel in Mainz, Germany, to study the collision coalescence growth of single spherical ice particles having initial radii between 290 and 380 μm while they were freely floated in a laminar flow containing a cloud of supercooled droplets with radii between 10 and 20 μm. The experiments were performed in a temperature range between −8 and −12°C, where riming proceeds in the atmosphere, and with cloud liquid water contents lying between 0.9 and 1.6 g m−3 (i.e., values typically found in mixed-phase clouds). The collection kernels were calculated from the mass increase of the rimed ice particles and the average liquid water content during the experiments. Surface temperature measurements of growing graupel indicated that a dry growth regime prevailed during the whole set of growth experiments. The collection kernels of rimed ice particles attained values between 0.9 and 2.3 cm3 s−1 depending on their collector momenta (mass × fall velocity of the riming ice particles), which had values between 0.04 and 0.1 g cm s−1. It was found that the collection kernels of ice particles determined from the present set of experiments were higher than the collection kernels of liquid drops. To correct for this discrepancy, an empirical factor depending on the cloud droplet radii was extracted from the newly measured data as well as from the old data. For the investigated size ranges of ice particles and droplets, these corrected collection kernels of ice particles can be incorporated in cloud models for the corresponding size ranges.
Early Adopters of Computerized Physician Order Entry in Hospitals That Care for Children: A Picture of US Health Care Shortly After the Institute of Medicine Reports on Quality
Authors: Teufel Ronald J. , Kazley Abby Swanson , Basco William T.
Published: February 2009

Objective. To determine national estimates of computerized physician order entry (CPOE) use for 2003 in hospitals that care for children. Design. Retrospective cohort analysis. Results. Six percent of the hospitals used CPOE (119 out of 2145). Children's hospitals are more likely to use CPOE than a children's unit (odds ratio [OR] = 6; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.5-23.9). Private for-profit hospitals are more likely to use CPOE than public hospitals (OR = 26.5; 95% CI = 3.1-224.8). Urban teaching hospitals are more likely to use CPOE than rural hospitals (OR = 3.9; 95% CI = 1.7-8.8). Hospitals in the Northeast, Midwest, and South are more likely to use CPOE than hospitals in the West (OR = 11.2, 95% CI = 4.8-26.5; OR = 4.2, 95% CI = 1.7-10.5; OR = 3.1, 95% CI = 1.5-6.3, respectively). Conclusions. In 2003, 6% of the hospitals that care for children reported using CPOE. Early adoption of CPOE was associated with children's hospitals, private hospitals, urban-teaching hospitals, and hospitals outside of the western region.
Enhancing the Reading Fluency and Comprehension of Children With Reading Disabilities in an Orthographically Transparent Language
Authors: Snellings Patrick , van der Leij Aryan , de Jong Peter F. , Blok Henk
Published: February 2009

Breznitz (2006) demonstrated that Hebrew-speaking adults with reading disabilities benefited from a training in which reading rate was experimentally manipulated. In the present study, the authors examine whether silent reading training enhances the sentence reading rate and comprehension of children with reading disabilities and whether results found in Hebrew equally apply to an orthographically transparent language. Training results of 59 Dutch children with reading disabilities and normally achieving children show that children with reading disabilities are able to increase their sentence reading rate with high comprehension levels when pushed to do so with accelerated reading training. Posttest results show that transfer to routine reading is less strong for both accelerated and unaccelerated reading. Only accelerated training allows children with reading disabilities to read at high speed while maintaining high comprehension levels.
Intensive Mentoring as a Way to Help Beginning Teachers Develop Balanced Instruction
Authors: Nevins Stanulis Randi , Floden Robert E.
Published: February 2009

This study examines the impact of intensive mentoring as an induction program component aimed at improving teacher quality in ways that link teaching to student engagement. The Atmosphere, Instruction/Content, Management, and Student Engagement (AIMS) measure of teaching practice, focused on a research-based conception of high-quality teaching known as effective balanced instruction, was used to measure the impact of the intervention. Using a matched comparison group design with 24 beginning teachers, the study tested the effects on teaching practice of intensive mentoring. Findings indicate that the improvement in the beginning teachers' AIMS scores from fall to spring was greater for the experimental group than for the comparison group of teachers.
Governing Old Age: The `Case Managed' Older Person
Authors: Pickard Susan
Published: February 2009

This article applies a Foucauldian approach to an examination of contemporary policy and practice towards older people, specifically a model of case management designed to manage older people `at risk' of hospital admission. The article proceeds by reviewing old age policy over three historical time periods, emphasizing discontinuities and mutations, in an attempt to problematize the principles underlying case management. It then draws on empirical data from a study of the micro-practices of case management, focusing on the construction of expertise, the subjectification of the `at risk' older person and the interplay between expert and patient. The productive and repressive aspects of this interaction are both discussed and resistances to it by the older people are seen to take the nuanced form of imposing family values upon the professional encounter.
Commitment Without Marriage
Authors: Reczek Corinne , Elliott Sinikka , Umberson Debra
Published: February 2009

The majority of Americans will marry in their lifetimes, and for many, marriage symbolizes the transition into long-term commitment. However, many Americans cannot legally marry. This article analyzes in-depth interviews with gays and lesbians in long-term partnerships to examine union formation and commitment-making histories. Using a life course perspective that emphasizes historical and biographical contexts, the authors examine how couples conceptualize and form committed relationships despite being denied the right to marry. Although previous studies suggest that commitment ceremonies are a way to form same-sex unions, this study finds that because of their unique social, historical, and biographical relationship to marriage and ceremonies, long-term same-sex couples do not follow normative commitment-making trajectories. Instead, relationships can transition more ambiguously to committed formations without marriage, public ceremony, clear-cut act, or decision. Such an understanding of commitment making outside of marriage has implications for theorizing alternative forms of union making.
Effect of aural and visual presentation modes on Argentine and US musicians' evaluations of conducting and choral performance
Authors: Madsen Katia
Published: February 2009

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of presentation modes on evaluations of conducting and choral ensemble performance. Participants ( N = 36) were graduate music students with conducting and teaching experience studying in Argentina ( n = 18) or the USA ( n = 18). The participants viewed and evaluated a stimulus videotape that presented a director conducting two different choral performances in three different presentation modes (aural-only, visual-only, and aural—visual). The conductor alternated between good and bad conducting in each of the two performances. While the good conducting remained consistent, the bad conducting changed in style from performance 1 to performance 2. A four-way ANOVA with repeated measures indicated significant differences as a result of performer (director and choir) and excerpt (performance 1 and performance 2). No significant differences were indicated as a result of presentation mode or culture. Results indicated that experienced teachers may be more critical of a director's performance than a choir's, that different styles of conducting behavior may influence perceptions and that poor conducting may influence evaluative ratings more so than good conducting.
Weighing Harm in Therapeutic Decisions of Smear-Negative Pulmonary Tuberculosis
Authors: Moreira Juan , Bisig Bettina , Muwawenimana Petronille , Basinga Paulin , Bisoffi Zeno , Haegeman Frank , Kishore Panduru , Van den Ende Jef
Published: February 2009

Purpose. To relate the intuitive weight of harm by commission and harm by omission in therapeutic decisions for pulmonary tuberculosis, and to compare it with a weight based on probabilities. Methods. Clinicians were asked for an estimation of probabilities related with the outcome of treated and nontreated pulmonary tuberculosis and for the toll of wrong decisions. Three ratios of the weight of forgoing a treatment in false-negative patients against the weight of treating false-positives were calculated. The first was based on intuitive estimations, whereas the second and third were based on calculated, either through intuitive estimations of probabilities or through literature data. The association between experience and the difference between the intuitive and the calculated ratios was assessed. Results. Eighty-one participants from Ecuador, Laos, Nepal, and Rwanda responded. The ratio of intuitive weights was 2.0 (interquartile range [IQR], 1.0—4.0) and the ratio of calculated weights based on intuitive probabilities was 64 (IQR, 25.0—169.6; P < 0.001). The ratio of calculated weight based on literature probabilities was 30 (IQR, 17.9—59.2). No association (R2 = 0.03) was found between experience and accuracy in estimating the weight of errors. Conclusion. The weight of a false negative is more important than the weight of a false positive for therapeutic decisions in pulmonary tuberculosis. The ratio of the intuitively estimated weights was much lower than the calculation based on intuitively estimated influencing factors. Clinicians were accurate in estimating probabilities but failed to incorporate them into therapeutic decisions.
Examining the Underlying Factor Structure of a Statewide Science Test Under Oral and Standard Administrations
Authors: Kim Do-Hong , Schneider Christina , Siskind Theresa
Published: February 2009

This study investigates the factorial invariance of the statewide science tests at the middle school level across the oral administration accommodation and nonaccommodated groups of students with and without disabilities. Results indicate that the factor loadings and error variances are invariant across groups, although the oral administration and general education groups in Grade 8 support partial invariance in error variances. On the whole, this study supports that the science test scores for the oral administration group have the same meaning for those for the nonaccommodated groups. Aside from providing supporting validity evidence, this study also introduces the analytical method that can be used for studies of the same nature in other states.
An Opportunity Analysis Framework for Apparel Retailing in India: Economic, Social, and Cultural Considerations for International Retail Firms
Authors: Batra Mansi , Niehm Linda
Published: February 2009

Despite seemingly large market potential, little is known about the scope of opportunities and threats for international apparel retailers seeking to enter the growing Indian retail arena.A low level of organized retail penetration, coupled with an ineffective supply chain, characterizes the infrastructure of the Indian retail industry.Analysis of the current state of Indian retail, along with opportunities and threats to growth, would have immense significance for international retailers vying to enter the Indian market.This paper presents a conceptual framework that offers advice for international corporations regarding successful entry and sustainability in India. Using a metatheory approach, a series of testable propositions are presented in relation to opportunities for international retail development in the Indian apparel retail sector. Propositions are guided by theoretical perspectives from Rostow (1960) and Dunning (1988, 1993, 1995). Discussion and implications of the resulting opportunity analysis framework are presented for both academic researchers and retail practitioners.
Speaking from experience: narrative schemas, deixis, and authenticity effects in Verena Stefan's feminist confession Shedding
Authors: Warner Chantelle
Published: February 2009

Confessional writing, such as Swiss feminist Verena Stefan's autobiographical novel Shedding (1977) (German: Häutungen, 1977[1975]), is often praised as being an expression of a particular individual's authentic voice. This readerly concept of authentic voice has been under-examined in contemporary and postmodern narrative theories, which have tended to emphasize the abstractness, the disembodiedness of voice. In this article I draw from Monika Fludernik's concept of narrative schemas and from theories of deixis in literature within cognitive poetics in order to develop a model by which to explain the authenticity effects attributed to Stefan's book and to other works of testimonial and confessional literature. Through an analysis of stylistic features related to different aspects of deixis, I illustrate how deictic shifts may encourage readers to pay more attention to certain narrative parameters over others within the framework of familiar narrative schemas, thereby creating a greater sense of immersivity in the text and consequently the effect of a narrative that is being experienced even as it is being told.
Corpus stylistics in translation studies: two modern Chinese translations of Don Quijote
Authors: Meng Ji
Published: February 2009

This article aims to provide a quantitative account of the stylistic differences between two modern Chinese translations of Don Quijote in terms of the use of language archaism. For this purpose, a number of statistical techniques applicable in corpus linguistics have been used, which exemplifies the foregrounding of quantitative primary data. The article provides an original interdisciplinary study which attempts to integrate research methods adapted from different areas of research, e.g. textual statistics, corpus linguistics, literary stylistics and translation studies, into the development of an emerging field known as corpus stylistics.
Analysis of Critical Incidents and Shifting Perspectives: Transitions in Illness Careers Among Adolescents With ADHD
Authors: Williamson Pamela , Koro-Ljungberg Mirka E. , Bussing Regina
Published: February 2009

Adolescence represents a developmental period during which the severity of mental health problems for children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) might change. It is a time when teens are consolidating their self-identity and possibly questioning the label of an ADHD diagnosis, treatment, and types of interventions. In this study we investigated the shared critical events related to help seeking reported by 8 teenagers with ADHD, their mothers, and their teachers and how the reported events and constructed shared focus on specific problems might explain teenagers' transitions in their illness careers. Data collected through a qualitative application of the experience sampling method illuminated diverse illness career transitions, including continuing treatment, transitioning from being treated to untreated or from being untreated to treated, and remaining untreated. Our findings support a model of shifting perspectives on illness and wellness among adolescents with ADHD, rather than a progression of adaptation to a chronic disorder.