bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
HOW DID FREGE FALL INTO THE CONTRADICTION?
Authors: Sullivan Peter M.
Published: February 2007

Quine made it conventional to portray the contradiction that destroyed Frege's logicism as some kind of act of God, a thunderbolt that descended from a clear blue sky. This portrayal suited the moral Quine was antecedently inclined to draw, that intuition is bankrupt, and that reliance on it must therefore be replaced by a pragmatic methodology. But the portrayal is grossly misleading, and Quine's moral simply false. In the person of others – Cantor, Dedekind, and Zermelo – intuition was working pretty well. It was in Frege that it suffered a local and temporary blindness. The question to ask, then, is not how Frege was overtaken by the contradiction, but how it is that he didn't see it coming. The paper offers one kind of answer to that question. Starting from the very close similarity between Frege's proof of infinity and the reasoning that leads to the contradiction, it asks: given his understanding of the first, why did Frege did not notice the second? The reason is traced, first, to a faulty generalization Frege made from the case of directions and parallel lines; and, through that, to Frege's having retained, and attempted incoherently to combine with his own, aspects of a pre‐Fregean understanding of the generality of logical principles.
SELF‐DECEPTION AND THE EXPERIENCE OF FICTION
Authors: Yanal Robert J.
Published: February 2007

Sartre's commentary on bad faith is the starting‐point for an exploration of self‐deception: what it is not, what it is, and whether it's always wrong. The proffered analysis of self‐deception parallels a certain theory of our experience of fiction. In essence, it is argued that the self‐deceiver creates a kind of fiction in which he is a character, a fiction that he nonetheless believes to be real.
Temporal Aggregation and Bandwidth selection in estimating long memory
Authors: Souza Leonardo Rocha
Published: February 2007

This article aims at showing that a temporal aggregation and a specific bandwidth reduction lead to the same asymptotic properties in estimating long memory by Geweke and Porter‐Hudak's [Journal of Time Series Analysis (1983) vol. 4, pp. 221–237] and Robinson's [Annals of Statistics (1995b) vol. 23, pp. 1630–1661] estimators. In other words, irrespective of the level of temporal aggregation, the asymptotic properties of the estimator are uniquely determined by the number of periodogram ordinates used in the estimation, provided some mild additional assumptions are imposed. Monte Carlo simulations show that this result is a good approximation in finite samples. A real example with the daily US Dollar/French Franc exchange rate series is also provided.
Constructing Optimal tests on a Lagged dependent variable
Authors: Marsh Patrick
Published: February 2007

Abstract. Via the leading unit‐root case, the problem of testing on a lagged dependent variable is characterized by a nuisance parameter which is present only under the alternative [seeAndrews and Ploberger,Econometrica(1994) Vol. 62, pp. 1318–1414]. This has proven to be a barrier to the construction of optimal tests. Moreover, in their absence it is impossible to objectively assess the absolute power properties of existing tests. Indeed, feasible tests based upon the optimality criteria used here are found to have numerically superior power properties to both the originalDickey and Fuller [Econometrica(1981) Vol. 49, pp. 1057–1072] statistics and the efficient detrended versions suggested byElliottet al.[Econometrica(1996) Vol. 64, pp. 813–836] and analysed inBurridge and Taylor [Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics(2000) Vol. 62, pp. 633–645].
Hydrodynamics and membrane seal capacity
Authors: UNDERSCHULTZ J.
Published: February 2007

The impact of hydrodynamic groundwater movement on the capacity of seals is currently in debate. There is an extensive record of publication on seals analysis and a similar history on petroleum hydrodynamics yet little work addresses the links between the two. Understanding and quantifying the effects of hydrodynamic flow has important implications for calibrating commonly used seal capacity estimation techniques. These are often based on measurements such as shale gouge, clay smear or mercury porosimitry where membrane sealing is thought to occur. For standard membrane seal analysis, seal capacity is estimated by quantifying capillary pressure‐related measurements and calibrating them with a large observational database of hydrocarbon column heights and measured buoyancy pressures. The seal capacity estimation process has historically been adjusted to account for a number of different generic trapping geometries. We define the characteristics of these geometries from a hydrodynamics viewpoint in order to fine‐tune the seal capacity calibration process. From theoretical analyses of several simplified trapping geometries, it can be concluded that generally, the high pressure side of the seal should be used as the water pressure gradient with which to calculate buoyancy pressure. Secondly, trap geometries where hydrocarbon is reservoired on both sides of a fault are not useful for estimating across fault seal capacity.
Technical Note: Accuracy and repeatability of a new portable ultrasound pachymeter
Authors: Queirós A. , González‐Méijome J. M. , Fernandes P. , Jorge J. , Almeida J. B. , Parafita M. A.
Published: February 2007

Purpose:  To assess the accuracy and repeatability of central corneal thickness (CCT) measurements taken with a new portable ultrasound (US) pachymeter.

Methods:  Central thickness measurements were taken with a portable pachymeter (SP‐100 Handy; Tomey, Nagoya, Japan) and a conventional US pachymeter (Nidek UP‐1000; Nidek Technologies, Gamagori, Japan) from 57 right corneas of 57 young adults (19 males, 38 females) aged 18–44 years (mean ± S.D., 22.95 ± 3.92). Three repeated measures were obtained and then compared to obtain the repeatability of each instrument and the agreement between the pachymeters. The three readings taken with the portable pachymeter were compared against each other in order to evaluate intra‐session repeatability and bias of each individual measurement with respect to the mean of three.

Results:  Mean values of CCT were 537 ± 35 μm for conventional and 534 ± 35 μm for the new portable pachymeter. A high agreement was found between the two instruments (mean difference = 2.58 μm; 95% CI 1.41–3.75 μm) with only two eyes presenting differences larger than ±8.6 μm which represents 95% CI in the Bland‐Altman plots which represents 1.6% of the mean CCT. The first reading taken showed the highest agreement with the mean value for the portable pachymeter.

Conclusions:  The instrument tested in this study is able to take reliable measurements of corneal thickness even if a single reading is considered. Intra‐session repeatability was very high, as was also the agreement between the average of three readings taken with the two US pachymeters.
A standardized tool to measure and describe scleral colour in osteogenesis imperfecta
Authors: Zack Philip , Zack Linda R. , Surtees Robert , Neville Brian G. R.
Published: February 2007

Background:  Blue colouration of the sclera is a distinctive feature of unknown aetiology in osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). It has value as a diagnostic marker, for distinguishing prognostically distinct subtypes of the condition, and has been reported to undergo rapid unexplained changes concurrently to fractures. Description of the feature is currently hampered by lack of a clinical tool.

Methods:  A range of blue reference colour chips from an internationally recognized standard (the Munsell system) was used under standardized viewing conditions, by two independent observers with normal colour perception, to classify the scleral colour of affected individuals.

Results:  A total of 43 individuals affected by OI of a wide variety of severity with ages from 5 to 63 years were observed. All individuals in the sample had blue sclerae, and all colours seen could be matched to a Munsell standard within the hue range of 7.5B (blue) to 5PB (purple‐blue). There was little variation in observed chroma (saturation), and observations of hue showed poor inter‐observer reliability (r = 0.17 ± 0.34: 95% CI). However, levels of value (lightness) showed wide variability and good inter‐observer reliability (r = 0.63 ± 0.14: 95% CI).

Conclusions:  A practical tool for the description of the colour of the sclera in individuals with OI can be constructed using the colours from the Munsell system varying in value (lightness) with hue: 2.5 PB and chroma: 2.
Second homes, community and a hierarchy of dwelling
Authors: Gallent Nick
Published: February 2007

The word ‘dwelling’, to dwell, supposes engagement, in the sense that those who dwell are seen to engage with others and, in doing so, contribute to social capital and cohesion expressed in the forming of ‘community’. Second home buying may be viewed as a course of action severing the process–product link between dwelling and community, as a brake on the community building process. In this paper, I contrast the view of dwelling as process – and its coupling with the ‘traditional’ place–community – with alternative notions of dwelling, and argue that the prevailing view is largely concerned with public and collective dwelling (and ‘productive interaction’), and underplays the importance of private dwelling, and hence the self‐identity and orientation – key aspects of dwelling – that flow from the use of private property, including the use of second homes.
Who inhabits the European public sphere? Winners and losers, supporters and opponents in Europeanised political debates
Authors: KOOPMANS RUUD
Published: February 2007

Abstract.  European integration shifts the distribution of political opportunities to influence public debates, improving the relative influence of some collective actors, and weakening that of others. This article investigates which actors profit from and which actors stand to lose from the Europeanisation of political communication in mass‐mediated public spheres. Furthermore, it asks to what extent these effects of Europeanisation can help one to understand collective actors' evaluation of European institutions and the integration process. Data is analysed on some 20,000 political claims by a variety of collective actors, drawn from 28 newspapers in seven European countries in the period 1990–2002, across seven different issue fields with varying degrees of EU policy‐making power. The results show that government and executive actors are by far the most important beneficiaries of the Europeanisation of public debates compared to legislative and party actors, and even more so compared to civil society actors, who are extremely weakly represented in Europeanised public debates. The stronger is the type of Europeanisation that is considered, the stronger are these biases. For most actors, a close correspondence is found between how Europeanisation affects their influence in the public debate, on the one hand, and their public support for, or opposition to, European institutions and the integration process, on the other.
Political representation and ethnic conflict in new democracies
Authors: ALONSO SONIA , RUIZ‐RUFINO RUBÉN
Published: February 2007

Abstract.  This article is an exploratory analysis of the efficacy of parliamentary representation as a means to moderate ethnic conflict in new democracies. The authors agree with many others that the interests of a minority ethnic group are better protected when the group has access to decision makers, can block harmful government policies and veto potentially damaging decisions. Parliamentary representation, however, does not always allow for an effective representation of those who are not in government. Seats in the legislature may be of little use in a parliament where the executive dominates the policy process at all stages. This article focuses on the new democracies of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union between 1990 and 2000. The authors use the number of parliamentary seats obtained by minority ethnic parties as their main independent variable and the MAR ethnic protest and rebellion scores as their dependent variables. In addition, they employ the system of government (i.e., parliamentary versus presidential) as a proxy indicator of the degree of influence that parliamentary parties have over decision making. A cross‐section‐time‐series regression analysis shows that the ameliorative effect of parliamentary representation over ethnic conflict is stronger in those legislatures where the ethnic group has effective influence over decision making. It is also shown that representation within national parliaments has no ameliorative effects over violent secessionist conflicts. When the ethnic minority's demands are too radical, parliamentary representation is simply an inadequate instrument.
What Historians Talk About When They Talk About Suicide: The View from Early Modern British North America
Authors: Snyder Terri L.
Published: February 2007

This article surveys the historiography of suicide in the early modern West, with particular reference to England, Europe, and the British North American and Caribbean colonies. It examines the religious, legal and secular punishments for suicide in the early modern era, addresses the variations in these punishments among different regions and populations, including among the enslaved in early America, and traces the changes in punishments for self‐murder over the course of the eighteenth century. Suicide was viewed less and less as an act that required punishment from the church, state and the community. The emerging modern sensibility toward self‐murder, in contrast, emphasised the elimination of legal and religious penalties and the extension of sympathy and mercy toward suicides and their families.
Railroads, Regionalism, and Postwar Economic Decline in the West: The Case of Montana's Upper Musselshell Valley
Authors: Lewis Miles D.
Published: February 2007

This article examines the effects of railroading within Wheatland County, Montana. Wheatland County grew, evolved, and became dependent upon the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific (i.e. the Milwaukee Road) economically, socially, and culturally compared to two neighboring counties. When the Milwaukee terminated its western operations in 1980 it devastated Wheatland County while the adjacent regions, which the Milwaukee also passed through, remained unaffected by the company's bankruptcy. Additionally, this article compares the use of broad based traditional historical interpretations of Montana, which do not explain the locale, and the grassroots history of the region as relayed by its own residents. The grassroots interpretation is more worldly, involved, and explanatory of the region than conventional grand narrative writings about the state of Montana. Taking the grassroots approach exposes regional anomalies pertinent to explaining regional identity and culture.
Science and Technology in India: The Digression of Asia and Europe
Authors: Bose Aniruddha
Published: February 2007

This article argues that science and technology were thriving in eighteenth‐century India. The establishment of colonial rule however, ended the indigenous traditions of elite support disrupting the positive environment in which innovations had been occurring. These observations challenge assumptions held by many historians that relative to India, Europe grew rich in the nineteenth century because science and technology flourished in Europe alone. The evidence suggests that new approaches need to be taken in order to understand how science and technology informed the making of inequalities that are reflected in today's world.
Effects of Climate and Land‐Use Change on Species Abundance in a Central European Bird Community
Authors: LEMOINE NICOLE , BAUER HANS‐GÜNTHER , PEINTINGER MARKUS , BÖHNING‐GAESE KATRIN
Published: February 2007

Abstract: Although it is known that changes in land use and climate have an impact on ecological communities, it is unclear which of these factors is currently most important. We sought to determine the influence of land‐use and climate alteration on changes in the abundance of Central European birds. We examined the impact of these factors by contrasting abundance changes of birds of different breeding habitat, latitudinal distribution, and migratory behavior. We examined data from the semiquantitative Breeding Bird Atlas of Lake Constance, which borders Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Changes in the regional abundance of the 159 coexisting bird species from 1980–1981 to 2000–2002 were influenced by all three factors. Farmland birds, species with northerly ranges, and long‐distance migrants declined, and wetland birds and species with southerly ranges increased in abundance. A separate analysis of the two decades between 1980–1981 and 1990–1992 and between 1990–1992 and 2000–2002 showed that the impact of climate change increased significantly over time. Latitudinal distribution was not significant in the first decade and became the most significant predictor of abundance changes in the second decade. Although the spatial scale and temporal resolution of our study is limited, this is the first study that suggests that climate change has overtaken land‐use modification in determining population trends of Central European birds.
On the Compatibility of a Conservation Ethic with Biological Science
Authors: SAGOFF MARK
Published: February 2007

Abstract:  If value entails or implies purpose, it follows that natural objects (e.g., endangered species) lack value and thus cannot be worth protecting except for a purpose they may serve—either the end for which God created the world (according to natural theology) or some use to which human beings may put them (according to a consequentialist or utilitarian ethic). If value requires purpose, the refutation of natural theology after Darwin implies that humanity has no obligation to respect or preserve the natural world except insofar as it is economically efficient to do so. Drawing on the distinction between explanation and communication found in Calvinist theology, I argue that value does not entail purpose. The expressive, aesthetic, or communicative aspects of nature may be valuable or endow natural objects with value apart from any use or purpose these objects may serve. The crucial distinction between explanation and communication—one scientific, the other aesthetic—offers a rationale for an obligation to protect the natural world that may appeal to members of faith communities and to biologists and other scientists. This approach also helps resolve the “lurking inconsistency” some scholars see in the relationship between a deterministic biological science and a conservationist ethic.
Have Women Become More Willing to Accept Obstetric Interventions and Does This Relate to Mode of Birth? Data from a Prospective Study
Authors: Green Josephine M. , Baston Helen A.
Published: February 2007

ABSTRACT: Background:Concern has increased about rising rates of cesarean section and other obstetric interventions, and it has been suggested that a change in women’s attitudes may be partly responsible. Our objectives were, first, to examine changes in women’s antenatal willingness to accept obstetric interventions between 1987 and 2000 and, second, to look at the relationship between willingness to accept obstetric interventions and mode of birth.Methods:Data on willingness to accept obstetric interventions were collected at 35–36 weeks of pregnancy using postal questionnaires, and follow‐up of women was conducted 6 weeks postnatally. Data are presented for 977 women drawn from 8 maternity units in England who were due to give birth in April to May 2000. To address the first objective, data were compared with the parent study carried out in 1987.Results:The sample had significantly more positive antenatal attitudes toward obstetric interventions than the comparable sample in 1987 (F= 42.25,df= 1,p< 0.001). Willingness to accept obstetric interventions was related to mode of birth. Binary logistic regression controlling for age, education, and parity showed that women with high “willingness to accept intervention” scores had a nearly twofold increase in the odds of an operative or instrumental birth (OR 1.94, 95% CI 1.28–2.95) compared with women who had low scores. These attitudes also predicted epidural analgesia use, and differences in mode of birth were no longer significant when epidural use was included in the regression model.Conclusions:A shift toward greater willingness to accept obstetric interventions appears to have occurred since 1987, and this shift does appear to relate to mode of birth in the 2000 cohort but not in 1987. The findings suggest that epidural analgesia use mediates the link. (BIRTH 34:1 March 2007)
Risk Factors of Maternal Death in Mexico
Authors: Romero‐Gutiérrez Gustavo , Espitia‐Vera Andrés , Ponce‐Ponce de León Ana Lilia , Huerta‐Vargas Luis Fernando
Published: February 2007

ABSTRACT:  Background:
One of the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals for 2015 is to reduce the maternal mortality ratio by three fourths. Ninety‐nine percent of maternal deaths occur in developing countries, and the World Health Organization encourages investigations in these settings to determine the risk factors of maternal deaths. Our aim was to identify these risk factors in a hospital‐based study in Mexico.
Methods:
The study was conducted at the Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Mexican Institute of Social Security in Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico, from January 1, 1992, to March 31, 2004. Women were divided into groups of 110 individuals who had died during pregnancy, delivery, or postpartum, and 440 women who survived the postpartum period. We used a logistic regression analysis to find the significant risk factors for maternal deaths. Odds ratios with 95% t confidence intervals were estimated.
Results:
The maternal mortality ratio was 47.3 per 100,000 live births. The main causes of death were hemorrhage (30.9%), preeclampsia/eclampsia (28.2%), and septic shock (10.9%). Six factors were significantly associated with maternal death: age (OR = 1.09, 95% CI = 1.00–1.18), marital status (OR = 16.2, 95% CI = 1.3–196.1), number of antenatal visits (OR = 1.3, 95% CI = 1.0–1.6), preexisting medical conditions (OR = 23.3, 95% CI = 6.6–81.6), obstetric complications in previous pregnancies (OR = 28.3, 95% CI = 4.9–163.0), and mode of delivery (OR = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.0–2.4).
Conclusions:
Socioeconomic, medical, and obstetric risk factors are associated with maternal deaths in Mexico. (BIRTH 34:1 March 2007)
Are There “Unnecessary” Cesarean Sections? Perceptions of Women and Obstetricians About Cesarean Sections for Nonclinical Indications
Authors: Weaver Jane J. , Statham Helen , Richards Martin
Published: February 2007

ABSTRACT:  Background:
The belief that many women demand cesarean sections in the absence of clinical indications appears to be pervasive. The aim of this study was to examine whether, and in what context, maternal requests for cesarean section are made.
Methods:
Quantitative and qualitative methods were used. The overall study comprised 4 substudies: 23 multiparous and 41 primiparous pregnant women were asked to complete diaries recording events related to birth planning and expectations; 44 women who had considered, or been asked to consider, cesarean section during pregnancy were interviewed postnatally; 24 consultants and registrars in 3 district hospitals and 1 city hospital were interviewed; 5 consultants with known strong views about cesarean section were also interviewed; and 785 consultants from the United Kingdom and Eire completed postal questionnaires.
Results:
No woman requested cesarean section in the absence of, what she considered, clinical or psychological indications. Fear for themselves or their baby appeared to be major factors behind women’s requests for cesarean section, coupled with the belief that cesarean section was safest for the baby. Most obstetricians reported few requests for cesarean section, but nevertheless, cited maternal request as the most important factor affecting the national rising cesarean section rate. Several obstetricians discussed the significance of women’s fears and the importance of taking the time to talk to women about these fears.
Conclusions:
Existing evidence for large numbers of women requesting cesarean sections in the absence of clinical indications is weak. This study supports the thesis that these women comprise a small minority. Psychological issues and maternal perceptions of risk appear to be significant factors in many maternal requests. Despite this finding, maternal request is perceived by obstetricians to be a major factor in driving the cesarean section rate upward. (BIRTH 34:1 March 2007)
Does Resection of the Medial Temporal Lobe Improve the Outcome of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Surgery?
Authors: Bonilha Leonardo , Yasuda Clarissa Lin , Rorden Chris , Li Li M. , Tedeschi Helder , De Oliveira Evandro , Cendes Fernando
Published: February 2007

Summary:  Purpose: Surgical removal of the hippocampus is the standard of care of patients with drug‐resistant medial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE). The procedure carries a success rate of ∼75%, but the reasons that some patients fail to achieve seizure control after surgery remain inexplicable. The question of whether the resection of medial temporal lobe structures in addition to the hippocampus would influence the surgical outcome in patients with MTLE was examined.

Methods: We conducted voxel‐based statistical analyses of postoperative high‐resolution MRI of MTLE patients who underwent anteromedial temporal resection. We applied a cost function transformation of the resection maps for each patient to a common set of spatial coordinates, and we analyzed the contribution of histologically distinct segments of the medial temporal lobe cortex to the surgical outcome. We also performed a voxel‐wise mapping of surgical outcome to the temporal lobe.

Results: We observed that the extent of hippocampal removal was associated with better outcomes. However, when the resection of the hippocampus was combined with the resection of the medial temporal lobe, specifically the entorhinal cortex, a greater likelihood of higher seizure control after surgery was found.

Conclusions: Based on this finding, it is possible that the efficiency of the surgical treatment of MTLE can be improved by adjusting the procedure to include the resection of the entorhinal cortex, in addition to the resection of the hippocampus.
Levetiracetam Intravenous Infusion as an Alternative to Oral Dosing in Patients with Partial‐Onset Seizures
Authors: Baulac Michel , Brodie Martin J. , Elger Christian E. , Krakow Karsten , Stockis Armel , Meyvisch Paul , Falter Ursula
Published: February 2007

Summary: Purpose:This multicenter, open‐label study evaluated the short‐term tolerability of intravenously (IV)‐infused levetiracetam (LEV; 500–1,500 mg/100 ml, 15 min, b.i.d.) as a substitute for the same oral dose.

Methods:The study consisted of screening, 4‐day IV LEV and 1–7 days of follow‐up, and was conducted in 25 adults with partial‐onset seizures receiving adjunctive oral LEV.

Results:During the 4‐day IV LEV, 11 (44%) subjects experienced at least one treatment‐emergent adverse event (TEAE), with headache and fatigue being the most frequently reported. Five (20%) subjects experienced TEAEs considered to be related to the study drug. The tolerability profile was consistent with that of oral LEV, with all events judged mild or moderate in severity, no discontinuations, and no serious AEs or deaths reported. No AE related to seizure worsening was reported during IV LEV or brief follow‐up.

Conclusions:LEV IV appears to be a well‐tolerated, practical alternative in patients with partial‐onset seizures temporarily unable to take the drug orally.
One‐Year Postoperative Autobiographical Memory Following Unilateral Temporal Lobectomy for Control of Intractable Epilepsy
Authors: Voltzenlogel Virginie , Despres Olivier , Vignal Jean‐Paul , Kehrli Pierre , Manning Lilianne
Published: February 2007

Summary:  Purpose: To examine the effects of temporal lobectomy (TL), particularly concerning its lateralization.

Methods: Patients completed autobiographical memory tests, preoperatively and 1‐year postoperatively.

Results: (a) right TL (RTL) patients recalled significantly more memories from the year after surgery than from the year before TL; (b) their pre to postoperative improvement on autobiographical memory scores was positively correlated to improvement of delayed story recall scores; and (c) 1 year after surgery, performance on recent personal memory recall was normalized for RTL patients only.

Conclusion: We suggest that, in the absence of recurrent seizures, the relative integrity of the left hemisphere together with residual right hemisphere structures sustains postoperative autobiographical memory consolidation, at least 1 year postoperatively.
Seizures Lead to Elevation of Intracranial Pressure in Children Undergoing Invasive EEG Monitoring
Authors: Shah Aash K , Fuerst Darren , Sood Sandeep , Asano Eishi , Ahn‐Ewing Judy , Pawlak Carol , Chugani Harry T
Published: February 2007

Summary:  Purpose: To study the effects of intracranial subdural grid electrode placement and seizures on intracranial pressure (ICP) in children undergoing invasive EEG monitoring.

Methods: Sixteen children with pharmacoresistant epilepsy who underwent two‐stage epilepsy surgery with subdural grid placement were included in the study. The ICP was recorded at baseline and with each seizure prospectively. A variety of seizure parameters including type of seizure, length of seizure, extent of seizure spread, and number of subdural grid electrodes inserted were analyzed retrospectively and correlated with the change in ICP.

Results: A total of 48 seizures in 16 children were studied. The mean baseline ICP correlated positively with age of the child. Generalized tonic–clonic seizures were associated with the highest rise in ICP. Similarly, ICP rise was associated with seizures involving more electrodes indicating a larger area of brain participating in the seizure.

Conclusion: Seizures in general and generalized tonic–clonic seizures, in particular, increase ICP temporarily in patients who are undergoing invasive EEG monitoring with subdural grids.
Hepcidin Is Down‐Regulated in Alcohol Loading
Authors: Ohtake Takaaki , Saito Hiroyuki , Hosoki Yayoi , Inoue Mitsutaka , Miyoshi Shigeki , Suzuki Yasuaki , Fujimoto Yoshinori , Kohgo Yutaka
Published: February 2007

Background: It is common for alcoholic patients to have excess iron accumulation in the liver, which may contribute to the development of alcoholic liver disease (ALD). However, the mechanism of hepatic iron uptake in ALD is still obscure. Recently, a novel iron‐regulatory hormone hepcidin was found that suppresses the absorption of iron from the small intestine and the release of iron from macrophages. To elucidate the contribution of hepcidin toward the hepatic excess iron accumulation in ALD, we examined whether alcohol loading affects hepcidin expression both in ALD patients and in an ethanol‐fed mouse model.

Methods: Serum prohepcidin concentration was quantified by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Hepatic hepcidin‐1 and hepcidin‐2 mRNA expressions in mouse liver were evaluated by quantitative real‐time reverse‐transcriptase polymerase chain reaction method. The protein expression of prohepcidin in mouse liver was examined immunohistochemically by rabbit antimouse prohepcidin antibody.

Results: Serum prohepcidin concentration in ALD was significantly lower than that in healthy subjects (p<0.001). Especially, serum prohepcidin concentrations were decreased in the patients whose serum ferritin value was high. In the ethanol‐fed mouse model, hepatic hepcidin‐1 mRNA expression was significantly lower than that in control (p=0.04). Prohepcidin was expressed in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes of mice liver tissue sections, and its expression was decreased after ethanol loading.

Conclusion: Alcohol loading down‐regulates hepatic hepcidin expression and leads to the increase of iron absorption from the intestine.
Hypoadiponectinemia Plays a Crucial Role in the Development of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Independent of Visceral Adipose Tissue
Authors: Yoneda Masato , Iwasaki Tomoyuki , Fujita Koji , Kirikoshi Hiroyuki , Inamori Masahiko , Nozaki Yuichi , Maeyama Shiro , Wada Koichiro , Saito Satoru , Terauchi Yasuo , Nakajima Atsushi
Published: February 2007

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver injury. The spectrum of NAFLD is broad, extending from simple steatosis through nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Insulin resistance has been found to increase the risk of NASH, and obesity, and decreased levels of adiponectin are important factors in determining the severity of insulin resistance. Recent evidence has indicated that hypoadiponectinemia is involved in hepatic steatosis and NASH.

Methods: To investigate whether hypoadiponectinemia causes hepatic steatosis in type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients independently of visceral adipose tissue, we measured the plasma adiponectin concentration, hepatic fat content based on the liver‐to‐spleen ratio (L/S ratio) according to computed tomography (CT) attenuation values, and the amount of visceral adipose tissue and subcutaneous adipose tissue by CT in 248 type 2 DM patients. We also investigated the relationship between the serum level of adiponectin and hepatic fibrosis.

Results: Significant correlations were observed between the L/S ratios and aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, visceral adipose tissue, subcutaneous adipose tissue, and serum adiponectin values (r=0.300, p=0.0007), and there was a highly significant inverse correlation between the visceral adipose tissue values and the serum adiponectin levels (r=−0.327, p<0.0002). The subcutaneous adipose tissue values, however, were not correlated with the serum adiponectin levels. Multiple regression analysis was used to quantify the impact of measured variables on the L/S ratio. After adjustment for age, gender, and visceral adipose tissue, the serum adiponectin levels were still significantly correlated with the L/S ratios (p=0.0064). And there was a stepwise decrease in the serum adiponectin in parallel to the severity of hepatic fibrosis.

Conclusions: Hypoadiponectinemia is concluded to be involved in the etiology of hepatic steatosis independently of visceral adipose tissue content, and is considered to be an important factor in the progression of fibrosis; further studies will be necessary to elucidate the exact physiological role of adiponectin and its contribution to the progression of NASH.
Evaluation of Quantitative Portal Venous, Hepatic Arterial, and Total Hepatic Tissue Blood Flow Using Xenon CT in Alcoholic Liver Cirrhosis: Comparison With Liver Cirrhosis C
Authors: Takahashi Hideaki , Suzuki Michihiro , Ikeda Hiroki , Kobayashi Minoru , Sase Shigeru , Yotsuyanagi Hiroshi , Maeyama Shiro , Iino Shiro , Itoh Fumio
Published: February 2007

Background/Aims: Xenon computed tomography (Xe‐CT) is a noninvasive method of quantifying and visualizing tissue blood flow (TBF). For the liver, Xe‐CT allows separate measurement of hepatic arterial and portal venous TBF. The present study evaluated the usefulness of Xe‐CT as a noninvasive diagnostic procedure for measuring hepatic TBF in alcoholic liver cirrhosis (AL‐LC), compared with liver cirrhosis C (C‐LC).

Methods: Xenon computed tomography was performed on 12 patients with AL‐LC and 17 patients with C‐LC. The severity of LC was classified according to Child–Pugh classification. Correlations between hepatic TBF and Child–Pugh classification were examined. Correlations of hepatic TBF in Child–Pugh class A to C‐LC and AL‐LC were also examined.

Results: The mean portal venous TBF (PVTBF) was significantly lower in AL‐LC than in C‐LC (p=0.0316). Similarly, the mean total hepatic TBF (THTBF) was significantly lower in AL‐LC than in C‐LC (p=0.0390). PVTBF displayed a significant negative correlation with Child–Pugh score (r=−0.396, p=0.0368).

Conclusions: Measurement of hepatic TBF using Xe‐CT is useful as a noninvasive, objective method of assessing the state of the liver in chronic liver disease.
Mitochondrial Abnormality and Oxidative Stress in Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis
Authors: Kojima Hideyuki , Sakurai Shinya , Uemura Masahito , Fukui Hiroshi , Morimoto Hiroyo , Tamagawa Yasuhiro
Published: February 2007

Background: Oxidative stress plays a major role in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Mitochondrial abnormality may be associated with the onset and progression of NASH via excessive formation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species. This study aimed to investigate the role of mitochondrial abnormality in NASH in relation to oxidative stress.

Methods: Twenty‐six patients with NASH, 11 with simple steatosis, and 10 healthy volunteers underwent clinico‐pathological analysis. The liver/spleen ratio, an index of the hepatic fat content, was evaluated with computed tomography. Plasma glutathione levels were measured as an antioxidative marker, and the urinary 8‐isoprostane levels and 3‐nitrotyrosine staining in the liver as an oxidative stress marker. Mitochondrial abnormality was estimated by serum levels of mitochondria aspartate transaminase (mAST) and the mitochondrial staining in the liver.

Results: Urinary 8‐isoprostane levels were higher in NASH than in the healthy volunteers, whereas plasma glutathione levels were similar in the 2 groups. In NASH, urinary 8‐isoprostane levels positively correlated with alanine transaminase levels and negatively with the liver/spleen ratio. The 3‐nitrotyrosine staining was more advanced in simple steatosis and NASH than in the normal liver, but was similar in simple steatosis and NASH. In contrast to the normal mAST levels in the healthy volunteers and simple steatosis, serum mAST levels were elevated in one‐fourth of the NASH patients and positively correlated with urinary 8‐isoprostane levels in NASH. Most cases of NASH showed diffuse or focal but intense mitochondrial staining in the liver in contrast to scattered staining in simple steatosis.

Conclusions: Our present study demonstrated that in NASH, the enhanced oxidative stress may be associated with hepatic inflammation and the degree of fat infiltration in the liver. However, simple steatosis and NASH were both exposed to oxidative stress, while NASH alone was associated with mitochondrial abnormality. These findings indicate that mitochondrial abnormality may play a role in the onset and progression of NASH in correlation with oxidative stress.
Detection of Biomarkers for Alcoholism by Two‐Dimensional Differential Gel Electrophoresis
Authors: Wu Di , Tomonaga Takeshi , Sogawa Kazuyuki , Satoh Mamoru , Sunaga Masahiko , Nezu Masahiko , Oh‐Ishi Masamichi , Kodera Yoshio , Maeda Tadakazu , Ochiai Takenori , Nomura Fumio
Published: February 2007

Background: Up to now, γ‐glutamyltransferase (γ‐GTP) and carbohydrate‐deficient transferrin (CDT) have been used as markers for alcoholism most widely, but they are not satisfactory regarding sensitivity/specificity. Therefore, for novel markers need to be searched.

Methods: To detect new biomarkers for alcoholism, albumin and immunoglobulinG were first removed from serum. Then, protein profiles of 12 serum samples before and after 3 months of abstinence treatment were examined using agarose 2‐dimensional differential gel electrophoresis (agarose2‐D DIGE). Two‐dimensional differential gel electrophoresis images were analyzed using Shimadzu 2‐D Evolution Software.

Results: Eight spots whose expression were significantly altered after abstinence were detected. Of these, 2 proteins increased and 6 proteins decreased after treatment.

Conclusions: Altered expressions of several serum proteins after abstinence therapy were detected. They are promising markers for clinical application of alcoholism.
Naltrexone and Cognitive Behavioral Coping Skills Therapy for the Treatment of Alcohol Drinking and Eating Disorder Features in Alcohol‐Dependent Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: O'Malley Stephanie S. , Sinha Rajita , Grilo Carlos M. , Capone Christy , Farren Conor K. , McKee Sherry A. , Rounsaville Bruce J. , Wu Ran
Published: February 2007

Background: Despite important gender differences in drinking patterns, physiological effects of alcohol, and co‐occurring psychiatric conditions, relatively little is known about the efficacy of naltrexone for the treatment of alcohol dependence in women. This study investigated the safety and efficacy of naltrexone in combination with Cognitive Behavioral Coping Skills Therapy (CBCST) in a sample of alcohol‐dependent women, some with comorbid eating pathology.

Methods: One hundred three women meeting DSM‐IV criteria for alcohol dependence (29 with comorbid eating disturbances) were randomized to receive either naltrexone 50 mg or placebo for 12 weeks in addition to weekly group CBCST. Subjects were enrolled between October 1995 and December 2000 at an outpatient research clinic.

Results: No significant differences were observed on the primary outcomes of time to first drinking day, time to first day of heavy drinking, or the percentage of participants who continued to meet the criteria for alcohol dependence. Secondary analyses revealed that naltrexone significantly delayed the time to the second (χ2=5.37, p=0.02) and third (χ2=4.35, p=0.04) drinking days among subjects who did not maintain abstinence from alcohol. Among those with eating disturbances, symptoms of eating pathology improved during treatment, but the effects did not differ according to medication condition.

Conclusion: When used in conjunction with CBCST, naltrexone did not significantly improve drinking outcomes in the overall sample of alcohol‐dependent women. However, naltrexone may be of benefit to women who are unable to maintain total abstinence from alcohol. For women with concurrent eating pathology, participation in treatment for alcoholism may be associated with improvements in eating pathology.
Increased Fibronectin Expression in Lung in the Setting of Chronic Alcohol Abuse
Authors: Burnham Ellen L. , Moss Marc , Ritzenthaler Jeffrey D. , Roman Jesse
Published: February 2007

Rationale: The incidence and severity of the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is increased in individuals who abuse alcohol. One possible mechanism by which alcohol increases susceptibility to acute lung injury is through alterations in alveolar macrophage function and induction of tissue remodeling activity. Our objective was to determine whether alcohol abuse, independent of other comorbidities, alters fibronectin and metalloproteinase gene expression in alveolar macrophages and in epithelial lining fluid (ELF) of the lung.

Methods: Otherwise healthy subjects with alcohol abuse (n=21) and smoking‐matched controls (n=17) underwent bronchoalveolar lavage. Alveolar macrophage fibronectin and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) mRNA expression were measured via reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction. The supernatant from cultured alveolar macrophages and lung ELF were tested for their ability to induce fibronectin and MMP‐9 gene transcription in cell‐based assays.

Results: Alveolar macrophages from subjects with alcohol abuse demonstrated increased fibronectin mRNA expression (p<0.001), and their ELF also elicited more fibronectin gene transcription in lung fibroblasts compared with controls (p<0.001). In contrast, alveolar macrophages from subjects with alcohol abuse had decreased MMP‐9 and MMP‐2 mRNA expression (p<0.03 and p<0.005, respectively). Similarly, the supernatant (p<0.001) and ELF (p<0.01) from these subjects induced less MMP‐9 gene transcription in THP‐1 cells.

Discussion: Alcohol abuse is associated with increased fibronectin mRNA expression in alveolar macrophages and increased fibronectin‐inducing activity in the ELF. This appears to be a specific effect as other tissue remodeling genes, such as MMPs, were not equally affected. These findings suggest activation of tissue remodeling that may contribute to the increased susceptibility for the ARDS observed in alcoholism.
Predisposing Factors and Precipitants for Bathing Disability in Older Persons
Authors: Gill Thomas M. , Han Ling , Allore Heather G.
Published: February 2007

OBJECTIVES: To identify potential predisposing factors and precipitants for bathing disability.

DESIGN: Prospective cohort study.

SETTING: Greater New Haven, Connecticut.

PARTICIPANTS: Seven hundred fifty‐four community‐living residents aged 70 and older.

MEASUREMENTS: Potential predisposing factors were measured every 18 months for 6 years during comprehensive home‐based assessments. Participants were followed with monthly telephone interviews for a median of 61 months to ascertain exposure to potential precipitants, which included illnesses and injuries leading to hospitalization or restricted activity, and to determine the occurrence of persistent disability in bathing.

RESULTS: Over the course of nearly 8 years, 333 (44.2%) participants developed persistent disability in bathing. After accounting for age, sex, and race, nine predisposing factors were independently associated with persistent bathing disability. The strongest associations were found for inability to rise from a chair, low bathing self‐efficacy, and low physical activity, each of which more than doubled the risk of persistent bathing disability. After the potential precipitants were added to the final model, the associations between the predisposing factors and persistent bathing disability were only modestly diminished. The effects of the precipitants on persistent bathing disability were large, with multivariable hazard ratios of 24.6 for hospitalization and 3.01 for restricted activity only. The relative contributions of the predisposing factors and precipitants to the development of persistent bathing disability were 47.7% and 27.1%, respectively.

CONCLUSION: Disability in bathing is attributable to a combination of predisposing factors that make community‐living older persons vulnerable and intervening illnesses or injuries that act as precipitants. These factors and precipitants may be suitable targets for the prevention of bathing disability.