bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Open-Label, Randomized, Flexible-Dose, Crossover Study to Assess the Comparative Efficacy and Safety of Sildenafil Citrate and Apomorphine Hydrochloride in Men with Erectile Dysfunction
Authors: Giammusso Bruno , Colpi Giovanni M. , Cormio Luigi , Ludovico Giuseppe , Soli Marcello , Ponchietti Roberto , Montorsi Francesco , Panzironi Claudio , Guastella Bruno
Published: December 2008

Introduction: We report the methodology and results of a study that compared a dopaminergic agonist, apomorphine, with a phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitor, sildenafil, in terms of efficacy, tolerability, satisfaction and patient preference. Patients and Methods: This was a 20-week open- label, randomized, flexible-dose, crossover study to assess the comparative efficacy and safety of sildenafil and apomorphine. One sequence group received treatment with sildenafil followed by apomorphine and the other sequence group received treatment with apomorphine followed by sildenafil. The primary efficacy variable was the measurement of the score of the erectile function domain (the sum of questions 1–5 and 15) of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire. The secondary efficacy variables were: the responses to the Global Efficacy Assessment Questions; the score of the responses to all the questions of the IIEF questionnaire; the index score of the Erectile Dysfunction Inventory of Treatment Satisfaction questionnaire, and the event log variables. Resultsand Conclusions: A marked increase in the mean IIEF score was observed after treatment with sildenafil, compared with a small increase following treatment with apomorphine. The mean baseline and final scores before and after treatment with sildenafil were 13.9 ± 5.2 and 24.1 ± 5.2, while the corresponding mean scores before and after treatment with apomorphine were 14.2 ± 5.1 and 16.8 ± 6.2. The comparison between treatments showed a statistically significant difference in favor of sildenafil. Furthermore, sildenafil was found to be significantly superior to apomorphine in all the other secondary variables, produced a high level of patient satisfaction, and a significantly larger number of patients indicated their preference for sildenafil compared to apomorphine.
Alterations in the Peripheral Blood Lymphocyte CD25 and Ki67 Indices in Renal Cell Carcinoma and Their Significance: A Preliminary Study
Authors: Li Yuan , Chen Yi Rong , Ju Jun , Shi BaoGuang
Published: December 2008

Background/Aims: To investigate pre- and postoperative expression and alterations in the indices of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) CD25 and Ki67 in 32 patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) who underwent unilateral radical nephrectomy. We investigated the relationship between the above parameters in PBL and CD8+Ki67+ T cells infiltrated in tumor cells. Patients and Methods: Blood samples were collected preoperatively and on postoperative day 7 (POD7). The PBL CD25 and Ki67 indices were detected by flow cytometry in 32 patients with RCC and in 16 healthy individuals. We conducted double immunohistochemistry for CD8 and Ki67 in tumoral, peritumoral and normal kidney tissues. Results: The PBL CD25 and Ki67 indices on POD7 were higher than their preoperative levels (CD25: 21.37 ± 4.66 vs. 20.30 ± 6.23%; Ki67: 21.92 ± 16.08 vs. 17.05 ± 9.87%), with no significance (p = 0.397 and 0.076, respectively). The pre- and postoperative PBL CD25 and Ki67 indices were significantly higher in patients than in the control group (where they were 14.72 ± 5.40 and 7.50 ± 5.25, respectively, p < 0.01). A negative correlation was observed between the level of the PBL CD25 index on POD7 and the expression of CD8+Ki67+ T cells infiltrated in tumor cells (r = –0.417 and –0.657, p = 0.017 and 0.000, respectively). Conclusions: The PBL CD25 and Ki67 indices could be useful parameters to evaluate performance status in RCC patients. The data we obtained seemed controversial and puzzling and further investigation is required.
The Ottoman Execution of Zayn al-Dīn al-'Āmilī
Authors: Stewart Devin
Published: December 2008

This study attempts to sort out the partial and contradictory accounts of the last years and martyrdom of the prominent Twelver Shiite jurist Zayn al-Dīn al-'Āmilī (d. 965/1558), drawing on Shiite biographical works, Zayn al-Dīn's writings and the scholarly paraphernalia attached to them, Safavid chronicles, and a recently published travelogue that includes an eye-witness account of his execution in Istanbul. It argues in particular that the influential account of Zayn al-Dīn's arrest and execution included in al-Hurr al-'Āmilī's biographical work Amal al-āmil is a forgery from the late seventeenth century and should be discarded as evidence for Zayn al-Dīn's biography.
Defining the Enemy: Abū Muhammad al-Maqdisīs Radical Reading of Sūrat al-Mumtahana
Authors: Wagemakers Joas
Published: December 2008

This article examines the interpretation of “the enemies” in Sūrat al-Mumtahana (60) by the Jordanian ideologue Abū Muhammad al-Maqdisī, one of the most influential jihādī-Salafī theorists alive. Al-Maqdisī's reading of the sūra's text and his interpretation of its context turn this part of the Qur'ān, which seems to have been meant to warn the early Medinan Muslims of the dangers of befriending hostile Meccan idolaters, into the basis of a radical ideology. Special attention is paid to the far-reaching consequences of al-Maqdisī's political interpretation of the text, especially when combined with his views on kufr (unbelief) and al-walā' wa-l-barā' (loyalty and disavowal), which he adopts from Wahhābī scholars and bases mostly on this sūra. Al-Maqdisī's particular combination of the text and context of sūra 60 yields a definition of “the enemy” that is rooted in the Qur'ān and Sunna but differs greatly from its traditional interpretations as well as Wahhābī writings by evolving into a radical ideology to overthrow the political rulers of the Muslim world.
Listening Communities? Some Remarks on the Construction of Religious Authority in Islamic Podcasts
Authors: Selge Tobias , Zimmermann Johannes , Scholz Jan , Stille Max
Published: December 2008

In the context of the vivid activity of Muslim individuals and groups on the Internet and the recent technological developments in the field of computer mediated communication, podcasts offering a wide range of religious information and/or advice to Muslim (and non-Muslim) listeners play an increasingly important role. Being an integral part of the Web 2.0's online landscape and presenting, at the same time, many characteristics of more “traditional” audio media such as cassette recordings, podcasts cannot only be located at the intersection between virtual space and “real world”, but represent, as a medium, also a direct continuation of older forms of Muslim media usage for da'wa-purposes and propagandistic aims. This article attempts to analyze in how far the use of podcasts (and to a smaller extent of videocasts) by Muslim groups and individuals contributes to the emergence of a Muslim online “counter public” sometimes challenging, sometimes reinforcing existing authority structures. Special attention is paid to the question which means and features specific to this new medium Muslim podcasters use to legitimize their religious authority, and to the question in how far established symbol systems commonly relied upon in the Muslim community are used as instruments for the construction of religious online authority and the redistribution of Definitionsmacht. Furthermore, it discusses to what extent questions of “right belief” and “correct religious practice” play a role in these processes. For this purpose, style and content of four selected podcasts (Zaytuna Institute Knowledge Resource Podcast, MeccaOne Media Podcast, Ahmadiyya Podcast, Alt.muslim Review) are analyzed in order to illustrate different ways in which this new medium is used by Muslim groups today. It is shown that podcasts—as part of the overall media spectrum—are used by Muslim groups for internal and external da'wa-purposes, as well as for the reinforcement of existing power and authority structures (e.g. by projecting the presence of the group's leader both into time and into space) and as a means to cope with institutional and communal crisis. They might also become an important instrument not for the (re-)construction, but for the deconstruction of religious authority.
The Dynamics of Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy in Uyghur Religious Practice
Authors: Schrode Paula
Published: December 2008

The framework of this paper is provided by a theoretical discussion of the scholarly terms “orthodoxy” and “heterodoxy” and their heuristic value. Local Islam among the Uyghur people in Xinjiang, PRC as well as among other Muslim peoples in Central Asia has often been discussed either as something different from an assumed “real”, “pure” or “official” Islam, or as a distinct religious system in its own right. Such approaches, however, sometimes lose sight of the fact that the question of what “Uyghur Islam” is supposed to be is negotiated among Uyghurs themselves no less vigorously. Traditional practices such as ritual healing and saint veneration are highly contested, yet widely adhered to in Uyghur society. This article examines the complex structures and processes of the religious discourses concerning such practices and some features of their embeddedness in historical, social and political settings. One finding is an increased reference to Islamic scripturalism as a legitimizing strategy for certain ideas, mainly for those targeted at “purifying” Uyghur Islam from local practices.
The Relativity of Categorizing in the Context of the Ahmadiyya
Authors: Lathan Andrea
Published: December 2008

At the latest since the criticism of Edward Said, Orientalists as well as scientists of other disciplines dealing with contrasting cultural settings have to reflect on their way of analyzing and categorizing the “Other”. To make the unknown understandable by categorizing and judging it according to one's own (moral) concepts as well as adopting generic concepts without reflecting upon them bears the risk of a vague, one-sided and non-differentiated analysis. A great number of the publications about the Ahmadiyya are a vivid example of such tendencies. Reading them an often seemingly thoughtless use of ascriptions becomes apparent which makes the movement appear in an extremely negative or positive light depending on the background of the author and his particular motivation—failing to meet the complexity of the movement with respect to their doctrine and practices. Due to the multitude of attributions to the Ahmadiyya only the ascriptions “orthodox” and “heteropraxic” will be discussed after a short outline of the history of the movement and its theological characteristics.
What is Heterodox About Alevism? The Development of Anti-Alevi Discrimination and Resentment
Authors: Karolewski Janina
Published: December 2008

This article examines how the widespread denomination of the Alevi tradition as “heterodox Islam” was introduced in the academic field in the late 19th century. This denomination reflects the differentiation between Alevis and Sunnis, which originally did not base on religious differences but on the socio-political power struggle between the Ottoman Empire and the Safavids/Kızılbaş. First, the historical development of this conflict and the spread of anti-Safavid/Kızılbaş propaganda in the 16th century will be highlighted. Second, it will be illustrated how the Kızılbaş were 'rediscovered' by Westerners in the late 19th century. Then, the development of anti-Alevi discrimination and resentment in the 20th century will be described. Finally, Turkey's official line in regard to the Alevis' religious status and the Alevis' aggressive response to this will be shown.
The Relationship Between Bible Literacy and Academic Achievement and School Behavior
Authors: Jeynes William H.
Published: December 2008

This study assessed the relationship between Bible literacy among secondary school students and their academic achievement and school behavior. One hundred and forty students in the 7th to 12th grade were randomly selected from a Christian school. Four measures of Bible knowledge were combined to obtain an overall measure of Bible literacy. They included a brief Bible test, the ease with which students declared that they could recite the 66 books of the Bible in order, the final grade from the last Bible course taken, and the results of previous Bible testing. The results indicate that of the three groups of students, those with the highest level of Bible literacy also had the highest average GPA. the highest ranking in test and grade results, and the best school behavior of the three groups. In contrast, those with the lowest level of Bible literacy also had the lowest average GPA, the lowest ranking in test and grade results, and the worst school behavior of the three groups.
Emotional Reactions to Stress Among Adolescent Boys and Girls
Authors: Sigfusdottir Inga-Dora , Silver Eric
Published: December 2008

This study examines the effects of negative life events on anger and depressed mood among a sample of 7,758 Icelandic adolescents, measured as part of the National Survey of Icelandic Adolescents (Thorlindsson, Sigfusdottir, Bernburg, & Halldorsson, 1998). Using multiple linear regression and multinomial logit regression, we find that (a) girls and boys tend to experience different negative life events, (b) negative life events are associated with comparable levels of anger among boys and girls, (c) negative life events predict depressed mood more strongly among girls than among boys, and (d) conflict with family and friends predicts anger and depressed mood more strongly than other negative life events among boys and girls. These results raise questions about the role of anger and depressed mood in explaining gender differences in stress-related delinquent behavior.
Expectations for Others' Outcomes: Do People Display Compassionate Bracing?
Authors: Sweeny Kate , Shepperd James A. , Carroll Patrick J.
Published: December 2008

Although people generally are optimistic about the future, they will lower their predictions to brace for bad news when confronting a challenge to their predictions. Three studies examined whether this shift in predictions for self-relevant outcomes extends to predictions for others' outcomes. That is, the authors explored whether people display “compassionate bracing.” Results reveal that participants did not brace for friends even when their friend faced imminent feedback (Study 1) and even when the outcome was highly important to the friend (Study 2). Participants braced for friends only when the friend's performance had self-relevant implications (Study 3). The authors discuss the implications of these findings for communication and relationship health.
Psychological Distress: Precursor or Consequence of Dating Infidelity?
Authors: Hall Julie H. , Fincham Frank D.
Published: December 2008

Research on infidelity-related distress has focused on victims with little attention to perpetrators. Two studies therefore explore the psychological functioning of individuals who have engaged in dating infidelity. Study 1 showed that, compared to faithful partners, individuals who had engaged in infidelity showed more psychological distress. Study 2 investigated the interrelationships among infidelity, psychological distress, and relationship satisfaction over time. Results suggested that initial levels of psychological distress predicted later infidelity but infidelity did not predict subsequent psychological distress. Findings are interpreted in light of the broader infidelity literature, potential mechanisms are suggested, and avenues for future research are recommended.
Trips Down Memory Lane: Recall Direction Affects the Subjective Distance of Past Events
Authors: Lam Kent C. H. , Buehler Roger
Published: December 2008

The subjective temporal distance of a past event—how close or far away it feels—is influenced by numerous factors apart from actual time. The current studies extend research on subjective distance by exploring the experience of remembering autobiographical events as part of a stream of related events. The temporal direction in which events are recalled was proposed as a key determinant of subjective distance. Five experiments supported the hypothesis that people feel closer to a target event when they recall a stream of related events in a backward direction (i.e., a reverse-chronological order ending with the target event) rather than a forward direction (i.e., a chronological order beginning with the target event). The effect of recall direction was mediated by people's perceptions of change in their lives. Backward recall created the impression that relatively little had changed since the target event, which in turn made the event feel closer.
Neurotransmitter-Mediated Collective Rhythms in Grouped Drosophila Circadian Clocks
Authors: Junwei Wang  , Jiajun Zhang  , Zhanjiang Yuan  , Aimin Chen  , Tianshou Zhou
Published: December 2008

Over the past decades, fly Drosophila melanogaster has being used as a premier model organism to study molecular and genetic bases of circadian rhythms. Here the authors propose a multicellular heterogeneous model for which the network of Drosophila circadian oscillators consists of two groups, the self-sustained lateral neurons (LNs) communicating to each other and the damped dorsal neurons (DNs) receiving neurotransmitters only from the LNs without interaction within this group. By simulating different experimental conditions, the authors find that the proposed model, except for being capable of reproducing some known experimental results well, also can predict some interesting phenomena: 1) The DNs need neuronal projections from the LNs to be rhythmic and to synchronize; 2) the effect of communication on mean amplitude and mean period of two oscillatory groups is different; 3) communication delay can facilitate the network synchronization of the LNs; and 4) only the LNs lose rhythmicity under constant light conditions. These results reveal the mechanism of an integrated pacemaker that would govern behavioral and physiological rhythmicity of the model organism.
Modeling the Drosophila melanogaster Circadian Oscillator via Phase Optimization
Authors: Bagheri Neda , Lawson Michael J. , Stelling Jörg , Doyle Francis J.
Published: December 2008

The circadian clock, which coordinates daily physiological behaviors of most organisms, maintains endogenous (approximately 24 h) cycles and simultaneously synchronizes to the 24-h environment due to its inherent robustness to environmental perturbations coupled with a sensitivity to specific environmental stimuli. In this study, the authors develop a detailed mathematical model that characterizes the Drosophila melanogaster circadian network. This model incorporates the transcriptional regulation of period, timeless, vrille , PAR-domain protein 1, and clock gene and protein counterparts. The interlocked positive and negative feedback loops that arise from these clock components are described primarily through mass-action kinetics (with the exception of regulated gene expression) and without the use of explicit time delays. System parameters are estimated via a genetic algorithm-based optimization of a cost function that relies specifically on circadian phase behavior since amplitude measurements are often noisy and do not account for the unique entrainment features that define circadian oscillations. Resulting simulations of this 29-state ordinary differential equation model comply with fitted wild-type experimental data, demonstrating accurate free-running (23.24-h periodic) and entrained (24-h periodic) circadian dynamics. This model also predicts unfitted mutant phenotype behavior by illustrating short and long periodicity, robust oscillations, and arrhythmicity. This mechanistic model also predicts light-induced circadian phase resetting (as described by the phase-response curve) that are in line with experimental observations.
Multiple Melatonin Target Tissues Mediate Termination of Photorefractoriness by Long Day Lengths in Siberian Hamsters
Authors: Teubner Brett J. W. , Smith Carlesia D. , Freeman David A.
Published: December 2008

The development of refractoriness to the short-day melatonin rhythm in mid-winter triggers recrudescence of the photoinhibited reproductive system of many rodents. As a result, over-wintering animals attain reproductive competence prior to the onset of spring conditions that favor successful reproduction. While in the photorefractory state, hamsters are insensitive to short day lengths and the associated long-duration melatonin rhythm. Prior to regaining sensitivity to short day length inhibition of reproduction, hamsters must first be exposed to 10 to 12 weeks of long, summer-like day lengths and the associated short-duration melatonin rhythm. The neural melatonin target tissues that mediate the breaking of photorefractoriness by long day lengths have not been identified. Long day length information is thought to be communicated to the reproductive axis through the actions of melatonin at the reuniens nucleus of the thalamus (NRe) and the SCN of the hypothalamus. The authors report that the SCN and the NRe also participate in the breaking of reproductive photorefractoriness by long day lengths. Micro-implants of melatonin that were left in place for 12 weeks during exposure to long day lengths and that act locally on these brain nuclei to obscure the endogenous melatonin rhythm, and thus ambient day length information, blocked the breaking of refractoriness. Identical melatonin implants located in another melatonin target tissue, the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus, did not interfere with the breaking of reproductive refractoriness. By contrast, breaking of refractoriness of the seasonal body mass response did not follow the pattern exhibited by the reproductive response. The results suggest that these melatonin target tissues serve distinct but overlapping roles in the photoperiodic mechanism.
Intermediate-Term Memory is Modulated by the Circadian Clock
Authors: Lyons Lisa C. , Green Charity L. , Eskin Arnold
Published: December 2008

Sensitization of the tail-siphon withdrawal reflex in Aplysia, a nonassociative form of learning, affords a superb opportunity to investigate the regulation of learning and memory by the circadian clock. The circadian clock has been shown to modulate long-term but not short-term sensitization. However, no previous studies have examined the role of the circadian clock in intermediate-term memory. Noxious stimulation delivered to the side of the animal using a spaced training protocol resulted in canonical intermediate-term sensitization dependent upon both MAPK signaling and protein synthesis. The authors found that intermediate-term sensitization exhibited strong rhythms in expression in both light-dark cycles and constant darkness. Animals trained during the (subjective) day demonstrated significantly more intermediate-term memory than animals trained at night. Baseline responses prior to training were not modulated by the circadian clock. Thus, these results indicate that the circadian clock strongly modulates intermediate as well as long-term memory.
At Least Four Distinct Circadian Regulatory Mechanisms Are Required for All Phases of Rhythms in mRNA Amount
Authors: Jacobshagen Sigrid , Kessler Bruce , Rinehart Claire A.
Published: December 2008

Since the advent of techniques to investigate gene expression on a large scale, numerous circadian rhythms in mRNA amount have been reported. These rhythms generally differ in amplitude and phase. The authors investigated how far a parameter not regulated by the circadian clock can influence the phase of a rhythm in RNA amount arising from a circadian rhythm of transcription. Using a discrete-time approach, they modeled a sinusoidal rhythm in transcription with various constant exponential RNA decay rates. They found that the slower the RNA degradation, the later the phase of the RNA amount rhythm compared with the phase of the transcriptional rhythm. However, they also found that the phase of the RNA amount rhythm is limited to a timeframe spanning the first quarter of the period following the phase of the transcriptional rhythm. This finding is independent of the amplitude and vertical shift of the transcriptional rhythm or even of the way constant RNA degradation is modeled. The authors confirmed their results with a continuous-time model, which allowed them to derive a simple formula relating the phase of the RNA amount rhythm solely to the phase and period of its sinusoidal transcriptional rhythm and its constant RNA half-life. This simple formula even holds true for the best sinusoidal approximations of a nonsinusoidal rhythm of transcription and RNA amount. When expanding the model to include additional events with constant exponential kinetics, such as RNA processing, they found that each event expands the phase limit by another quarter of the period when it occurs in sequence but not when it occurs as a competing process. However, the limit expansion comes at the price of minuscule amplitudes. When using a discrete-time approach to model constant rates of transcription with a sinusoidal RNA half-life, the authors found that the phase of the RNA amount rhythm is unaffected by changes in the constant rate of transcription. In summary, their data show that at least 4 distinct circadian regulatory mechanisms are required to allow for all phases in rhythms of RNA amount, one for each quarter of the period.
Electroretinography of Wild-Type and Cry Mutant Mice Reveals Circadian Tuning of Photopic and Mesopic Retinal Responses
Authors: Cameron Morven A. , Barnard Alun R. , Hut Roelof A. , Bonnefont Xavier , van der Horst Gijsbertus T. J. , Hankins Mark W. , Lucas Robert J.
Published: December 2008

Attempts to understand circadian organization in the mammalian retina have concentrated increasingly on the mouse. However, rather little is known regarding circadian control of retinal light responses in this species. Here, the authors address this deficit using electroretinogram (ERG) recordings in C57BL/6 mice to evaluate rhythmicity in the wild-type retina and to identify the consequences of circadian clock loss in Cry1— /—Cry2—/— mice. They observe a circadian rhythm in the ERG waveform under light-adapted, cone-isolating conditions in wild-type mice, with b-wave speed and amplitude and the total power of oscillatory potentials all enhanced during the day. Wild types also exhibited a circadian dependence to ERG amplitude under dark-adapted conditions, but only when the flash stimulus was sufficiently bright to lie within the response range of cones. Cry1—/ —Cry2—/— mice lacked rhythmicity but retained superficially normal ERGs under all conditions suggesting that circadian clocks are dispensable for general retinal function. However, clock loss was associated with subtle abnormalities in retinal responses, with the amplitude of cone and mixed rod + cone ERGs constitutively enhanced. These data suggest that circadian clocks drive a fundamental fine-tuning of retinal pathways that is particularly apparent under conditions in which vision relies upon either cones alone or mixed rod + cone photoreception.
Increased Coherence of Circadian Rhythms in Mature Fibroblast Cultures
Authors: O'Neill John S. , Hastings Michael H.
Published: December 2008

Circadian transcriptional rhythms in confluent NIH 3T3 and PER2::LUCIFERASE fibroblast cultures become more coherent as they mature. This enhanced coherence correlated with increased culture density, while inhibition of the cell cycle increased coherence in immature cultures. Mature cultures may therefore express more coherent rhythms for longer because of their reduced rate of cell division. The authors conclude that mature fibroblast cultures will be of great utility for high-throughput pharmacological and mutational circadian screening.
Testing Time: Can Ethanol-Induced Pulses of Proposed Oscillator Components Phase Shift Rhythms in Arabidopsis?
Authors: Knowles Stephen M. , Lu Sheen X. , Tobin Elaine M.
Published: December 2008

Circadian rhythms are generated by endogenous central oscillators that respond to input from the environment and regulate rhythmic outputs. In Arabidopsis, more than a dozen components that affect rhythms have been identified and used to propose models of the central oscillator. However, none has been shown to fulfill one of the expected characteristics of an oscillator component: that a pulse of its expression shifts the phase of circadian rhythms. Here we show that a pulse of the proposed oscillator components CIRCADIAN CLOCK ASSOCIATED 1 (CCA1) and LATE ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL (LHY) causes dramatic phase shifts in rhythms of expression of the circadian reporter CAB2::LUC, as well as of the clock-associated genes TIMING OF CAB EXPRESSION 1 ( TOC1) and GIGANTEA ( GI). These results demonstrate that pulses of either CCA1 or LHY are capable of resetting the circadian clock. In contrast, a pulse of TOC1 expression did not elicit phase shifts. Control of TOC1 protein level is in part posttranscriptional; thus a pulse of TOC1 protein could be induced only at times when it is already high. Our work also shows that the ethanol-inducible system can be useful for achieving relatively short (<8 h) pulses of gene expression in seedlings.
Assessing the Effects of the Drug Court Intervention on Offender Criminal Trajectories
Authors: Heck Cary , Roussell Aaron , Culhane Scott E.
Published: December 2008

Using a combination of NCIC and local police data from Wyoming, this study focuses on the short-term effects of the drug court intervention on offender criminal trajectories. Wyoming's drug courts operate in a manner consistent with most drug courts around the nation by focusing on offender supervision, judicial oversight, frequent and random drug testing, and intensive substance abuse treatment. The results of this outcome analysis suggest dramatic reductions in criminal offending both during the drug court program and for the year immediately following the program participation.
Intelligence-Led Policing
Authors: Carter David L. , Carter Jeremy G.
Published: December 2008

Policing in the post-9/11 era is experiencing a philosophical change that is expanding community- and problem-oriented policing to include the broader philosophy of intelligence-led policing (ILP). Building on the British experience, the application of ILP to American policing has been complicated by a number of challenges. Although stimulated by 9/11, the movement toward ILP is being furthered by a number of federal public policy initiatives. As a result of these diverse demands, law enforcement must revisit operational policies and creatively adjust their organizations to reflect this new paradigm. This article provides insight on the conceptual background of ILP, public policy standards, and the integration of ILP with community policing.
The Influence of Race/Ethnicity on the Perceived Prevalence and Support for Racial Profiling at Airports
Authors: Gabbidon Shaun L. , Penn Everette B. , Jordan Kareem L. , Higgins George E.
Published: December 2008

This article explores citizens' views on racial profiling at airports. A recent Gallup poll allowed for analyses of the perception of Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites concerning whether they felt racial profiling at airports was widespread and/or justified. Multivariate analyses revealed that Blacks were more likely than Whites to believe profiling at airports was widespread. There were, however, no differences between the opinions of Whites and Hispanics on the extent of profiling in airports. Racial and ethnic minorities were less likely than Whites to believe that profiling at airports was justified. The implications of the results are discussed.
The Influence of Sex Offender Registration on Juvenile Sexual Recidivism
Authors: Letourneau Elizabeth J. , Bandyopadhyay Dipankar , Sinha Debajyoti , Armstrong Kevin S.
Published: December 2008

This study examines the influence of South Carolina's sex offender registration policy on juvenile offender recidivism risk. Juvenile male sexual offender ( N = 1,275) risk of recidivism was examined with an average 9-year follow-up. Survival analysis was used to examine the influence of covariates, including the primary time-dependent covariate registration status at time, on risk of new sexual offense charges and adjudications. A competing risks model was used to explain the effects of covariates on different types of recidivism events (sexual, assault, and other). Registration status at time had a significant effect on risk of new “other” offense charges and a marginal ( p < .10) effect on risk of sexual offense charges (survival analysis) but no statistical evidence of affecting risk of new adjudications. Results suggest a surveillance effect leading to unnecessary charges for registered (vs. nonregistered) youth. State and national policy implications are discussed.
Truancy Intervention Programs
Authors: Dembo Richard , Gulledge Laura M.
Published: December 2008

School truancy, particularly in primary and secondary schools, represents a serious issue deserving attention in communities across the nation. Most often treated as a management and disciplinary problem, serious attention to the underlying causes of truancy is usually given after the youths’ absence from school becomes frequent or chronic. Truant youth are at considerable risk of continuing their troubled behavior in school, experiencing psychosocial difficulties, and entering the juvenile justice system. Unfortunately, with few exceptions, truancy has not received significant attention by criminologists. This article addresses three questions: (a) What kinds of truancy programs exist in the United States? (b) What evidence do we have regarding their effectiveness? (c) What system and programmatic issues present obstacles to implementing successful truancy programs and need to be considered in establishing effective programs? Finally, we discuss efforts that are underway in Hillsborough County, Florida, in implementing an effective continuum of service for truant youth and their families.
Assessing Changes in High-Volume Hospital Use
Authors: Kronebusch Karl
Published: December 2008

The relationship between higher procedure volumes and medical outcomes has generated recommendations for greater use of high-volume hospitals, with research and advocacy on this issue intensifying during the 1990s. Despite this interest, the trends presented here showed only limited changes between 1995 and 2002. For a number of services, less than half of patients received care at high-volume hospitals, and for several services, there was a surprising decline in the proportion at high-volume hospitals. Trends in the rate of high-volume hospital use appeared to be associated with trends in aggregate volume, at the same time that there were only modest changes in either patient use of high-volume hospitals or the number of hospitals offering these services. These trends suggested the importance of research on factors that affect patient choices, hospital decisions, and payer incentives concerning hospital use, especially in the context of declining aggregate procedure volumes.
Can the Subaltern Shop? The Commodification of Difference in the Bratz Dolls
Authors: Guerrero Lisa
Published: December 2008

This essay examines the recent shift in children's market popularity away from Barbie towards the hip alterity of the Bratz doll line. Tracing how race, class, and notions of “the other” have transformed the manner in which American girls are reimagining what it means to be stylish, empowered, and womanly, the essay focuses on four spaces of critical inquiry. It first considers the paradoxical investment in racial identities on which the line of Bratz dolls rely. Secondly, it interrogates the gender and sexual politics of the line. The third point of examination is the influence of materialism and commodity culture on the look, feel, and appeal of the line. Finally, it discusses the exoticization within the doll line. The “streetcred” culture with which the line exploits creates a tourist opportunity of the urban imaginary space, as well as racial identities within that space, without the messiness of the urban reality.
Motor Improvement and Corticospinal Modulation Induced by Hybrid Assistive Neuromuscular Dynamic Stimulation (HANDS) Therapy in Patients With Chronic Stroke
Authors: Fujiwara Toshiyuki , Kasashima Yuko , Honaga Kaoru , Muraoka Yoshihiro , Tsuji Tetsuya , Osu Rieko , Hase Kimitaka , Masakado Yoshihisa , Liu Meigen
Published: December 2008

Background and objective . We devised a therapeutic approach to facilitate the use of the hemiparetic upper extremity (UE) in daily life by combining integrated volitional control electrical stimulation with a wrist splint, called hybrid assistive neuromuscular dynamic stimulation (HANDS). Methods. Twenty patients with chronic hemiparetic stroke (median 17.5 months) had moderate to severe UE weakness. Before and immediately after completing 3 weeks of training in 40-minute sessions, 5 days per week over 3 weeks and wearing the system for 8 hours each day, clinical measures of motor impairment, spasticity, and UE functional scores, as well as neurophysiological measures including electromyography activity, reciprocal inhibition, and intracortical inhibition were assessed. A follow-up clinical assessment was performed 3 months later. Results. UE motor function, spasticity, and functional scores improved after the intervention. Neurophysiologically, the intervention induced restoration of presynaptic and long loop inhibitory connections as well as disynaptic reciprocal inhibition. Paired pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation study indicated disinhibition of the short intracortical inhibition in the affected hemisphere. The follow-up assessment showed that improved UE functions were maintained at 3 months. Conclusion. The combination of hand splint and volitional and electrically induced muscle contraction can induce corticospinal plasticity and may offer a promising option for the management of the paretic UE in patients with stroke. A larger sample size with randomized controls is needed to demonstrate effectiveness.
Induction of Cortical Plastic Changes in Wrist Muscles by Paired Associative Stimulation in the Recovery Phase of Stroke Patients
Authors: Castel-Lacanal Evelyne , Marque Philippe , Tardy Jean , de Boissezon Xavier , Guiraud Vincent , Chollet François , Loubinoux Isabelle , Simonetta-Moreau Marion
Published: December 2008

Background. Paired associative stimulation (PAS) combining peripheral nerve and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) have been proposed to induce long-term changes in excitability of the cerebral cortex and potentially optimize motor recovery in stroke patients. Objective. This pilot study examined whether short-lasting changes in cortical excitability could be induced by a single session of PAS within the first months after stroke. Methods. Six hemiparetic patients with a subcortical stroke were included. The single session PAS protocol was applied at 1, 5, and 12 months after stroke. During the follow-up, the clinical recovery of wrist function was assessed in parallel to the PAS study by the Fugl-Meyer motor scale and dynamometry of wrist extension. Results. The PAS protocol induced a significant extensor carpi radialis motor evoked potential facilitation (mean +78.5%) on the paretic side 5 months after stroke. The facilitation was still present 12 months after stroke but on average smaller (+30 %). Conclusions. These electrophysiological findings suggest that patients with subcortical infarcts may respond to PAS in an earlier than later period after stroke. If the clinical efficacy of interventions such as PAS is confirmed, it could be proposed early as add-on therapy to optimize training-induced plasticity processes.
Gaze and Postural Reorientation in the Control of Locomotor Steering After Stroke
Authors: Lamontagne Anouk , Fung Joyce
Published: December 2008

Background. Steering of locomotion is a complex task involving stabilizing and anticipatory orienting behavior essential for the maintenance of balance and for establishing a stable frame of reference for future motor and sensory events. How these mechanisms are affected by stroke remains unknown. Objectives. To compare locomotor steering behavior between stroke and healthy individuals and to determine whether steering abilities are influenced by walking speed, turning direction and walking capacity in stroke individuals. Methods. Gaze and body kinematics were recorded in 8 stroke and 7 healthy individuals while walking and turning in response to a visual cue. Horizontal orientation of gaze, head, thorax, pelvis, and feet with respect to spatial and heading coordinates were examined. Results. Temporal and spatial coordination of gaze and body movements revealed stabilizing and anticipatory orienting mechanisms in the healthy individuals. Changing walking speed affected the onset time but not the sequencing of segment reorientation. In the individuals with stroke, abnormally large and uncoordinated head and gaze motion were observed. The sequence of gaze, head, thorax and pelvis horizontal reorientation also was also disrupted. Alterations in orienting behaviors were more pronounced at the slowest walking speeds and turning to the nonparetic side in 3 of the most severely disabled individuals. Conclusion. The results in this convenience sample of slow and faster walkers suggest that stroke alters the stabilizing and orienting behavior during steering of locomotion. Such alterations are not caused by the inherently slow walking speed, but rather by a combination of biomechanical factors and defective sensorimotor integration, including altered vestibulo-ocular reflexes.
Effects of Food on the Most Commonly Used Medications in School-Age Children
Authors: Lenz Thomas L.
Published: December 2008

Children who consume a nutrient-dense, energy appropriate breakfast have shown health benefits as a result of such actions. Certain medications that children take may be affected by food consumption at breakfast or during other times of the day. A brief review of the dietary considerations that should be addressed for medications used to treat the most common acute and chronic illnesses in school-aged children is presented in this review. This information can help mitigate confusion that often surrounds drug-food interactions and can support optimal drug therapy outcomes. Working to coordinate the nutritional requirements of certain medications is a model for interprofessional care and can lead to optimal health for our children and adolescents.
Helicobacter pylori and Chronic ITP
Authors: Stasi Roberto , Provan Drew
Published: December 2008

Eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection has been variably associated with a platelet response in patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Responses occur in approximately half of ITP patients infected with this bacterium, more frequently in Japan and Italy than in other countries. For those with severe ITP (platelet count < 30 × 109/L) and a long duration of disease, eradication therapy seems to be less effective. Despite extensive efforts, distinctive clinical features and factors predicting the response to eradication therapy have not been consistently identified.

There is no established mechanism to explain how H pylori could be implicated in the pathogenesis of an immune-mediated platelet destruction. Several theories have been proposed to explain the platelet response to anti–H pylori therapy, including molecular mimicry, platelet aggregation, and the induction of a Th1 phenotype that favors the onset and/or persistence of ITP. The role of bacterium-related factors, such as the CagA (cytotoxin-associated gene A) protein, are still under investigation.

Eradication therapy is simple and inexpensive, with limited toxicity and the advantage of avoiding long-term immunosuppressive treatment for those who respond. Although the evidence and follow-up are limited, it appears reasonable to routinely screen patients with ITP for H pylori, particularly in those populations with a high background prevalence of H pylori infection.
The Pathophysiology of ITP Revisited: Ineffective Thrombopoiesis and the Emerging Role of Thrombopoietin Receptor Agonists in the Management of Chronic Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura
Authors: Gernsheimer Terry B.
Published: December 2008

Autoimmune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is characterized by autoantibody-mediated platelet destruction that can be demonstrated by shortened radiolabeled platelet survival. An additional role of ineffective thrombopoiesis was suggested by autologous platelet kinetic studies performed in the 1980s. Sera of patients with ITP have been demonstrated to inhibit megakaryocyte growth in culture supporting the concept of suboptimal platelet production as a contributing factor to the thrombocytopenia. The relatively modest rise in thrombopoietin (TPO) levels in thrombocytopenic patients with ITP has helped to identify the TPO receptor as a potential target for the treatment of ITP. Initial studies with recombinant TPO in patients with ITP were encouraging, and novel compounds designed to stimulate the TPO receptor and resultant pathways have been shown in randomized trials to be effective in raising the platelet count and sustaining it at safe levels. Adverse effects of these agents have been relatively mild, although rare serious events including increased bone marrow reticulin deposition, increased numbers of circulating blasts and thrombosis have occurred, and theoretic risks of stimulation of megakaryocytopoiesis and platelet activation remain a concern. As these agents become available it will be important to identify those patients who will most benefit from their use. The place of these drugs in the current management algorithms of ITP will evolve over time as results of clinical trials with these agents and experience with their use in the clinic clarify short-term and long-term efficacy and potential toxicities.
Management of Hodgkin Lymphoma in Relapse after Autologous Stem Cell Transplant
Authors: Crump Michael
Published: December 2008

Recurrence of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) occurs in about 50% of patients after autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), usually within the first year, and represents a significant therapeutic challenge. The natural history of recurrent HL in this setting may range from a rapidly progressive to a more indolent course. Patients in this setting are often young, without comorbidities and able to tolerate additional therapies: expectations are often still high. The approach to treatment depends on clinical variables (time to relapse, perceived sensitivity to additional cytotoxic therapy, disease stage), prior history of radiation therapy, the availability of an HLA-identical donor, and the availability of new agents via clinical trials. Although very few of these patients can be cured, results from reported series, albeit often small and sometimes with relatively short follow-up, document that excellent disease control can be achieved with radiation, single or multiagent chemotherapy, and reduced-intensity allogeneic transplantation. The results of these approaches will be reviewed, and a treatment algorithm incorporating the use of standard or investigational agents or approaches will be discussed.
How Is Hodgkin Lymphoma in Pregnancy Best Treated?
Authors: Bachanova Veronika , Connors Joseph M.
Published: December 2008

A 26-year-old woman who is 22 weeks into her first pregnancy presents with a new diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). In preparing for her treatment you wonder about the safety and efficacy of chemotherapy during pregnancy.
What Is the Evidence for the Off-label Use of Recombinant Factor VIIa (rFVIIa) in the Acute Reversal of Warfarin?
Authors: Rosovsky Rachel P. , Crowther Mark A.
Published: December 2008

A 47-year-old man presents with hypovolemic shock. He takes warfarin as a result of a mechanical mitral valve insertion 5 years prior, his INR at presentation is 8.4 and emergent CT reveals a very large retroperitoneal hematoma. Despite aggressive fluid and transfusion support he continues hypotensive, requiring ionotrope support. You are asked if he should receive recombinant factor VIIa.