bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tenir lieu de politique
Authors: Linhardt Dominique , Muniesa Fabian
Published: November 2011

Résumé Conçu dans une perspective introductive, cet article se propose de mettre en lumière certains enseignements qui émergent des différentes contributions qui composent le dossier sur les « politiques d’économisation ». En partant du constat que celles-ci mettent en jeu une forme paradoxale de politisation, l’objet est d’attirer l’attention sur trois figures analytiques qui se retrouvent, à des degrés divers et suivant différentes modalités, dans l’ensemble des études présentées. Ce premier inventaire indique que les politiques d’économisation gagnent à être abordées suivant trois dimensions : (1) dans la première dimension, il convient de les comprendre comme un contournement du politique ; (2) dans la deuxième dimension, il convient de les comprendre dans leur opposition au politique ; (3) dans leur troisième dimension, il convient de les comprendre comme des politiques qui ne disent pas leur nom. Ces trois dimensions sont désignées par les notions de « subpolitique », d’« antipolitique » et de « quasi-politique », et font chacune l’objet d’une tentative de caractérisation.
Une « Algérie californienne » ?
Authors: Bernard de Raymond Antoine
Published: November 2011

Résumé Partant de l’expérience de standardisation des fruits et légumes dans l’Algérie coloniale, des années 1930 à l’indépendance, cet article décrit les différents sens que revêt la standardisation et comment celle-ci, en fonction du sens qui lui est donné et de sa portée, peut avoir une dimension politique. Dans son sens économique, la standardisation consiste a minima à homogénéiser certaines caractéristiques du produit fini, et a maxima à transformer l’ensemble des espaces sociaux parmi lesquels il circule pour les aligner sur un même espace de calcul. En l’occurrence, la politique de standardisation menée en Algérie vise à passer d’un capitalisme d’intermédiaires à une « économie concertée », maîtrisée par des coopératives de producteurs, en vue de la conquête de marchés de masse dans un contexte de libre-échange mondial. Mais la standardisation ne remplit pas qu’un but économique : elle s’inscrit dans une logique bureaucratique de technicisation du gouvernement, ainsi que dans un projet politique visant à relancer la colonisation en développant un peuplement dense d’agriculteurs européens à l’intérieur des terres algériennes. Enfin, la standardisation correspond à une logique de transformation des conduites de vie, à la massification de la production et des débouchés, et à l’uniformisation du goût, étant supposées favoriser une forme de pacification de la société. Dans cette dernière acception, la standardisation apparaît paradoxalement comme politique, en ce qu’elle cherche à éviter le politique pour le réduire à l’économique.
Organiser la résistance contre une restructuration lourde
Authors: Beaujolin-Bellet Rachel , Grima François
Published: November 2011

Résumé Les conflits d’opposition aux projets de restructurations lourdes sont souvent intenses. Pour comprendre la construction de ces formes de résistance, nous nous appuyons sur des récits de vie menés auprès de trente-cinq militants syndicaux ayant animé des luttes contre des restructurations lourdes. Dans une situation de fortes tensions comportant des enjeux importants, en termes de maîtrise des actions par le militant syndical, de maintien dans la durée de la mobilisation des salariés, de divergences potentielles sur les finalités de la lutte, mais aussi de conciliation de vies pour le leader syndical lui-même, il apparaît que les actions ouvertes et les actions cachées, les actions collectives et les actions individuelles sont articulées pour organiser la résistance. Cette organisation d’ensemble repose sur un travail d’animation en réseau, pour lequel le militant syndical s’appuie à la fois sur des alliés, sur des dispositifs d’interaction permanente avec les salariés, et sur une équipe restreinte de personnes de confiance. Se pose alors la question des facteurs individuels et contextuels tels qu’ils semblent favoriser l’émergence de ces ressources externes et internes.
Semantic Verification of Business Process Models
Authors: Fellmann Michael , Thomas Oliver , Hogrebe Frank
Published: November 2011

This chapter presents an ontology-driven approach that aims at supporting semantic verification of semi-formal process models. Despite the widespread use of these models in research and practice, innovative solutions are needed in order to address the verification of process model information. But what are the prospects and limitations of semantic verification? In order to investigate this issue we suggest an ontology-driven approach consisting of two steps. The first step is the development of a model for ontology-based representation of process models. In the second step, we use this model to support the semantic verification based on this representation and on machine reasoning. We apply our approach using real-life administrative process models taken from a capital city.
Automated Planning of Process Models
Authors: Heinrich Bernd , Klier Mathias , Zimmermann Steffen
Published: November 2011

Companies need to adapt their processes quickly in order to react to changing customer demands or new regulations, for example. Process models are an appropriate means to support process setup but currently the (re)design of process models is a time-consuming manual task. Semantic Business Process Management, in combination with planning approaches, can alleviate this drawback. This means that the workload of (manual) process modeling could be reduced by constructing models in an automated way. Since existing, traditional planning algorithms show drawbacks for the application in Semantic Business Process Management, we introduce a novel approach that is suitable especially for the Semantic-based Planning of process models. In this chapter, we focus on the semantic reasoning, which is necessary in order to construct control structures, such as decision nodes, which are vital elements of process models. We illustrate our approach by a running example taken from the financial services domain. Moreover, we demonstrate its applicability by a prototype and provide some insights into the evaluation of our approach.
Semantic Annotation of Business Process Templates
Authors: Lin Yun , Strasunskas Darijus
Published: November 2011

Process models represent valuable resources for integration and alignment of business processes. Nowadays, due to networked business and tighter integration along a value chain, the number of enterprises that need to orchestrate their workflows is increasing. These circumstances urge companies to improve management of process models and templates. Machine-readable and interoperable semantics of the process templates facilitate retrieval and reuse. However, the heterogeneity of both model representations and modeling languages makes it difficult to retrieve, comprehend, compare, and reuse the templates. Therefore, in this chapter we elaborate on the semantic annotation of process model templates consisting of three basic parts: meta-model, domain, and goal annotations. For this purpose, we use ontologies representing generic constructs of process models, concepts from a business domain, and business goals. We illustrate application of the approach in OWL and provide a case study with exemplary semantic queries.
Semantic Policies for Modeling Regulatory Process Compliance
Authors: El Kharbili Marwane , Pulvermueller Elke
Published: November 2011

Business process management (BPM) as a paradigm for enterprise planning and governance is nowadays a core discipline of information systems management. Growing up from the first process re-engineering initiatives in the 1980’s, BPM technologies now seek to span all of the organizational silos of enterprises, and also expand vertically from the strategy layers where visions and goals are defined to the lower data transaction layers. Ensuring the compliance of processes to the guidance and control provided to the business by regulations is an obligation to every enterprise. In this work, we motivate the need for automation in compliance management and propose the use of policies as a modeling concept for regulations. We introduce the CASE model for structuring regulatory compliance requirements as policies. Policies shall allow to model regulations at abstraction levels adequate to implementing platform independent mechanisms for policy verification. We describe the CASE model and explain how it can be used to structure and model policies extracted from regulations. This chapter also defines a policy modeling ontology that we propose as a language for formally modeling CASE policies. The basic CASE model and the corresponding policy modeling ontology support compliance of enterprise processes to regulations by enabling automation to compliance checking (verification). The utilization of the CASE method as well as the policy ontology is showcased using an example of resource access control in business processes.
Wnt5a Is Secreted by Follicular Dendritic Cells To Protect Germinal Center B Cells via Wnt/Ca2+/NFAT/NF-κB–B Cell Lymphoma 6 Signaling
Authors: Kim Jungtae , Kim Dong Wook , Chang Wookyoung , Choe Jongseon , Kim Jihun , Park Chan-Sik , Song Kyuyoung , Lee Inchul
Published: November 2011

Follicular dendritic cells (FDCs) protect germinal center (GC) B cells from rapid apoptosis to allow their survival and maturation. In this article, we show that FDCs normally produce and secrete Wnt5a to protect GC B cells. Wnt5a production is upregulated by polyI:C. Purified Wnt5a protects GC B cells from apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. GC B cells are protected by FDC coculture or conditioned medium, and the protection is inhibited significantly by anti-Wnt5a Ab, suggesting a major role of Wnt5a in the FDC-mediated GC B cell protection. A calcium chelator BAPTA-AM blocks the Wnt5a-mediated GC B cell protection, implying a role of Wnt/Ca2+ signaling in the GC B cell survival. Wnt5a and calcium ionophore activate NFATc1, NFATc2, NF-κB, and B cell lymphoma 6 (BCL-6) promptly and upregulate CD40 expression in GC B and Ramos cells, whereas p53 and JNK are not upregulated or activated. Cyclosporine A inhibits the Wnt5a and calcium-induced activation of NF-κB and BCL-6 in Ramos cells, supporting a role of β-catenin–independent Wnt/Ca2+/NFAT/NF-κB–BCL-6 signaling. Our data support that Wnt5a is a novel survival factor for GC B cells and might be a potential target for the regulation of B cell immunity.
Soluble BAFF Levels Inversely Correlate with Peripheral B Cell Numbers and the Expression of BAFF Receptors
Authors: Kreuzaler Matthias , Rauch Melanie , Salzer Ulrich , Birmelin Jennifer , Rizzi Marta , Grimbacher Bodo , Plebani Alessandro , Lougaris Vassilios , Quinti Isabella , Thon Vojtech , Litzman Jiri , Schlesier Michael , Warnatz Klaus , Thiel Jens , Rolink Antonius G. , Eibel Hermann
Published: November 2011

The TNF family member protein BAFF/BLyS is essential for B cell survival and plays an important role in regulating class switch recombination as well as in the selection of autoreactive B cells. In humans, increased concentrations of soluble BAFF are found in different pathological conditions, which may be as diverse as autoimmune diseases, B cell malignancies, and primary Ab deficiencies (PAD). Because the mechanisms that regulate BAFF levels are not well understood, we newly developed a set of mAbs against human BAFF to study the parameters that determine the concentrations of soluble BAFF in circulation. Patients with PAD, including severe functional B cell defects such as BTK, BAFF-R, or TACI deficiency, were found to have higher BAFF levels than asplenic individuals, patients after anti-CD20 B cell depletion, chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients, or healthy donors. In a comparable manner, mice constitutively expressing human BAFF were found to have higher concentrations of BAFF in the absence than in the presence of B cells. Therefore, our data strongly suggest that BAFF steady-state concentrations mainly depend on the number of B cells as well as on the expression of BAFF-binding receptors. Because most patients with PAD have high levels of circulating BAFF, the increase in BAFF concentrations cannot compensate defects in B cell development and function.
The conception and application of justice in S. E. K. Mqhayi’s Ityala Lamawele
Authors: Nyamende Abner
Published: November 2011

There are many ways in which the Xhosa traditional manner of litigation is similar to the western way. There are also ways in which it is different. This article sets out to demonstrate those similarities and differences. In all this the common factor is that both the traditional Xhosa court and the western court as we know it strive to find the truth and to make the judgement as objective as possible. It is evident that Mqhayi was inspired by a biblical text, Genesis 38:27–30 to write a story where the Xhosa custom of finger cutting creates a legal complication. This paper also sets out to illustrate the wisdom of the Xhosa people in their interpretation of the law. The whole story in Mqhayi’s novel is about this court trial and it functions as a brilliant exposition of the Xhosa legal system.
‘Daughteronomy’: Akachi Adimora- Ezeigbo, domestic amazons and patriarchal assumptions in Children of the Eagle
Authors: Nwachukwu-Agbada J. O. J.
Published: November 2011

Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo is one of the outstanding vibrant feminist voices in Nigerian literature today. Her trilogy that started in 1996 was completed in 2002 with the publication of Children of the Eagle. In this novel she underscores the possible place, and role of umuada (women married out of a kin-group) and alutaradi (women married into a kin-group) in a quest to dismantle patriarchy in her Igboland. The novel interrogates patriarchal assumptions about women while pointing to hitherto uncelebrated facets of female panache and comportment in an otherwise unfavourable social and cultural matrix. In this essay, ‘daughteronomy’ refers to her dialogue with daughters married in and out of Umuga in Igboland and their enlistment in the struggle to topple male supremacy. Children of the Eagle fictionalises dimensions of what women know, expresses resistance to the male predispositions towards women while applying tropes that seek to foreground these imputations.
Feminism and the politics of identity in Ingrid de Kok’s Familiar Ground
Authors: Mashige Mashudu C.
Published: November 2011

Through an analysis of selected representative poems from Ingrid de Kok’s Familiar Ground, this article examines the role played by feminist poetry in the quest to address gender-related issues as well as to contribute constructively to South Africa’s liberation from patriarchal apartheid. The article further argues that feminist writers desire to (re)negotiate the space within which they can (re)construct and articulate their identities as women and mothers, and that in such a context the politics of identity cannot be detached from other aspects within the struggle for socio-political and economic emancipation. Thus characteristics of apartheid oppression are contrasted with the patriarchal domination opposed by feminist writers.
Noninvasive Diagnostics of Fetal Anemia
Authors: Ahmed Badreldeen , Vasilj Oliver
Published: November 2011

Even though the use of anti-D immunoglobulin has dramatically decreased the incidence of hemolytic disease of fetus and newborn, it still remains a significant cause of fetal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. The main challenge facing fetal medicine specialists today is not the skill required for invasive therapy, but rather the noninvasive monitoring of the disease so that its progress can be predicted to guide the need and timing of intrauterine transfusions to minimize unnecessary invasive testing. In previous years many different diagnostic tests were proposed but the assessment of middle cerebral artery peak systolic velocity still stands as a gold standard for noninvasive assessment of fetal anemia.
Early Normal and Abnormal Pregnancy
Authors: Yig¢iter Alin Basşgül
Published: November 2011

The high resolution, safety and ease of performance make ultrasound the procedure of choice for routine ultrasonography in the first half of pregnancy as a standard of obstetric care. Transvaginal ultrasound has revolutionized the diagnosis and management of early pregnancy. Pregnancies can be detected earlier compared with abdominal ultrasound, patients reassured by showing normal development, accurate gestational age determination, sufficiently early characterization of multiple pregnancy, early diagnosis of lethal anomalies and screening of chromosomal defects can be done with first trimester ultrasonography. Furthermore, recent introduction of three-dimensional and fourdimensional ultrasounds combined with the transvaginal approach has produced more objective and accurate information on embryonal and early fetal development and made it possible to visualize fascinating aspects of embryonic differentiation.
Hygroscopicity and composition of Alaskan Arctic CCN during April 2008
Authors: Moore R. H. , Bahreini R. , Brock C. A. , Froyd K. D. , Cozic J. , Holloway J. S. , Middlebrook A. M. , Murphy D. M. , Nenes A.
Published: November 2011

Abstract. We present a comprehensive characterization of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) sampled in the Alaskan Arctic during the 2008 Aerosol, Radiation, and Cloud Processes affecting Arctic Climate (ARCPAC) project, a component of the POLARCAT and International Polar Year (IPY) initiatives. Four distinct air mass types were sampled including a cleaner Arctic background and a relatively pristine sea ice boundary layer as well as biomass burning and anthropogenic pollution plumes. Despite differences in chemical composition, inferred aerosol hygroscopicities were fairly invariant and ranged from κ = 0.1–0.3 over the atmospherically-relevant range of water vapor supersaturations studied. Organic aerosols sampled were found to be well-oxygenated, consistent with long-range transport and aerosol aging processes. However, inferred hygroscopicities are less than would be predicted based on previous parameterizations of biogenic oxygenated organic aerosol, suggesting an upper limit on organic aerosol hygroscopicity above which κ is less sensitive to the O:C ratio. Most Arctic aerosols act as CCN above 0.1 % supersaturation, although the data suggest the presence of an externally-mixed, non-CCN-active mode comprising approximately 0–20% of the aerosol number. CCN closure was assessed using measured size distributions, bulk chemical composition, and assumed aerosol mixing states; CCN predictions tended toward overprediction, with the best agreement (±0–20 %) obtained by assuming the aerosol to be externally-mixed with soluble organics. Closure also varied with CCN concentration, and the best agreement was found for CCN concentrations above 100 cm−3 with a 1.5- to 3-fold overprediction at lower concentrations.
Anthropogenic radiative forcing time series from pre-industrial times until 2010
Authors: Skeie R. B. , Berntsen T. K. , Myhre G. , Tanaka K. , Kvalevåg M. M. , Hoyle C. R.
Published: November 2011

Abstract. In order to use knowledge of past climate change to improve our understanding of the sensitivity of the climate system, detailed knowledge about the time development of radiative forcing (RF) of the earth atmosphere system is crucial. In this study, time series of anthropogenic forcing of climate from pre-industrial times until 2010, for all well established forcing agents, are estimated. This includes presentation of RF histories of well mixed greenhouse gases, tropospheric ozone, direct- and indirect aerosol effects, surface albedo changes, stratospheric ozone and stratospheric water vapour. For long lived greenhouse gases, standard methods are used for calculating RF, based on global mean concentration changes. For short lived climate forcers, detailed chemical transport modelling and radiative transfer modelling using historical emission inventories is performed. For the direct aerosol effect, sulphate, black carbon, organic carbon, nitrate and secondary organic aerosols are considered. For aerosol indirect effects, time series of both the cloud lifetime effect and the cloud albedo effect are presented. Radiative forcing time series due to surface albedo changes are calculated based on prescribed changes in land use and radiative transfer modelling. For the stratospheric components, simple scaling methods are used. Long lived greenhouse gases (LLGHGs) are the most important radiative forcing agent with a RF of 2.83±0.28 W m−2 in year 2010 relative to 1750. The two main aerosol components contributing to the direct aerosol effect are black carbon and sulphate, but their contributions are of opposite sign. The total direct aerosol effect was −0.48±0.32 W m−2 in year 2010. Since pre-industrial times the positive RF (LLGHGs and tropospheric O3) has been offset mainly by the direct and indirect aerosol effects, especially in the second half of the 20th century, which possibly lead to a decrease in the total anthropogenic RF in the middle of the century. We find a total anthropogenic RF in year 2010 of 1.4 W m−2. However, the uncertainties in the negative RF from aerosols are large, especially for the cloud lifetime effect.
First detection of tidal behaviour in polar mesospheric water vapour by ground-based microwave spectroscopy
Authors: Hallgren K. , Hartogh P.
Published: November 2011

Abstract. Mesospheric water vapour has been observed above ALOMAR in Northern Norway (69° N 16° E) by our group since 1995 using a 22 GHz ground-based microwave spectrometer. A new instrument with higher sensitivity, providing a much better time resolution especially in the upper mesosphere, was installed in May 2008. The time resolution is high enough to provide observations of daily variations in the water vapour mixing ratio. We present the first ground-based detections of tidal behaviour in the polar middle atmospheric water vapour distribution. Daily variations of water vapour have been observed and due to the long chemical lifetime of water they are assumed to be caused by changing wind patterns which transport water-rich or poor air into the observed region. The detected tidal behaviour does not follow any single other dynamical field but is instead assumed to be a result of the different wind components. Both the diurnal and semidiurnal amplitude and phase components are resolved. The former shows a stable seasonal behaviour consistent with earlier observations of wind fields and model calculations, whereas the latter appears more complex and no regular behaviour has so far been observed.
A molecular perspective on the ageing of marine dissolved organic matter
Authors: Flerus R. , Koch B. P. , Lechtenfeld O. J. , McCallister S. L. , Schmitt-Kopplin P. , Benner R. , Kaiser K. , Kattner G.
Published: November 2011

Abstract. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) was extracted with solid phase extraction (SPE) from 137 water samples from different climate zones and different depths along an Eastern Atlantic Ocean transect. The extracts were analyzed with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) with electrospray ionization (ESI). Δ14C analyses were performed on subsamples of the SPE-DOM. In addition, the amount of dissolved organic carbon was determined for all water and SPE-DOM samples as well as the yield of amino sugars for selected samples. Linear correlations were observed between the magnitudes of 43 % of the FT-ICR mass peaks and the extract Δ14C values. Decreasing SPE-DOM Δ14C values went along with a shift in the molecular composition to higher average masses (m/z) and lower hydrogen/carbon (H/C) ratios. The correlation was used to model the SPE-DOM Δ14C distribution for all 137 samples. Based on single mass peaks a degradation index was developed to compare the degradation state of marine SPE-DOM samples analyzed with FT-ICR MS. A correlation between Δ14C, degradation index, DOC values and amino sugar yield supports that SPE-DOM analyzed with FT-ICR MS reflects trends of bulk DOM. A relative mass peak magnitude ratio was used to compare aged SPE-DOM and fresh SPE-DOM regarding single mass peaks. The magnitude ratios show a continuum of different reactivities for the single compounds. Only few of the compounds present in the FT-ICR mass spectra are expected to be highly degraded in the oldest water masses of the Pacific Ocean. All other compounds should persist partly thermohaline circulation. Prokaryotic (bacterial) production, transformation and accumulation of this very stable DOM occurs probably primarily in the upper ocean. This DOM is an important contribution to very old DOM, showing that production and degradation are dynamic processes.
Spring-summer temperatures reconstructed for northern Switzerland and southwestern Germany from winter rye harvest dates, 1454–1970
Authors: Wetter O. , Pfister C.
Published: November 2011

Abstract. This paper presents a unique 517-yr long documentary data-based reconstruction of spring-summer (MAMJJ) temperatures for northern Switzerland and south-western Germany from 1454 to 1970. It is composed of 25 partial series of winter grain (secale cereale) harvest starting dates (WGHD) that are partly based on harvest related bookkeeping of institutions (hospitals, municipalities), partly on (early) phenological observations. The resulting main Basel WGHD series was homogenised with regard to dating style, data type and altitude. The calibration and verification approach was applied using the homogenous HISTALP temperature series from 1774–1824 for calibration (r = 0.78) and from 1920–1970 for verification (r = 0.75). The latter result even suffers from the weak data base available for 1870–1950. Temperature reconstructions based on WGHD are more influenced by spring temperatures than those based on grape harvest dates (GHD), because rye in contrast to vines already begins to grow as soon as sunlight brings the plant to above freezing. The earliest and latest harvest dates were checked for consistency with narrative documentary weather reports. Comparisons with other European documentary-based GHD and WGHD temperature reconstructions generally reveal significant correlations decreasing with the distance from Switzerland. The new Basel WGHD series shows better skills in representing highly climate change sensitive variations of Swiss Alpine glaciers than available GHD series.
Jet stream wind power as a renewable energy resource: little power, big impacts
Authors: Miller L. M. , Gans F. , Kleidon A.
Published: November 2011

Abstract. Jet streams are regions of sustained high wind speeds in the upper atmosphere and are seen by some as a substantial renewable energy resource. However, jet streams are nearly geostrophic flow, that is, they result from the balance between the pressure gradient and Coriolis force in the near absence of friction. Therefore, jet stream motion is associated with very small generation rates of kinetic energy to maintain the high wind velocities, and it is this generation rate that will ultimately limit the potential use of jet streams as a renewable energy resource. Here we estimate the maximum limit of jet stream wind power by considering extraction of kinetic energy as a term in the free energy balance of kinetic energy that describes the generation, depletion, and extraction of kinetic energy. We use this balance as the basis to quantify the maximum limit of how much kinetic energy can be extracted sustainably from the jet streams of the global atmosphere as well as the potential climatic impacts of its use. We first use a simple thought experiment of geostrophic flow to demonstrate why the high wind velocities of the jet streams are not associated with a high potential for renewable energy generation. We then use an atmospheric general circulation model to estimate that the maximum sustainable extraction from jet streams of the global atmosphere is about 7.5 TW. This estimate is about 200-times less than previous estimates and is due to the fact that the common expression for instantaneous wind power 12 ρv3 merely characterizes the transport of kinetic energy by the flow, but not the generation rate of kinetic energy. We also find that when maximum wind power is extracted from the jet streams, it results in significant climatic impacts due to a substantial increase of heat transport across the jet streams in the upper atmosphere. This results in upper atmospheric temperature differences of >20 °C, greater atmospheric stability, substantial reduction in synoptic activity, and substantial differences in surface climate. We conclude that jet stream wind power does not have the potential to become a significant source of renewable energy.
Simulating the mid-Pliocene climate with the MIROC general circulation model: experimental design and initial results
Authors: Chan W.-L. , Abe-Ouchi A. , Ohgaito R.
Published: November 2011

Abstract. Recently, PlioMIP (Pliocene Model Intercomparison Project) was established to assess the ability of various climate models to simulate the mid-Pliocene warm period (mPWP), 3.3–3.0 million years ago. We use MIROC4m, a fully coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation model (AOGCM), and its atmospheric component alone to simulate the mPWP, utilizing up-to-date data sets designated in PlioMIP as boundary conditions and adhering to the protocols outlined. In this paper, a brief description of the model is given, followed by an explanation of the experimental design and implementation of the boundary conditions, such as topography and sea surface temperature. Initial results show increases of approximately 10°C in the zonal mean surface air temperature at high latitudes accompanied by a decrease in the equator-to-pole temperature gradient. Temperatures in the tropical regions increase more in the AOGCM. However, warming of the AOGCM sea surface in parts of the northern North Atlantic Ocean and Nordic Seas is less than that suggested by proxy data. An investigation of the model-data discrepancies and further model intercomparison studies can lead to a better understanding of the mid-Pliocene climate and of its role in assessing future climate change.
A trading-space-for-time approach to probabilistic continuous streamflow predictions in a changing climate – accounting for changing watershed behavior
Authors: Singh R. , Wagener T. , van Werkhoven K. , Mann M. E. , Crane R.
Published: November 2011

Abstract. Projecting how future climatic change might impact streamflow is an important challenge for hydrologic science. The common approach to solve this problem is by forcing a hydrologic model, calibrated on historical data or using a priori parameter estimates, with future scenarios of precipitation and temperature. However, several recent studies suggest that the climatic regime of the calibration period is reflected in the resulting parameter estimates and model performance can be negatively impacted if the climate for which projections are made is significantly different from that during calibration. So how can we calibrate a hydrologic model for historically unobserved climatic conditions? To address this issue, we propose a new trading-space-for-time framework that utilizes the similarity between the predictions under change (PUC) and predictions in ungauged basins (PUB) problems. In this new framework we first regionalize climate dependent streamflow characteristics using 394 US watersheds. We then assume that this spatial relationship between climate and streamflow characteristics is similar to the one we would observe between climate and streamflow over long time periods at a single location. This assumption is what we refer to as trading-space-for-time. Therefore, we change the limits for extrapolation to future climatic situations from the restricted locally observed historical variability to the variability observed across all watersheds used to derive the regression relationships. A typical watershed model is subsequently calibrated (conditioned) on the predicted signatures for any future climate scenario to account for the impact of climate on model parameters within a Bayesian framework. As a result, we can obtain ensemble predictions of continuous streamflow at both gauged and ungauged locations. The new method is tested in five US watersheds located in historically different climates using synthetic climate scenarios generated by increasing mean temperature by up to 8 °C and changing mean precipitation by −30% to +40% from their historical values. Depending on the aridity of the watershed, streamflow projections using adjusted parameters became significantly different from those using historically calibrated parameters if precipitation change exceeded −10% or +20%. In general, the trading-space-for-time approach resulted in a stronger watershed response to climate change for both high and low flow conditions.
The Real and Monetary Impacts of Exogenous Economic Disturbances Upon Centrally Planned Economies: With an Application to Poland
Authors: Kemme David M.
Published: November 2011

The impact of international economic disturbances upon the centrallyplanned economies (CPEs) of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe has been aparticularly important area of research. Neuberger and Tyson (1980) and thenumerous contributors to that volume provide a bench mark for the developmentof open economy macroeconomics of CPEs. This paper provides an extension ofthe work of Wolf ( 1978b), ( 1980), inter alia, for the CPE and modifiedcentrally planned economy (MCPE). The analysis below explicitly considers thereal and monetary impacts of exogenous disturbances in a model with two typesof monies - enterprise deposits and household currency - and both consumergoods and intermediate products (or capital services), each of which may havea fixed or market determined price. The model is unique not only in itsdetail but also in that it provides a flow of funds approach whichincorporates wealth effects. The fundamental result is that exogenousdisturbances do have an impact - either real or monetary - upon the domesticeconomy of the CPE even though price-equalization taxes or subsidies eliminatethe most direct potential impacts. Only via a finely tuned policy of price ortax (subsidy) adjustments or the imposition of trade controls can the impactbe completely eliminated. This result is contrary to the accepted wisdom thatthe price-equalization mechanism in CPEs completely and automaticallyinsulates the domestic economy.
Visegrad Turns Ten
Authors: Rhodes Matthew
Published: November 2011

Eleven years after its formal creation and eight years after its apparent demise, Visegnid is back. Persisting charges of"dilettantism" notwithstanding, 1 leaders of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary have recently engaged in a flurry of activity self-consciously recommitting their countries to the regional initiative embraced by their predecessors at the outset of the postcommunist era.
“Istria Is Ours, and We Can Prove It”: An Examination of Istrian Historiography in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries
Authors: Ashbrook John E.
Published: November 2011

Istrian historiography written throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries tends to refl ect the often contentious discourse between Italian irredentists and Slavic nationalists relating to the peninsula’s nature and belonging. On the one hand, Italian historians and polemicists suggest that Istria and Istrianity were primarily Italian, and therefore the region should be part of an Italian state. Until the end of the Trieste Crisis in 1954, many Italians continued to debate the nature of the region and its population, but the frequency of such publications tapered off with most of the peninsula falling to communist Yugoslavia. On the other hand, Croatian scholars and polemicists claimed the region and its population were thoroughly Slavic, and that Italians historically were aggressors and oppressors. However, another group of scholars has entered the debate, suggesting that Istrian identity is a hybrid, and this hybridity has historical roots. Its population, they claim, professes and promotes an Istrian identity, which consists of Slovene, Croatian, and Italian infl uences. The new camp reflects the continued politicization of identity in Istria into the 1990s, by both nation-building Croatian nationalists seeking the construction of a monolithic Croatian identity and regionalists searching for more regional and local autonomy. This illuminates the historic and contemporary political and social struggles to ascribe some kind of belonging to this contested borderland region.
Understanding Acetabular Cup Orientation: The Importance of Convention and Defining the Safe Zone
Authors: Ng Vincent Y. , Mcshane Michael A.
Published: November 2011

Understanding acetabular cup orientation is important in all aspects of total hip arthroplasty including preoperative planning, intraoperative positioning, and postoperative analysis. New concepts in ideal cup orientation such as ‘combined anteversion’ have emerged. Using computer navigation and three-dimensional imaging, the potential for accuracy and precision of implantation have improved. Nevertheless, the varying manner in which the terms “anteversion” and “abduction” are often used in the literature is indicative of a nebulous understanding of the complex spatial anatomy of acetabular cup orientation.
Conversion of a Long Distally Fixed Uncemented Revision Femoral Stem to a Proximally Fixed Implant following Fatigue Fracture
Authors: Young Peter S. , Middleton Rory G. , Learmonth Ian D. , Minhas Tahawwar Hasnat A.
Published: November 2011

There has been increasing focus on bone conservation through proximal fixation in primary hip arthroplasty. However, the debate regarding fixation in revision arthroplasty and which factors influence implant choice remains less clear-cut. We report a case involving fatigue fracture of a long, distally well-fixed, uncemented revision stem. This was revised to a proximally fixed implant. This case highlights a number of issues when considering the choice of implant in hip revision surgery and raises the issue of bone conservation in revision surgery. We would suggest that in both primary and revision hip arthroplasty meticulous pre-operative consideration of the choice of implant should be undertaken, especially in the younger patient with higher expectations and functional demands.
Differences in 5-hydroxytryptamine-3B haplotype frequencies between Asians and Caucasians
Authors: Perwitasari Dyah A. , Van Der Straaten Robert J.H.M. , Mustofa Mustofa , Wessels Judith A.M. , Gelderblom Hans , Guchelaar Henk-Jan
Published: November 2011

Background

The 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT3) receptor is a ligand-operated ion channel with five different receptor subunits (5-HT3A, B, C, D, and E) found in humans. Activation of 5-HT3 receptors influences various effects such as drug-induced emesis and causes behavioral problems such as anxiety, depression and cognitive disorders. To explore interethnic differences in the response to 5-HT3 antagonists, we studied haplotype frequencies in the gene encoding the 5-HT3B receptor in Asians and Caucasians.

Methods

Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the 5-HT3B receptor gene, i.e., deletion AAG at the 5′-UTR position, 18792A>G at the intron position, and 46698G>A at the 3′ near gene position, were selected and genotyped in 165 Indonesian cancer patients and 188 Caucasian healthy volunteers. Haplotypes were set with gPlink, whereas the differences in haplotype frequencies between Indonesians and Caucasians were compared using multivariate analysis.

Results

The haplotype profiles based on the deletion AAG, 18792A>G and 46698G>A were AAGAA, AAGAG, AAGGG, and deletion AG in both Indonesians and Caucasians. The frequency of the AAGAG haplotype was 54.8% in Indonesians and 39.9% in Caucasians (p<0.05). The frequency of the AAGGG haplotype was 14.3% in Indonesians and 29.3% in Caucasians. Moreover, there were significant differences in the frequencies of haplotype pairs between Indonesians and Caucasians (p<0.001).

Conclusion

Indonesian cancer patients had significantly different AAGAG and AAGGG haplotype frequencies of the gene encoding the 5-HT3B receptor compared to healthy Caucasians. This finding could be useful for understanding interethnic differences in the response to drugs targeting the 5-HT3B receptor in cancer-treatment-related emesis.
Proteolytic Profile of Cysteine Proteases and Inhibitors Determines Tumor Cell Phenotype in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck
Authors: Strojan Primož , Aničin Aleksandar , Svetic Branka , Šmid Lojze , Kos Janko
Published: November 2011

The hypothesis was tested that a specific pattern in the cysteine cathepsin/inhibitor ratio is associated with the development of more aggressive tumor cell phenotypes in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). For this purpose commercially available ELISAs were used to determine the concentrations of cysteine cathepsins B and L and their inhibitors, stefins A and B, in cytosols of nontumorous mucosa and primary tumors from 92 patients. Using the stefin A concentration difference in matched pairs of tissue samples as a stratifying variable, 53 cases were found to be upregulated (higher concentrations in tumor samples than in nontumorous mucosa) and 39 cases downregulated. Disease recurrence was more frequent in the downregulated group than in the upregulated group (35.9% vs 11.3%, p=0.009), which resulted in significantly different 5-year disease-free survival rates (61.2% vs 88%, p=0.004). The consistency of these results was confirmed by repeating the analysis in an independent group of patients (the reference group). The presented results suggest that in patients with SCCHN, specific patterns in the proteolytic profile of cysteine proteases and their inhibitors are associated with the development of distinctly aggressive tumor cell phenotypes and are of prognostic value.
Married Life, Gay Life as a Work of Art, and Eternal Life:
Authors: Vatter Miguel
Published: November 2011

This article examines the motif of eternal life in Walter Benjamin’s work. Whereas myth understands natality and sexuality as characterized by guilt and deserving of death, this article argues that Benjamin seeks to develop an alternative conception of life that is no longer caught up in guilt and thus no longer fated to die—this is the idea of eternal life. By offering a reading of Benjamin’s essay on Goethe’s Elective Affinities, the article maintains that for Benjamin the possibility of eternal life was always linked to a sexual politics that turns around the problematization of heterosexual, patriarchal conceptions of married life. The outlines of this sexual politics are then further traced in his later work on Baudelaire and compared with Foucault’s reading of Baudelaire in the context of working out an idea of life as a work of art.
Low-Dose Corticosteroids for Critically Ill Adults With Severe Pulmonary Infections
Authors: Pirracchio Romain , Venkatesh Balasubramanian , Legrand Matthieu
Published: June 2024

Importance

Severe pulmonary infections, including COVID-19, community-acquired pneumonia, influenza, and Pneumocystis pneumonia, are a leading cause of death among adults worldwide. Pulmonary infections in critically ill patients may cause septic shock, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or both, which are associated with mortality rates ranging between 30% and 50%.

Observations

Corticosteroids mitigate the immune response to infection and improve outcomes for patients with several types of severe pulmonary infections. Low-dose corticosteroids, defined as less than or equal to 400 mg hydrocortisone equivalent daily, can reduce mortality of patients with severe COVID-19, community-acquired pneumonia, and Pneumocystis pneumonia. A randomized clinical trial of 6425 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 who required supplemental oxygen or noninvasive or invasive mechanical ventilation reported that dexamethasone 6 mg daily for 10 days decreased 28-day mortality (23% vs 26%). A meta-analysis that included 7 randomized clinical trials of 1689 patients treated in the intensive care unit for severe bacterial community-acquired pneumonia reported that hydrocortisone equivalent less than or equal to 400 mg daily for 8 days or fewer was associated with lower 30-day mortality compared with placebo (10% vs 16%). In a meta-analysis of 6 randomized clinical trials, low-dose corticosteroids were associated with lower mortality rates compared with placebo for patients with HIV and moderate to severe Pneumocystis pneumonia (13% vs 25%). In a predefined subgroup analysis of a trial of low-dose steroid treatment for septic shock, patients with community-acquired pneumonia randomized to 7 days of intravenous hydrocortisone 50 mg every 6 hours and fludrocortisone 50 μg daily had decreased mortality compared with the placebo group (39% vs 51%). For patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome caused by various conditions, low-dose corticosteroids were associated with decreased in-hospital mortality (34% vs 45%) according to a meta-analysis of 8 studies that included 1091 patients. Adverse effects of low-dose corticosteroids may include hyperglycemia, gastrointestinal bleeding, neuropsychiatric disorders, muscle weakness, hypernatremia, and secondary infections.

Conclusions and Relevance

Treatment with low-dose corticosteroids is associated with decreased mortality for patients with severe COVID-19 infection, severe community-acquired bacterial pneumonia, and moderate to severe Pneumocystis pneumonia (for patients with HIV). Low-dose corticosteroids may also benefit critically ill patients with respiratory infections who have septic shock, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or both.