bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Healing Touch in Clinical Practice
Authors: Anderson Joel G. , Taylor Ann Gill
Published: January 2011

Hands-on healing and energy-based interventions have been found in cultures throughout history around the world. These complementary therapies, rooted in ancient Eastern healing practices, are becoming mainstream. Healing Touch, a biofield therapy that arose in the nursing field in the late 1980s, is used in a variety of settings (i.e., pain centers, surgical settings, and private practices) with reported benefits (i.e., decreased anxiety, pain, and depressive behaviors; increased relaxation and a sense of well-being). However, clinical trial data concerning the effectiveness of Healing Touch have not been evaluated using a systematic, evidence-based approach. Thus, this systematic review is aimed at critically evaluating the data from randomized clinical trials examining the clinical efficacy of Healing Touch as a supportive care modality for any medical condition.
To Cry or Not to Cry
Authors: Davenport Lisa A. , Hall Joanne M.
Published: January 2011

In this article, the authors analyze the concept of professional vulnerability, as it relates to crying and the nursing profession. The span of potential professional vulnerability extends through all the nursing clinical, academic, and research environments. A dimensional analysis is the method used to analyze systematically how the concept of professional vulnerability is socially constructed and contextually situated in nursing. Professional vulnerability is demonstrated to have both negative and positive significances. Nurses’ construction of vulnerability as a strength makes a significant difference in providing effective, positive holistic care. The objective of this analysis is to challenge the conventional views toward emotional and moral vulnerability in particular, leading to a holistic vision of hope and encouragement to benefit the future of nursing.
Low molecular weight heparin administration in cancer patients with hypercoagulability-related complications and carrying brain metastases: A case series study
Authors: Vitale Felice Vito , Rotondo Stefano , Sessa Edoardo , Parisi Alessandra , Giaimo Valentina , D’Angelo Alessandro , Antonelli Giovanna , Romeo Placido , Ferraù Francesco
Published: January 2011

Background. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) and brain metastases (MTS) are significant clinical problems in the cancer patient population. Brain MTS and deep vein thrombosis are life-threatening conditions because of the risk of fatal endocranic hypertension and pulmonary embolism. Low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) is a major treatment for cancer patients suffering from VTE with regard to the management of the acute phase and subsequent secondary prophylaxis. Treatment with anticoagulants is feared because of the risk of triggering a massive intracranial hemorrhage.

Methods. The medical records of patients with hypercoagulability-related complications and carrying brain MTS treated with LMWH, in a 10-year period, were scrutinized. The authors aimed to focus on the occurrence of intracranial hemorrhage in anticoagulated patients; furthermore, data were collected with regard to the characteristics of the administered LMWHs along with the duration and dosing of the anticoagulative treatment.

Results. A total of 38 patients (pts) carrying an intracranial metastatic tumor were administered LMWHs: calcium nadroparin (32 pts); enoxaparin (2 pts); reviparin (2 pts); parnaparin (2 pts). Reason for LMWH therapy: deep vein thrombosis and/or pulmonary embolism (15 pts); superficial thrombophlebitis (15 pts); intracardiac thrombus (1 pt); mild DIC (5 pts); acute DIC (1 pt); Raynaud phenomenon (1 pt); atrial fibrillation (1 pt). Median duration of LMWH therapy: 13 weeks (range 1–52). None of the patients developed clinical and/or radiographic findings imputable to intracranial hemorrhage.

Conclusion. There is no standard medical approach for the management of patients who require anticoagulant treatment and are suffering from brain MTS. These patients as necessary, might be anticoagulated with LMWH and its dose reduction is to be considered.
A Swedish national post-marketing surveillance study of natalizumab treatment in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Holmén Carolina , Piehl Fredrik , Hillert Jan , Fogdell-Hahn Anna , Lundkvist Malin , Karlberg Elin , Nilsson Petra , Dahle Charlotte , Feltelius Nils , Svenningsson Anders , Lycke Jan , Olsson Tomas
Published: January 2011

Background: A post marketing surveillance study was conducted to evaluate safety and efficacy of natalizumab in Swedish multiple sclerosis (MS) patients since its introduction in August 2006 until March 2010.

Methods: Patients were registered in the web-based Swedish MS-registry at 40 locations and evaluated every 6 months. Adverse events and clinical outcomes were recorded.

Results: One thousand one hundred and fifty-two patients were included (71.4% female) and 149 patients stopped treatment; the main reason was planned pregnancy. Anti-natalizumab antibodies were found in 4.5% (52 patients) of which 1.6% displayed persistent antibodies. Serious adverse events were rare, but included three cases with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). There were seven fatal cases, probably unrelated to the natalizumab treatment. For relapsing–remitting MS patients ( n = 901), mean Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS, −10.7%), Multiple Sclerosis Severity Scale (MSSS, −20.4%), Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale (MSIS-29, physical −9.9%, psychological −13.3%) and Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT, +10.7%) all showed significant improvements during 24 months of treatment with natalizumab. The Swedish web-based MS quality registry proved to function as a platform for post-marketing MS drug surveillance, providing long-term data regarding drug effects and adverse events beyond clinical trials.

Conclusions: Our results indicate that natalizumab is generally well tolerated and has sustained efficacy for patients with active MS, though the risk of PML is still an important concern.
Intracranial venous pressure is normal in patients with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Meyer-Schwickerath Rolf , Haug Christian , Hacker Annette , Fink Frauke , Seidel Dietmar , Hartung Hans-Peter , Haupts Michael R
Published: January 2011

Chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) has been postulated as a cause for multiple sclerosis (MS). Venous pressure assessments have not been made. Intracranial venous pressure was assessed using ophthalmodynamometry in 29 MS patients and compared with 28 healthy controls and 19 cases with elevated intracranial pressure (ICP). MS and control subjects had normal venous pressures (mean 15.5 resp. 15.1 cmHg). Only cases with intracranial pressure pathology had elevated venous pressures (mean 28.8 cmHg). There is no evidence of an increased intracranial venous pressure in MS patients.
Configurative Domains in Child Health Research: Sudden Infant Death in the Swedish Medical Journal
Authors: Brännström Inger
Published: January 2011

The aim of present investigation is to discover publishing portrayals embedded in sudden infant death informatics disseminated by a medical journal at regional level. In particular, gender configurative domains regarding health policy and nursing practices are scrutinized. A qualitative literature review was performed using a critical discourse analytical approach. The full texts of 55 articles/comments published within the field by the Swedish Medical Journal from January 1, 1980 to March 6, 2007 were examined. Four configurative domains were recognized as setting the agenda and as working throughout the reviewed text viz., (a) the clinical—medical episteme, (b) the individualized family domain, (c) gender domains in prevention and nursing practices, and finally (d) the configurative entry into gendered academic writing of the subject in view. The skewed gendered publishing portrayals observed were consistent throughout more than two decades. Gender analysis in child health research is highlighted.
Toward Standardization (Part 1): Assessment of State and National Nursing Workforce Data Sources
Authors: Nooney Jennifer G. , Cleary Brenda L. , Moulton Patricia , Wiebusch Pamela L. , Murray Jennifer L. , Yore Michelle , Brunell Mary Lou
Published: January 2011

Despite concerns expressed over the past 25 years, little progress has been made in improving the accuracy, availability, and timeliness of national data on the U.S. nursing workforce. In Part 1 of this two-part series, we review the current national data sources on nurse supply, demand, and education programs. We discuss the advantages that state-level data collection efforts enjoy in many states and propose that national data sets could be easily and cost-effectively built from state-level contributions— if states collected a standardized set of information. As part of a larger effort to standardize state-level data, from July to December 2008, we analyzed surveys and codebooks from 26 states collecting nurse workforce data. We present the results of this data assessment and conclude that data collection practices as of 2008 varied substantially from state to state. Creation and adoption of standardized minimum nursing workforce data sets is suggested to bring states into alignment.
Impact of California Mandated Acute Care Hospital Nurse Staffing Ratios: A Literature Synthesis
Authors: Donaldson Nancy , Shapiro Susan
Published: January 2011

California is the first state to enact legislation mandating minimum nurse-to-patient ratios at all times in acute care hospitals. This synthesis examines 12 studies of the impact of California’s ratios on patient care cost, quality, and outcomes in acute care hospitals. A key finding from this synthesis is that the implementation of minimum nurse-to-patient ratios reduced the number of patients per licensed nurse and increased the number of worked nursing hours per patient day in hospitals. Another finding is that there were no significant impacts of these improved staffing measures on measures of nursing quality and patient safety indicators across hospitals. A critical observation may be that adverse outcomes did not increase despite the increasing patient severity reflected in case mix index. We cautiously posit that this finding may actually suggest an impact of ratios in preventing adverse events in the presence of increased patient risk.
Matrix-Associated and Autologous Chondrocyte Transplantation in the Ankle
Authors: Nehrer Stefan , Domayer S.E. , Hirschfeld Clemens , Stelzeneder David , Trattnig Siegfried , Dorotka Ronald
Published: January 2011

Background:

New matrix-associated autologous chondrocyte transplantation (MACT) techniques may facilitate the treatment of chondral defects in talar cartilage and provide good clinical outcome in the long term. The aim of this prospective case series was to monitor the clinical outcome after autologous chondrocyte transplantation (ACT) and MACT in the ankle to gain data on the mid-term efficacy of the procedure.

Methods:

Seventeen cases of talar cartilage defects were assessed with the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Score (AOFAS), a modified Cincinnati score, and a subjective ankle-hindfoot score (AHS) at a mean of 61 (24-135) months after surgery. Nine patients consented to an additional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam, including T2 mapping at 3T. ACT was carried out with a periosteal flap (4 cases) or with a matrix-assisted ACT technique (Hyalograft C; 13 cases).

Results:

Significant improvement was found in all cases. The AOFAS improved from 50.0 to 87.3, the AHS from 43.8 to 84.1, and the modified Cincinnati score from 2.9 to 6.9. MRI data demonstrated good defect filling, and T2 mapping results indicated that the collagen and water content of the repair tissue was comparable to adjacent cartilage.

Discussion:

MACT and ACT in the ankle can provide good and excellent long-term outcome and resulted in repair tissue with T2 properties similar to native cartilage in the majority of cases. Matrix-assisted implantation with the hyaluronan matrix allows for a less invasive surgical procedure.

Level of evidence:

4; prospective case series study.
Defective nonhomologous end joining blocks B-cell development in FLT3/ITD mice
Authors: Li Li , Zhang Li , Fan Jinshui , Greenberg Kathleen , Desiderio Stephen , Rassool Feyruz V. , Small Donald
Published: January 2011

We have generated an FLT3/ITD knock-in mouse model in which mice with an FLT3/ITD mutation develop myeloproliferative disease (MPD) and a block in early B-lymphocyte development. To elucidate the role of FLT3/ITD signaling in B-cell development, we studied VDJ recombination in the pro-B cells of FLT3/ITD mice and discovered an increased frequency of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) introduced by the VDJ recombinase. Early pro-B cells from FLT3/ITD mice were found to have a lower efficiency and decreased accuracy of DSB repair by nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ), which is required for rejoining DSBs during VDJ recombination. Reduced NHEJ repair probably results from reduced expression of Ku86, a key component of the classic DNA-PK-dependent NHEJ pathway. In compensation, early pro-B cells from FLT3/ITD cells mice show increased levels of the alternative, and highly error-prone, NHEJ pathway protein PARP1, explaining the increase in repair errors. These data suggest that, in early pro-B cells from FLT3/ITD mice, impairment of classic NHEJ decreases the ability of cells to complete postcleavage DSB ligation, resulting in failure to complete VDJ recombination and subsequent block of B-lymphocyte maturation. These findings might explain the poor prognosis of leukemia patients with constitutive activation of FLT3 signaling.
Epigenetic modification of the human CCR6 gene is associated with stable CCR6 expression in T cells
Authors: Steinfelder Svenja , Floess Stefan , Engelbert Dirk , Haeringer Barbara , Baron Udo , Rivino Laura , Steckel Bodo , Gruetzkau Andreas , Olek Sven , Geginat Jens , Huehn Jochen , Hamann Alf
Published: January 2011

CCR6 is a chemokine receptor expressed on Th17 cells and regulatory T cells that is induced by T-cell priming with certain cytokines, but how its expression and stability are regulated at the molecular level is largely unknown. Here, we identified and characterized a noncoding region of the human CCR6 locus that displayed unmethylated CpG motifs (differentially methylated region [DMR]) selectively in CCR6+ lymphocytes. CCR6 expression on circulating CD4+ T cells was stable on cytokine-induced proliferation but partially down-regulated on T-cell receptor stimulation. However, CCR6 down-regulation was mostly transient, and the DMR within the CCR6 locus remained demethylated. Notably, in vitro induction of CCR6 expression with cytokines in T-cell receptor-activated naive CD4+ T cells was not associated with a demethylated DMR and resulted in unstable CCR6 expression. Conversely, treatment with the DNA methylation inhibitor 5′-azacytidine induced demethylation of the DMR and led to increased and stable CCR6 expression. Finally, when cloned into a reporter gene plasmid, the DMR displayed transcriptional activity in memory T cells that was suppressed by DNA methylation. In summary, we have identified a noncoding region of the human CCR6 gene with methylation-sensitive transcriptional activity in CCR6+ T cells that controls stable CCR6 expression via epigenetic mechanisms.
IRF8 and IRF3 cooperatively regulate rapid interferon-β induction in human blood monocytes
Authors: Li Peng , Wong Joyce Jing-Yi , Sum Calvin , Sin Wei-Xiang , Ng Kok-Quan , Koh Mickey B. C. , Chin Keh-Chuang
Published: January 2011

Robust and rapid induction of interferon-β (IFN-β) in monocytes after pathogenic stimulation is a hallmark of innate immune responses. Here, we reveal the molecular mechanism underlying this key property that is exclusive to human blood monocytes. We found that IFN-β was produced rapidly in primary human monocytes as a result of cooperation between the myeloid-specific transcription factor IRF8 and the ubiquitous transcription factor IRF3. Knockdown of IRF8 in monocytes abrogated IFN-β transcription, whereas reintroduction of IRF8 into the IRF8−/− 32Dcl3 murine myeloid cell line reinstated IFN-β transcription. Moreover, we provide evidence that IRF8 constitutively binds to the ETS/IRF composite element of the IFN-β promoter region together with PU.1 in vivo. Furthermore we uncovered a requirement for IRF3, a master regulator of IFN-β production, as a previously un-indentified interaction partner of IRF8. We mapped the protein-protein interacting regions of IRF3 and IRF8, and found that their interaction was independent of the DNA-binding domain and the IRF association domain of IRF8 and IRF3, respectively. Therefore, we propose a model for the rapid induction of IFN-β in monocytes, whereby IRF8 and PU.1 form a scaffold complex on the IFN-β promoter to facilitate the recruitment of IRF3, thus enabling rapid IFN-β transcription.
Complete response correlates with long-term progression-free and overall survival in elderly myeloma treated with novel agents: analysis of 1175 patients
Authors: Gay Francesca , Larocca Alessandra , Wijermans Pierre , Cavallo Federica , Rossi Davide , Schaafsma Ron , Genuardi Mariella , Romano Alessandra , Liberati Anna Marina , Siniscalchi Agostina , Petrucci Maria T. , Nozzoli Chiara , Patriarca Francesca , Offidani Massimo , Ria Roberto , Omedè Paola , Bruno Benedetto , Passera Roberto , Musto Pellegrino , Boccadoro Mario , Sonneveld Pieter , Palumbo Antonio
Published: January 2011

Complete response (CR) was an uncommon event in elderly myeloma patients until novel agents were combined with standard oral melphalan-prednisone. This analysis assesses the impact of treatment response on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). We retrospectively analyzed 1175 newly diagnosed myeloma patients, enrolled in 3 multicenter trials, treated with melphalan-prednisone alone (n = 332), melphalan-prednisone-thalidomide (n = 332), melphalan-prednisone-bortezomib (n = 257), or melphalan-prednisone-bortezomib-thalidomide (n = 254). After a median follow-up of 29 months, the 3-year PFS and OS were 67% and 27% (hazard ratio = 0.16; P < .001), and 91% and 70% (hazard ratio = 0.15; P < .001) in patients who obtained CR and in those who achieved very good partial response, respectively. Similar results were observed in patients older than 75 years. Multivariate analysis confirmed that the achievement of CR was an independent predictor of longer PFS and OS, regardless of age, International Staging System stage, and treatment. These findings highlight a significant association between the achievement of CR and long-term outcome, and support the use of novel agents to achieve maximal response in elderly patients, including those more than 75 years. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00232934, #ISRCTN 90692740, and #NCT01063179.
B-cell depletion reactivates B lymphopoiesis in the BM and rejuvenates the B lineage in aging
Authors: Keren Zohar , Naor Shulamit , Nussbaum Shahar , Golan Karin , Itkin Tomer , Sasaki Yoshiteru , Schmidt-Supprian Marc , Lapidot Tsvee , Melamed Doron
Published: January 2011

Aging is associated with a decline in B-lymphopoiesis in the bone marrow and accumulation of long-lived B cells in the periphery. These changes decrease the body's ability to mount protective antibody responses. We show here that age-related changes in the B lineage are mediated by the accumulating long-lived B cells. Thus, depletion of B cells in old mice was followed by expansion of multipotent primitive progenitors and common lymphoid progenitors, a revival of B-lymphopoiesis in the bone marrow, and generation of a rejuvenated peripheral compartment that enhanced the animal's immune responsiveness to antigenic stimulation. Collectively, our results suggest that immunosenescence in the B-lineage is not irreversible and that depletion of the long-lived B cells in old mice rejuvenates the B-lineage and enhances immune competence.
The host genomic environment of the provirus determines the abundance of HTLV-1–infected T-cell clones
Authors: Gillet Nicolas A. , Malani Nirav , Melamed Anat , Gormley Niall , Carter Richard , Bentley David , Berry Charles , Bushman Frederic D. , Taylor Graham P. , Bangham Charles R. M.
Published: January 2011

Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) persists by driving clonal proliferation of infected T lymphocytes. A high proviral load predisposes to HTLV-1–associated diseases. Yet the reasons for the variation within and between persons in the abundance of HTLV-1–infected clones remain unknown. We devised a high-throughput protocol to map the genomic location and quantify the abundance of > 91 000 unique insertion sites of the provirus from 61 HTLV-1+ persons and > 2100 sites from in vitro infection. We show that a typical HTLV-1–infected host carries between 500 and 5000 unique insertion sites. We demonstrate that negative selection dominates during chronic infection, favoring establishment of proviruses integrated in transcriptionally silenced DNA: this selection is significantly stronger in asymptomatic carriers. We define a parameter, the oligoclonality index, to quantify clonality. The high proviral load characteristic of HTLV-1–associated inflammatory disease results from a larger number of unique insertion sites than in asymptomatic carriers and not, as previously thought, from a difference in clonality. The abundance of established HTLV-1 clones is determined by genomic features of the host DNA flanking the provirus. HTLV-1 clonal expansion in vivo is favored by orientation of the provirus in the same sense as the nearest host gene.
Estimation of elastic moduli of mixed porous clay composites
Authors: Jensen Erling Hugo , Andersen Charlotte Faust , Johansen Tor Arne
Published: January 2011

We have developed a procedure for estimating the effective elastic properties of various mixtures of smectite and kaolinite over a range of confining pressures, based on the individual effective elastic properties of pure porous smectite and kaolinite. Experimental data for the pure samples are used as input to various rock physics models, and the predictions are compared with experimental data for the mixed samples. We have evaluated three strategies for choosing the initial properties in various rock physics models: (1) input values have the same porosity, (2) input values have the same pressure, and (3) an average of (1) and (2). The best results are obtained when the elastic moduli of the two porous constituents are defined at the same pressure and when their volumetric fractions are adjusted based on different compaction rates with pressure. Furthermore, our strategy makes the modeling results less sensitive to the actual rock physics model. The method can help obtain the elastic properties of mixed unconsolidated clays as a function of mechanical compaction. The more common procedure for estimating effective elastic properties requires knowledge about volume fractions, elastic properties of individual constituents, and geometric details of the composition. However, these data are often uncertain, e.g., large variations in the mineral elastic properties of clays have been reported in the literature, which makes our procedure a viable alternative.
Seismic data interpolation using a fast generalized Fourier transform
Authors: Naghizadeh Mostafa , Innanen Kristopher A.
Published: January 2011

We have found a fast and efficient method for the interpolation of nonstationary seismic data. The method uses the fast generalized Fourier transform (FGFT) to identify the space-wavenumber evolution of nonstationary spatial signals at each temporal frequency. The nonredundant nature of FGFT renders a big computational advantage to this interpolation method. A least-squares fitting scheme is used next to retrieve the optimal FGFT coefficients representative of the ideal interpolated data. For randomly sampled data on a regular grid, we seek a sparse representation of FGFT coefficients to retrieve the missing samples. In addition, to interpolate the regularly sampled seismic data at a given frequency, we use a mask function derived from the FGFT coefficients of the low frequencies. Synthetic and real data examples can be used to examine the performance of the method.
Large-scale 3D inversion of marine magnetotelluric data: Case study from the Gemini prospect, Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Zhdanov Michael S. , Wan Le , Gribenko Alexander , Čuma Martin , Key Kerry , Constable Steven
Published: January 2011

Three-dimensional magnetotelluric (MT) inversion is an emerging technique for offshore hydrocarbon exploration. We have developed a new approach to the 3D inversion of MT data, based on the integral equation method. The Tikhonov regularization and physical constraint have been used to obtain a stable and reasonable solution of the inverse problem. The method is implemented in a fully parallel computer code. We have applied the developed method and software for the inversion of marine MT data collected by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) in the Gemini prospect, Gulf of Mexico. The inversion domain was discretized into 1.6 million cells. It took nine hours to complete 51 iterations on the 832-processor cluster with a final misfit between the observed and predicted data of 6.2%. The inversion results reveal a resistive salt structure, which is confirmed by a comparison with the seismic data. These inversion results demonstrate that resistive geoelectrical structures like salt domes can be mapped with reasonable accuracy using the 3D inversion of marine MT data.
Music Recomposed: Remarks on the History of the Same
Authors: Kramer Lawrence
Published: January 2011

Stanley Cavell's 1967 essay “Music Discomposed” claims that twentieth-century musical modernism incorporates the constant possibility of “fraudulence,” thus provoking the Philistine objection: why can't we write like Mozart any more? For Cavell the question is preeminently a matter of fact: not that no one can write like Mozart any more but that no one does. The question of why remains unanswered.

My own essay proposes an answer. On historical grounds it shifts the question from Mozart to Beethoven to focus on a specific composition. When my students listen to Beethoven's “Kreutzer” sonata in connection with Tolstoy's infamous novella of the same name, they readily hear the passion and eroticism that Tolstoy imputed to the music. But the sonata dates from 1803; no one would write it today to evoke fatal attraction. Why should that be so? Must it be, and if so, why again? The answer—inevitably equivocal—is to be found not in the shopworn trope that imparts a sovereign irreversibility to the history of form or style, but in the historicality of subjectivity on one hand and of musical meaning on the other.
Philosophy Recomposed: Stanley Cavell and the Critique of New Music
Authors: Bauer Amy
Published: January 2011

Stanley Cavell's 1965 article “Music Discomposed” argues that modernist works have become codependent on the philosophical justification surrounding their production and consumption. The writings and compositions of two contemporary composers, György Ligeti and Helmut Lachenmann, echo this argument, confronting the role of criticism as a responsibility the modernist object bears toward a skeptical listener. Ligeti's Apparitions (1959) deals specifically with serialism as both a modernist legacy and a hindrance to the composer's “seriousness and... sincerity” that Cavell considers of central importance to modernist art. It functions as a metaphor in se, representing Cavell's hypothetical example of a solution to a compositional problem that “has become identical with the aesthetic result itself.” Lachenmann's Kontrakadenz (1970–71) concerns itself with the strained relation of artwork and audience in an era that demands an unprecedented trust in the musical object. It thus engages its audience in its own critical project, in an open dialogue with traditional forms and functions. Both works suggest that modernist music can escape the cycle of justification between the musical object and its analysis only when the object itself acknowledges the dangers inherent in the modernist situation and engages its audience directly in its risky endeavor.
You're There and You're Not There: Musical Borrowing and Cavell's “Way”
Authors: Beaudoin Richard
Published: January 2011

Examples of borrowing strategies in both musical and philosophical texts are outlined. Cavell's position on quotation as `being the other to one's self' is explored. Three cases of musical versus philosophical modes of borrowing are surveyed: Cavell borrowing Thoreau versus Ignaz Friedman borrowing Bach in Gavotte (1948); Cavell borrowing Emerson versus Berio borrowing Mahler in Sinfonia (1960); and Cavell borrowing Derrida reading Austin versus Richard Beaudoin borrowing Martha Argerich reading Chopin in Étude d'un prélude IV—Black Wires (2009). Cavell's theories of the voice are applied to the understanding of musical borrowing.
Cavell and Deleuze
Authors: Gallope Michael
Published: January 2011

This article attempts to elucidate the main characteristics of Stanley Cavell's philosophy of music by comparing it to the work of French philosopher Gilles Deleuze. The analysis begins from the simple observation that both philosophers affirmed and supported the broad outlines of the modernist project while rejecting musical experiments that went too far in the direction of abstraction, opacity, or self-indulgence. From this point of agreement, differences emerge between Cavell and Deleuze over exactly how philosophy might prescribe a virtuous, sober, or ethical version of musical modernism. Cavell's commitment to intentions, his frustration with the preponderance of precompositional schema sustained by rationalized composition, and his preoccupation with the practice of criticism lead him to develop a humanist metaphysics built around the responsibility of third parties to determine a fraudulent or insincere musical effort. Through recourse to Cavell and Deleuze's writings on music as well as their respective philosophies of language, I demonstrate how Cavell's position stands in clear methodological disagreement to the broadly inhuman and metaphysical orientation espoused by Deleuze. In the end, I demonstrate how the differences between the two philosophies reveal structural problems both confront in using a metaphysical position to prescribe a concrete musical practice.
“We Look Away and Leap Around”: Music, Ethics, and the Transcendental in Cavell and Adorno
Authors: Smith Stephen Decatur
Published: January 2011

This article offers a comparative reading of Theodor Adorno's and Stanley Cavell's philosophies of music. It does not attempt a survey or summary of their respective approaches but rather focuses on one moment in a text by Cavell—namely, his reading and critique, in an essay entitled “Philosophy and the Unheard,” of a particular moment in Adorno's Philosophy of New Music. In reading this moment in Cavell—in reading Cavell reading Adorno—the present article seeks to demonstrate that with this critique, Cavell's philosophy of music swerves from Adorno's precisely at the point of their greatest commonality and thus comes into conflict with itself as well. It does so by placing Cavell's arguments and Adorno's both into the broader contexts of their respective philosophies more generally. On this broader level, it argues that Cavell and Adorno share a common concern with the relationship between ethics and transcendental or quasi-transcendental forms of life and experience. In turn, it argues that for both, this relationship is at stake in the experience of music and that in his reading of Adorno's philosophy of music, Cavell passes over the fact that they share this concern.
Rumba and Haus3 are essential factors for the maintenance of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells during zebrafish hematopoiesis
Authors: Du Linsen , Xu Jin , Li Xiuling , Ma Ning , Liu Yanmei , Peng Jinrong , Osato Motomi , Zhang Wenqing , Wen Zilong
Published: January 2011

The hallmark of vertebrate definitive hematopoiesis is the establishment of the hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell (HSPC) pool during embryogenesis. This process involves a defined ontogenic switching of HSPCs in successive hematopoietic compartments and is evolutionarily conserved from teleost fish to human. In zebrafish, HSPCs originate from the ventral wall of the dorsal aorta (VDA), from which they subsequently mobilize to an intermediate hematopoietic site known as the caudal hematopoietic tissue (CHT) and finally colonize the kidney for adult hematopoiesis. Despite substantial understanding of the ontogeny of HSPCs, the molecular basis governing migration, colonization and maintenance of HSPCs remains to be explored fully. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of two zebrafish mutants, rumbahkz1 and sambahkz2, that are defective in generating definitive hematopoiesis. We find that HSPC initiation in the VDA and subsequent homing to the CHT are not affected in these two mutants. However, the further development of HSPCs in the CHT is compromised in both mutants. Positional cloning reveals that Rumba is a novel nuclear C2H2 zinc-finger factor with unknown function and samba encodes an evolutionarily conserved protein that is homologous to human augmin complex subunit 3 (HAUS3). Furthermore, we show that these two factors independently regulate cell cycle progression of HSPCs and are cell autonomously required for HPSC development in the CHT. Our study identifies Rumba and Haus3 as two essential regulators of HSPC maintenance during zebrafish fetal hematopoiesis.
Exploring field-of-view non-uniformities produced by a hand-held spectroradiometer
Authors: Caras Tamir , Karnieli Arnon , Hedley John
Published: January 2011

The shape of a spectroradiometer’s field of view (FOV) affects the way spectral measurements are acquired.
Knowing this property is a prerequisite for the correct use of the spectrometer. If the substrate is heterogeneous, the
ability to accurately know what is being measured depends on knowing the FOV location, shape, spectral and spatial
sensitivity. The GER1500 is a hand-held spectrometer with a fixed lens light entry slit and has a laser guide that allows
control over the target by positioning the entire unit. In the current study, the FOV of the GER1500 was mapped and
analysed. The spectral and spatial non-uniformities of the FOV were examined and were found to be spectrally
independent. The relationship between the FOV and the built-in laser guide was tested and found to have a linear
displacement dependent on the distance to the target. This allows an accurate prediction of the actual FOV position.  A
correction method to improve the agreement between the expected and measured reflectance over heterogeneous targets
was developed and validated. The methods described are applicable and may be of use with other hand-held
spectroradiometers.
The anatomical relationship between the saphenous nerve and the great saphenous vein
Authors: Veverková L , Jedlička V , Vlček P , Kalač J
Published: January 2011

Objective

Damage to the saphenous nerve (SN) has been a known complication during varicose vein surgeries. We tested whether a better knowledge of the anatomy of the SN and the great saphenous vein (GSV) can prevent such damage.

Methods

We conducted a morphological and histological examination on 86 limbs from 43 cadavers in order to analyse the anatomical interrelation between the SN and the GSV in the lower leg and we also measured the distance between the nerve and the vein in a sample of 42 sections from three parts of the lower leg.

Results

The anatomical relationship between the SN and the GSV is varied and the two structures run close to each other so a better knowledge of their anatomy in itself proved insufficient in preventing damage to the SN.

Conclusion

However, in the case of endovenous laser therapy and radiofrequency ablation tumescent anaesthesia decreases the risk of damage to the SN.
Cardio-respiratory and metabolic responses to different levels of compression during submaximal exercise
Authors: Sperlich B , Haegele M , Krüger M , Schiffer T , Holmberg H-C , Mester J
Published: January 2011

Objective

The effects of knee-high socks that applied different levels of compression (0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 mmHg) on various cardio-respiratory and metabolic parameters during submaximal running were analysed.

Methods

Fifteen well-trained, male endurance athletes (age: 22.2 ± 1.3 years; peak oxygen uptake: 57.2 ± 4.0 mL/minute/kg) performed a ramp test to determine peak oxygen uptake. Thereafter, all athletes carried out five periods of submaximal running (at approximately 70% of peak oxygen uptake) with and without compression socks that applied the different levels of pressure. Cardiac output and index, stroke volume, arterio-venous difference in oxygen saturation, oxygen uptake, arterial oxygen saturation, heart rate and blood lactate were monitored before and during all of these tests.

Results

Cardiac output ( P = 0.29) and index ( P = 0.27), stroke volume ( P = 0.50), arterio-venous difference in oxygen saturation ( P = 0.11), oxygen uptake ( P = 1.00), arterial oxygen saturation ( P = 1.00), heart rate ( P = 1.00) and arterial lactate concentration ( P = 1.00) were unaffected by compression (effect sizes = 0.00–0.65).

Conclusion

This first evaluation of the potential effects of increasing levels of compression on cardio-respiratory and metabolic parameters during submaximal exercise revealed no effects whatsoever.
Venous giant post-thrombotic chronic ulcer: successful treatment with Bosentan
Authors: Solís J V , Portero J L , Ribé L
Published: January 2011

Objective

To report a case of a refractory post-thrombotic chronic venous ulcer managed with an off-label treatment.

Method

We present the case of an 82-year-old woman with a previous medical history of severe hypertension and a deep vein thrombosis three years before. A refractory giant chronic venous ulcer in her left leg was treated with Bosentan.

Results

The appearance of the ulcer improved in the first 45 days, worsened after an unintended stop of the treatment and was almost resolved after 90 days of treatment. Ulcer-associated pain improved very quickly and so, in only one week, opioid treatment was stopped. Bosentan treatment was well tolerated, with only mild and manageable side effects.

Conclusion

Treatment with Bosentan has been successful in the treatment of this case of refractory chronic venous ulcer.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Sexual Risk Behaviors And STDs During Young Men’s Transition to Adulthood
Authors: Dariotis Jacinda K. , Sifakis Frangiscos , Pleck Joseph H. , Astone Nan M. , Sonenstein Freya L.
Published: January 2011

CONTEXT: Racial and ethnic health disparities are an important issue in the United States. The extent to which racial and ethnic differences in STDs among youth are related to differences in socioeconomic characteristics and risky sexual behaviors requires investigation.

METHODS: Data from three waves of the National Survey of Adolescent Males (1988, 1990–1991 and 1995) were used to examine 1,880 young men’s history of STDs and their patterns and trajectories of sexual risk behavior during adolescence and early adulthood. Multinomial and logistic regression analyses were conducted to test whether racial and ethnic differences in STDs are due to the lower socioeconomic status and higher levels of risky sexual behavior among minority groups.

RESULTS: Young black men reported the highest rates of sexual risk and STDs at each wave and across waves. Compared with white men, black and Latino men had higher odds of maintaining high sexual risk and increasing sexual risk over time (odds ratios, 1.7–1.9). In multivariate analyses controlling for socioeconomic characteristics, black men were more likely than white men to have a history of STDs (3.2–5.0); disparities persisted in analyses controlling for level of risky sexual behavior.

CONCLUSIONS: Race and ethnicity continue to differentiate young black and Latino men from their white peers in terms of STDs. Prevention programs that target different racial and ethnic subgroups of adolescent men and address both individual‐ and contextual‐level factors are needed to curb STD incidence.
Total Mortality by Transferrin Saturation Levels: Two General Population Studies and a Metaanalysis
Authors: Ellervik Christina , Tybjærg-Hansen Anne , Nordestgaard Børge G
Published: January 2011

BACKGROUND

There is evidence for increased mortality in patients with clinically overt hereditary hemochromatosis. Whether increased transferrin saturation (TS), as a proxy for iron overload is associated with increased mortality in the general population is largely unknown.

METHODS

We examined mortality according to baseline TS in 2 Danish population–based follow-up studies (the Copenhagen General Population Study and the Copenhagen City Heart Study) comprising a total of 45 159 individuals, of whom 4568 died during up to 18 years of follow-up, and in a metaanalysis comprising the present studies and an additional general population study.

RESULTS

In combined studies, the cumulative survival was reduced in individuals with TS ≥50% vs <50% (log-rank P < 0.0001). Multifactorially adjusted hazard ratios for total mortality for TS ≥50% vs <50% were 1.4 (95% CI 1.2–1.6; P < 0.001) overall, 1.3 (1.1–1.6; P = 0.003) in men, and 1.5 (1.1–2.0; P = 0.005) in women. Results were similar if the 2 studies were considered separately. A stepwise increased risk of total mortality was observed for stepwise increasing levels of TS (log-rank P < 0.0001), with the highest risk conferred by TS ≥80% vs TS <20% with a hazard ratio of 2.2 (1.4–3.3; P < 0.001). The population-attributable risk for total mortality in the combined studies in individuals with TS ≥50% vs <50% was 0.8%. In metaanalysis, the odds ratio for total mortality for TS ≥50% vs <50% was 1.3 (1.2–1.5; P < 0.001) under the fixed-effects model.

CONCLUSIONS

Individuals in the general population with TS ≥50% vs <50% have an increased risk of premature death.
Different progestins in the treatment of endometriosis – are there relevant differences?
Authors: Schweppe Karl-Werner
Published: January 2011

Oral progestins without an estrogen component have been described to be effective in the treatment of endometriosis. Several different substances have been tested, which are on the one hand derivatives of the natural progesterone or of the C-17-OH-progesteron, or on the other hand derivatives of C-19-nortestosteron. Their common characteristic is the secretory transformation of estrogen primed uterine endometrium for which different dosages are necessary because of their different biological activities. They are different with regard to their profile and potency of action on hypothalamicpituitary axis, metabolic processes, breast tissue and genital organs. They are effectively similar with regard to endometriosis related complaints if sufficient doses are administered. No effects are noted on reduced fertility in endometriotic patients and the data are inconsistent concerning direct effects on the endometriotic cells.
Editorial
Authors: Schindler Adolf E. , Pasqualini Jorge
Published: January 2011

No abstract available
Progestogens for treatment and prevention of pregnancy disorders
Authors: Schindler Adolf E.
Published: January 2011

Progesterone appears to be the dominant hormone not only establishing a proper secretory endometrial development but also adequate decidualization to establish pregnancy and sustain pregnancy development. Progesterone is the natural immunoregulator to control the maternal immune system and not to reject the allogeneic fetus. There are two sources of progesterone: corpus luteum first and placenta later. Three progestogens can be used in pregnancy: (i) progesterone (per os, intravaginal and intramuscular), (ii) dydrogesterone (per os), and (iii) 17α-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (intramuscular). There are three indications, for which these progestogens can be clinically used either for treatment or prevention: (i) first trimester threatened and recurrent (habitual) abortion, (ii) premature labor/premature birth, and (iii) pre-eclampsia (hypertension in pregnancy). The available data are limited and only partially randomized. In threatened abortion the use of progesterone, dydrogesterone and 17α-hydroxyprogesterone caproate leads to a significant improved outcome, when at the time of threatened abortion a viable fetus has been ascertained by ultrasound. For prevention of recurrent abortion there are also some data indicating a significant effect compared with women without progestogen treatment. Prevention of preterm birth by progestogens (progesterone vaginally, orally and 17α-hydroxyprogesterone caproate intramuscularly) was significantly effective. The main study groups include pregnant women with a previous history of premature birth. However, also in women with shortened cervix use of progesterone seems to be helpful. The studies done so far in women with risk factors for pre-eclampsia or established pre-eclampsia were based on parenteral progesterone application. However, new studies are urgently needed.
Progesterone, progestins and psychosomatic health of women
Authors: Bitzer Johannes
Published: January 2011

Psychosomatics as a medical perspective and discipline focuses on the interaction of physical and mental health in the specific life situation of a patient, taking into account the physical and emotional well-being, role functioning, satisfaction with the partner and family relationship, as well as sexual function and satisfaction. There are two important effects of progesterone on the combined physical, mental and sexual well-being of the climacteric patient. The first is the antiestrogenic effect of progesterone on the peripheral physical level which not only protects the endometrium against overstimulation but also reduces individual suffering from heavy bleeding, breast tension, bloating and general discomfort. The second effect is due to the complex action of progesterone in the brain. Studies using different progestins in different dosages and in different regimens show contradictory results. Some studies demonstrate an increase in depressed mood and reduced well-being while using synthetic progestins. Other studies, however, indicate an anxiolytic and sometimes antidepressant effect of progesterone and progesterone-like progestins with an improvement of emotional well-being and quality of life. In the individual patient, the positive or negative emotional and mental state can be conditioned by various pathways of progesterone and progestins. The antiestrogenic effect can attenuate the psychotropic effect of estradiol (E2) on the brain, thus reducing emotional well-being. Progesterone interacting with many brain areas can have a mood stabilizing and anxiolytic effect through the action on the GABA receptor. This effect seems to be strongest when using natural progesterone and the effect varies considerably among different progestins and different dosages due to metabolic pathways involving the production of allopregnanolone or other metabolites. In conclusion, the positive anxiolytic and sedative effects of progesterone on the central nervous system depend on the type of progestogen, the dosage, the timing of application, the combination with estrogen, etc. Progesterone and progestins have important potential to maintain or improve the psychosomatic health of women. Their use must, however, be tailored to specific symptom clusters and to the individual's pre-existing psychosomatic health status.