bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
‘SURFACE IS AN ILLUSION BUT SO IS DEPTH’: THE NOVELS OF CHRISTIAN KRACHT
Authors: Finlay Frank 
Published: March 2013

ABSTRACTThis detailed discussion of the entirety of Kracht's fictional œuvre is an effort to re‐position and reassess him both in the critical literature and in relation to longer‐term literary trends. With reference to Faserland, I identify the key fault lines in the often conflicting scholarly and critical reception of Kracht's work, most notably the consensus which has emerged that beneath his apparent preoccupation with ‘surface’ there is significant seriousness or ‘depth’ intended. I then discuss the novels 1979, Ich werde hier sein im Sonnenschein und Schatten and Imperium to identify their underlying thematic and aesthetic continuities in order to interrogate this mainstream view. In particular, I contend that for all their apparent engagement with historical, philosophical and socio‐cultural issues, such as national identity and the search for ‘Heimat’, highly ludic elements, including a heightened intertextuality and intermediality, run through all the texts. These serve Kracht's self‐conscious intent to alienate and entertain the reader in order to playfully insist on his novels’ status as artefacts, thereby deliberately debunking their seriousness. Kracht's dominant mode is humour, his style pastiche: a mark of individual distinction in an otherwise crowded literary landscape with its frequently ‘realistic’ focus on historical and contemporary concerns.Dieser Beitrag beschäftigt sich mit dem umstrittenen Schriftsteller Christian Kracht und gilt als Versuch, vor dem Hintergrund der Forschungsliteratur sowie aktueller Trends sein gesamtes Romanwerk in der gegenwärtigen literarischen Landschaft der Bundesrepublik zu verorten. Ausgehend von der Rezeption des Debütromans Faserland (1995) wird auf einen inzwischen breiten kritischen Konsens hingewiesen, nach dem Krachts Werke trotz ihrer Beschäftigung mit der ‘Oberfläche’ sich durchaus ‘tiefsinningen’ Themen widmen. Anhand einer Untersuchung von den Romanen 1979, Ich werde hier sein im Sonnenschein und Schatten und Imperium wird diese Position revidiert. Die ästhetischen und thematischen Konstanten im Werk werden hervorgehoben, um zu behaupten, dass den Romanen Krachts eine durchaus spielerische Dimension innewohnt, die den konstatierten ethischen Ernst mit Absicht – und mit Humor – unterminiert. Krachts Duktus ist Pastiche: sein besonderer Beitrag zur Vielfalt der neuen erzählerischen Literatur seit der Wende, deren Haupttendenz auf einer eher ‘realistischen’ Beschäftigung mit der deutschen Geschichte und Gegenwart liegt.
“Beyond Spain: Inquisition History in a Global Context”
Authors: Vose Robin 
Published: March 2013

AbstractRecent developments in Italian, Portuguese and colonial inquisition histories around the globe have greatly enhanced our knowledge both of these persecuting bodies’ own institutional nature and of the varied sorts of human experience they sought to discipline. Social historians continue to find evidence for a wide range of premodern mentalities and lifeways in inquisitorial and related trial documents, not only in Europe but among indigenous and subaltern peoples in colonial settings as well. At the same time, studies of inquisitorial personnel, policies and organizational structures are contributing to broader historiographies of religion and politics in the late medieval and early modern periods. The future of inquisition history now requires increased collaboration and sharing of research across traditional divides of region, confession, and specialization.
Uruguay, Gateway to Nineteenth‐Century Cultural History of the Río de la Plata
Authors: Acree William 
Published: March 2013

AbstractArgentina occupies a prominent place in Latin American historiography. Latin Americanists as well as historians of other world regions are less familiar, though, with the intensity of cultural, political, and economic flows that defined the broader region of the Río de la Plata, comprising today’s Uruguay and Argentina specifically, as well as Paraguay and southern Brazil more generally. Such exchanges of goods, ideas, and people were especially true of the late colonial period and the nineteenth century. Yet in this equation studies of Uruguay have remained on the margins in historical scholarship. This essay focuses on three core areas of research in the recent historiography of Uruguay as a gateway to nineteenth‐century cultural history of the Río de la Plata region. These areas are: (1) the African diaspora and blackness; (2) political culture and cultural history; and (3) a revitalized political history that draws from intellectual history and new energy surrounding the bicentennials of independence throughout Latin America. Knowledge of the historical forces shaping nineteenth‐century Uruguay not only contributes to a more complete understanding of the region’s cultural history; it also allows for the development of a historical perspective that is much more in tune with the historical experience of the region’s inhabitants throughout the long nineteenth century. Moreover, students and scholars of Argentina will note some parallels in research problems, though seeing them through the Uruguay prism can yield alternative approaches and point to previously unknown or under‐utilized source bases.
Nuclear GSK‐3β segregation in desmoid‐type fibromatosis
Authors: Meneghello Cristiana , Ousghir Bouchra , Rastrelli Marco , Anesi Laura , Sommariva Antonio , Montesco Maria Cristina , Rossi Carlo Riccardo , Hladnik Uros , Segat Daniela 
Published: March 2013

AimsDesmoid‐type fibromatosis (DF) is a rare benign myofibroblastic neoplasm of the connective tissue that is unable to metastasize but is associated with a high local recurrence rate. Nuclear β‐catenin is the most commonly used histological marker of DF; however, clinical and biological predictive markers guiding the treatment and follow‐up of DF are still lacking. Normally, β‐catenin is regulated by the cytoplasmic multiprotein complex of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), axin, casein kinase 1α (CK1α), and glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK‐3β); this phosphorylates and degrades β‐catenin, which would otherwise translocate to the nucleus. The aim of this study was to analyse the expression and localization of the β‐catenin–protein complex of the Wnt pathway in cells isolated from DF patients.Methods and resultsWe isolated cells from biopsies of DF patients, and demonstrated, by immunofluorescence and immunoblot analyses, that it is almost exclusively nuclear GSK‐3β that colocalizes and interacts with β‐catenin. The nuclear translocation of β‐catenin and GSK‐3β is not correlated with CTNNB1 mutations. In DF samples, the multiprotein complex is disrupted, as the cytoplasmic localization of APC and axin makes interaction with the nuclear β‐catenin and GSK‐3β impossible.ConclusionsOur data suggest that GSK‐3β is an additional DF marker with an important role in the aetiopathogenesis of this entity.
Pharmacokinetics of the combination raltegravir/atazanavir in HIV‐1‐infected patients
Authors: Jansen A , Colbers EPH , van der Ven AJAM , Richter C , Rockstroh JK , Wasmuth JC , van Luin M , Burger DM 
Published: March 2013

ObjectivesTo evaluate the use of raltegravir with unboosted atazanavir in combination with one nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) (lamivudine or emtricitabine) as a potentially well‐tolerated once‐daily (qd) maintenance regimen.MethodsWe compared the pharmacokinetics of raltegravir 400 mg twice daily (bid) with raltegravir 800 mg qd in HIV‐infected patients (n = 17) on unboosted atazanavir (600 mg qd) in combination with lamivudine or emtricitabine.ResultsThe area under the plasma concentration vs. time curve for a dose interval t (AUC0–t) of 800 mg qd divided by 2 was not significantly different from the AUC0–t of 400 mg bid (P = 0.664) but the minimum concentration (Cmin) was 72% lower with the qd regimen (P = 0.002). The regimen was well tolerated and the viral load remained undetectable in all patients during the 6 weeks of the study follow‐up.ConclusionsA qd regimen of raltegravir 800 mg, atazanavir 600 mg and lamivudine or emtricitabine resulted in favourable pharmacokinetic profiles and good short‐term safety and efficacy data. Larger phase IIb studies are needed to explore this novel regimen.
What is Stroke Symptom Knowledge?
Authors: Mosley Ian , Nicol Marcus , Donnan Geoffrey , Thrift Amanda G. , Dewey Helen M. 
Published: March 2013

Background No commonly agreed definition exists for ‘stroke symptom knowledge’ among members of the general public. Recalling at least one correct stroke symptom has been used in the past. However, this criterion was not associated with rapid presentation to hospital. Rapid presentation is vital in order to provide effective acute stroke treatment. Aims and/or hypothesis We sought to identify a base level of community stroke symptom knowledge associated with stroke recognition when symptoms occur, an immediate ambulance call, and ‘stroke recognition and immediately calling an ambulance’ as a single sequence of events. Methods For six-months in 2004–2005, we identified all patients with stroke living in a defined region of Melbourne and who were transported by ambulance to one of the three hospitals. The person who called the ambulance (caller) was interviewed. Results One hundred ninety-eight patients were identified and 150 callers interviewed. Symptoms reported most frequently were limb weakness (67%), speech problems (57%), and facial weakness (24%). Reporting at least two of the symptoms – facial weakness, limb weakness, or speech problems (62% of callers) – was associated with stroke recognition ( P = 0.004), immediately calling an ambulance ( P = 0.065), and both ‘stroke recognition and immediately calling an ambulance’ ( P = 0.053). Conclusions Knowing at least two of the symptoms – facial weakness, limb weakness, and speech problems – appears to be an appropriate indicator of stroke symptom knowledge as it is associated with stroke recognition and appropriate action. Recognizing stroke symptoms and immediately calling an ambulance increase the potential to reduce prehospital time delays and improve eligibility of acute stroke patients for rapid treatment.
Door-to-Door Survey of Cardiovascular Health, Stroke, and Ischemic Heart Disease in Rural Coastal Ecuador – the Atahualpa Project: Methodology and Operational Definitions
Authors: Del Brutto Oscar H. , Peñaherrera Ernesto , Ochoa Elio , Santamaría Milton , Zambrano Mauricio , Del Brutto Victor J. ,   for the Atahualpa Project Investigators
Published: March 2013

Rationale Stroke and cardiovascular diseases will be the next health epidemics in Latin America due to increased life expectancy and changes in the lifestyle and dietary habits of the population. Knowledge of the cardiovascular health status of the inhabitants will allow the implementation of policies directed to reduce the burden of stroke and cardiovascular diseases in the region. Aims To evaluate the cardiovascular health status of the inhabitants of Atahualpa (a rural village in coastal Ecuador) and to determine the prevalence and incidence of stroke and ischemic heart disease in the region. Design Three-phase epidemiologic survey. During phase I, Atahualpa residents aged ⩾40 years will be screened with standardized questionnaires to evaluate their cardiovascular health and to identify those with suspected stroke or ischemic heart disease. In phase II, neurologists and cardiologists will examine suspected cases of stroke or ischemic heart disease, as well as a random sample of matched negative individuals, to assess the prevalence and incidence of these conditions. In phase III, patients with a diagnosis of stroke and ischemic heart disease will undergo complementary tests for achieving a more specific diagnosis. Discussion Implementation of public health strategies directed to improve the cardiovascular health status of a given population must be based on studies evaluating specific risk factors at regional levels. Epidemiologic surveys such as the Atahualpa Project may prove cost-effective in improving the cardiovascular health status of people living in Latin American rural villages by increasing the knowledge on the particular needs of these populations.
Evaluation of Plasma d-Dimer Plus Fibrinogen in Predicting Acute CVST
Authors: Meng Ran , Wang Xiaoying , Hussain Mohammed , Dornbos David , Meng Lu , Liu Yu , Wu Yan , Ning Mingming , Ferdinando S Buonanno , Lo Eng H. , Ding Yuchuan , Ji Xunming 
Published: March 2013

Background Prompt diagnosis of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis is a challenge owing in part to its complex and non-specific early clinical symptoms. Objective This study aims to evaluate the value of clinically useful biomarkers (d-dimer and fibrinogen) for cerebral venous sinus thrombosis prediction. Methods Two-hundred and thirty-three suspected cerebral venous sinus thrombosis patients were enrolled in this prospective study. Thirty-four cases confirmed as cerebral venous sinus thrombosis using imaging modalities, whereas the other 199 cases served as mimic controls. Plasma samples of 34 healthy controls were further collected from age- and gender-matched volunteers. d-dimer and fibrinogen levels of all patients and controls were measured before imaging and treatment. The dynamic d-dimer and fibrinogen levels in cerebral venous sinus thrombosis cases after anticoagulation were monitored for up to 180 consecutive days. Results At admission before treatment the average d-dimer and fibrinogen levels in cerebral venous sinus thrombosis group were 968·9 ± 160·1 μg/l and 6·9 ± 1·3 g/l, both of which were significantly elevated when compared with that of the controls. In cerebral venous sinus thrombosis patients, 94·1% had d-dimer elevation, 73·5% had fibrinogen elevation, and 67·6% had both elevated d-dimer and fibrinogen. During acute phase, the sensitivity and specificity of predicting cerebral venous sinus thrombosis using only d-dimer were 94·1% and 97·5%, whereas that of d-dimer in combination with fibrinogen were 67·6% and 98·9%. After administering anticoagulation, d-dimer levels gradually recovered; however, fibrinogen levels fluctuated with 33·3% of the patients still exhibiting elevated values up until 180 days. Conclusion d-dimer may serve as an important screening tool to determine the urgency of obtaining magnetic resonance imaging/magnetic resonance venography or digital subtraction angiography in patients presenting with clinical symptoms that are suspected of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. Furthermore, d-dimer in combination with fibrinogen may increase the predictive value of acute cerebral venous sinus thrombosis.
Representation of People with Aphasia in Randomized Controlled Trials of Acute Stroke Interventions
Authors: Ali Myzoon , Bath Philip M. , Lyden Patrick D. , Bernhardt J. , Brady Marian 
Published: March 2013

Background Aphasia affects up to a third of the stroke population and is associated with poor social participation and quality of life. Yet people with aphasia may be excluded from some types of stroke research due to challenges in informing, consenting, and conducting follow-up in this population. Aims and/or hypothesis We described the representation of those with aphasia in acute stroke clinical research, the level of inclusion across international trial sites, and whether there have been improvements in the inclusion of this population in recent clinical trials. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of clinical trial data from the Virtual International Stroke Trials Archive (VISTA), defining aphasia using the Best Language (item 9) domain of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale. We used proportional odds modeling, adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity, stroke severity, medical history, hemisphere affected by stroke, and trial eligibility criteria, to examine the associations between year, location of enrollment, inclusion, and attrition of those with aphasia. Results Data were available for 8904 patients from 10 trials; no trials listed aphasia as an exclusion criterion. At baseline, aphasia was present in 4039 (45·4%); severe/global aphasia was present in 2688 (30·2%). We observed no geographic or longitudinal disparity in the attrition of these patients at three-months. Centers in the Philippines recruited fewer people [ P = 0·05, odds ratio = 0·5, 95% confidence interval (0·2, 1·0)], while centers in Central and South America included more people with severe/global aphasia [ P = 0·0004, odds ratio = 2·4, 95% confidence interval (1·3, 4·3)], when compared with centers in the USA and Canada. Conclusion Acute stroke trials have demonstrated the feasibility of including people with aphasia in stroke research; we observed geographic variations that were not entirely explained by case mix or trial eligibility criteria. Similar levels of inclusion should be sought in nonemergency stroke trials to improve the applicability of research findings to this population.
CHIMES-I: Sub-Group Analyzes of the Effects of NeuroAiD According to Baseline Brain Imaging Characteristics among Patients Randomized in the CHIMES Study
Authors: Navarro Jose C. , Chen Christopher Li Hsian , Lagamayo Pedro Danilo J. , Geslani Melodia B. , Eow Gaik Bee , Poungvarin Niphon , de Silva Asita , Wong Lawrence K. S. , Venketasubramanian N. 
Published: March 2013

Rationale The clinical effects of neuroprotective and/or neurorestorative therapies may vary according to location and size of the ischemic injury. Imaging techniques can be useful in stratifying patients for trials that may be beneficial against particular ischemic lesion characteristics. Aim To test the hypothesis that the efficacy of NeuroAiD compared with placebo in improving functional outcome and reducing neurological deficit in patients with cerebral infarction of intermediate severity varies between sub-groups of patients randomized in the main Chinese Medicine Neuroaid Efficacy on Stroke study when categorized according to baseline imaging characteristics. Design This is a retrospective cohort sub-group analysis of patients who participated in the main Chinese Medicine Neuroaid Efficacy on Stroke study, a multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that recruited 1100 patients within 72 h of ischemic stroke onset with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale 6–14 and were randomized to either NeuroAiD or placebo taken four capsules three times daily for three months. Review of the baseline images to classify the acute stroke lesions in terms of size, location, and extent of involvement will be performed retrospectively by two readers who will remain blinded as to treatment allocation and outcomes of the subjects. Study outcomes The primary efficacy end-point in the main Chinese Medicine Neuroaid Efficacy on Stroke study is the modified Rankin Scale grades at three-months. Secondary efficacy end-points are the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score at three-months; difference of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores between baseline and 10 days and between baseline and three-months; difference of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale sub-scores between baseline and 10 days and between baseline and three-months; modified Rankin Scale at 10 days, one-month, and three-months; Barthel index at three-months; and Mini Mental State Examination at 10 days and three-months. Analysis of these primary and secondary end-points will be performed for sub-groups defined in this study after review of the baseline brain imaging: nonlacunar and lacunar, cortical and sub-cortical, hemispheric vs. brainstem, Alberta Stroke Program Early CT score <7 and 7–10, and score <8 and 8–10.
The Stroke Hyperglycemia Insulin Network Effort (SHINE) Trial Protocol: A Randomized, Blinded, Efficacy Trial of Standard vs. Intensive Hyperglycemia Management in Acute Stroke
Authors: Bruno Askiel , Durkalski Valerie L. , Hall Christiana E. , Juneja Rattan , Barsan William G. , Janis Scott , Meurer William J. , Fansler Amy , Johnston Karen C. 
Published: March 2013

Rationale Patients with acute ischemic stroke and hyperglycemia have worse outcomes than those without hyperglycemia. Intensive glucose control during acute stroke is feasible and can be accomplished safely but has not been fully assessed for efficacy. Aims The Stroke Hyperglycemia Insulin Network Effort trial aims to determine the safety and efficacy of standard vs. intensive glucose control with insulin in hyperglycemic acute ischemic stroke patients. Design This is a randomized, blinded, multicenter, phase III trial of approximately 1400 hyperglycemic patients who receive either standard sliding scale subcutaneous insulin (blood glucose range 80–179 mg/dL, 4·44–9·93 mmol/L) or continuous intravenous insulin (target blood glucose 80–130 mg/dL, 4·44–7·21 mmol/L) for up to 72 h, starting within 12 h of stroke symptom onset. The acute treatment phase is single blind (for the patients), but the final outcome assessment is double blind. The study is powered to detect a 7% absolute difference in favorable outcome at 90 days. Study outcomes The primary outcome is a baseline severity adjusted 90-day modified Rankin Scale score, defined as 0, 0–1, or 0–2, if the baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score is 3–7, 8–14, or 15–22, respectively. The primary safety outcome is the rate of severe hypoglycemia (<40 mg/dL, <2·22 mmol/L). Discussion This trial will provide important novel information about preferred management of acute ischemic stroke patients with hyperglycemia. It will determine the potential benefits and risks of intensive glucose control during acute stroke.
Financial Determinants of International Remittance Flows to the Sub‐Saharan African Region
Authors: Ezeoha Abel Ebeh 
Published: March 2013

AbstractThere is a general belief that Sub‐Saharan Africa has the poorest record of international remittances because, due to deficiencies in the region's financial systems, a greater proportion of remittances passes through informal channels. This article examines the interactive impact of financial development on remittances to the region. Using a panel data covering 32 countries in the region from 1995 to 2009, it finds evidence of weak financial infrastructure constraining the flow of remittances. It also shows that the higher the level of a country's infrastructural development, the greater the impact on remittances. The article establishes that the impact of financial development and institutional quality is greater in emerging markets than in developing economies, implying that improving the financial system and institutional structures in Africa should be at the centre of the current policy efforts to optimize the benefits of remittances.
Immigration Policy and Entrepreneurship
Authors: Mahuteau Stéphane , Piracha Matloob , Tani Massimilano , Lucero Matias Vaira 
Published: March 2013

AbstractThis article analyses the impact of a change in Australia's immigration policy, introduced in the mid‐1990s, on migrants' probability of becoming entrepreneurs. The policy change consists of stricter entry requirements and restrictions to welfare entitlements. The results indicate that those who entered under more stringent conditions – the second cohort – have a higher probability of becoming self‐employed, than those in the first cohort. We also find significant time and region effects. Contrary to some existing evidence, time spent in Australia positively affects the probability to become self‐employed. We discuss the intuitions for the results and their policy implications.