bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Motivating Cosmopolitanism? A Skeptical View
Authors: Lenard Patti Tamara 
Published: September 2010

AbstractWe are not cosmopolitans, if by cosmopolitan we mean that we are willing to prioritize equally the needs of those near and far. Here, I argue that cosmopolitanism has yet to wrestle with the motivational challenges it faces: any good moral theory must be one that well-meaning people will be motivated to adopt. Some cosmopolitans suggest that the principles of cosmopolitanism are themselves sufficient to motivate compliance with them. This argument is flawed, for precisely the reasons that motivate this paper – we are cosmopolitan neither in our attitudes nor in our behaviors towards others. Other cosmopolitans suggest that 'global solidarity' is sufficient to generate a commitment to carrying out duties towards others. These latter efforts implicitly rely on insights best captured by the nationalist thesis, that is, that national communities are the best vehicles, morally speaking, through which individuals can carry out their obligations to others. I consider, and refute, two objections to my argument: first, that it is guilty of a 'time-lag fallacy' and, second, that it ignores an emergent cosmopolitan attitude among global citizens.
Cognitive Biases and Moral Luck
Authors: Guttel Ehud , Enoch David 
Published: September 2010

AbstractSome of the recent philosophical literature on moral luck attempts to make headway in the moral-luck debate by employing the resources of empirical psychology, in effect arguing that some of the intuitive judgments relevant to the moral-luck debate are best explained – and so presumably explained away – as the output of well-documented cognitive biases. We argue that such attempts are empirically problematic, and furthermore that even if they were not, it is still not at all clear what philosophical significance they would have.
Moral Status, Speciesism, and Liao's Genetic Account
Authors: Grau Christopher 
Published: September 2010

AbstractThis paper offers several criticisms of the account of rightholding laid out in S. Matthew Liao's recent paper 'The Basis of Human Moral Status'. I argue that Liao's account both does too much and too little: it grants rightholder status to those who may not deserve it, and it does not provide grounds for offering such status to those who arguably do deserve it. Given these troubling aspects of his approach, I encourage Liao to abandon his 'physical basis of moral agency' account of moral status and instead adopt a position closer to a traditional 'speciesist' view.
The True Covenant People: Ethnic Reasoning in the Epistle of Barnabas
Authors: Kok Michael 
Published: September 2010

There was no abstract conception of religion in antiquity, but religious beliefs and practices were closely intertwined with ethnicity in the Graeco-Roman period. Building on the groundbreaking studies of Denise Kimber Buell, I investigate the use of ethnic reasoning in centrist Christian identity formation with the epistle of Barnabas as a specific case study. The epistle of Barnabas utilizes ethnic reasoning to construct a distinct Christian ethnic identity and to manufacture sharp differences between Christian and Judaean social praxis. In order to promote the idea of a homogeneous Christian ethnic identity with pure origins, Barnabas re-appropriates the legacy of Israel while representing the ‘‘Judaean’’ as an adversaral foil. Il n’y avait pas de conception abstraite de la religion dans l’antiquité, mais les croyances et pratiques religieuses étaient étroitement entrelacées à l’ethnicité dans la période gréco-romaine. En me basant sur les études innovantes de Denise Kimber Buell, je recherche l’utilisation du raisonnement ethnique dans la formation de l’identité chrétienne avec l’épitre de Barnabas comme étude de cas. L’épitre de Barnabas utilise le raisonnement ethnique pour construire une identité chrétienne distincte et pour créer une nette différence entre les coutumes chrétiennes et judaïques. Afin de promouvoir l’idée d’une identité chrétienne homogène avec des origines pures, Barnabas rétablit l’héritage d’Israël tout en représentant le christianisme et le judaïsme comme des adversaires.
Lost in interpretation: The use of interpreters in research on mental ill health
Authors: Ingvarsdotter Karin , Johnsdotter Sara , Östman Margareta 
Published: September 2010

Background: The literature concerning interpretation in research primarily concentrates on rigorous techniques to eliminate bias. This article analyses other significant issues that arise when interpreters participate in research. Material: Empirical examples are drawn from a research project concerning mental ill health in a multicultural neighbourhood. Discussion: Interpreters influence interview data in ways commonly unnoticed by researchers. One often-overlooked factor is that languages are dynamic and interpreters are not instruments. Conclusion: Research conducted with an interpreter is a complex undertaking. Solely relying on checklists to improve methodological rigour can result in a false sense of the material’s validity.
Long-Term Survival of High Tibial Osteotomy for Medial Compartment Osteoarthritis of the Knee
Authors: Hui Catherine , Salmon Lucy J. , Kok Alison , Williams Heidi A. , Hockers Niels , van der Tempel Willem M. , Chana Rishi , Pinczewski Leo A. 
Published: September 2010

Background: The management of degenerative arthritis of the knee in the younger, active patient presents a challenge to the orthopaedic surgeon. Surgical treatment options include high tibial osteotomy (HTO), unicompartmental knee arthroplasty, and total knee arthroplasty. Purpose: To examine the long-term survival of closing wedge HTO in a large series of patients up to 19 years after surgery. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: Four hundred fifty-five consecutive patients underwent lateral closing wedge HTO for medial compartment osteoarthritis between 1990 and 2001. Between 2008 and 2009, patients were contacted via telephone, and assessment included incidence of further surgery, current body mass index (BMI), Oxford Knee Score, and British Orthopaedic Association Patient Satisfaction Scale. Failure was defined as the need for revision HTO or conversion to unicompartmental knee arthroplasty or total knee arthroplasty. Survival analysis was completed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: High tibial osteotomy survival was determined in 413 patients (91%). Of the 397 remaining living patients at the time of final review, 394 (99%) were contacted for follow-up via telephone interview. The probability of survival for HTO at 5, 10, and 15 years was 95%, 79%, and 56%, respectively. Multivariate regression analysis showed that age under 50 years ( P = .001), BMI less than 25 ( P = .006), and ACL deficiency ( P = .03) were associated with better odds of survival. Mean Oxford Knee Score was 40 of 48 (range, 17-48). Overall, 85% of patients were enthusiastic or satisfied, and 84% would undergo HTO again at a mean 12 years of follow-up. Conclusion: High tibial osteotomy can be effective for periods longer than 15 years; however, results do deteriorate over time. Age less than 50 years, normal BMI, and ACL deficiency were independent factors associated with improved long-term survival of HTO.
The prevalence of multiple sclerosis in central Italy
Authors: Millefiorini Enrico , Cortese Antonio , Di Rezze Simone , Barletta Giovanna , Bellantonio Paolo , Batocchi Anna P , Di Battista Giancarlo , Fiore Stefania , Gasperini Claudio , Grasso Maria Grazia , Koudriatseva Tatiana , Totaro Rocco , Durastanti Valentina 
Published: September 2010

Background: The prevalence of multiple sclerosis varies considerably throughout the world. Objective: To better define the prevalence of MS in central Italy. Methods: This is a population-based study conducted in the province of Frosinone, which is situated in the Lazio region, central Italy. The selected prevalence day was 1 January 2007. A total of 467 patients, with a definite diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, were considered for crude, age- and sex-specific prevalence estimation. Results: The overall crude prevalence rate was 95.0 cases per 100,000 (95% confidence interval (CI) 86.6—104.0). A significantly higher prevalence rate was recorded in females (134.9, 95% CI 121.0—150.1) than in males (53.3, 95% CI 44.4—63.3) ( p = 0.001). Age-specific prevalence peaked in the 25—34 year, 35—44 year and 45—54 year age groups; moreover, it was found to increase up to the 35—44 year age group in males and the 45—54 year age group in females, decreasing thereafter. The female to male ratio was 2.6. Conclusions: The results confirm that MS occurs more frequently in central Italy than might be expected on the basis of the geographic-related distribution model, thus supporting the view that this is a high-risk area for the disease.
Oral laquinimod in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: 36-week double-blind active extension of the multi-centre, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group placebo-controlled study
Authors: Comi G. , Abramsky O , Arbizu T , Boyko A , Gold R , Havrdová E , Komoly S , Selmaj K , Sharrack B , Filippi M ,   for the LAQ/5063 Study Group
Published: September 2010

Background: Laquinimod, an oral novel immunomodulator, was shown to reduce MRI-measured disease activity in relapsing—remitting MS (RRMS) patients. Objectives: To determine whether the safety and efficacy profile of laquinimod, as shown in a placebo-controlled 36-week trial (LAQ/5062), is sustained and reproducible. Methods: Two hundred and fifty seven patients entered the extension phase in which MRI was performed at the beginning and at the end of the active extension phase. Clinical assessments were performed at weeks 4, 12 and every 12 weeks thereafter. Results: Two hundred and thirty nine (93%) patients completed the extension phase and 222 (86.3%) had a final scan available. Gadolinium-enhanced (GdE) T1 lesions were significantly reduced for patients switching from placebo to 0.3/ 0.6 mg doses (52%, p = 0.0006). In patients initially randomized to 0.6 mg in LAQ/5062 the reduction of MRI activity observed in the placebo-controlled phase was maintained in the extension. The proportion of GdE-free patients for those who switched from placebo increased from a baseline of 31% to 47% at the end of the extension phase ( p = 0.01). The most prominent safety signal was elevations of liver enzymes, reversible in all cases. Conclusions: The good efficacy and the excellent safety and tolerability profiles of laquinimod 0.6 mg/day are confirmed in this extension study.
Risk perception in natalizumab-treated multiple sclerosis patients and their neurologists
Authors: Heesen Christoph , Kleiter Ingo , Nguyen Franziska , Schäffler Nina , Kasper Jürgen , Köpke Sascha , Gaissmaier Wolfgang 
Published: September 2010

Background: Natalizumab is associated with the potentially life-threatening side-effect progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). Little is known about patients’ and physicians’ risk estimates and attitudes towards natalizumab treatment. Methods: Consecutive natalizumab-treated patients ( n = 69) and neurologists ( n = 66) in two centres and cooperating private practices received an evidence-based three-page information leaflet about natalizumab-associated PML and an evaluation sheet. Results: After reading the information, patients were significantly more likely than physicians to intend continuation of natalizumab treatment and willing to accept higher risks of PML: 49% of physicians would stop treatment at a PML risk of 2 : 10,000 or lower, while only 17% of patients would do so ( p < 0.001). This difference could not be explained by risk calculation abilities or lack of understanding. Both groups overestimated natalizumab treatment effects. Conclusion: Patients had a significantly worse perception of multiple sclerosis as a malignant disease. We conclude that patients were willing to accept a higher risk of PML than neurologists. Coherent with their perception of risks and benefits, patients were also more willing to continue treatment. Open information about treatment-related risks is appreciated and might support shared decision making.
Preservation of motor skill learning in patients with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Tomassini Valentina , Johansen-Berg Heidi , Leonardi Laura , Paixão Luis , Jbabdi Saad , Palace Jackie , Pozzilli Carlo , Matthews Paul M 
Published: September 2010

Background:Several studies have demonstrated benefits of rehabilitation in multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the neuroscientific foundations for rehabilitation in MS are poorly established. Objectives:As rehabilitation and motor learning share similar mechanisms of brain plasticity, we test whether the dynamics of skill learning are preserved in MS patients relative to controls. Methods:MS patients and controls learned a repeating sequence of hand movements and were assessed for short-term learning. Long-term learning was tested in another cohort of patients and controls practising the same sequence daily for two weeks. Results:Despite differences in baseline performance, the dynamics and extent of improvements were comparable between MS and control groups for both the short- and long-term learning. Even the most severely damaged patients were capable of performance improvements of similar magnitude to that seen in controls. After one week of training patients performed as well as the controls at baseline. Conclusions:Mechanisms for short- and long-term plasticity may compensate for impaired functional connectivity in MS to mediate behavioural improvements. Future studies are needed to define the neurobiological substrates of this plasticity and the extent to which mechanisms of plasticity in patients may be distinct from those used for motor learning in controls.
Prospective evaluation of two recruitment strategies for a randomized controlled cancer prevention trial
Authors: Chlebowski Rowan T , Menon Rashmi , Chaisanguanthum Roslyn M , Jackson D Marie 
Published: September 2010

Purpose To evaluate two recruitment strategies used during the full-scale randomized, placebo-controlled Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) at one clinical center. Background Recruitment of participants to cancer prevention trials is challenging and costly and more efficient methods are needed. Methods SELECT participants were males ≥60 years old who were solicited with two recruitment strategies. In the control strategy, potential participants, identified through purchased mailing lists, were sent a SELECT invitation letter. In the ‘spouse’ strategy, letters were sent to married postmenopausal women already participating in the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) at our clinical center asking them to provide an enclosed SELECT invitation letter (identical to the one in the control strategy) to the ‘man in her life’. Our hypothesis was that SELECT recruitment of men would be enhanced by this indirect mailing to their spouses already participating in a similar program. Results In the control strategy, 183,315 invitation letters were mailed to 60,000 men; cumulative response was 2.16%; 600 men ultimately enrolled in SELECT (15.1% of respondents) for a mailing recruitment cost of $259 per participant. In the spouse strategy, 800 women participating in WHI clinical studies had husbands; of the 2214 invitation letters mailed to this group of women, cumulative response was 2.75%; 34 men ultimately enrolled in SELECT (55.7% of respondents) for a mailing recruitment cost of $59 per participant. Limitation Process information on how invitation letters were handled in the spouse strategy was not collected. Conclusion A direct mail recruitment strategy was successful in recruiting men to a cancer prevention trial. A recruitment strategy involving indirect mailing to married women participating in a similar research program in the same center did not increase initial response substantially, but a higher proportion of respondents ultimately entered the prevention trial.
Progenitor cell dose determines the pace and completeness of engraftment in a xenograft model for cord blood transplantation
Authors: Liu Congxiao , Chen Benny J. , DeOliveira Divinomar , Sempowski Gregory D. , Chao Nelson J. , Storms Robert W. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractTwo critical concerns in clinical cord blood transplantation are the initial time to engraftment and the subsequent restoration of immune function. These studies measured the impact of progenitor cell dose on both the pace and strength of hematopoietic reconstitution by transplanting nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency/interleukin-2 receptor-gamma–null (NSγ) mice with lineage-depleted aldehyde dehydrogenase-bright CD34+ human cord blood progenitors. The progress of each transplant was monitored over an extended time course by repeatedly analyzing the peripheral blood for human hematopoietic cells. In vivo human hematopoietic development was complete. After long-term transplantation assays (≥ 19 weeks), human T-cell development was documented within multiple tissues in 16 of 32 NSγ mice. Human T-cell differentiation was active within NSγ thymuses, as documented by the presence of CD4+ CD8+ T-cell progenitors as well as T-cell receptor excision circles. It is important to note that although myeloid and B-cell engraftment was detected as early as 4 weeks after transplantation, human T-cell development was exclusively late onset. High progenitor cell doses were associated with a robust human hematopoietic chimerism that accelerated both initial time to engraftment and subsequent T-cell development. At lower progenitor cell doses, the chimerism was weak and the human hematopoietic lineage development was frequently incomplete.
Loss of Cxcl12/Sdf-1 in adult mice decreases the quiescent state of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells and alters the pattern of hematopoietic regeneration after myelosuppression
Authors: Tzeng Yi-Shiuan , Li Hung , Kang Yuan-Lin , Chen Wen-Cheng , Cheng Wei-Cheng , Lai Dar-Ming 
Published: September 2010

Abstract
The C-X-C-type chemokine Cxcl12, also known as stromal cell–derived factor-1, plays a critical role in hematopoiesis during fetal development. However, the functional requirement of Cxcl12 in the adult hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell (HSPC) regulation was still unclear. In this report, we developed a murine Cxcl12 conditional deletion model in which the target gene can be deleted at the adult stage. We found that loss of stroma-secreted Cxcl12 in the adult led to expansion of the HSPC population as well as a reduction in long-term quiescent stem cells. In Cxcl12-deficient bone marrow, HSPCs were absent along the endosteal surface, and blood cell regeneration occurred predominantly in the perisinusoidal space after 5-fluorouracil myelosuppression challenge. Our results indicate that Cxcl12 is required for HSPC homeostasis regulation and is an important factor for osteoblastic niche organization in adult stage bone marrow.
In pediatric patients, age has more impact on dosing of vitamin K antagonists than VKORC1 or CYP2C9 genotypes
Authors: Nowak-Göttl Ulrike , Dietrich Kevin , Schaffranek Daria , Eldin Noha Sharaf , Yasui Yutaka , Geisen Christof , Mitchell Lesley G. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractAnticoagulation with vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) is problematic because of difficulties in safely managing dosing. Polymorphisms in cytochrome P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) and vitamin K epoxide reductase genes (VKORC1) have been shown to affect VKA dosing in adults. The association of these polymorphisms on VKA dosing in children has not been investigated. The objective of the study was to assess associations of CYP2C9 and VKORC1 polymorphisms and clinical variables on VKA dosing in children. A nonselected cohort of pediatric patients receiving VKA were tested for CYP2C9 and VKORC1 polymorphisms, and clinical data were collected. Multiple linear regression modeling was used to assess relationships of VKA dose with genetic and clinical variables. Fifty-nine patients were recruited; 55.9% were receiving warfarin, and 44.1% were on phenprocoumon. There was a negative association of age with VKA dose (P < .001). Comparing VKORC1 genotypes, the AA group required significantly lower daily doses than GG group (P = .011). In the full model including age, VKORC1 and CYP2C9 genotypes accounted for 38% of dose variation. Age explained 28.3% of VKA dose variations; VKORC1 and CYP2C9 explained only 3.7% and 0.4%, respectively. In children, the most critical factor in determining VKA dose is age. VKORC1/CYP2C9 genotypes only marginally explain dose variations.
Sequence variation at multiple loci influences red cell hemoglobin concentration
Authors: Peters Luanne L. , Shavit Jordan A. , Lambert Amy J. , Tsaih Shirng-Wern , Li Qian , Su Zhiguang , Leduc Magalie S. , Paigen Beverly , Churchill Gary A. , Ginsburg David , Brugnara Carlo 
Published: September 2010

AbstractA substantial genetic contribution underlies variation in baseline peripheral blood counts. We performed quantitative trait locus/loci analyses to identify chromosome regions harboring genes influencing red cell hemoglobin concentration using the cell hemoglobin concentration mean (CHCM), a directly measured parameter analogous to the mean cell hemoglobin concentration. Fourteen significant loci (gene symbols Chcmq1-Chcmq14) were detected. Seven of these influenced CHCM in a sex-specific fashion, and 2 showed significant interactive effects (epistasis). For quantitative trait locus/loci detected in multiple crosses, confidence intervals were narrowed using statistical and bioinformatic approaches. Two strong candidate genes emerged and were further analyzed: adult β-globin (Hbb) for Chcmq3 on Chr 7, and transferrin (Trf) for Chcmq2 on Chr 9. High and low allele parental strains in crosses detecting Chcmq3 segregate 100% with the known ancestral haplotype blocks, hemoglobin (Hb) diffuse (Hbbd) and Hb single (Hbbs), respectively. Hbbd consists of nonidentical major and minor polypeptides and exhibits an increased positive charge relative to Hbbs due to the net loss of 2 negative residues in the Hbbdminor polypeptide, resulting in a pI of 7.85 versus 7.13. Thus, as shown in human erythrocytes, positively charged Hbs are associated with cell dehydration and increased CHCM in mouse erythrocytes.
Adaptation to anemia in hemoglobin E-β thalassemia
Authors: Allen Angela , Fisher Christopher , Premawardhena Anuja , Peto Timothy , Allen Stephen , Arambepola Mahinda , Thayalsutha Vivekanandan , Olivieri Nancy , Weatherall David 
Published: September 2010

Abstract
Hemoglobin E β thalassemia is the commonest form of severe thalassemia in many Asian countries. Its remarkably variable clinical phenotype presents a major challenge to determining its most appropriate management. In particular, it is not clear why some patients with this condition can develop and function well at very low hemoglobin levels. Here, we demonstrate that patients with hemoglobin Eβ thalassemia have a significant decrease in the oxygen affinity of their hemoglobin, that is an increased P50 value, in response to anemia. This may in part reflect the lower level of hemoglobin F in this condition compared with other forms of β thalassemia intermedia. The ability to right-shift the oxygen dissociation curve was retained across the spectrum of mild and severe phenotypes, despite the significantly higher levels of hemoglobin F in the former, suggesting that efforts directed at producing a modest increase in the level of hemoglobin F in symptomatic patients with this disease should be of therapeutic value.