bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
UNJUST WAR AND THE CATHOLIC SOLDIER
Authors: Thomas Ward 
Published: August 2007

ABSTRACTRoman Catholic teaching holds both that wars must conform to certain criteria in order to be considered morally justifiable, and that individuals are accountable for the moral content of their actions. Are Catholics serving in the armed forces therefore required to refuse to serve in unjust wars? Are they entitled—or obligated—to defer to the judgments of others as to whether a war is just? If so, whose judgment? I suggest that there are exceptional characteristics of military service that may factor in the formation of conscience as it is described in Catholic teaching. Specifically, just as the Church sees the indispensable role of the armed forces in protecting society as reconciling the use of force with the Catholic injunction to seek peace, so too may the indispensable role of obedience and deference to authority in the armed forces—while never supplanting the responsibilities of individual discernment—reconcile fighting in an unjust war with the obligations of conscience.
RECURRING THEMES IN THE DEBATE ABOUT EUTHANASIA AND ASSISTED SUICIDE
Authors: Boer Theo A. 
Published: August 2007

ABSTRACTDuring the past four decades, the Netherlands played a leading role in the debate about euthanasia and assisted suicide. Despite the claim that other countries would soon follow the Dutch legalization of euthanasia, only Belgium and the American state of Oregon did. In many countries, intense discussions took place. This article discusses some major contributions to the discussion about euthanasia and assisted suicide as written by Nigel Biggar (2004), Arthur J. Dyck (2002), Neil M. Gorsuch (2006), and John Keown (2002). They share a concern that legalization will undermine a society's respect for the inviolability and sanctity of life. Moreover, the Report of the House of Lords Select Committee on the Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill (2005) is analyzed. All studies use ethical, theological, philosophical, and legal sources. All these documents include references to experiences from the Netherlands. In addition, two recent Dutch documents are analyzed which advocate further liberalization of the Dutch euthanasia practice, so as to include infants (Groningen Protocol, NVK 2005) and elderly people “suffering from life” (Dijkhuis Report, KNMG 2004).
Between a ROC and a hard place: decision making and making decisions about using the SCQ
Authors: Corsello Christina , Hus Vanessa , Pickles Andrew , Risi Susan , Cook Edwin H. , Leventhal Bennett L. , Lord Catherine 
Published: August 2007

Background:  The Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ), formerly the Autism Screening Questionnaire (ASQ), is based on a well‐validated parent interview, the Autism Diagnostic Interview (ADI). It has shown promise as a screening measure for autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in a research‐referred older sample, though recent studies with younger children reported lower sensitivities when using the suggested cutoff of ≥15 to differentiate ASDs from children with nonspectrum disorders (NS).Methods:  Diagnostic discrimination of the SCQ was evaluated alone and in combination with the ADOS (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule) in a clinical and research‐referred sample of 590 children and adolescents (2 to 16 years), with best estimate consensus diagnoses of autism, pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified (PDD‐NOS) and non‐ASD disorders. The SCQ was completed before the evaluation in most cases. Performance of the SCQ was also compared with the Autism Diagnostic Interview – Revised (ADI‐R).Results:  Absolute scores and sensitivity in the younger children and specificity for all groups were lower than reported in the original study. Using receiver operating curves (ROC) to examine the area under the curve (AUC), the SCQ was more similar to the ADI‐R total score in differentiating ASD from NS disorders in the older (8–10, >11) than younger age groups (<5, 5–7). Lowering the cutoff score in the 2 younger groups improved sensitivity, with specificity remaining relatively low in all groups. Using the SCQ in combination with the ADOS resulted in improved specificity. Diagnostic discrimination was best using the ADI‐R and ADOS in combination.Conclusions:  Those interested in using the SCQ should consider adjusting cutoff scores according to age and purpose, and using it in combination with another measure. Sensitivity or specificity may be prioritized for research or screening depending on goals.
Prevalence and correlates of psychopathology in a sample of deaf adolescents
Authors: Van Gent Tiejo , Goedhart Arnold W. , Hindley Peter A. , Treffers Philip D.A. 
Published: August 2007

Aims:  To examine prevalence and correlates of psychopathology in deaf adolescents using a multi‐method multi‐informant approach.Methods:  Data for the study came from checklist assessments by parents (Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)) and teachers (Teacher's Report Form (TRF)) of 70 deaf adolescents aged 13 to 21 years, from semi‐structured clinical interviews of the adolescents (Semi‐structured Clinical Interview for Children and Adolescents (SCICA)), and from expert ratings of dossier data.Results:  The percentages of Total Problems scores in the borderline clinical range in this population as found with the CBCL, TRF and SCICA are 28%, 32% and 49–63% respectively. Expert dossier ratings identified psychiatric caseness in 49% and DSM‐classifications in 46% of the adolescents (primary classifications: emotional disorder 27%, behavioral disorder 11%, other disorder 7%). Cross‐informant agreement between single ratings and expert dossier ratings was better than agreement between single ratings. Logistic regression analyses revealed that low IQ, a signing mode of communication and a history of three or more physical disorders were associated with psychiatric caseness.Conclusions:  Findings suggest a high prevalence of psychopathology in the population studied and argue for a special focus on the early detection of significant emotional and behavioral problems as well as a multi‐informant approach to the assessment of disorder in deaf children and adolescents. The correlational findings support the view that it is not deafness per se that contributes to psychiatric problems.
Imaginary companions and young children's responses to ambiguous auditory stimuli: implications for typical and atypical development
Authors: Fernyhough Charles , Bland Kirsten , Meins Elizabeth , Coltheart Max 
Published: August 2007

Background: Previous research has reported a link between imaginary companions (ICs) in middle childhood and the perception of verbal material in ambiguous auditory stimuli. These findings have been interpreted in terms of commonalities in the cognitive processes underlying children's engagement with ICs and adults’ reporting of imaginary verbal experiences such as auditory verbal hallucinations. The aim of the present study was to examine these relations using improved methodology and a younger sample of children for whom engagement with ICs would be expected to be particularly salient.Method: Data on young children's (age range: 4–8 years) reporting of ICs were gathered in two studies (totalN = 80). Responses to ambiguous auditory stimuli were investigated using the new Jumbled Speech task, which measures participants’ likelihood of perceiving words in meaningless but speech‐like auditory stimuli.Results: Reporting hearing words in the Jumbled Speech task was associated with having a parentally corroborated IC. Hearing words on the task and having an IC were unrelated to age, gender, verbal ability, and understanding of the stream of consciousness.Conclusions: Findings are consistent with the hypothesis that engaging with ICs is one aspect of a general susceptibility to imaginary verbal experiences. We consider the implications for the assumption of continuity in psychopathological experiences between childhood and adulthood.
Nitroparacetamol (NCX‐701) and Pain: First in a Series of Novel Analgesics
Authors: Romero‐Sandoval E. Alfonso , Curros‐Criado M. Mar , Gaitan Gema , Molina Carlos , Herrero Juan F. 
Published: August 2007

ABSTRACTThe combination of numerous classic drugs with nitric oxide donors has led to the development of new compounds with promising therapeutic activities in a great variety of situations, including cardiovascular and respiratory systems, ocular pressure, inflammation, and pain. One of the first compounds developed was NCX‐701 or nitroparacetamol, resulting from the combination of paracetamol, a classic and popular analgesic used in a great number of over‐the‐counter medications because of its antipyretic and analgesic properties, and a nitrooxybutyroyl moiety, which releases nitric oxide at a low but steady level. Although paracetamol is devoid of most of the gastrointestinal toxicity associated with aspirin‐like drugs, this type of compounds was first designed to take advantage of the cytoprotective properties of nitric oxide when released at low concentrations. However, the combination of these molecules also resulted in an unexpected enhancement of the analgesic activity of paracetamol. In fact, NCX‐701 has been shown to be effective in acute nociception as well as in neuropathic pain, situations in which paracetamol and other COX inhibitors are devoid of any effect. In addition, NCX‐701 is more potent and, in some circumstances, more effective than its parent compound in different models of inflammatory pain. Furthermore, whereas paracetamol lacks any effective antiinflammatory action, NCX‐701 might reduce inflammation. All these results taken together imply that the mechanism of action of NCX‐701 is different from that of paracetamol, although it is not yet established for either molecule. NCX‐701 appears to be a promising compound in the treatment of different types of pain, with a likely better profile of side effects than its parent molecule, paracetamol. Although recent clinical trials provided data consistent with the preclinical profile of NCX‐701, further studies are needed to support its clinical use.
Pharmacological Properties of BN82451: A Novel Multitargeting Neuroprotective Agent
Authors: Chabrier Pierre Etienne , Auguet Michel 
Published: August 2007

ABSTRACTBN82451 belongs to a new family of small molecules designated as multitargeting or hybrid molecules. BN82451 is orally active, has good central nervous system penetration, and elicits potent neuronal protection and antiinflammatory properties. Neuronal protection is due to Na+ channel blockade, antioxidant properties, and mitochondria‐protecting activity, whereas inhibition of cyclooxygenases is mostly responsible for its antiinflammatory activity. BN82451 has been shown to exert a potent neuroprotective effect in various in vitro and in vivo animal models. BN82451 was found to exert a significant protection in experimental animal models mimicking aspects of cerebral ischemia, Parkinson disease, Huntington disease, and more particularly amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Collectively, its pharmacological properties designate BN82451 as a promising neuroprotective agent.
Variability and predictability of large‐volume red blood cell transfusion in cardiac surgery: a multicenter study
Authors: Karkouti Keyvan , Wijeysundera Duminda N. , Beattie W. Scott , Callum Jeannie L. , Cheng Davy , Dupuis Jean‐Yves , Kent Blaine , Mazer David , Rubens Fraser D. , Sawchuk Corey , Yau Terrence M. ,   the Reducing Bleeding in Cardiac Surgery (RBC) Research Group
Published: August 2007

BACKGROUND: In cardiac surgery, excessive blood loss requiring large‐volume red blood cell (RBC) transfusion is a common occurrence that is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The objectives of this study were to measure the interinstitution variation and predictability of large‐volume RBC transfusion.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Data were retrospectively collected on 3500 consecutive cardiac surgical patients at seven Canadian hospitals during 2004. The crude and risk‐adjusted institutional odds ratios (ORs) for large‐volume (≥5 U) RBC transfusion were calculated with logistic regression. The predictive accuracy of an existing prediction rule for large‐volume RBC transfusion was calculated for each institution.RESULTS: Large‐volume RBC transfusion occurred in 538 (15%) patients. When compared to the reference hospital (median crude rate), the institutional unadjusted and adjusted ORs for large‐volume RBC transfusion ranged from 0.29 to 1.26 and 0.14 to 1.15, respectively (p  < 0.0001 for interinstitution variation). The variation was lower, but still considerable, for excessive blood loss, defined as at least 5‐U RBC transfusion or reexploration; the ORs ranged from 0.42 to 1.22 (p  < 0.0001). The prediction rule performed well at most sites; its pooled positive predictive value for excessive blood loss was 71 percent (range, 63%‐89%), and its negative predictive value was 90 percent (range, 87%‐93%).CONCLUSIONS: There is marked interinstitution variation in large‐volume RBC transfusion in cardiac surgery that is not explained by patient‐ or surgery‐related factors. Despite this variation, patients at high or low risk for large‐volume RBC transfusion can be accurately identified by a prediction rule composed of readily available clinical variables.
Significant alterations in peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets in patients with somatoform disorder
Authors: Pedrosa Gil Francisco , Schwarz Markus J , Müller Norbert , Nickel Marius , Ridout Nathan , Schmidmaier Ralf 
Published: August 2007

Objective:Previous studies have suggested that somatoform disorders (SFD) might be associated with changes in the function of the central and autonomic nervous systems. The aim of this study was to examine the possible immunological differences between SFD and healthy controls.Methods:Twenty-four patients with SFD and 13 healthy individuals completed the psychological questionnaires to assess symptom reporting [Symptom Checklist-90 Revised (SCL-90-R)] and to diagnose for SFD [Screening for Somatoform Symptoms scale (SOMS-scale)]. Participants also provided a blood sample taken in the morning, which was analysed with an automated cell counter to determine the number of leucocytes per μl and with flow cytometry to determine lymphocyte subsets.Results:With the exception of a higher T4/T8 ratio in the patient group, which was mainly because of lower CD8 counts, there were no significant differences in the absolute number of lymphocytes (subsets) between patients with SFD and healthy subjects. A positive correlation between B-lymphocyte subsets (CD19+CD22+, CD19+CD5+, CD19+CD3−) to all scales of the SCL-90-R, except somatisation, were found in SFD. Additionally, a positive correlation was found in SFD between CD14+CD16+ monocytes and somatisation (0.573) on the SCL-90-R scale.Conclusion:These data indicate that patients with SFD have an enhanced humoral immunity as shown by increased B-cell numbers and furthermore an elevated T4/T8 ratio because of lower CD8 suppressor cells. Further studies will be required to determine whether these alterations in lymphocyte subsets are directly involved in the pathophysiology of SFD.
Concentration Rebound Following In Situ Chemical Oxidation in Fractured Clay
Authors: Mundle Keely , Reynolds David A. , West Michael R. , Kueper Bernard H. 
Published: August 2007

AbstractA two‐dimensional, transient‐flow, and transport numerical model was developed to simulate in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) of trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene by potassium permanganate in fractured clay. This computer model incorporates dense, nonaqueous phase liquid dissolution, reactive aquifer material, multispecies matrix diffusion, and kinetic formulations for the oxidation reactions. A sensitivity analysis for two types of parameters, hydrogeological and engineering, including matrix porosity, matrix organic carbon, fracture aperture, potassium permanganate dosage, and hydraulic gradient, was conducted. Remediation metrics investigated were the relative rebound concentrations arising from back diffusion and percent mass destroyed. No well‐defined correlation was found between the magnitude of rebound concentrations during postremedy monitoring and the amount of contaminant mass destroyed during the application. Results indicate that all investigated parameters affect ISCO remediation in some form. Results indicate that when advective transport through the fracture is dominant relative to diffusive transport into the clay matrix (large System Peclet Number), permanganate is more likely to be flushed out of the system and treatment is not optimal. If the System Peclet Number is too small, indicating that diffusion into the matrix is dominant relative to advection through the fracture, permanganate does not traverse the entire fracture, leading to postremediation concentration rebound. Optimal application of ISCO requires balancing advective transport through the fracture with diffusive transport into the clay matrix.
Plant Response to Metal Contamination at an Oil Shale Tailing Site in Maoming, South China
Authors: Ding Aizhong , Cheng Lirong , Liu Puxin , Carpenter Philip J. , Teng Yanguo 
Published: August 2007

AbstractThe performance of phytoextraction is evaluated at an oil shale tailing site in South China, where the soil is moderately contaminated with heavy metals. Soil, wastes, and plant tissues (leaf, stem, and root) were collected from the site and analyzed for metals. The analytical results show that the plants can extract more metal from the surrounding soil than their nutrient requirements. Though the plants sampled are not hyperaccumulators for heavy metals as defined by other researchers, they can translocate heavy metals to their leaves and tolerate acidic soil with pH as low as 3.4. This makes them candidates for contaminated site remediation. Abelmoschus moschatus, Eleocharis quisetina J. et C.Presl, Acacia confusa wild., and Eucalyptus saligna were particularly effective in translocating heavy metals to easily harvestable leaves and shoots.
Influence of Dissolved Oxygen Convection on Well Sampling
Authors: Vroblesky Don A. , Casey Clifton C. , Lowery Mark A. 
Published: August 2007

AbstractConvective transport of dissolved oxygen (D.O.) from shallow to deeper parts of wells was observed as the shallow water in wells in South Carolina became cooler than the deeper water in the wells due to seasonal changes. Wells having a relatively small depth to water were more susceptible to thermally induced convection than wells where the depth to water was greater because the shallower water levels were more influenced by air temperature. The potential for convective transport of D.O. to maintain oxygenated conditions in a well screened in an anaerobic aquifer was diminished as ground water exchange through the well screen increased and as oxygen demand increased. Transport of D.O. to the screened interval can adversely affect the ability of passive samplers to produce accurate concentrations of oxygen‐sensitive solutes such as iron, other redox indicators, and microbiological data. A comparison of passive sampling to low‐flow sampling in a well undergoing convection, however, showed general agreement of volatile organic compound concentrations. During low‐flow sampling, the pumped water may be a mixture of convecting water from within the well casing and aquifer water moving inward through the screen. This mixing of water during low‐flow sampling can substantially increase equilibration times, can cause false stabilization of indicator parameters, can give false indications of the redox state, and can provide microbiological data that are not representative of the aquifer conditions. Data from this investigation show that simple in‐well devices can effectively mitigate convective transport of oxygen. The devices can range from inflatable packers to simple, inexpensive baffle systems.
HOLOGRAPHIC SPHERICALLY SYMMETRIC METRICS
Authors: PETRI MICHAEL 
Published: August 2007

The holographic principle (HP) conjectures, that the maximum number of degrees of freedom of any realistic physical system is proportional to the system's boundary area. The HP has its roots in the study of black holes. It has recently been applied to cosmological solutions. In this article we apply the HP to spherically symmetric static space-times. We find that any regular spherically symmetric object saturating the HP is subject to tight constraints on the (interior) metric, energy-density, temperature and entropy-density. Whenever gravity can be described by a metric theory, gravity is macroscopically scale invariant and the laws of thermodynamics hold locally and globally, the (interior) metric of a regular holographic object is uniquely determined up to a constant factor and the interior matter-state must follow well defined scaling relations. When the metric theory of gravity is general relativity, the interior matter has an overall string equation of state (EOS) and a unique total energy-density. Thus the holographic metric derived in this article can serve as simple interior 4D realization of Mathur's string fuzzball proposal. Some properties of the holographic metric and its possible experimental verification are discussed. The geodesics of the holographic metric describe an isotropically expanding (or contracting) universe with a nearly homogeneous matter-distribution within the local Hubble volume. Due to the overall string EOS the active gravitational mass-density is zero, resulting in a coasting expansion with Ht = 1, which is compatible with the recent GRB-data.
Seepage characteristics and landsliding of the A3 zone of the Barton Beds
Authors: Barton M.E. , Thomson R.I. 
Published: August 2007

ABSTRACT
The most characteristic feature of the Barton Clay cliffs of Christchurch Bay is the presence of a number of preferred bedding plane surfaces of shearing. Most of these are contained within clay horizons and the reason for their preferential use by the coastal landslides is unknown. One surface, however, is at the base of the 2.7 m thick A3 Zone which consists of inter-bedded sand and clays. This surface is well exposed and forms a distinct feature in the cliffs throughout nearly the whole of the 1.5 mile coastal outcrop of the A3 Zone.
The paper discusses the reason why a shear surface is preferentially developed at this stratigraphic location. Three possible causes are discussed under the headings of (i) pore pressure fluctuation, (ii) seepage erosion and piping and (iii) equilibration response time. The first two are well established theories but the third is a new hypothesis derived from the original Bishop and Bjerrum theory of delayed equilibration. It is considered that the discussion is useful in the general context of landsliding at sand/clay junctions in overconsolidated soils.