bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Follow‐up of renal masses after cryosurgery using computed tomography; enhancement patterns and cryolesion size
Authors: Beemster Patricia , Phoa Saffire , Wijkstra Hessel , De La Rosette Jean , Laguna Pilar 
Published: April 2008

OBJECTIVESTo describe the characteristics of cryolesions as seen on computed tomography (CT), for size and enhancement patterns, and to assess correlations between these imaging findings and histopathological diagnosis, as in renal cryosurgery the tumour is ablated in situ and the follow‐up is mainly based on imaging.PATIENTS AND METHODSForty‐seven patients with a suspicious renal mass of ≤4 cm had a laparoscopic cryoablation; biopsies were taken during surgery and after cryosurgery the follow‐up was by CT at 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 30 and 36 months. One radiologist reviewed the CT images, measured the diameter of the cryolesions, and described enhancement patterns.RESULTSIn 26 patients there were follow‐up CT data for ≥6 months; the mean (range) tumour size was 2.4 (1.3–3.8) cm and the mean follow‐up was 17.2 (6–36) months. One cryolesion showed residual tumour on the first scan after treatment. Of the other 25 cryolesions, 20% showed rim enhancement after treatment, including one also showing focal enhancement. This enhancement had disappeared within 6 months. All cryolesions showed non‐enhancing infiltration of the perirenal fatty tissue. The mean diameter of the cryolesions decreased by 38% in 12 months. These results were independent of histopathological diagnosis.CONCLUSIONSUsing CT, there is rim enhancement in 20% of cryolesions in the first 6 months after renal cryoablation, with a mean reduction in the diameter of the cryolesions of 38% in the first year. These findings are independent of the histopathological diagnosis.
Early hormonal data from a multicentre phase II trial using transdermal oestrogen patches as first‐line hormonal therapy in patients with locally advanced or metastatic prostate cancer
Authors: Langley Ruth E. , Godsland Ian F. , Kynaston Howard , Clarke Noel W. , Rosen Stuart D. , Morgan Rachel C. , Pollock Philip , Kockelbergh Roger , Lalani El‐Nasir , Dearnaley David , Parmar Mahesh , Abel Paul D. 
Published: April 2008

OBJECTIVETo assess the hormonal effects of Fem7® (Merck, KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany) 100 µg transdermal oestrogen patches on men undergoing first‐line androgen‐deprivation therapy for prostate cancer.PATIENTS AND METHODSPATCH is a multicentre, randomized, phase II trial for men with locally advanced or metastatic prostate cancer, comparing luteinizing hormone‐releasing hormone agonist therapy with oestrogen patches. To assess the dosing schedule for the patches, as this was the first time that this brand of patch had been used in men, and to reassure patients and participating clinicians, the Independent Data Monitoring Committee agreed to early release of hormonal data from this study.RESULTSOestradiol, testosterone and prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) levels are presented for the first group of 14 patients who received the patches (with 1 withdrawal) and for whom there were ≥12 weeks of follow‐up by March 2007. After 12 weeks, testosterone levels (nmol/L) in eight of the 13 patients were <1.7, two were 1.7–2 and three were >2. The median (range) serum oestradiol levels was 442 (52.1–1542) pmol/L and all patients had a PSA response, with eight having a PSA level of <4 ng/mL.CONCLUSIONThese results confirm that oestrogen patches produce castrate levels of testosterone and concomitant PSA responses. They also highlighted the potential differences between different brands of oestrogen patches, and the need to monitor hormonal response, toxicity and efficacy until more experience with oestrogen patches for this clinical indication is obtained. The number of patches recommended in the PATCH study has now been increased.
Testing the Linkages between Trade and Productivity Growth
Authors: Economidou Claire , Murshid Antu Panini 
Published: April 2008

AbstractThe authors examine the effect of trade on productivity growth using data from nine manufacturing industries across 12 OECD countries over the period 1978–97. Because causality between productivity growth and trade share runs both ways, geographical characteristics of countries are used to instrument for average bilateral trade volumes over the 20‐year period. In addition, to exploit the time‐series nature of the data, the authors construct a panel dataset and employ dynamic panel data techniques. After controlling for industry‐specific heterogeneity, the results indicate that increased exposure to trade, in particular higher import volumes, exerts a positive influence on industries' productivity growth. However, the effect is rather small.
In the Wake of ‘Good Governance’: Impact Assessments and the Politicisation of Statutory Interpretation
Authors: Munday Roderick 
Published: April 2008

For some time ‘regulatory reform’ has been a government watchword, and the streamlining and improved quality of regulation its professed ambition. Impact assessments (formerly known as regulatory impact assessments) are a significant ingredient in these governmental initiatives, now promoted by the newly created Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. Just as they have come to refer rather freely to the Explanatory Notes that now accompany all public Acts of Parliament, judges have also begun to invoke impact assessments when construing legislation. This paper investigates the extent of this practice and the manner in which judges employ impact assessments. It warns of the potential consequences if the judiciary avails itself too readily of these highly politicised, and sometimes deceptive, documents.‘The aim of good prose words is to mean what they say.’G. K. Chesterton, Daily News 22 April 1905
An evaluation of camera traps for inventorying large‐ and medium‐sized terrestrial rainforest mammals
Authors: Tobler M. W. , Carrillo‐Percastegui S. E. , Leite Pitman R. , Mares R. , Powell G. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractMammal inventories in tropical forests are often difficult to carry out, and many elusive species are missed or only reported from interviews with local people. Camera traps offer a new tool for conducting inventories of large‐ and medium‐sized terrestrial mammals. We evaluated the efficiency of camera traps based on data from two surveys carried out at a single site during 2 consecutive years. The survey efforts were 1440 and 2340 camera days, and 75 and 86% of the 28 large‐ and medium‐sized terrestrial mammal species known to occur at the site were recorded. Capture frequencies for different species were highly correlated between the surveys, and the capture probability for animals that passed in front of the cameras decreased with decreasing size of the species. Camera spacing and total survey area had little influence on the number of species recorded, with survey effort being the main factor determining the number of recorded species. Using a model we demonstrated the exponential increase in survey effort required to record the most elusive species. We evaluated the performance of different species richness estimators on this dataset and found the Jackknife estimators generally to perform best. We give recommendations on how to increase efficiency of camera trap surveys exclusively targeted at species inventories.
Importance of the premigratory areas for the conservation of lesser kestrel: space use and habitat selection during the post‐fledging period
Authors: De Frutos Á. , Olea P. P. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractThe conservation importance of the post‐fledging period in migratory birds has been scarcely assessed. In this study, we examined the space use and habitat selection of radio‐tagged lesser kestrels Falco naumanni at two spatial scales during summer in north‐western Spain, where premigratory aggregations of around 1000 lesser kestrels occur. Space use was estimated by kernel accounting for the spatiotemporal autocorrelation of the radio locations, and habitat selection was analysed by weighted compositional analysis accounting for the intensity of use. Kestrels moved within 9 km around roosts during daylight and returned daily during sunset to the same roosts, exhibiting refuging behaviour. They foraged on average 3.7 km from the roost in an area of 346.8 ha (home range), 92.7 ha of which were used intensively (core area). Within these areas, lesser kestrels intensively used more farmland than any land‐scale habitat. Within farmland, kestrels significantly avoided the irrigated crops. This avoidance seemed to be due to the difficulty of prey access and/or scarcity of prey available. Conservation plans of lesser kestrel should include the post‐fledging period by legally protecting roost sites and maintaining dry farmland systems around the communal roosts.
Molecular phylogeny of Pseudokeronopsis (Protozoa, Ciliophora, Urostylida), with reconsideration of three closely related species at inter‐ and intra‐specific levels inferred from the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene and the ITS1‐5.8S‐ITS2 region sequences
Authors: Yi Z. , Chen Z. , Warren A. , Roberts D. , Al‐Rasheid K. A. S. , Miao M. , Gao S. , Shao C. , Song W. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractIn order to address the confused taxonomy of morphotypes within the genus Pseudokeronopsis, the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SS rRNA) gene and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS1)‐5.8S‐ITS2 region for 13 populations/clones of morphologically similar Pseudokeronopsis species, Pseudokeronopsis flava, Pseudokeronopsis rubra and Pseudokeronopsis carnea, were sequenced and compared at inter‐ and intra‐specific levels. Different geographical/time interval isolates belonging to the same species were slightly divergent, while clones from the same strain had identical SS rRNA gene sequences. Compared with the SS rRNA gene sequence, the sequence of the ITS1‐5.8S‐ITS2 region of Pseudokeronopsis revealed higher diversity, with nucleotide dissimilarities of 3.9–4.9% at the intra‐specific level and 8.0–10.5% at the inter‐specific level. There were several minor differences among ITS2 secondary structures of three Pseudokeronopsis species, while three Pseudok. carnea populations were identical. Phylogenetic analyses using multiple algorithms and different species selections confirm that Pseudok. flava, Pseudok. rubra and Pseudok. carnea form a monophyletic group within the urostylids. The result also supports the closest relationship of Pseudokeronopsis and Pseudourostyla that forms the so‐called Acaudalia Berger (2006).
Importance of rare habitats and riparian zones in a tropical forest fragment: preferential use by Tayassu pecari, a wide‐ranging frugivore
Authors: Keuroghlian A. , Eaton D. P. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractIn forest fragments, rare habitats contribute to heterogeneity and may provide unique resources for frugivorous species like peccaries with spatially and temporally complex patterns of range use. This study examined seasonal habitat use by two sympatric peccary species (Tayassu pecari and Tayassu tajacu) in an Atlantic forest fragment on the plateau region of São Paulo state, Brazil. Previous studies showed that range use by T. pecari was highly nonrandom, and that both species persisted at population densities typical of larger forest fragments. To explain this, we quantified the use and availability of habitats and riparian zones with compositional analysis. Use by T. pecari was nonrandom with respect to availability. Habitat preferences were different during dry and wet seasons and corresponded closely with seasonal movements, core range and fruit use. Although aquatic habitats made up a small proportion of the herd home range, they were most preferred by T. pecari during both seasons. Headwater palmito Euterpe edulis swamps were most favored in the dry season, whereas swamps and marshes near larger streams were preferred in the wet season. Tayassu pecari preferred riparian zones <50 m from streams over drier zones. These habitats were important sources of fruits, travel routes and corridors between forest patches in the agricultural matrix. The least‐preferred habitat of T. pecari during both seasons was disturbed forest edge dominated by bamboo. Habitat and riparian zone use were herd‐specific for T. tajacu and related to habitat quality and composition where stable home ranges had been established. The persistence of viable peccary populations after 75 years of fragmentation‐associated pressures is related to preservation of rare habitats and overall habitat diversity. Thus, T. pecari is an indicator of high habitat diversity in forest fragments and will function as an umbrella species when targeted for conservation.
Combination therapy with transductive anti‐death FNK protein and FK506 ameliorates brain damage with focal transient ischemia in rat
Authors: Katsura Ken‐ichiro , Takahashi Kumiko , Asoh Sadamitsu , Watanabe Megumi , Sakurazawa Makoto , Ohsawa Ikuroh , Mori Takashi , Igarashi Hironaka , Ohkubo Seiji , Katayama Yasuo , Ohta Shigeo 
Published: April 2008

AbstractMany practical therapies have been explored as clinical applications for ischemic cerebral infarction; however, most are still insufficient to treat acute stroke. We show here a potential combination therapy in a rat focal ischemic model to improve neurological symptoms as well as to reduce infarct volumes at the maximum level. We applied protein transduction technology using artificial anti‐death Bcl‐xl derivative with three amino acid‐substitutions (Y22F, Q26N and R165K) (FNK) protein fused with a protein‐transduction‐domain peptide (PTD‐FNK). When PTD‐FNK was administrated 1 h after initiating ischemia followed by the administration of an immunosuppressant FK506 with a 30‐min time lag, infarct volumes of the total brain and cortex were markedly reduced to 27% and 14%, respectively. This procedure not only reduced the infarct volume and edema, but also markedly improved neurological symptoms. The therapeutic effect continued for at least 1 week after ischemia. FK506 inhibited the transduction of PTD‐FNK in vitro, which explains the requirement of a time lag for the administration of FK506. An additional in vitro experiment showed that PTD‐FNK, when administered 30 min before FK506, gave the maximal protective effect by reducing the intracellular calcium concentration. We propose that this combination therapy would provide a synergistic protective effect by both drugs, reducing adverse the effects of FK506.
Thiazolidinedione derivatives in diabetes and cardiovascular disease: an update
Authors: Sarafidis Pantelis A. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractAs the incidence and the public health impact of type 2 diabetes are constantly rising, treatment of hyperglycemia, prevention of diabetes‐related complications are currently top medical priorities. Within the last decade several new classes of oral hypoglycemic agents were added to our armamentarium against diabetes. Among these new classes, the group of thiazolidinediones, which act through reduction of insulin resistance is perhaps the most widely used. For about 20 years, numerous background and clinical studies have evaluated the beneficial and adverse effects of these compounds. Current knowledge suggests that thiazolidinediones are as effective as metformin or sulfonylurea derivatives in improving glycemic control and exert several other beneficial metabolic and vascular effects, such as improvement in lipid profile, blood pressure lowering, redistribution of body fat away from the central compartment, microalbuminuria regression, reduction in subclinical vascular inflammation and others. On the other hand, currently used thiazolidinediones have well‐established side effects, most important of which are fluid retention leading to weight gain and heart failure deterioration. Further, in the expectance of proper outcome studies to clarify the effects of these agents in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, data from recent meta‐analyses suggest that rosiglitazone may increase the risk for some cardiovascular outcomes. This article will discuss all the above issues attempting to provide an updated overview of this expanding field.
Asylum and the Expansion of Deportation in the United Kingdom
Authors: Gibney Matthew J. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractDeportation has traditionally been seen as a secondary instrument of migration control, one used by liberal democratic states relatively infrequently and with some trepidation. This secondary status has been assured by the fact that deportation is both a complicated and a controversial power. It is complicated because tracking individuals down and returning them home are time-consuming and resource-intense activities; it is controversial because deportation is a cruel power, one that sometimes seems incompatible with respect for human rights. In the light of these constraints, how can one explain the fact that since 2000 the United Kingdom has radically increased the number of failed asylum seekers deported from its territory? I argue in the article that this increase has been achieved through a conscious and careful process of policy innovation that has enabled state officials to engage in large-scale expulsions without directly violating liberal norms.
The External Dimension of EU Refugee Policy: A New Approach to Asylum?
Authors: Haddad Emma 
Published: April 2008

AbstractThis article first looks at developments in the external dimension of EU migration and refugee policy, as highlighted by a succession of Commission Communications and Council or European Council conclusions that have emphasized the need to integrate migration and asylum more firmly into the Union's external policies. It then looks at one particular recent experiment with externalizing refugee policy, namely the invention of ‘Regional Protection Programmes’. Finally it asks what this concept of regional protection has meant in normative terms, before suggesting ways in which the space afforded protection has been altered.
Another Brick in the Wall? Neo-Refoulementand the Externalization of Asylum by Australia and Europe
Authors: Hyndman Jennifer , Mountz Alison 
Published: April 2008

AbstractInsecurity and fear in the global North produce political space to advance security measures, including the externalization of asylum. States in the global North make it increasingly difficult for asylum seekers to reach sovereign territory where they might make a refugee claim. While legal protection remains intact under the Refugee Convention, extra-legal measures employ geography to restrict access to asylum and keep claimants at bay through a variety of tactics. This article probes the ways in which fear of uninvited asylum seekers is securitized and looks at the tactics utilized to keep them at bay, far from the borders of states that are signatories to the UN Refugee Convention. Drawing on research in Europe and Australia, we demonstrate how states are promoting ‘protection in regions of origin’ through practices of de facto neo-refoulement. Neo-refoulementrefers to a geographically based strategy of preventing asylum by restricting access to territories that, in principle, provide protection to refugees.
Refugee Advocacy, Traumatic Representations and Political Disenchantment
Authors: Pupavac Vanessa 
Published: April 2008

AbstractMost studies of how refugees are represented focus on negative media representations. Less attention has been paid to sympathetic counter-representations. This article explores the representations preferred by refugee advocacy organizations and how they tend to exclude the mass of ordinary refugees and the difficult arguments required to defend refugee rights. The article outlines the rise of the health paradigm for understanding the conditions of refugees. The contemporary representation of refugees as traumatized victims is inspired by compassion. However, the trauma framework implies impaired capacity and the need for individuals to surrender their welfare to expert authorities. The article argues that casting refugees in the sick role risks compromising their rights. The article is informed by the writing of the sociologist Talcott Parsons on the sick role and the philosopher Hannah Arendt on refugees.
Forced Migration, Land and Sovereignty
Authors: Stepputat Finn 
Published: April 2008

AbstractLand is a key issue in the aftermath of wars. The return or resettlement of displaced populations accentuates land-related problems, and international support seeks to strengthen the state's administration of land. This article explores ethnographically a land conflict in Guatemala between returning refugees and former members of a civil defence patrol, including the intervention of state and international institutions. In dialogue with Carl Schmitt's idea that land appropriation, first measurements and division are constitutive of the order and orientation of political community, the analysis suggests that bodily presence at the land, potential use of violence and negotiated measurement, continue to be features of post-colonial states despite attempts to solve land problems once and for all.
Introduction
Authors: Hedman Eva-Lotta E. , Gibney Matthew J. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractThis special issue presents scholarly research which, in distinctive ways, explores the intersection of political theory, comparative politics, international relations and the study of forced migration. The outcome of an international workshop hosted by the Refugee Studies Centre at the University of Oxford in May 2007, this volume features individual research trajectories focused on a range of important issues, including asylum and deportation, migration control and regional cooperation, internal displacement and sovereignty, in productive encounters with theory and method. Read together, the scholarly articles collected here also span the traditional divide between ‘North’ and ‘South’, including case studies from Australia, Canada, and Europe, as well as from South Africa, Guatemala, and Malaysia.
Refuge, Governmentality and Citizenship: Capturing ‘Illegal Migrants’ in Malaysia and Thailand
Authors: Hedman Eva-Lotta E. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractThis article directs attention to dynamics of refuge and governmentality in a region of the ‘global South’, South-East Asia, and brings into focus the major recipients of (forced) migrants, Malaysia and Thailand, neither of which is a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, or the 1967 Protocol. Against the backdrop of the illuminating contrast offered by the Thai case, this article argues that, in the case of Malaysia, the mobilization of ‘volunteers of the nation’ in campaigns against ‘illegal migrants’ serves as a performative (re)enactment of ethnic identity and national citizenship in the making of Malays and Malaysians in this postcolonial ‘plural society’. The article explores the wider consequences of the (re)production of (il)legality and identity as a social reality experienced not merely by (forced) migrants, and not only at the border, but also by government officials and national citizens actively mobilized in high-profile campaigns to flush out ‘illegal migrants’ from markets, construction and plantation sites, as well as dwellings inkampongneighbourhoods, city blocks and jungle sites across Malaysia.