bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Estimating the Spatial Distribution of Precipitation in Iceland Using a Linear Model of Orographic Precipitation
Authors: Crochet Philippe , Jóhannesson Tómas , Jónsson Trausti , Sigurðsson Oddur , Björnsson Helgi , Pálsson Finnur , Barstad Idar 
Published: January 2008

AbstractA linear model of orographic precipitation that includes airflow dynamics, condensed water advection, and downslope evaporation is adapted for Iceland. The model is driven using coarse-resolution 40-yr reanalysis data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ERA-40) over the period 1958–2002. The simulated precipitation is in good agreement with precipitation observations accumulated over various time scales, both in terms of magnitude and distribution. The results suggest that the model captures the main physical processes governing orographic generation of precipitation in the mountains of Iceland. The approach presented in this paper offers a credible method to obtain a detailed estimate of the distribution of precipitation in mountainous terrain for various conditions involving orographic generation of precipitation. It appears to be of great practical value to the hydrologists, glaciologists, meteorologists, and climatologists.
Performance of Hourly Operational Consensus Forecasts (OCFs) in the Australian Region
Authors: Engel Chermelle , Ebert Elizabeth 
Published: January 2008

Abstract
This paper presents an extension of the operational consensus forecast (OCF) method, which performs a statistical correction of model output at sites followed by weighted average consensus on a daily basis. Numerical weather prediction (NWP) model forecasts are received from international centers at various temporal resolutions. As such, in order to extend the OCF methodology to hourly temporal resolution, a method is described that blends multiple models regardless of their temporal resolution. The hourly OCF approach is used to generate forecasts of 2-m air temperature, dewpoint temperature, RH, mean sea level pressure derived from the barometric pressure at the station location (QNH), along with 10-m wind speed and direction for 283 Australian sites. In comparison to a finescale hourly regional model, the hourly OCF process results in reductions in average mean square error of 47% (air temperature), 40% (dewpoint temperature), 43% (RH), 29% (QNH), 42% (wind speed), and 11% (wind direction) during February–March with slightly higher reductions in May. As part of the development of the approach, the systematic and random natures of hourly NWP forecast errors are evaluated and found to vary with forecast hour, with a diurnal modulation overlaying the normal error growth with time. The site-based statistical correction of the model forecasts is found to include simple statistical downscaling. As such, the method is found to be most appropriate for meteorological variables that vary systematically with spatial resolution.
Phase I Study of Individualized Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma
Authors: Tse Regina V. , Hawkins Maria , Lockwood Gina , Kim John J. , Cummings Bernard , Knox Jennifer , Sherman Morris , Dawson Laura A. 
Published: January 2008

Purpose To report outcomes of a phase I study of individualized stereotactic body radiotherapy treatment (SBRT) for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IHC). Patients and Methods Patients with unresectable HCC or IHC, and who are not suitable for standard therapies, were eligible for six-fraction SBRT during 2 weeks. Radiation dose was dependent on the volume of liver irradiated and the estimated risk of liver toxicity based on a normal tissue complication model. Toxicity risk was escalated from 5% to 10% and 20%, within three liver volume–irradiated strata, provided at least three patients were without toxicity at 3 months after SBRT. Results Forty-one patients with unresectable Child-Pugh A HCC (n = 31) or IHC (n = 10) completed six-fraction SBRT. Five patients (12%) had grade 3 liver enzymes at baseline. The median tumor size was 173 mL (9 to 1,913 mL). The median dose was 36.0 Gy (24.0 to 54.0 Gy). No radiation-induced liver disease or treatment-related grade 4/5 toxicity was seen within 3 months after SBRT. Grade 3 liver enzymes were seen in five patients (12%). Two patients (5%) with IHC developed transient biliary obstruction after the first few fractions. Seven patients (five HCC, two IHC) had decline in liver function from Child-Pugh class A to B within 3 months after SBRT. Median survival of HCC and IHC patients was 11.7 months (95% CI, 9.2 to 21.6 months) and 15.0 months (95% CI, 6.5 to 29.0 months), respectively. Conclusion Individualized six-fraction SBRT is a safe treatment for unresectable HCC and IHC.
Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose Before and After Medicare Expansion Among Medicare Beneficiaries With Diabetes Who Do Not Use Insulin
Authors: Li Rui , Zhang Ping , Narayan K.M. Venkat 
Published: January 2008

Objectives. The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 authorized Medicare to expand the coverage of glucose monitors and strips to non–insulin users with diabetes and self-management training to non–hospital-based programs. We examined the impact of this expansion on self-monitoring of blood glucose among Medicare beneficiaries who were not using insulin to treat their diabetes. Methods. With data from the 1996–2000 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and a logistic regression model using a complex survey design, we compared the probability of self-monitoring of blood glucose among Medicare beneficiaries at the frequency recommended by the American Academy of Family Physicians’ clinical guidelines before and after the Medicare expansion. We also compared the change in the frequency of self-monitoring of blood glucose during these periods between Medicare beneficiaries and persons with private insurance by using a difference-in-difference model. Results. Medicare expansion was positively associated with the probability of self-monitoring of blood glucose for both Medicare beneficiaries and persons with private insurance; the magnitude was between 7.1 and 16.6 percentage points. Conclusions. The Medicare expansion effectively increased the frequency of the recommended self-monitoring of blood glucose in the Medicare population.
Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibodies in Chronic Rhinosinusitis May be a Marker of Undisclosed Vasculitis
Authors: Gonçalves Carla , Pinaffi Juliana V. , Carvalho Jozélio F. , Pinna Fabio R. , Constantino Guilherme T. , Voegels Richard L. , Bueno Cleonice , Bonfá Eloisa , Viana Vilma S.T. 
Published: January 2008

Background Upper airway manifestations are common features of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)–related vasculitis. Determining the presence of this antibody in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) may allow early identification and treatment of underlying vasculitis. Methods Forty-nine consecutive CRS patients and 165 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were evaluated for vasculitis complaints. ANCA were detected by indirect immunofluorescence, and antibodies to proteinase 3 (PR3) and myeloperoxidase were determined by ELISA. Results Patients and controls were comparable concerning the mean age (47.2 ± 15 years versus 45 ± 12.5 years; p = 0.303) and female predominance (73.5% versus 60%; p = 0.502). Vasculitis-associated complaints were reported in 8/49 (16.3%) patients: 7 patients reported a 10-year history of asthma and 1 patient had red/painful eyes associated with epistaxis. ANCA was positive in 5/49 (10%) patients and absent in controls (p < 0.0001). One patient had high titer cytoplasmic ANCA/PR3 and during the investigation developed clinical features of Wegener's granulomatosis. The other four patients had perinuclear ANCA, of whom three were asymptomatic and one is currently under surveillance for Churg-Strauss syndrome. Sinus computed tomography scan revealed that patients who were ANCA+ had more extensive disease involvement than ANCA- patients (Lund-Mackay score median value, 21 versus 13; p = 0.008). Conclusion ANCA may identify a subset of difficult to treat CRS patients with underlying vasculitis and may be useful for establishing an early diagnosis of vasculitis in CRS.
The Cigarette Smoke Component Acrolein Inhibits Expression of the Innate Immune Components IL-8 and Human Beta-Defensin 2 by Sinonasal Epithelial Cells
Authors: Lee Won Kyung , Ramanathan Murugappan , Spannhake Ernst W. , Lane Andrew P. 
Published: January 2008

Background Tobacco use is associated with poorer outcomes of medical and surgical therapy for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), although the underlying mechanism is unknown. Acrolein (AC) is a major component of cigarette smoke that has been shown to suppress innate immune gene expression by human bronchial epithelial cells and murine macrophages. In this study, we explore whether exposure of human sinonasal epithelial cells (HSNECs) to AC similarly reduces their innate immune gene expression. Methods Primary HSNECs from CRS patients were grown in culture, either differentiated or submerged. HSNECs were treated for 30 minutes with 0–50 μM of AC and were subsequently analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction and ELISA to determine IL-8 and human beta-defensin (HBD) 2 expression. Total glutathione was measured to see the oxidative stress within the treatment range. Results In primary HSNEC, IL-8 mRNA levels decreased dose dependently in the range of 10–50 μM of AC with an eightfold decrease at 50 μM. In addition, a 125-fold decrease at 50 μM for IL-8 protein was observed. HBD-2 mRNA decreased twofold and HBD-2 protein decreased fourfold at 50 μM of AC in primary HSNEC. However, differentiated HSNEC showed a marginal decrease in a dose-dependent manner for both IL-8 and HBD-2 within the range of 10–50 μM of AC. There was no oxidative stress observed over this range of AC concentration. Conclusion The tobacco smoke component AC has the capacity to suppress the inflammatory and innate immune function of sinonasal epithelial cells. Whether this effect contributes to the negative clinical impact of smoking on CRS outcomes merits additional investigation.
Outcomes after Endoscopic Dacryocystorhinostomy without Mucosal Flap Preservation
Authors: Ramakrishnan Vijay R. , Hink Eric M. , Durairaj Vikram D. , Kingdom Todd T. 
Published: January 2008

Background The purpose of this study was to evaluate outcomes of powered endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) without the preservation of mucosal flaps for the management of acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction. Methods A retrospective review was performed of patients undergoing endoscopic DCR without mucosal flap preservation from May 2003 to October 2006 at a tertiary referral medical center. Twenty-seven procedures were performed on 20 patients with epiphora secondary to acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction. Main outcome measures were subjective improvement in epiphora and assessment of anatomic patency based on lacrimal irrigation. Results Mean follow-up was 16 months. Mild intermittent postoperative epiphora or complete resolution of epiphora was noted in 100% (27/27) of procedures; complete resolution was recorded in 93% (25/27) of procedures. Eighteen patients (25 procedures) were available for lacrimal irrigation at a mean of 16 months follow-up. Anatomic patency was confirmed in 100% (25/25) of procedures. Conclusion Our results with endoscopic DCR are comparable with previously published outcomes. These data suggest that successfully powered DCR may be performed without the preservation of mucosal flaps.
Staphylococcal Enterotoxins A and B Enhance Rhinovirus Replication in A549 Cells
Authors: Wang Jong Hwan , Kwon Hyun-Ja , Lee Bong-Jae , Jang Yong Ju 
Published: January 2008

Background Staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) and staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) have been reported to be important in the pathogenesis of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). To elucidate the pathophysiological responses in the nasal mucosae of CRS patients associated with rhinovirus (RV) infection, we investigated the effects of SEA and SEB on RV infection in A549 cells. Methods Changes in expression of intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM) 1 were assessed by flow cytometry, and effects on cytokine secretion were measured by ELISA. The changes of ICAM-1, IL-1beta, IL-6, and IL-8 mRNA were assayed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The effect of RV replication in the cells was assessed by viral culture, followed by determination of viral titer. Results RV infection increased ICAM-1 expression and cytokine secretion, but the SEs did not further increase the RV-induced expression of ICAM-1, IL-1beta, IL-6, and IL-8 mRNA and protein. The SEs, however, induced dose-dependent increases in viral titer. Conclusion SEA and SEB enhanced rhinoviral replication in airway epithelial cells, indicating that airway epithelial cells with CRS are more favorable environments for RV infection.
The Usefulness of Computed Tomography Scans in Cystic Fibrosis Patients with Chronic Sinusitis
Authors: McMurphy Andrea Barber , Morriss Craig , Roberts Dianna B. , Friedman Ellen M. 
Published: January 2008

Background This study was performed to evaluate the usefulness of computed tomography (CT) scans of the sinuses in children with cystic fibrosis (CF) as an outcomes measurement for medical and surgically treated chronic rhinosinusitis. Methods Patients with CF who had sinus scans performed at the study institution from January 1999 to September 2003 were identified. The scans and any available prior scans were scored according to the Lund-MacKay system. A retrospective chart review determined if hospitalization with i.v. antibiotic therapy or operative intervention had occurred between scans and if the scans showed improvement secondary to the intervention. Results One hundred thirty-four patients were identified who met inclusion criteria. A total of 290 scans were reviewed, with the average number of CT scans per patient of 2.24 (range, 1–10). The average Lund-MacKay score for scans closest in time to the first sinus surgery was 14.5. (range, 7–24), and for the first postoperative scans, the score was 14.7 (8–24). There was no significant difference between the preoperative and postoperative Lund-MacKay score after initial surgery (p = 0.99) or in subsequent scans despite medical or surgical interventions (p = 0.90). Conclusion CT scanning of the sinuses does not appear to be useful in determining outcomes of intervention in CF patients.
Long-Term Outcome Analysis of Endoscopic Sinus Surgery for Chronic Sinusitis
Authors: Young Jonathan , Frenkiel Saul , Tewfik Marc A. , Mouadeb Debbie A. 
Published: January 2008

Background The purpose of this study was to determine long-term subjective outcome of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) for chronic sinusitis (CS) and to evaluate prognostic indicators for surgical treatment failure. Methods This is a prospective study of patients who underwent ESS for CS. Symptom assessment was performed using a visual analog scale at a pretreatment interview and then at regular intervals post-ESS for up to a 3-year period. The indicators for symptom scoring were nasal obstruction, facial pain, postnasal drip, anterior discharge, and anosmia/hyposmia. Results Data analysis indicates that ESS improves symptom scoring early on, but the effects begin to dissipate over time. Anosmia/ hyposmia is the most severe symptom overall for all patient subgroups and recurs to a greater degree 3 years postoperatively in Samter's Triad sufferers (p = 0.006), asthmatic patients (p = 0.002), and those with a worse CT scan at presentation (p = 0.04). In addition, Triad sufferers who complain of nasal obstruction and anterior nasal discharge have a significant recurrence of their symptoms postoperatively (p = 0.04 and 0.001, respectively). Conclusion Individuals must be warned that ESS may not be a long-term solution for CS because of its chronic nature. Patients are relieved of their symptoms initially; however, these tend to recur over a 3-year period. Samter's Triad is the strongest determinant of long-term treatment failure. Asthma also is a determinant of treatment failure, which lends credence to the notion of combined airway disease. Allergy was not a strong determinant of treatment failure in our study.
The Effect of Female Hormone Manipulation on Nasal Physiology
Authors: Robinson Anne M. , Philpott Carl M. , Gaskin Julian A. , Wolstenholme Charlotte R. , Murty George E. 
Published: January 2008

Background This study was performed to establish whether the ovarian hormone beta-estradiol has any influence on nasal physiology when manipulated during in vitro fertilization treatment. Methods Women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment at the Assisted Conception Unit, Leicester Royal Infirmary, were recruited. Nasal peak inspiratory flow rate, acoustic rhinometry, anterior rhinomanometry, mucociliary clearance, olfactory thresholds, quality of life, and serum 17-beta-estradiol levels were measured at each visit. Subjects were studied at the beginning of their IVF treatment and then at one or two additional occasions while they received synthetic follicule-stimulating hormone with a final set of results taken at the end of their treatment. Results Results were analyzed using paired t-tests. There was no statistical difference between any of the data sets for any of the variables during the process of IVF treatment. Conclusion Increasing levels of beta-estradiol that occur in IVF treatment cause no significant effect on nasal physiology in contrast to the effects seen during pregnancy.
The Mythical Frontier, the Mexican Revolution, and the Press: An Imperial Subplot
Authors: Cronlund Anderson Mark 
Published: January 2008

Abstract:The frontier myth has served as America's secular creation story. As a result, it surfaces widely in popular culture and political discourse. It also resonates in news coverage. This paper explores how the American press framed the Mexican Revolution as a mythical frontier narrative by examining depictions of revolutionary Francisco “Pancho” Villa. The news story that emerges bears close resemblance to the frontier thesis, as articulated by historian Frederick Jackson Turner.
“Jesus, My Pal”: Reading and Religion in Middlebrow America
Authors: Smith Erin A. 
Published: January 2008

Abstract:Bruce Barton was an advertising executive and the author of a best-selling life of Christ, The Man Nobody Knows (1925). Although they were immensely popular, Barton's books are dismissed by scholars today as theologically empty justifications for consumer capitalism. Through an analysis of letters from readers, this essay argues that Barton's work was part of the “lived religion” of ordinary Christians, whatever its intellectual or theological failings. First, it filled a vacuum in advice in modern America. Second, it finessed the impersonal scale of urban life by presenting Jesus as a friend. Third, it rendered irrelevant deeply felt contradictions in Protestant America between religion and science, fundamentalism and modernism. I demonstrate a gap between intellectuals and ordinary readers that has implications for our own scholarly practices.
Conjuring Trauma: The Naudet Brothers' 9/11 Documentary
Authors: Craps Stef 
Published: January 2008

Abstract: The events of 11 September 2001 caused a rupture not only in the normal order of things but also, and perhaps especially, in the signifying systems underwriting that order. The Naudet brothers’ remarkable 9/11 documentary, which aired on CBS on 10 March 2002 and on TV stations around the world on the first anniversary of the attacks, seeks to reinstitute the authority of the conventions and constructions of a culture whose limits the events of 11 September had painfully exposed. The film—entitled 9/11—is marked by a fundamental tension between the revelation of an abysmal crisis of meaning, on the one hand, and the desire to bring this crisis under control, on the other. The filmmakers attempt to mitigate the traumatic potential of their unique atrocity footage by sanitizing it and integrating it into a Hollywood-style coming-of-age drama tracing a probationary fire-fighter's perilous journey from innocence to experience. Thus, the focus shifts from a disorienting and overwhelming sense of loss to comforting, ideologically charged notions of heroism and community that perpetuate an idealized national self-image and come to function as a moral justification for retaliation. In its drive to obtain mastery over trauma by rendering it legible in terms of existing cultural codes, 9/11 appears to disregard what Cathy Caruth calls “the event's essential incomprehensibility, the force of its affront to understanding” (154). Yet, for all its investment in a classical realist aesthetic, the film remains haunted by a traumatic history that exceeds and breaks down accustomed habits of thought, narration, and visualization.
Internal Colonization and the Culture of Street Life in Bud Osborn's hundred block rock
Authors: Campbell Kofi 
Published: January 2008

Abstract: This paper discusses Bud Osborn's poetry collection, hundred block rock, which focuses on the lives of the homeless and disenfranchised in North America. It suggests that postcolonial theories can be fruitfully applied to the study of the North American homeless and indigent population, thereby shedding light on some of the processes through which that population is both constructed by and attempts to redefine its relationship with the hegemonic order that relegates it to a marginal position. Through a discussion of theories of internal colonization, this paper suggests that that term is more correctly applied to the world of the homeless and disenfranchised than to the groups it normally is used to describe. Through an engagement with theories of diaspora, the paper attempts to revise our understanding of this world.
Flux growth of straw‐like rutile monocrystals
Authors: Bloise A. , Barrese E. , Ferraris G. 
Published: January 2008

AbstractMillimetric straw‐like rutile monocrystals were grown by the flux growth technique. A suitable mixture of flux (MoO3, V2O5, Li2CO3) and amorphous TiO2 gel was slowly cooled down to 750°C from 1250°C or 1350°C. The best yields of straw‐like rutile were obtained with a nutrient/flux ratio and a cooling rate in the range 0.015‐0.006 and 1.8‐1.9 K h‐1, respectively. The hollowed crystals were characterized by powder and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, microthermometry, and µ‐Raman spectroscopy. As for skeletal crystal, the formation of axial canals in rutile is attributed to a lack of nutrient due to the viscosity of the melt and the high growth rate along [001]. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)