bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Jungengesundheit
Authors: Stier Bernhard
Published: April 2011

Einleitung

Männergesundheit fängt mit Jungengesundheit an. Solange es aber kaum kompetent vertretene Jungenmedizin gibt und Beratungsangebote nur sporadisch vorhanden sind, kann auch keine Inanspruchnahme erfolgen, selbst wenn eigentlich Bedarf besteht. So braucht es dringend jungengerechte Beratungs- und Informationsangebote. Zudem benötigen wir Beurteilungskriterien, die sich nicht an weiblicher Norm orientieren, sondern Jungen und Mädchen als eigenständig in ihrer Entwicklung akzeptieren und beurteilen.
Effect of a Supervised Hip Flexor Stretching Program on Gait in Elderly Individuals
Authors: Watt Jaclyn R. , Jackson Keith , Franz Jason R. , Dicharry Jay , Evans Jonathan , Kerrigan D. Casey
Published: April 2011

Objective

To determine whether a 10‐week supervised hip flexor stretching program in healthy elderly subjects would increase peak hip extension, stride length and gait speed and reduce anterior pelvic tilt during walking.

Design

A double‐blinded, randomized, controlled trial.

Setting

Pre‐ and posttreatment assessments were performed in a gait laboratory, whereas stretching exercises were performed outside of the laboratory, usually in the subject's home.

Participants

Eighty‐two healthy elderly individuals, with 39 subjects in the control group and 43 subjects in the treatment group.

Intervention

The treatment group completed a 10‐week, twice‐daily hip flexor stretching program, which was supervised twice weekly by a rehabilitation clinician. The control group completed a 10‐week shoulder abductor stretching program.

Main Outcome Measurements

Passive hip extension range of motion, dynamic peak hip extension, peak anterior pelvic tilt, stride length, and gait speed during walking.

Results

The treatment group showed significant improvements in passive hip extension range of motion (P = .007). Subjects in the treatment group who presented with limited preassessment peak hip extension during walking had increased stride length (P = .019) and peak hip extension (P = .012), and decreased anterior pelvic tilt (P = .006) during walking, whereas subjects in the control group showed only decreased anterior pelvic tilt (P = .013).

Conclusions

The 10‐week supervised hip flexor stretching program was effective in increasing stride length and peak hip extension during walking in elderly adults who had limited preintervention hip extension during walking. These results support the use of a simple stretching program for elderly individuals in counteracting age‐related decline in gait function.
Pediatric Sports‐related Concussion
Authors: Guskiewicz Kevin M. , Valovich McLeod Tamara C.
Published: April 2011

This article aims to examine pediatric concussion literature with respect to epidemiology, etiology, return to play, and recurrent concussions, and to provide recommendations for future research. We conducted a review of pediatric concussion literature regarding incidence, etiology, return to play, and recurrent concussive injury by using MEDLINE, CINAHL, Sport‐Discus, and PsychInfo databases from 1995‐2010. A review of reference lists in the aforementioned articles was also performed. We discovered that the research on sports‐related concussion specific to children and adolescents is rather limited. Results of existing studies of concussion incidence in this population indicate that concussion is relatively rare compared with most musculoskeletal injuries; however, the potential consequences of mismanagement and of subsequent injury warrant significant attention regarding injury recognition and recovery, and the challenge of determining readiness to return to play. Evidence exists that children and adolescents take longer to recover than adults after a concussion, which underscores the need for a more conservative approach to management and return to physical and cognitive activities. Concussion in the young athlete is of specific concern because of the continuing cognitive maturation, therefore, the recovery may be more difficult to track when using the standard assessment tools currently available. Until future studies can better delineate the mechanisms of, response to, and recovery from concussion in the young athlete, it is prudent to act in a conservative manner when dealing with pediatric athletes with concussion.
Early Mobilization in Critically Ill Patients: Patients' Mobilization Level Depends on Health Care Provider's Profession
Authors: Garzon‐Serrano Jaime , Ryan Cheryl , Waak Karen , Hirschberg Ronald , Tully Susan , Bittner Edward A. , Chipman Daniel W. , Schmidt Ulrich , Kasotakis Georgios , Benjamin John , Zafonte Ross , Eikermann Matthias
Published: April 2011

Objective

To evaluate whether the level of mobilization achieved and the barriers for progressing to the next mobilization level differ between nurses and physical therapists.

Design

Prospective, observational study.

Setting

Twenty‐bed surgical intensive care unit (SICU) of the Massachusetts General Hospital.

Participants

Sixty‐three critically ill patients.

Methods

Physical therapists and nurses performed 179 mobilization therapies with 63 patients.

Outcome Measurement

Mobilization was defined as the process of enhancing mobility in the SICU, including bed mobility, edge of bed activities, transfers out of bed to a chair, and gait training; the mobilization level was measured on the SICU optimal mobilization scale, a 5‐point (0‐4) numerical rating scale.

Results

Patients' level of mobilization achieved by physical therapists was significantly higher compared with that achieved by nurses (2.3 ± 1.2 mean ± SD versus 1.2 ± 1.2, respectively P < .0001). Different barriers for mobilization were identified by physical therapists and nurses: hemodynamic instability (26% versus 12%, P = .03) and renal replacement therapy (12% versus 1%, P = .03) were barriers rated higher by nurses, whereas neurologic impairment was rated higher by physical therapists providers (18% versus 38%, P = .002). No mobilization‐associated adverse events were observed in this study.

Conclusions

This study showed that physical therapists mobilize their critically ill patients to higher levels compared with nurses. Nurse and physical therapists identify different barriers for mobilization. Routine involvement of physical therapists in directing mobilization treatment may promote early mobilization of critically ill patients.
Effect of a Supervised Hip Flexor Stretching Program on Gait in Frail Elderly Patients
Authors: Watt Jaclyn R. , Jackson Keith , Franz Jason R. , Dicharry Jay , Evans Jonathan , Kerrigan D. Casey
Published: April 2011

Objective

To determine whether a 10‐week supervised hip flexor stretching program in frail elderly subjects would increase peak hip extension, stride length, and gait speed and reduce anterior pelvic tilt during comfortable and fast‐paced walking.

Design

A double‐blinded, randomized, controlled trial.

Setting

Pre‐ and post‐treatment assessments were performed in a gait laboratory and stretching exercises were performed outside of the laboratory, usually in the subjects' place of residence.

Participants

Seventy‐four frail elderly individuals, with 41 subjects in the control group and 33 subjects in the treatment group.

Intervention

The treatment group completed a 10‐week twice‐daily hip flexor stretching program that was supervised twice weekly by a rehabilitation clinician. The control group completed a 10‐week shoulder abductor stretching program.

Main Outcome Measurements

Dynamic peak hip extension and peak anterior pelvic tilt, stride length, and gait speed while walking at a comfortable pace and a fast pace, as well as passive hip extension range of motion.

Results

The treatment group showed significant increases in walking speed and stride length after the intervention but showed no significant changes in peak hip extension or anterior pelvic tilt during comfortable and fast‐paced walking. The treatment group also showed significantly increased passive hip extension range of motion.

Conclusions

These results indicate that a simple stretching program is effective in improving some measures of age‐related decline in gait function in frail elderly patients. The lack of consistent improvements in walking kinematics is attributed to the presence of multiple disabilities and limitations present in the frail subjects.
Scylla or Charybdis? Historical Reflections on Two Basic Problems of Corporate Governance
Authors: Lamoreaux Naomi R.
Published: April 2011

Shareholders in corporations face two very different types of governance problems: expropriation by controlling shareholders or managers; and expropriation by greedy rulers or, more generally, by the state. The problem is that the more successful investors are in protecting their capital from the grabbing hand of the state, the less they are able to call upon the state to protect it from the grabbing hand of corporate insiders. Conversely, the more investors are able to call upon government to restrain insiders, the more they are vulnerable to expropriation by the state. Although the terms of this tradeoff have changed over time as modern democratic polities replaced absolutist monarchies, both types of threats are still very much with us.
Business Failure and Civil Scandal in Early Modern Europe
Authors: Safley Thomas Max
Published: April 2011

The failure of one of the most prominent German merchant-banking houses of the early sixteenth century, Ambrosius and Hanns, the Brothers Höchstetter, and Associates, serves as the point of departure for an exploration of why early modern merchants failed and what the consequences of failure were. This single example illuminates a variety of issues: state engagement in commerce and finance; legal development of bankruptcy procedures; economic strategies against failure and scandal. It reveals the limits of modern economic theories of economic crisis and development.
Private Cops on the Fraud Beat: The Limits of American Business Self-Regulation, 1895-1932
Authors: Balleisen Edward J.
Published: April 2011

From the late 1890s through the 1920s, a new set of nonprofit, business-funded organizations spearheaded an American campaign against commercial duplicity. These new organizations shaped the legal terrain of fraud, built massive public-education campaigns, and created a private law-enforcement capacity to rival that of the federal government. Largely born out of a desire among business elites to fend off proposals for extensive regulatory oversight of commercial speech, the antifraud crusade grew into a social movement that was influenced by prevailing ideas about social hygiene and emerging techniques of private governance. This initiative highlighted some enduring strengths of business self-regulation, such as agility in responding to regulatory problems; it also revealed a key weakness, which was the tendency to overlook deceptive marketing when practiced by firms that were members of the business establishment.
The Return of a Lost Ledger to the Selfridge Collection of Medici Manuscripts at Baker Library
Authors: Goldthwaite Richard A
Published: April 2011

The Selfridge Collection of Medici manuscripts at Harvard Business School's Baker Library is the largest collection of Renaissance Florentine account books outside Italy. This collection documents both the business and personal economic activities of one branch of the Medici family through six generations, extending from the early fifteenth century through the end of the sixteenth century. It would be difficult to find, even in Florence, another family whose economic activities are so well documented over such a long span of time, a period we know as the Renaissance. This patrimony of family documents was sold by the Medici heirs through an auction at Christie's of London in 1918; and in 1927 the buyer, H. Gordon Selfridge, deposited the ledgers at the Harvard School of Business Administration. Around one hundred ledgers arrived at Harvard at that time, but one item in the Christie's inventory was missing. In 2007, I found this missing item in the catalogue of a Munich antiquarian book dealer, but it had already been sold to a private collector in Germany. When informed of its importance for the Harvard collection, the new owner of the ledger kindly permitted Laura Linard, director of Historical Collections at Baker Library, to have it microfilmed; and so finally, after eighty years, the missing item has returned, at least in a photographic version, to its original home, thereby completing the Selfridge Collection. This event could be the occasion for a reevaluation of a major collection of business documents too long ignored by historians.
Language and Culture in a Liverpool Merchant Family Firm, 1870–1950
Authors: Boyce Gordon
Published: April 2011

Ethnographic methods are applied to this investigation of the links between language and business culture found in letters exchanged in the 1880s, 1900s, 1930s, and 1940s among members of a long-lived family-owned business. The letters are contained in three sets of correspondence between three different generations of the Bates family, who were merchants, shipowners, and private bankers based in Liverpool. The aim is to develop a different perspective from which to consider communicating processes, business culture, social mobility, and the socialization of managers. The study invites consideration of the appropriateness of accepted behavioral assumptions attributed to economic actors and the significance of judgment and instinct in decision-making.
Comparative Consumer Product Testing in Germany
Authors: Kleinschmidt Christian
Published: April 2011

The introduction of comparative product testing in Germany reflected the rise of a mass consumer society within a rapidly changing market economy. The first proposal to establish a federally supported institute for product testing was made in 1957. Proponents wished to reduce the asymmetries of power and information between producers and consumers. Producers' initial opposition was overcome once federal legislation was passed and they recognized that the institute's work gave them an opportunity to use the test results in their corporate marketing and advertising strategies. By integrating state-regulated consumer protection into the social-market economy, the Stiftung Warentest, Germany's independent product-testing foundation, became an expression of both the emerging modern consumer society and the German corporatist model.
Changing National Business Systems: Corporate Governance and Financing in the Netherlands, 1945–2005
Authors: de Jong Abe , Röell Ailsa , Westerhuis Gerarda
Published: April 2011

This study traces the evolution of corporate governance and financing structures in the Netherlands during the second half of the twentieth century. A description of Dutch shareholder rights, fi nancing structures, and networks of directors reveals the changes that have occurred in many aspects of the Dutch corporate system over the course of six decades. The case of Royal Ahold illustrates some of the developments that have taken place. Most indicate a transition from a coordinated market economy to a more liberal system. The internationalization of the Dutch economy, which has played an important role in the transition of the system, is reflected in the expansion of Dutch firms beyond the national borders and in the growing number of foreign investors in Dutch fi rms.
The Corporate Pyramid Fable
Authors: Bank Steven A. , Cheffins Brian R.
Published: April 2011

Although corporate pyramids are currently commonplace world-wide and although there have been “noteworthy pyramiders” in American business history, this controversial form of corporate organization is now a rarity in the United States. The conventional wisdom is that corporate pyramids disappeared in the U.S. when New Deal policymakers began taxing dividends paid to corporate shareholders. This version of events is more fable than truth. The introduction of the intercorporate dividend tax did not foster a rapid dismantling of corporate pyramids. Instead, pyramidal arrangements were already rare in the U.S., other than in the utilities sector, and the demise of utility pyramids was prompted by the Public Util- ities Holding Company Act of 1935 rather than by tax reform.
Pharmaceutical Research in Wilhelmine Germany: The Case of E. Merck
Authors: Burhop Carsten
Published: April 2011

This paper offers a detailed case study of the emergence, organization, and development of research and development at E. Merck. During the 1890s, revolutionary changes in the scientific knowledge base, especially the rise of bacteriological research and the entry of dyestuff producers into the pharmaceuticals market, combined with the financial distress Merck was undergoing to force the firm to reorganize pharmaceutical research as a corporate strategy. Consequently, between 1895 and 1898, Merck restructured its in-house research, forming closer ties with universities and other outside inven- tors. Merck depended on these sources to generate new products, while relying on in-house scientists to improve productive efficiency. A spate of new products was launched between the late 1890s and 1905, but, in the following years, resource constraints restricted Merck's innovative capacity.
Effects of temperature and salinity on the survival and development of larval and juvenile Palaemon serratus (Decapoda: Palaemonidae) from Irish waters
Authors: Kelly Eoghan , Tully Oliver , Browne Ronan
Published: April 2011

The combined effects of temperature and salinity on the survival and development of larval and juvenile Palaemon serratus from the west coast of Ireland were investigated. Survival over time was measured at thirty combinations of temperature and salinity ranging from 10–19°C and 9–34‰ in a fully factorial design. Salinity had a stronger influence than temperature on survival at all larval stages except stage V. For juveniles the main effect changed from temperature between 100 and 200 degree days to salinity between 200 and 600 degree days and temperature between 600 and 800 degree days. Estimates of time taken to 50% mortality showed that juveniles tolerated lower salinities for longer periods and exhibited optimal salinity values which were 3‰ lower than larvae, at temperatures between 10 and 15°C. Larval stage durations were found to be influenced by temperature but not salinity. Comparison with published data suggests that populations of P. serratus have adapted to local conditions of temperature and salinity. The results presented here have practical implications for fisheries assessment and management, as the incorporation of environmental effects into stock–recruitment models can improve their predictive capacity.
Relative identity, singular reference, and the Incarnation: a response to Le Poidevin
Authors: CONN CHRISTOPHER HUGHES
Published: April 2011

In this article I object to Le Poidevin's (2009) contention that relative identity is beset with an infinite metaphysical regress. I argue, first, that since Le Poidevin's regress argument presupposes a direct theory of reference, it does not apply to accounts of relative identity which reject this account of reference. I argue, second, that Le Poidevin's regress is not inevitable for one who accepts a direct account of reference, since it does not apply to the formal logic of relative identity which van Inwagen uses to articulate and defend the mysteries of the Trinity and the Incarnation.
Mumps outbreak in Israel's highly vaccinated society: are two doses enough?
Authors: ANIS E. , GROTTO I. , MOERMAN L. , WARSHAVSKY B. , SLATER P. E. , LEV B.
Published: April 2011

Mumps outbreaks in recent years have given rise to questions about the effectiveness of the mumps vaccine. This study examined the epidemiological data from a recent mumps outbreak in Israel and from outbreaks in other countries with high vaccination coverage, and considered whether long-established vaccination policies designed to protect against mumps are in need of revision. Of over 5000 case patients in the Israeli outbreak, half of whom were in the Jerusalem health district, nearly 40% were aged ⩾15 years and, of those whose vaccination status was known, 78% had been fully vaccinated for their age – features similar to those in recent mumps outbreaks in Europe and North America. The epidemiological and laboratory evidence suggests that many previously vaccinated adolescents and young adults are now susceptible to mumps because their vaccine-based immunity has waned. Booster vaccination programmes for those at high risk of infection during mumps outbreaks – particularly those in congregate living environments – merit priority consideration.
Microsatellite fingerprinting in the International Cocoa Genebank, Trinidad: accession and plot homogeneity information for germplasm management
Authors: Motilal Lambert A. , Zhang Dapeng , Umaharan Pathmanathan , Mischke Sue , Pinney Stephen , Meinhardt Lyndel W.
Published: April 2011

The International Cocoa Genebank, Trinidad, is the largest field genebank collection of cacao (Theobroma cacaoL.) in the public domain and the correct identity of each tree is crucial for germplasm movement, evaluation and phenotypic characterization. Nine microsatellite loci were used to assess the identity of 1477 trees from 486 cacao accessions representing approximately 16.9% of the trees and 29.2% of the accessions within the genebank. Heterogeneous plots (plots containing more than one genotype group) averaged 25.1% in The International Cocoa Genebank, Trinidad, with maximal admixture (32.6%) being recorded in Field 5B. The error rate did not differ significantly among different fields. Mislabeling error could be affected by accession grouping with an average error rate of 27.4% for accession groups in the genebank. Synonymous accessions were estimated to account for 14.4% of the field genebank. The results of the present study provide essential information for the management and utilization of the germplasm collection. Single-tree genotyping of every tree in this collection is strongly recommended.
Improvement of crop protection against greenbug using the worldwide sorghum germplasm collection and genomics-based approaches
Authors: Huang Yinghua
Published: April 2011

Successful development of new sorghum cultivars and hybrids to ensure sustainable production depends largely on the availability of genetic resources with desirable traits such as pest resistance. Our recent research has focused on improvement of crop protection against greenbugs using the worldwide germplasm collection and genomics-based approaches. First, we conducted the systematic evaluation of a worldwide germplasm collection in order to identify new sources of greenbug resistance. Twenty-one resistant lines were identified, which offered new sources of resistance to sorghum breeding. Molecular markers used to assess the genetic diversity among those resistant lines suggested relatively diverse resistant sources in the sorghum germplasm collection. More recently, a mapping project was executed to associate the resistance genes with sorghum chromosomes. The mapping data indicated one major and a minor quantitative trait loci reside on chromosome 9 and are responsible for resistance to greenbug. In addition, cDNA microarrays were used to monitor greenbug-induced gene expression in sorghum plants. This study has developed a transcriptional profile for sorghum in response to greenbug attack, which provides us with useful molecular information for discovery of greenbug resistance genes and a better understanding of the genetic mechanisms controlling host defences in sorghum.
Sehvermögen und Fahrtauglichkeit
Authors: Wilhelm Helmut
Published: April 2011

Folgende Sehfunktionen spielen für das Autofahren eine Rolle: Sehschärfe, Kontrast- und Dämmerungssehen, Farbsehen, Gesichtsfeld sowie Augenstellung und -beweglichkeit. Nur für Sehschärfe, Gesichtsfeld und Farbsehen gibt es allgemein akzeptierte und standardisierte Tests. Die zulässigen Grenzwerte sind willkürlich definiert und kaum durch Studien untermauert. Europäische Standards wurden veröffentlicht, die auch Kontrast- und Dämmerungssehen umfassen. Bei einer Untersuchung der Fahreignung muss auf fortschreitende und behandelbare Augenkrankheiten wie Katarakt und Glaukom geachtet werden.
Fahreignung und Fahrfähigkeit bei Diabetes mellitus
Authors: Seeger Rolf , Lehmann Roger
Published: April 2011

Die Hypoglykämie am Steuer bildet die verkehrsmedizinisch wichtigste Komplikation beim behandelten Diabetes mellitus. Hypoglykämien am Steuer lassen sich durch geeignete Maßnahmen (Blutzuckermessung vor und während der Fahrt) zuverlässig vermeiden. Diabetische Spätfolgen und hohe Blutzuckerwerte können zu einer erheblichen Einschränkung von Fahreignung und Fahrfähigkeit führen. Das periodische Ansprechen von verkehrsmedizinischen Aspekten bei Personen mit Diabetes mellitus in der ärztlichen Praxistätigkeit hat einen hohen prophylaktischen Stellenwert bezüglich der Unfallverhütung. Für höhere Führerausweiskategorien (Buslenker, Lastwagen- und Taxifahrer) besteht bei einer Behandlung mit Hypoglykämiegefahr in der Regel keine Fahreignung. Für Lastwagen- und Taxilenker kann unter besonders günstigen Umständen im Rahmen einer verkehrsmedizinischen Begutachtung eine Ausnahmebewilligung erteilt werden.
Fahreignung bei Tagesschläfrigkeit
Authors: Mathis Johannes
Published: April 2011

In einer Normalbevölkerung klagen 5-10% über Tagesschläfrigkeit. Die Folgen sind Leistungsminderung und Unfälle am Arbeitsplatz und im Straßenverkehr mit weit reichenden Konsequenzen für den Betroffenen und für die Gesellschaft. Gemäß den statistischen Angaben der Behörde sollen in der Schweiz lediglich 2-3% aller Verkehrsunfälle durch Einschlafen am Steuer verursacht werden, was in krassem Gegensatz steht zu dem 10-20% Anteil welcher in wissenschaftlichen Erhebungen resultierte. Entsprechend bescheiden sind die Gegenmaßnahmen und die Abklärungen bei fehlbaren Fahrzeuglenkern. Die häufigste Ursache des Sekundenschlafes ist vermutlich das beruflich oder sozial bedingte Schlafmanko. Der behandelnde Arzt muss aber auch sedierende Medikamente und diverse Krankheiten in Betracht ziehen. Die Risikofaktoren und auch die typischen Merkmale von schläfrigkeitsbedingten Unfällen sind gut bekannt, so dass die breite Information der Bevölkerung, bauliche Maßnahmen an Fahrzeugen und Straßen und gezielte Abklärungen von fehlbaren Lenkern möglich wären. Weil die Zeichen der Schläfrigkeit in der Regel rechtzeitig bemerkt werden können, ist die wichtigste Vorkehrung sicherlich die Aufklärung der Verkehrsteilnehmer über die Risikofaktoren und über wirksame Gegenmaßnahmen beim Auftreten von Schläfrigkeit. Die primäre Aufgabe des behandelnden Arztes ist die korrekte Diagnostik und Therapie sowie die frühzeitige Aufklärung des Patienten mit krankhaft bedingter Tagesschläfrigkeit über seine große Eigenverantwortung beim Fahrzeuglenken. Dieses Aufklärungsgespräch, welches bei der Verordnung von sedierenden Medikamenten von besonderer Wichtigkeit ist, soll in den Krankenakten dokumentiert werden. Bei allen Berufsfahrern mit Tagesschläfrigkeit, bei allen Fahrzeuglenkern, welche bereits einen Unfall wegen eines Sekundenschlafes erlitten haben, und bei uneinsichtigen Fahrzeuglenkern sind objektive Messungen der Tagesschläfrigkeit in einem Zentrum für Schlafmedizin angezeigt.
Nachweis des Konsums von psychotropen Substanzen und Alkohol mittels Haaranalyse
Authors: Baumgartner Markus R.
Published: April 2011

Haaranalytik ist ein laboranalytisches Verfahren, welches angewendet wird für das Konsum-Monitoring psychotroper Substanzen inkl. Trinkalkohol. Die Untersuchung von Haarproben ist für diesen Zweck geeignet, da diese durch zeitaufgelöste Speicherung von Drogen, Medikamenten, deren Metabolite oder von Alkohol-Markern einen retrospektiven Überblick über einen größeren Zeitraum ermöglichen. Haaranalyse-Befunde geben Auskunft über das Konsummuster einer solchen Substanz. Das Verfahren ist geeignet, die Abstinenz einer Substanz (abstinere (lat.), sich enthalten, fernhalten, hier: Verzicht auf Einnahme) gegenüber einer wiederholten Einnahme zu differenzieren. Auch kann - bei nachgewiesenem Konsum - mit Einschränkung eine grobe Aussage zum Konsumverhalten gemacht werden. Analytisch untersucht werden Kopf- oder Körperhaare, für eine forensische Begutachtung sollen in der Regel immer Kopfhaare verwendet werden. Dabei wird als Faustregel eine Haarwachstumsrate von 1 cm pro Monat angewendet.
Perception of Smokers: Results from the Tobacco Monitoring Switzerland
Authors: Radtke Theda , Keller Roger , Bütikofer Andrea , Hornung Rainer
Published: April 2011

Aim: The purpose of the study is to present adolescents’ perceptions of smokers and non-smokers among 1015 Swiss adolescents. Method: The analyses are based on data from Tobacco Monitoring Switzerland, which is a survey of tobacco consumption in Switzerland. To measure the perceptions of smokers and non-smokers, respondents were asked to attribute a series of adjectives to each group. It was also recorded when respondents mentioned that “there is no difference between smokers and non-smokers.” Results: Results show that regardless of whether the adolescents smoked or did not smoke – with the exception of more sociable – the image of smokers was more negative than the image of non-smokers. Findings also indicated that regular smokers in particular often stated that there are no differences between both groups. Conclusions: Overall, the image of smokers is more negative than the image of non-smokers, with the exception of the attribute more sociable. This perception of smokers could be important for prevention measures in new contexts (e. g., school transitions), where smoking could be a means of establishing new social ties.
Alkoholkonsum und alkoholbezogene Mortalität, Morbidität, soziale Probleme und Folgekosten in Deutschland
Authors: Kraus Ludwig , Piontek Daniela , Pabst Alexander , Bühringer Gerhard
Published: April 2011

Ziel: Ziel dieses Beitrags ist es, einen Überblick über den Alkoholkonsum und die damit verbundenen negativen Konsequenzen in Deutschland zu geben. Methodik: Dargestellt werden Daten zum Alkoholkonsum (Alkoholwirtschaft und Bevölkerungssurveys) sowie zu alkoholbedingter Mortalität (Gesamtsterblichkeit und potenziell verlorene Lebensjahre) und Morbidität (durch Krankheit verlorene Lebensjahre), zu sozialen Folgen (Straftaten, Straßenverkehr und Arbeit) und Folgekosten des Konsums. Ergebnisse: Alkohol war im Jahr 2002 für 48.571 Todesfälle (5,5 % der Gesamtsterblichkeit) in Deutschland verantwortlich, was 970.029 potenziell verlorenen Lebensjahren entspricht. Im Jahr 2004 waren insgesamt 6,2 % der nationalen Belastung durch Krankheit und Verletzungen vom Alkoholkonsum verursacht. Allein die bei den Allgemeinen Ortskrankenkassen (AOK) registrierten alkoholbedingten Arbeitsunfähigkeitstage beliefen sich im Jahr 2008 bei ca. 82.000 Fällen auf 1,09 Mio. Eine Schätzung der durch Morbidität und Mortalität bedingten Gesamtkosten ergab für das Jahr 2002 rund 24 Mrd. Euro (1,16 % des Bruttoinlandsprodukts). Schlussfolgerungen: Die Zahlen zu Umfang und negativen Folgen des Alkoholkonsums unterstreichen die Notwendigkeit der Entwicklung einer umfassenden Alkoholpolitik.
An efficient integral equation technique for the analysis of arbitrarily shaped capacitive waveguide circuits
Authors: Quesada Pereira F. D. , Vera Castejón P. , Álvarez Melcón A. , Gimeno B. , Boria Esbert V. E.
Published: April 2011

In this contribution a new and efficient integral equation formulation is presented for the analysis of arbitrarily shaped capacitive waveguide devices. The technique benefits from the symmetry of the structure in order to reduce the dimensions of the problem from three to two dimensions. For the first time, this technique formulates the waveguide capacitive discontinuity problem as a 2‐D scattering problem with oblique incidence, combined with an efficient calculation of the parallel plate Green's functions. The numerical method allows the efficient evaluation of the electromagnetic fields inside the analyzed structures. Results for different practical capacitive waveguide devices are successfully compared with commercial software tools for validation of the proposed theory. Finally, a novel low‐pass filter implementation based on circular conducting posts has been proposed. The field contour lines in the critical gaps of the new structure are curved due to the use of rounded posts. This could result in improved power handling capabilities with respect to standard corrugated low‐pass filters.
T1- and T2*-Dominant Extravasation Correction in DSC-MRI: Part II—Predicting Patient Outcome after a Single Dose of Cediranib in Recurrent Glioblastoma Patients
Authors: Emblem Kyrre E , Bjornerud Atle , Mouridsen Kim , Borra Ronald JH , Batchelor Tracy T , Jain Rakesh K , Sorensen A Gregory
Published: April 2011

A ‘vascular normalization index’ (VNI) based on the changes in the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) parameters Ktrans and cerebral blood volume (CBV), combined with blood sampling, has been shown to correlate with patient outcome in recurrent glioblastoma after a single dose of antiangiogenic therapy. Here, by applying a novel contrast agent extravasation correction method insensitive to variations in tissue mean transit time, we show that a similar VNI parameter can be derived from a single dynamic susceptibility contrast MR acquisition rather than the three parameters shown previously. Our results show that this new VNI parameter, which combines changes in tumoral CBV and an apparent transfer constant from our leakage correction method, may provide prognostic information in an even simpler manner than prior efforts.
Cilostazol Minimizes Venous Ischemic Injury in Diabetic and Normal Rats
Authors: Wajima Daisuke , Nakamura Mitsutoshi , Horiuchi Kaoru , Takeshima Yasuhiro , Nishimura Fumihiko , Nakase Hiroyuki
Published: April 2011

We evaluated the effects of cilostazol on venous infarction produced by a photothrombotic two-vein occlusion (2VO) model in diabetic and control rats. The cerebral blood flow (CBF) between the occluded veins was measured by laser Doppler flowmetry for 4 hours after 2VO. Infarct size and immunohistochemistry were evaluated 24, 48, 96, and 168 hours after 2VO. Cilostazol was administered 1 hour after 2VO, and thereafter at a continuous oral dose of 60 mg/kg per day. Cilostazol reduced the infarct size, and the number of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling (TUNEL)-positive apoptotic and B-cell lymphoma 2-associated X protein (Bax)-positive cells, and improved the CBF in control rats. In diabetic rats, cilostazol reduced the infarct size, and the number of TUNEL-positive apoptotic and Bax-positive cells, 96 and 168 hours after 2VO, but did not improve the CBF 4 hours after 2VO. Cilostazol increased the number of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2)-positive cells in both strains 48, 96, and 168 hours after 2VO, but did not improve vessel wall thickness or collagen deposits. Cilostazol appeared to limit venous infarcts by improving the penumbral CBF in nondiabetic rats, and inhibited pro-apoptotic changes through Bcl-2 overexpression, without improving the CBF in diabetic rats.
T1- and T*2-Dominant Extravasation Correction in DSC-MRI: Part I—Theoretical Considerations and Implications for Assessment of Tumor Hemodynamic Properties
Authors: Bjornerud Atle , Sorensen A Gregory , Mouridsen Kim , Emblem Kyrre E
Published: April 2011

We present a novel contrast agent (CA) extravasation-correction method based on analysis of the tissue residue function for assessment of multiple hemodynamic parameters. The method enables semiquantitative determination of the transfer constant and can be used to distinguish between T1- and T*2-dominant extravasation effects, while being insensitive to variations in tissue mean transit time (MTT). Results in 101 patients with confirmed glioma suggest that leakage-corrected absolute cerebral blood volume (CBV) values obtained with the proposed method provide improved overall survival prediction compared with normalized CBV values combined with an established leakage-correction method. Using a standard gradient-echo echo-planar imaging sequence, ∼60% and 10% of tumors with detectable CA extravasation mainly exhibited T1- and T*2-dominant leakage effects, respectively. The remaining 30% of leaky tumors had mixed T1- and T*2-dominant effects. Using an MTT-sensitive correction method, our results show that CBV is underestimated when tumor MTT is significantly longer than MTT in the reference tissue. Furthermore, results from our simulations suggest that the relative contribution of T1-versus T*2-dominant extravasation effects is strongly dependent on the effective transverse relaxivity in the extravascular space and may thus be a potential marker for cellular integrity and tissue structure.
N-Arachidonoyl-l-Serine is Neuroprotective after Traumatic Brain Injury by Reducing Apoptosis
Authors: Cohen-Yeshurun Ayelet , Trembovler Victoria , Alexandrovich Alexander , Ryberg Erik , Greasley Peter J , Mechoulam Raphael , Shohami Esther , Leker Ronen R
Published: April 2011

N-arachidonoyl-L-serine (AraS) is a brain component structurally related to the endocannabinoid family. We investigated the neuroprotective effects of AraS following closed head injury induced by weight drop onto the exposed fronto-parietal skull and the mechanisms involved. A single injection of AraS following injury led to a significant improvement in functional outcome, and to reduced edema and lesion volume compared with vehicle. Specific antagonists to CB2 receptors, transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) or large conductance calcium-activated potassium (BK) channels reversed these effects. Specific binding assays did not indicate binding of AraS to the GPR55 cannabinoid receptor. N-arachidonoyl-l-serine blocked the attenuation in phosphorylated extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK) levels and led to an increase in pAkt in both the ipsilateral and contralateral cortices. Increased levels of the prosurvival factor Bcl-xL were evident 24 hours after injury in AraS-treated mice, followed by a 30% reduction in caspase-3 activity, measured 3 days after injury. Treatment with a CB2 antagonist, but not with a CB1 antagonist, reversed this effect. Our results suggest that administration of AraS leads to neuroprotection via ERK and Akt phosphorylation and induction of their downstream antiapoptotic pathways. These protective effects are related mostly to indirect signaling via the CB2R and TRPV1 channels but not through CB1 or GPR55 receptors.
Phage Nanobiotechnology
Authors: Blois Helene , Cao Binrui , Chin Bryan , Deutscher Susan L , Gea Manuel , Iris Francois , Jayanna Prashanth , Kelly Kimberley , Lakshmanan Ramji , Lampe Paul-Henri , Li Suiqiong , Makowski Lee , Manoutcharian Karen , Mao Chuanbin , Noren Christopher J , Opella Stanley , Pouillot Flavie , Ripp Steven , Saleh Lana ,   Royal Society of Chemistry,   Royal Society of Chemistry
Published: April 2011

Several books and many papers have been published during the last decade on the design and the use of new nanomaterials in medicine and technology, which describe major concepts of nanotechnology. Meanwhile, a new promising type of nanomaterials-bacteriophages-emerged recently as a result of the evolution of phage display technique. Bacteriophages have a unique feature - completely the opposite of other nanomaterials -their structure and function are encrypted in their genomic DNA, which can be intentionally modified or even rewritten using routine genetic engineering techniques. In particular, a paradigm of landscape phage with multivalently displayed foreign peptides evolved, which allows constructing phage with unique surface architectures and emerged properties. Recently, phage, as a new kind of nanomaterials attracted the attention of specialists working in peripheral, and even very diverse areas from genetics and molecular biology, such as pharmaceutical science, material science, microelectronics, biosensors, detection, environmental sciences, etc. Penetration of the phage technology into these new disciplines required the development of a new instructive concept, which resulted in this publication. This comprehensive book, of value to researchers as well as scientists, introduces readers into this hot new area of phage nanobiotechnology. It summarises the existing data on the phage nanomaterials and discusses their use in different areas of medicine, science and technology. With contributions by top level experts and pioneers in phage display, the major goal of this book is to bring the phage display technique closer to specialists in these diverse areas of medicine, science and technology, where phage-derived nanomaterials can be most beneficial.
Volunteers on the Political Anvil: Citizenship and Volunteer Biodiversity Monitoring in Three Postcommunist Countries
Authors: Bell Sandra , Reinert Hugo , Cent Joanna , Grodzińska-Jurczak Malgorzata , Kobierska Hanna , Podjed Dan , Vandzinskaite Deivida
Published: April 2011

We present comparative ethnographic material on volunteer biodiversity monitoring from environmental organisations in three postcommunist countries: Poland, Slovenia, and Lithuania. We chart and discuss aspects of the heritage from socialism and communist rule in terms of their effect on the present-day running and operations of four case-study organisations in these countries, focusing particularly on challenges posed by the legacy of compulsory volunteering, inherited organisational cultures, economic reorganisation, and internationalisation of the volunteering sector. In closing we indicate certain key differences between our case-study organisations, focusing on factors that influenced their ability to operate in the postcommunist nongovernmental organisation sector, and offer some observations of more general relevance.
Placing Agriculture within Rural Development: Evidence from EU Case Studies
Authors: Hubbard Carmen , Gorton Matthew
Published: April 2011

In the light of four competing models for rural development (agrarian, exogenous, endogenous, and neo-endogenous) we evaluate the relationship between agriculture, agricultural policy, and rural development in five regions in established EU member states: Borders, Midlands, and Western Region (Ireland), Navarra (Spain), Tyrol (Austria), Skåne (Sweden), and Altmark (Germany). Evidence suggests that both the agrarian and exogenous models are anachronistic. However, the Common Agricultural Policy remains closest to the agrarian model of rural development, and in its current form fails to promote a wider rural and territorial development. The LEADER programme, which is often perceived as a viable alternative approach to rural development, fits most closely with the neo-endogenous rather than with the endogenous model. Nevertheless, for EU policy to fully embody the neo-endogenous model a far more fundamental reform of the CAP would be required than that agreed in the wake of the Health Check.
Macropod habitat use and response to management interventions in an agricultural - forest mosaic in north-eastern Tasmania as inferred by scat surveys
Authors: Wiggins Natasha L. , Bowman David M. J. S.
Published: April 2011

Context Native pest herbivores often require population numbers to be controlled in landscape settings where agricultural, plantation forests and native forests are juxtaposed. The Tasmanian pademelon Thylogale billardierii and the red-necked wallaby Macropus rufogriseus rufogriseus are among the most abundant native pest herbivore species in Tasmania. Aims We aimed to determine the habitat use of pademelons and wallabies in response to (i) environmental and seasonal variation, and (ii) two different wildlife management interventions (shooting and fencing) in an agricultural–forest mosaic in north-eastern Tasmania. Methods Macropod abundance before and after shooting and fencing management interventions were estimated by changes in the rate of deposition of faecal pellets (scats per unit area per time interval) on an array of permanent transects that were stratified across three habitat types (agricultural land, plantation forest, and native forest). An experiment was also conducted to determine the endurance of fresh scats in the three habitats. Key results More than 90% of scats remained undecomposed for over five months, and more than 50% of scats remained undecomposed for over 11 months across the study site. Decomposition rates were significantly influenced by habitat type, specifically, highest in agricultural land and lowest in native forest for both species. Scat deposition rates showed that species abundance was influenced by habitat type and season. Macropod abundance was highest in agricultural land and lowest in native forest. Compared with summer and early autumn, pademelon scat abundance significantly decreased in late autumn and spring on agricultural land but showed no change for plantation forest or native forest. Wallaby scats showed similar seasonal trends for all three habitats, lower in late autumn and spring compared with summer and early autumn. Following each of the management interventions, macropod scat deposition rates decreased predominantly on agricultural land. This effect decreased with increasing distance from intervention loci. Conclusions We demonstrate that scat monitoring provides a useful survey technique for the assessment of macropod habitat use, and show that macropods select for agricultural habitats. Shooting and fencing interventions reduced the use of agricultural habitats, but this effect was localised. Implications A whole-landscape perspective is required when assessing the impacts of management interventions on pest populations. Results highlight the formidable challenges in controlling native herbivores in habitat mosaics, given the localised effects of management interventions and the importance of environmental and seasonal factors as drivers of habitat use.
Efficacy of ERL-4221 as an ovotoxin for feral pigs (Sus scrofa)
Authors: Sanders Dustin L. , Xie Fang , Mauldin Richard E. , Hurley Jerome C. , Miller Lowell A. , Garcia Michelle R. , DeYoung Randy W. , Long David B. , Campbell Tyler A.
Published: April 2011

Context The expansion of feral pig populations across the United States has increased the occurrence of damage and damage complaints. New techniques are needed to more effectively manage feral pig damage, including the development of fertility control agents. Aims We aimed to assess the ovotoxic properties of ERL-4221 as a candidate fertility control agent for feral pigs. Methods We conducted two palatability trials to determine ERL-4221 acceptance and one experimental trial with ERL-4221 at the captive wildlife facility of Texas A&M University-Kingsville during 2008. Our experimental trial had three treatments, a control containing no ERL-4221, baits containing 16.0 mg ERL-4221 kg–1 bodyweight for 10 days, and baits containing 16.0 mg ERL-4221 kg–1 bodyweight for 20 days. Key results Final body mass, total ovary mass, number of follicles and number of corpora lutea did not differ between treatments. Conclusions We did not find it efficacious to orally deliver ERL-4221 to feral pigs to reduce fertility. Oral delivery is the most practical, cost-effective means of delivering fertility control agents to feral pigs and development of additional fertility control strategies are needed. Implications Unless ovotoxic effects of ERL-4221 can be identified in feral pigs, along with a successful means of administration, other fertility control strategies may need to be explored, such as oocyte-secreted proteins that regulate follicular development.