bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
No inhibitor development after continuous infusion of factor concentrates in subjects with bleeding disorders undergoing surgery: a prospective study
Authors: Auerswald G. , Bade A , Haubold K. , Overberg D. , Masurat S. , Moorthi C.
Published: December 2012

Inhibitor development against von Willebrand factor, factor VIII or factor IX is one of the most severe complications of treating patients with von Willebrand's disease (VWD), haemophilia A or haemophilia B respectively. Continuous infusion of factor concentrate has been implicated as a risk factor for inhibitor development. This prospective study investigated inhibitor development after continuous infusion of factor concentrate for surgical procedures in subjects with VWD or a severe form of haemophilia (factor activity <1%). Observations were made on the occurrence of inhibitor formation, adverse events and virus seroconversions. Main inclusion criteria comprised a negative history of inhibitors to replacement factor concentrate, ≥50 exposure days to factor concentrate and anticipated surgery requiring replacement factor coverage for ≥3 days. Therapy began with a bolus dose of 30–50 IU kg−1 body weight of factor concentrate followed by continuous infusion with 3–4 IU kg−1 h−1. Continuous infusion dose of factor concentrate was adjusted based on factor levels measured at least once daily. In 46 subjects included in the study to date, no inhibitors have been identified at discharge or follow‐up (3–4 weeks after surgery), and no thrombotic events or postoperative wound infections occurred. All subjects underwent surgery without major blood loss, and hemostatic efficacy was generally rated ‘excellent’. The results of the current study are promising, although the number of subjects is too small to make a definitive statement about the incidence of inhibitor development during continuous infusion of factor concentrate. Therefore, this study will be continued.
Frontal Headache Induced by Osteoma of Frontal Recess
Authors: Kim Kyung Soo
Published: December 2012

We reported a case of osteoma involving the frontal recess, which presented as frontal headache and reviewed literatures. Also, this case highlights that sinunasal osteomas can cause pain by local mass effects, referred pain, or prostaglandin E2‐mediated mechanisms.
Meloxicam as an adjuvant to peginterferon‐α‐2a and ribavirin treatment for genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C: A randomized trial
Authors: Kagawa Tatehiro , Kojima Sei‐ichiro , Shiraishi Koichi , Hirose Shunji , Arase Yoshitaka , Takashimizu Shinji , Watanabe Norihito , Nagata Naruhiko , Numata Makoto , Shiozawa Hirokazu , Nishizaki Yasuhiro , Toki Mayu , Sugita Teruji , Nomura Kijuro , Sakaguchi Takashi , Atsukawa Kazuhiro , Tajima Hiroto , Tei Yoshihiro , Inomoto Tsutomu , Mine Tetsuya
Published: December 2012

Aim

In this multicenter, randomized trial, we evaluated the effectiveness of meloxicam – a non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drug – as an adjuvant for enhancing antiviral efficacy and preventing neutropenia during the treatment of patients with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C using peginterferon and ribavirin.

Methods

A total of 60 patients were randomly assigned, in a 1:1 ratio, to either the meloxicam or the control group after stratification by neutrophil count. Both groups received weekly peginterferon‐α‐2a (180 μg) and a weight‐based dose of ribavirin for 48 weeks. The meloxicam group received meloxicam (10 mg/day) for the first 8 weeks after initiation of treatment.

Results

Through intent‐to‐treat analysis, we found that the sustained virological response rate in the meloxicam group (19/30, 63.3%) was significantly higher than in the control group (11/30, 36.7%, P < 0.05). The relapse rate was more than twice as high (45%) in the control group than in the meloxicam group (19.0%); however, this difference was not statistically significant. The rate of neutrophil decrease, calculated by dividing the lowest value observed during the first 8 weeks by pretreatment count, was significantly smaller in the meloxicam group (55.1 ± 14.3%) than in the control group (62.3 ± 9.6%, P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Meloxicam enhanced antiviral efficacy and reduced the decline in neutrophil counts for the peginterferon and ribavirin treatment of genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C. This drug could be a reasonable adjuvant for the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C. The present study including a small number of patients warrants larger clinical trials.
Migration Motives of University Students: An Empirical Research
Authors: Borozan Djula , Bojanic Ivana Barkovic
Published: December 2012

The main aim of this paper is to analyse the motives affecting the migration decisions of young people, particularly university students. Two scales were developed for measuring the perception of the importance of these motives. The data used in the research were collected via a survey of the opinions and attitudes of university students in Osijek, in June 2010. The paper also analyses psychometric properties of the scales – their dimensionality and reliability.

The results of a confirmatory factor analysis undoubtedly indicate that both scales are multidimensional constructs. A combination of the results of t‐tests for an independent sample, factor analysis (exploratory and confirmatory) and reliability analysis suggest that emigration and stay motives are two sides of the same migration decision, and that they can be classified into several factors: the economic situation, social networks, insider advantages (that can be divided into inherited amenities and public‐safety conditions) and the wealth of opportunities. Depending on the power of the initial and target destination, the factors can function as ‘push’ or ‘pull’ factors. The results of the study show social networks as being the only ‘pull’ factor for the city of Osijek, whereas the other factors, especially the economic ones, proved to demonstrate the ‘push’ effect. However, the effects of all factors were very mild.
Associations between non‐restorative sleep, short sleep duration and suicidality: Findings from a representative sample of Korean adolescents
Authors: Park Jae Hong , Yoo Jae‐Ho , Kim Seong Hwan
Published: December 2012

Aims

This study clarifies the associations among sleep duration, non‐restorative sleep, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in a representative sample of Korean adolescents.

Methods

Analyses are based on data from the 2007 Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web‐based Survey. The survey used a cross‐sectional, national and representative sample consisting of 78 843 students (grades 7–12) who were selected using a stratified, clustered, multistage sampling method. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to test the association between sleep and suicide variables while controlling for demographic characteristics and other potential risk factors of suicide.

Results

Fewer than 4 h of sleep and a lack of feeling refreshed after sleeping increased the likelihood of suicidal ideation but not of suicide attempts.

Conclusions

Non‐restorative sleep as well as short sleep duration are significantly associated with suicidal ideation in adolescents. This finding highlights the need to assess for both non‐restorative sleep and short sleep duration when screening suicide risk in adolescents. Future research should examine the moderating or mediating effects of individual and environmental characteristics on the association between sleep and actual suicide attempt.
Isolation and characterization of a single‐stranded RNA virus that infects the marine planktonic diatom Chaetoceros sp. (SS08‐C03)
Authors: Tomaru Yuji , Toyoda Kensuke , Kimura Kei , Takao Yoshitake , Sakurada Kiyonari , Nakayama Natsuko , Nagasaki Keizo
Published: December 2012

Diatoms are the major primary producers in the world's aquatic environment; hence, their dynamics are an important focus in current studies. Viruses, along with other physical, chemical, and biological factors, have recently been recognized as potential factors of diatom mortality. We isolated and characterized a new diatom virus (Csp03RNAV) that causes lysis of the marine planktonic diatom Chaetoceros sp. strain SS08‐C03 isolated from Hiroshima Bay, Japan. Here, we present the physiology, morphology, and genome characteristics of this virus. Csp03RNAV was isolated from surface waters of Yatsushiro Sea, Japan. Virions were icosahedral and 32 nm in diameter, and accumulated in the cytoplasm of the host cells. The latent period was estimated to be <48 h. Csp03RNAV harbors a single‐stranded RNA genome, which has 9417 bases encoding two open reading frames that code for putative replication‐related proteins and putative structural proteins, respectively. The monophyly of Csp03RNAV and the other known diatom‐infecting single‐stranded RNA viruses (genus Bacillarnavirus), Rhizosolenia setigera RNA virus, Chaetoceros socialis f. radians RNA virus, and Chaetoceros tenuissimus RNA virus was strongly supported by phylogenetic analysis based on the amino acid sequence of the RNA‐dependent RNA polymerase domain. On the basis of these results, Csp03RNAV is considered to be a new member of the genus Bacillarnavirus.
Neonatal renal venous thrombosis followed by secondary pseudohypoaldosteronism
Authors: Nakashima Hideyuki , Kibe Tetsuya , Ohro Yoichiro , Fujita Naoya
Published: December 2012

A male infant was diagnosed as having renal venous thrombosis (RVT) in association with bilateral flank masses, macroscopic hematuria, and thrombocytopenia. In the course of supportive treatment, hyponatremia, hyperkalemia, and metabolic acidosis became prominent. Plasma renin activity (PRA) and aldosterone increased markedly. Treatment with sufficient sodium chloride and sodium bicarbonate intake was effective. It is important to note that tubular damage by RVT causes secondary pseudohypoaldosteronism.
Long survival of congenital alveolar capillary dysplasia patient with NO inhalation and epoprostenol: Effect of sildenafil, beraprost and bosentan
Authors: Kodama Yoshihiko , Tao Katsuo , Ishida Fumihiko , Kawakami Tadashi , Tsuchiya Keiji , Ishida Kazuo , Takemura Tamiko , Nakazawa Atsuko , Matsuoka Kentaro , Yoda Hitoshi
Published: December 2012

The case is described herein of a patient with alveolar capillary dysplasia with double‐outlet right ventricle and duodenal atresia who survived for a remarkably long time. The newborn girl was born at a gestational age of 36 weeks and weighed 1926 g. One min after delivery the Apgar score was 4. The patient had persistent pulmonary hypertension (PH) and needed nitric oxide inhalation and i.v. epoprostenol all through her life. Although other oral medications for PH were tried, they could not be used in practice because of gastrointestinal complications. The patient died on the 237th day of life as a result of worsening PH associated with infection.
Radiographic morphology of fallopian tubes in women of child‐bearing potential: A descriptive study
Authors: Han Xiangjun , Wang Leiguang , Wang Suihuang , Chou Yi , Liu Xudong , Guo Chenghao , Chen Jing
Published: December 2012

Aim

The aim of this study was to determine the radiographic morphological characteristics of fallopian tubes in women of child‐bearing age.

Material and Methods

From 2007 to 2008 we retrospectively collected records from women aged 19–45 years undergoing fertility evaluation who had normal salpingograms. Women were excluded if they had abnormal imaging on salpingogram, ultrasound, or hysteroscopy, and if they had any history of pelvic disease or pathology, were febrile, or were taking oral contraceptives at the time of the salpingogram.

Results

We analyzed the salpingograms from 100 women. The interstitial portion of the tube is funnel‐shaped. The mean diameter of the proximal tubal opening was 1.07 ± 0.43 mm. The mean length of the interstitial portion was 5.27 ± 4.28 mm, and the mean internal diameters of the middle and distal segments of the interstitial portion were 0.50 ± 0.22 mm and 0.32 ± 0.12 mm, respectively. The narrowest part of the fallopian tube was the distal segment of the interstitial portion, which is significantly different from the internal diameter of the isthmus (0.46 ± 0.28 mm) (P < 0.01).

Conclusions

This study provides detailed data of the normal fallopian tube that may be of value in the development of new contraceptive agents, as well as infertility treatments.
The austerity bargain and the social self: conceptual clarity surrounding health cutbacks
Authors: Buchanan David A.
Published: December 2012

As necessary austerity measures make major inroads into western health services, this paper investigates the philology of austerity and finds that there are two subtly similar yet importantly different derivations from the Latin and the Greek. The Latin austerus is an abstract term meaning dry, harsh, sour; whereas the Greek austeros has a more embodied and literal meaning of making the tongue dry. What seems an initially subtle difference between the metaphorical and the metonymic plays out as involving seriously different outcomes between harsh economic measures and the literal effects on the people suffering under measures that actually make the tongue dry. The paper argues that between the trope and the literal that which Wittgenstein described as ‘a language game’ ensues wherein the metaphorical through a sleight of grammar is passed off as being real while, the literal effects on real people is downplayed as metaphorical ‘collateral damage’. The paper further argues that within this grammar that forces itself upon us, the game of capital is played out through what the author terms an austerity bargain that is levelled by the financial elites: healthy capitalism equals a healthy society. The paper then examines the six elements of the social determinants of health and what actually contributes to a healthy society. Rather than being under an individual threat of exclusion from what Marx termed a superabundance, the paper considers the irreducible differences between the game of capital's individualism, and, the social determinants of health's social inclusion, legitimization and that which Habermas termed public authentication. The paper concludes that not only do necessary austerity measures need to be critiqued but that they radically undermine what determines a healthy society. It follows also that the social determinants of health, radically undermine the bargain inherent for the privileged few within the game of capital.
Provision of healthcare in the context of financial crisis: approaches to the Greek health system and international implications
Authors: Milionis Charalampos
Published: December 2012

Both healthcare professionals and the healthcare system must defend each patient's health individually while simultaneously seeking to protect the population's health in general. Nowadays, there is an important increase in the cost of healthcare supply, mainly due to the developments of medical science, the public's expectations and the demographic ageing. Since healthcare resources are not unlimited, it is obvious that immoderate consumption of them by certain patients limits the use of the same funds by others. Therefore, we have to seek an optimal distribution of the existing resources in order to manage a constriction of expenses, especially under the circumstances of the modern economic crisis. The criteria of effectiveness and efficiency should be used. Health policies focus on both the public's behaviour and the rules of medical practice. Under the modern challenges the physician's role is particularly important for the protection of the patient's health and the promotion of public health.
A Small Number of Candidate Gene SNPs Reveal Continental Ancestry in African Americans
Authors: Kodaman Nuri , Aldrich Melinda C. , Smith Jeffrey R. , Signorello Lisa B. , Bradley Kevin , Breyer Joan , Cohen Sarah S. , Long Jirong , Cai Qiuyin , Giles Justin , Bush William S. , Blot William J. , Matthews Charles E. , Williams Scott M.
Published: December 2012

Using genetic data from an obesity candidate gene study of self‐reported African Americans and European Americans, we investigated the number of Ancestry Informative Markers (AIMs) and candidate gene SNPs necessary to infer continental ancestry. Proportions of African and European ancestry were assessed with STRUCTURE (K = 2), using 276 AIMs. These reference values were compared to estimates derived using 120, 60, 30, and 15 SNP subsets randomly chosen from the 276 AIMs and from 1144 SNPs in 44 candidate genes. All subsets generated estimates of ancestry consistent with the reference estimates, with mean correlations greater than 0.99 for all subsets of AIMs, and mean correlations of 0.99 ± 0.003; 0.98 ± 0.01; 0.93 ± 0.03; and 0.81 ± 0.11 for subsets of 120, 60, 30, and 15 candidate gene SNPs, respectively. Among African Americans, the median absolute difference from reference African ancestry values ranged from 0.01 to 0.03 for the four AIMs subsets and from 0.03 to 0.09 for the four candidate gene SNP subsets. Furthermore, YRI/CEU Fst values provided a metric to predict the performance of candidate gene SNPs. Our results demonstrate that a small number of SNPs randomly selected from candidate genes can be used to estimate admixture proportions in African Americans reliably.
Parental mosaicism of a novel PMP22 mutation with a minimal neuropathic phenotype
Authors: Taioli Federica , Bertolasi Laura , Ajena Domenico , Ferrarini Moreno , Cabrini Ilaria , Crestanello Alberto , Fabrizi Gian Maria
Published: December 2012

Genetic germinal and somatic mosaicisms of dominant Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth disease (CMT) mutations are rarely reported and/or recognized. We describe a novel heterozygous p.Trp39Cys missense mutation in the extracellular domain of the peripheral myelin protein 22 (PMP22) associated with an early‐onset demyelinating CMT type 1 E (CMT1E) in two siblings born from asymptomatic non‐consanguineous parents. The 29‐year‐old mother, harboring approximately 20% of the mutant PMP22 allele in blood, had minor signs of distal polyneuropathy (pes cavus, decreased ankle jerk reflexes and vibration sense in legs) and slight reduction of sural nerve action potentials (SNAPs). Authors suggest that mutations of CMT‐related genes which originate in post‐zygotic stages may be associated with mild phenotypes of peripheral neuropathy.
Privileged Accumulation Spaces and Restrictions on Development of State‐Business Relations in Argentina (1966–1989)
Authors: Castellani Ana
Published: December 2012

The aim of this work is to explain how the state‐business relation has influenced economic development in Argentina. I will make a historical and systemic analysis of the Argentinian case to illustrate how and why state‐business relations supporting privileged accumulation spaces (PAS) increased development restrictions from 1966 to 1989.

During this period, successive governments shared a common view about the central role the state had to perform for industrialization, especially by supporting the growth of big domestic industrial companies. This view would only radically change in 1989, when neoliberal structural reforms were implemented.

To support this hypothesis, I suggest a methodological strategy that combines several techniques and sources in order to analyze the evolution of three complex variables and their multiple relations: state economic intervention, business behavior, and performance by large corporations.
Closed‐Loop Supply Chains: A Critical Review, and Future Research*
Authors: Souza Gilvan C.
Published: December 2012

In this article, I present a review and tutorial of the literature on closed‐loop supply chains, which are supply chains where, in addition to typical forward flows, there are reverse flows of used products (postconsumer use) back to manufacturers. Examples include supply chains with consumer returns, leasing options, and end‐of‐use returns with remanufacturing. I classify the literature in terms of strategic, tactical, and operational issues, but I focus on strategic issues (such as when should an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) remanufacture, response to take‐back legislation, and network design, among others) and tactical issues (used product acquisition and disposition decisions). The article is written in the form of a tutorial, where for each topic I present a base model with underlying assumptions and results, comment on extensions, and conclude with my view on needed research areas.
Invitation Phone Calls Increase Attendance at Civic Meetings: Evidence from a Field Experiment
Authors: Hock Scott , Anderson Sarah , Potoski Matthew
Published: December 2012

Public managers, in addition to implementing sound policies, are expected to manage public participation in the policy process. Civic meetings, in which citizens, elected officials, and public managers discuss proposed policies, can be an effective venue for citizen input, but only if participation is sufficiently high. This article shows that municipal government managers can improve attendance at civic meetings through invitation phone calls. Results from a field experiment in which stakeholders were randomly assigned to receive an invitation phone call for a civic meeting indicate that invitation phone calls can significantly increase meeting attendance. The attendance rate among the 108 stakeholders selected to receive the phone call was higher than among the 169 stakeholders in the control group (8.3 percent versus 4.7 percent). The $20 cost of increasing meeting attendance by one stakeholder is about equal to the cost of increasing turnout in an election by one voter.
Synaptic basal lamina–associated congenital myasthenic syndromes
Authors: Maselli Ricardo A. , Arredondo Juan , Ferns Michael J. , Wollmann Robert L.
Published: December 2012

Proteins associated with the basal lamina (BL) participate in complex signal transduction processes that are essential for the development and maintenance of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). Most important junctional BL proteins are collagens, such as collagen IV (α3–6), collagen XIII, and ColQ; laminins; nidogens; and heparan sulfate proteoglycans, such as perlecan and agrin. Mice lacking Colq (Colq−/−), laminin β2 (Lamb2−/−), or collagen XIII (Col13a1−/−) show immature nerve terminals enwrapped by Schwann cell projections that invaginate into the synaptic cleft and decrease contact surface for neurotransmission. Human mutations in COLQ, LAMB2, and AGRN cause congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMSs) owing to deficiency of ColQ, laminin‐β2, and agrin, respectively. In these syndromes the NMJ ultrastructure shows striking resemblance to that of mice lacking the corresponding protein; furthermore, the extracellular localization of mutant proteins may provide favorable conditions for replacement strategies based on gene therapy and stem cells.
Antioxidative Activities of Ginkgo biloba Extract on Oil/Water Emulsion System Prepared from an Enzymatically Modified Lipid Containing Alpha‐Linolenic Acid
Authors: Yang Dan , Gan Lu‐Jing , Shin Jung‐Ah , Kim Sunju , Hong Soon‐Taek , Park Sang‐Hyun , Lee Jeung Hee , Lee Ki‐Teak
Published: December 2012

Abstract:  The desired mix of alpha‐linolenic acid (ALA)‐enriched structured lipid (SL) and physically blended lipid (PB) was prepared from grape seed oil and perilla oil at a weight ratio of 3:1. The major triacylglycerol species (LnLnL) in PB was drastically increased after interesterification (SL), from 0.5% to 16.8%. After the reaction, the total unsaturated fatty acid at the sn‐2 position was decreased from 98.83% in PB to 91.36% in SL. The reduction of vitamin E compounds was also observed. Compared with a PB‐based emulsion, SL‐based emulsions showed oxidative instability, as assessed by lipid hydroperoxide (LOOH) and 2‐thiobarbituric acid‐reactive substances (TBARS) values, which was mainly due to the SL which contained less LA, ALA, and ΣUSFA at the sn‐2 position and less γ‐tocopherol than did PB. PB‐, and SL‐based emulsions with Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) which showed significantly lower values of LOOH and TBARS compared to a blank control. GBE was effective in retarding the oxidation of the emulsion by quenching the free radicals in the water phase of the emulsion and inhibiting the formation of primary and secondary oxidation products. These results indicate that GBE could be used as an antioxidant additive for stabilizing ALA‐enriched emulsions.

Practical Application:  The results suggest the possibility to supplement Ginkgo biloba extract in alpha linolenic acid‐enriched structured lipid‐based emulsions which would increase the therapeutic value and enhance the antioxidant potential of the emulsions.
Reconstruction of Physicochemical Environment of Hydrothermal Mineralization at Malanjkhand Copper Deposit, Central India: Constraints from Sulfur Isotope Ratios in Pyrite, Molybdenite and Chalcopyrite
Authors: Panigrahi Mruganka K. , Pandit Dinseh , Naik Rajesh K. , Ishihara Shunso
Published: December 2012

δ34S values of pyrite, molybdenite and chalcopyrite were determined from the Malanjkhand copper deposit. These minerals constitute the primary sulfide phases that were deposited after the initial magnetite deposition in the main orebody and host granitoid. Pyrite exhibits a depleted range of values (−2.63 to −0.56‰), chalcopyrite, a very narrow range of values around zero (−0.039 to 0.201‰) and molybdenite furnishes a range of enriched values (0.68 to 1.98‰). On back calculation of the δ34S values of H2S in the fluid from which the minerals were likely to have precipitated, using standard expressions for equilibrium fractionation at the temperature range obtained from fluid inclusion and mineral fluid equilibria, it is observed that H2S in the fluid at pyrite deposition was depleted and gradually became enriched towards molybdenite and chalcopyrite deposition. This trend is best explained as being due to inorganic reduction of SO42− in the fluid and is very much in agreement with the paragenetic sequence indicating increasing activity of H2S in the fluid. The very restricted range in the δ34S values of sulfide minerals in the fluid does indicate a single, possibly magmatic, source of sulfur that also agrees well with the earlier deduced model of genesis of the deposit as an ancient geothermal system associated with granitic magmatism.
Systematic position ofPinus henryi(Pinaceae) as revealed by multiple evidence
Authors: Liu Zhan‐Lin , Yang Xue , Zhang Hao , Zhang Jia , Li Jian‐Fang
Published: December 2012

The systematic position of Henry's pine (Pinus henryiMast.), a rare species endemic to China, is still ambiguous. In this study, the phylogenetic relationships ofP. henryiand its allies (P. hwangshanensis, P. tabuliformis, P. yunnanensisandP. massoniana) were revealed by multiple markers, including chemical components, DNA sequences, chloroplast microsatellites and amplified fragment length polymorphisms. The results refuted the hypothesis thatP. henryiis a subspecies ofP. tabuliformisorP. massonianaand supported that it might be a distinct species close toP. hwangshanensis. Pinus tabuliformisandP. yunnanensisare sister taxa. Incomplete genomic sorting, hybridization and recent divergence may explain the controversial relationships among them. Their diversification may be ascribed to habitat adaptation followed by geographic and climate changes during the Pliocene period.
The expression of O6‐methylguanine‐DNA methyltransferase in human oral keratinocytes stimulated with arecoline
Authors: Lee Shiuan‐Shinn , Tsai Chung‐Hung , Yu Cheng‐Chia , Ho Yung‐Chuan , Hsu Hsin‐I , Chang Yu‐Chao
Published: December 2012

Background

O6‐methylguanine‐DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) is a DNA repair enzyme that can protect cells from carcinogenic effects of alkylating agents by removing adducts from the O6 position of guanine. Evidences indicated that areca quid chewing may increase the risk of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). This study was to investigate the role of MGMT expression in OSCCs and the normal oral tissues.

Methods

Thirty‐two OSCCs from areca quid chewers and ten normal oral tissue biopsy samples without areca quid chewing were analyzed by the immunohistochemistry for MGMT. Primary human oral keratinocytes (HOKs) were challenged with arecoline, the major alkaloid of areca nut, by Western blot. Nicotine, an important component of cigarette smoke, was added to find the possible regulatory mechanisms.

Results

Significant association was observed between low MGMT expression and advanced clinical stage of OSCCs and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.03). MGMT expression was significantly higher in patients only chewing areca quid than patients both chewing areca quid and smoking (P = 0.028). Arecoline was found to elevate MGMT expression in a dose‐ and time‐dependent manner. The addition of nicotine was found to enhance arecoline‐induced MGMT expression.

Conclusion

Our results indicate that MGMT could be used clinically as a predictive marker for tumor processing, the potential for lymph node metastasis as well as advanced clinical stage. MGMT expression was significantly upregulated by arecoline in HOKs. Nicotine has a synergistic effect of arecoline‐induced MGMT expression. The cigarette smoking may act synergistically in the pathogenesis of OSCC in areca quid chewers via the upregulation of MGMT.
Off‐label use of medicines in paediatric inpatients at an Australian teaching hospital
Authors: Ballard Christopher DJ , Peterson Gregory M , Thompson Angus J , Beggs Sean A
Published: December 2012

Aim

The study aims to investigate the prevalence of off‐label prescribing in the general paediatric ward at a major teaching hospital in Tasmania, Australia.

Method

The drug charts and medical records from two groups of 150 consecutive paediatric patients, admitted 6 months apart in July 2009 and January 2010, were studied retrospectively. Patients were required to spend at least one night in hospital and be aged less than 12 years. Each prescribed drug was compared with the approved product information to determine if the usage was off‐label. Data concerning documented informed consent and adverse drug reactions were also recorded.

Results

Three hundred patients were prescribed a total of 887 medicines. Of these, 31.8% were off‐label and 57.3% of children received an off‐label medication. There was no significant seasonal variation in patient characteristics or prescriptions. Drugs were most commonly off‐label due to their dosage or frequency of administration. Of the 106 different drugs used, the use of 51 was off‐label on at least one occasion, and for 30 drugs their use was off‐label on more than 75% of occasions. The drugs most commonly used off‐label were oxycodone, salbutamol and paracetamol. No informed consent documentation was identified, and two of five recorded adverse drug reactions were associated with off‐label drug use.

Conclusion

Off‐label use of medicines occurred frequently in paediatric inpatients. The available evidence often supported off‐label medication use. An improved system for the revision of approved drug information and an Australian guideline for paediatric prescribing are needed.
MESOZOIC MAGMATISM IN THE FALKLAND ISLANDS (SOUTH ATLANTIC) AND THEIR OFFSHORE SEDIMENTARY BASINS
Authors: Richards P. C. , Stone P. , Kimbell G. S. , Mcintosh W. C. , Phillips E. R.
Published: December 2012

Recent mineral and hydrocarbons exploration in and around the Falkland Islands has provided data that allows correlation of the onshore and offshore histories of magmatism. New Ar‐Ar age dating of onshore dykes in East Falkland has extended their Cretaceous age range back to ca. 135 Ma (Valanginian – Hauterivian) from the previously reported age of ca. 121 Ma (Aptian). Widespread onshore, ca.188–178 Ma, Jurassic dykes are generally considered a part of the regional Karoo‐Ferrar magmatism linked to the initial break‐up of Gondwana, but we relate the Early Cretaceous dykes, with their characteristic north‐south orientation, to extension of the Falklands Plateau during initiation of spreading in the South Atlantic Ocean. The onshore dykes demonstrate east‐west Early Cretaceous extension, whilst to the north of the archipelago the offshore North Falklands Basin extended between north‐south boundary fault systems from the Late Jurassic onwards. Intrusion of Valanginian – Hauterivian dykes onshore was penecontemporaneous with the intrusion of sills and the extrusion of lavas in the Falkland Plateau Basin. This magmatism, more extensive than previously supposed, may be linked to regional uplift associated with initial opening of the South Atlantic Ocean. The uplift can be demonstrated from seismic data and DSDP boreholes to have occurred during the Berriasian – Hauterivian interval. The thermally‐driven uplift of the platform region played a crucial role in elevating potential sediment source areas and providing the large volumes of sand that were shed intermittently into the surrounding basins from the Valanginian to the Aptian or Albian.
The impact of global climate change on genetic diversity within populations and species
Authors: Pauls Steffen U. , Nowak Carsten , Bálint Miklós , Pfenninger Markus
Published: December 2012

Genetic diversity provides the basic substrate for evolution, yet few studies assess the impacts of global climate change (GCC) on intraspecific genetic variation. In this review, we highlight the importance of incorporating neutral and non‐neutral genetic diversity when assessing the impacts of GCC, for example, in studies that aim to predict the future distribution and fate of a species or ecological community. Specifically, we address the following questions: Why study the effects of GCC on intraspecific genetic diversity? How does GCC affect genetic diversity? How is the effect of GCC on genetic diversity currently studied? Where is potential for future research? For each of these questions, we provide a general background and highlight case studies across the animal, plant and microbial kingdoms. We further discuss how cryptic diversity can affect GCC assessments, how genetic diversity can be integrated into studies that aim to predict species' responses on GCC and how conservation efforts related to GCC can incorporate and profit from inclusion of genetic diversity assessments. We argue that studying the fate of intraspecifc genetic diversity is an indispensable and logical venture if we are to fully understand the consequences of GCC on biodiversity on all levels.
Respiratory flexibility and efficiency are affected by simulated global change in Arctic plants
Authors: Kornfeld Ari , Heskel Mary , Atkin Owen K. , Gough Laura , Griffin Kevin L. , Horton Travis W. , Turnbull Matthew H.
Published: December 2012

Laboratory studies indicate that, in response to environmental conditions, plants modulate respiratory electron partitioning between the ‘energy‐wasteful’ alternative pathway (AP) and the ‘energy‐conserving’ cytochrome pathway (CP). Field data, however, are scarce. Here we investigate how 20‐yr field manipulations simulating global change affected electron partitioning in Alaskan Arctic tundra species.

We sampled leaves from three dominant tundra species – Betula nana, Eriophorum vaginatum and Rubus chamaemorus – that had been strongly affected by manipulations of soil nutrients, light availability, and warming. We measured foliar dark respiration, in‐vivo electron partitioning and alternative oxidase/cytochrome c oxidase concentrations in addition to leaf traits and mitochondrial ultrastructure.

Changes in leaf traits and ultrastructure were similar across species. Respiration at 20°C (R20) was reduced 15% in all three species grown at elevated temperature, suggesting thermal acclimation of respiration. In Betula, the species with the largest growth response to added nutrients, CP activity increased from 9.4 ± 0.8 to 16.6 ± 1.6 nmol O2 g−1 DM s−1 whereas AP activity was unchanged.

The ability of Betula to selectively increase CP activity in response to the environment may contribute to its overall ecological success by increasing respiratory energy efficiency, and thus retaining more carbon for growth.
Fetal programming and environmental exposures: implications for prenatal care and preterm birth
Authors: Schug Thaddeus T. , Erlebacher Adrian , Leibowitz Sarah , Ma Liang , Muglia Louis J. , Rando Oliver J. , Rogers John M. , Romero Roberto , Saal Frederick S. vom , Wise David L.
Published: December 2012

Sponsored by the New York Academy of Sciences and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, with support from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and Life Technologies, “Fetal Programming and Environmental Exposures: Implications for Prenatal Care and Preterm Birth” was held on June 11–12, 2012 at the New York Academy of Sciences in New York City. The meeting, comprising individual talks and panel discussions, highlighted basic, clinical, and translational research approaches, and highlighted the need for specialized testing of drugs, consumer products, and industrial chemicals, with a view to the unique impacts these can have during gestation. Speakers went on to discuss many other factors that affect prenatal development, from genetics to parental diet, revealing the extraordinary sensitivity of the developing fetus.
Testing the Number of Factors: An Empirical Assessment for a Forecasting Purpose*
Authors: Barhoumi Karim , Darné Olivier , Ferrara Laurent
Published: December 2012

GDP forecasts based on dynamic factor models, applied to a large data set, are now widely used by practitioners involved in nowcasting and short‐term macroeconomic forecasting. One recurrent empirical question that arises when dealing with such models is the way to determine the optimal number of factors. At the same time, statistical tests have recently been put forward in the literature in order to optimally determine the number of significant factors. In this article, we propose to reconcile both fields of interest by selecting the number of factors, through a testing procedure, to include in the forecasting equation. Through an empirical exercise on French and German GDPs, we assess the impact of a battery of recent statistical tests for the number of factors for a forecasting purpose. By implementing a rolling experience, we also assess the stability of the results overtime.
Aragonite stromatolitic buildups from Santorini (Aegean Sea, Greece): Geochemical and palaeontological constraints of the caldera palaeoenvironment prior to the Minoan eruption (ca 3600 yr bp)
Authors: Anadón Pere , Canet Carles , Friedrich Walter L.
Published: December 2012

The pyroclastic deposits of the Minoan eruption (ca 3600 yr bp) in Santorini contain abundant xenoliths. Most of these deposits are calcareous blocks of laminated‐botryoidal, stromatolite‐like buildups that formed in the shallow waters of the flooded pre‐Minoan caldera; they consist of (i) light laminae, of fibrous aragonite arranged perpendicular to layering, and (ii) dark laminae, with calcified filaments of probable biological origin. These microstructures are absent in the light laminae, suggesting a predominant inorganic precipitation of aragonite on substrates probably colonized by microbes. Internal cavities contain loose skeletal grains (molluscs, ostracods, foraminifera and diatoms) that comprise taxa typical of shallow marine and/or lagoon environments. Most of these forms are typical of warm water environments, although no typical taxa from hydrothermal vents have been observed. Past gasohydrothermal venting is recorded by the occurrence of barite, pyrolusite and pyrite traces. The most striking features of the stable isotopic data set are: (i) an overall wide range in δ13CPDB (0·16 to 12·97‰) with a narrower variation for δ18OPDB (−0·23 to 4·33‰); and (ii) a relatively uniform isotopic composition for the fibrous aragonite (δ13C = 12·40 ± 0·43‰ and δ18O = 2·42 ± 0·77‰, n = 21). The δ13C and δ18O values from molluscs and ostracods display a covariant trend, which reflects a mixing between sea water and a fluid influenced by volcano‐hydrothermal activity. Accordingly, 87Sr/86Sr from the studied carbonates (0·708758 to 0·709011 in fibrous aragonite and 0·708920 to 0·708991 in molluscs) suggests that the aragonite buildups developed in sea water under the influence of a hydrothermal/volcanic source. Significant differences in trace elements have been detected between the fibrous aragonite and modern marine aragonite cements. The caldera water from which the fibrous aragonite crusts formed received an input from a volcano‐hydrothermal system, probably producing diffuse venting of volcanogenic CO2 gas and of a fluid enriched in Ca, Mn and Ba, and depleted in Mg and probably in Sr.
God speaking to God: Translation and unintelligibility at a Fijian Pentecostal crusade
Authors: Tomlinson Matt
Published: December 2012

In December 2008, a team of American Pentecostals visited Fiji and conducted ‘crusades’ in a public park. In this article, I show how a sermon and altar call at one of the performances modelled for listeners a particular quality of the believer's relation to the otherness of God, figured via linguistic otherness. The American preacher and his Fijian translator approached the event as a teaching opportunity. They explained to audience members how to pray for repentance and how to speak in tongues (glossolalia) and stated that when a person spoke in tongues, this was really the Holy Ghost ‘praying through’ a person. In glossolalia, the words are supposed to be semantically unintelligible, pointing to the otherworldly, even miraculous, fact of their utterance; but pragmatically, their utterance is supposed to manifest the Holy Ghost's presence in the speaker, and this presence is held to be the meaning that matters.
Your word against mine: How a rebel language and script of the Philippines was created, suppressed, recovered and contested
Authors: Kelly Piers
Published: December 2012

When news of an uncontacted ‘lost tribe’ began emanating from the island of Bohol in the southern Philippines, visitors were fascinated by the group's unique language and complex writing system, used today by some five hundred people in limited domains. Though few persons have attempted to analyse the language—known today as Eskayan—exotic theories of its origins are widely circulated by outsiders. However, according to speakers, Eskayan was created by the ancestor Pinay who used the human body as inspiration. For Pinay, a language and its written mode were inextricable. In the twentieth century, Pinay's language was rediscovered by the rebel soldier Mariano Datahan who retransmitted it to his followers. This creation story is consistent with my linguistic analysis, which points to a sophisticated encryption of the regional Visayan language. Further, the particulars of how Eskayan was designed shed much light on the sociocultural conditions motivating its (re)creation. Implicit notions of linguistic materiality, boundedness, and inter‐changeability are reflected in the relexification process carried out by Pinay/Datahan. In defiance of all imperial claimants to the island, Pinay and Datahan effectively reified a language community whose territorial rights were corporeally inscribed.
The Trouble with Offshoring: Static and Dynamic Losses in the Presence of Unemployment
Authors: Brecher Richard A. , Chen Zhiqi , Yu Zhihao
Published: December 2012

This study provides theoretical support for the popular objection to offshoring, whereby firms at home employ services of labour located abroad. In the presence of unemployment, our analysis highlights welfare losses from offshoring – not only for the static case of a fixed stock of capital, but also for the dynamic one of optimal saving and investment. We compare these static and dynamic losses to the gains that would instead arise under full‐employment conditions, assumed by most of the theoretical literature on offshoring. Our results suggest that public concerns over offshoring are justified when unemployment is taken explicitly into account.
The Global Economy, Trade Unions and The Protection of Workers' Rights in Nigeria
Authors: Adewumi Funmi
Published: December 2012

Since the inception of paid/wage employment, through a combination of sustained struggles and appeals to the conscience of the rest of society, workers, using the platform provided by their organizations (trade unions), have been able to secure for themselves a number of rights. These rights are predicated on, and complemented by, some constitutional provisions which confer certain rights on workers as citizens of their countries. However, in the new world economic order elegantly referred to as globalization workers' rights have been dealt a devastating blow. Under globalization driven by neoliberalism and anchored on less state involvement in the economic sphere, governments, particularly in their obsession to attract foreign direct investments as well as satisfying private corporate interests, have been arm‐twisted to relax labor laws that seek to protect workers from extreme abuse within the employment relationship. This unfolds within the context of the increasing autocracy of the capitalist state, not only in Nigeria but worldwide by which basic labor rights, such as the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining, are brazenly violated even in the advanced democracies.

Based on a combination of empirical data and secondary materials, this essay establishes that the level of compliance with existing legislation on workers' rights is low in Nigeria. The research also finds that official enforcement is equally low; a situation that is encouraged by weak institutional capacity of the labor administration system. Closely related to weak institutional capacity is the lack of the political will on the part of the subservient Nigerian state to protect its worker‐citizens. It is against this backdrop that the paper submits that given the failure of the state to ensure compliance with laws which seek to protect workers, workers, their organisations, and allies within the broader labour movement need to look beyond the state and its agencies to secure rights at work. The reality equally calls for a deeper understanding of the issues involved and a holistic response of the working class, both national and transnational.
Modeling of the Long-Term Behavior of Glassy Polymers
Authors: Holopainen Sami , Wallin Mathias
Published: December 2012

The constitutive model for glassy polymers proposed by Arruda and Boyce (BPA model) is reviewed and compared to experimental data for long-term loading. The BPA model has previously been shown to capture monotonic loading accurately, but for unloading and long-term behavior, the response of the BPA model is found to deviate from experimental data. In the present paper, we suggest an efficient extension that significantly improves the predictive capability of the BPA model during unloading and long-term recovery. The new, extended BPA model (EBPA model) is calibrated to experimental data of polycarbonate (PC) in various loading–unloading situations and deformation states. The numerical treatment of the BPA model associated with the finite element analysis is also discussed. As a consequence of the anisotropic hardening, the plastic spin enters the model. In order to handle the plastic spin in a finite element formulation, an algorithmic plastic spin is introduced. In conjunction with the backward Euler integration scheme use of the algorithmic plastic spin leads to a set of algebraic equations that provides the updated state. Numerical examples reveal that the proposed numerical algorithm is robust and well suited for finite element simulations.
H∞ Estimation for Stochastic Time Delays in Networked Control Systems by Partly Unknown Transition Probabilities of Markovian Chains
Authors: Guo Chenyu , Zhang Weidong
Published: December 2012

This paper is concerned with the problem of H∞ estimation for networked control systems. Time delays and packet dropouts are considered simultaneously. The occurrence probability of each time delay is considered. The packet dropouts have the Bernoulli distributions. The system is modeled as Markovian jump linear systems with partly unknown transition probability. State observer is designed to estimate the practical state with H∞ feature. The estimation problem is cast into a set of linear matrix inequalities. An example is provided to illustrate the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed method.