bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the pharmacotherapeutic efficacy of Garcinia cambogia plus Amorphophallus konjac for the treatment of obesity
Authors: Vasques Carlos A. R. , Rossetto Simone , Halmenschlager Graziele , Linden Rafael , Heckler Eliane , Fernandez Maria S. Poblador , Alonso José L. Lancho
Published: August 2008

Hydroxycitric acid (HCA), the main compound of Garcinia cambogia extract, is a competitive blocker of ATP‐citrate‐lyase, presenting a potential inhibition of fatty acid biosynthesis. Glucomannan fibers, abundant in Amorphophallus konjac, seem to reduce the absorption kinetics of dietary fat. Therefore, the aim of this double‐blind randomized study was to evaluate the pharmacotherapeutic efficacy of standardized extracts of G. cambogia (52.4% HCA) plus A. konjac (94.9% glucomannan) in the treatment of obesity. Fifty‐eight obese subjects (BMI 30.0–39.9 kg/m2) were assigned to the placebo group (n = 26) or the treatment group (n = 32); no dietary restrictions were applied. Over a 12‐week period, subjects were given daily doses of either Garcinia (2.4 g) plus Konjac (1.5 g) or placebo prior to their main meals (3 times/day). Before the start of treatment, and every 4 weeks thereafter, the following were recorded: height, weight, circumferences and body composition, resting energy expenditure (REE), lipid profile and glucose levels. The treatment had no significant effect on anthropometric parameters, REE, triglycerides or glucose levels. However, a significant reduction was observed in total cholesterol (−32.0 ± 35.1 mg/dL) and LDL‐c levels (−28.7 ± 32.7 mg/dL) in the treated group, the final levels being significantly lower than those of the placebo group (p = 0.008 and p = 0.020, respectively). The results obtained suggest that the treatment had a significant hypocholesterolemic effect, without influencing the anthropometric or calorimetric parameters tested. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Calycopterin, an immunoinhibitory compound from the extract of Dracocephalum kotschyi
Authors: Faham Najme , Javidnia Katayoun , Bahmani Masoud , Amirghofran Zahra
Published: August 2008

Medicinal plants have been widely investigated for their various effects. Dracocephalum kotschyi Boiss (Labiatae) is used in Iranian traditional medicine for the treatment of rheumatoid diseases. The inhibitory effect of D. kotschyi on the lectin‐induced cellular immune response has been demonstrated previously. In this study, mitogen‐treated lymphocytes were exposed to the extract of D. kotschyi and analysed for the induction of apoptosis using flow cytometry and gel electrophoresis. The data obtained indicated a dose‐dependent increase of cells in the sub‐G1 phase of cell cycle. Study of internucleosomal DNA fragmentation showed a typical DNA laddering in agarose gels. A bioactivity‐guided fractionation assay to find the active components responsible for the inhibitory effect of D. kotschyi on mitogen‐induced lymphocyte proliferation led to the isolation of calycopterin from the ethyl acetate extract of D. kotschyi. Its structure was identified by spectroscopic methods including 1H‐NMR, 13C‐NMR, MS and UV spectra. Calycopterin inhibited lymphocyte proliferation in a dose‐dependent manner with an IC50 value of 1.7 µg/mL. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that D. kotschyi extract has the capacity to induce apoptosis in the lymphocytes and that isolated calycopterin is responsible for the inhibitory effect of D. kotschyi on lymphocyte proliferation. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Phytotherapeutic prevention of dental biofilm formation
Authors: Rasooli Iraj , Shayegh Shojaedin , Taghizadeh Massoud , Astaneh Shakiba Darvish Alipoor
Published: August 2008

The antimicrobial and biofilm formation preventive properties of Mentha piperita and Rosmarinus officinalis essential oils and chlorhexidine were assessed against Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus pyogenes. 26 and 20 compounds were identified by GC and GC–MS analysis in hydrodistilled oils from M. piperita and R. officinalis, respectively. The minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBC) of the M. piperita and R. officinalis oils and chlorhexidine were (6000, 2000, 8000 ppm) and (1000, 4000, 1000 ppm) for S. mutans and S. pyogenes, respectively. The decimal reduction time (D) of S. mutans exposed to the oils at their MBC levels was 2.8 min while chlorhexidine showed a longer time. The D values of S. pyogenes on exposure to the MBC levels of M. piperita and R. officinalis oils and of chlorhexidine were 2.14, 4.28 and 2.8 min, indicating a higher efficacy of M. piperita oil. Biofilm formation was performed by growing S. mutans culture with and without essential oils in LB medium in polystyrene tubes. In vitro biofilm inhibitory properties were in the order M. piperita > R. officinalis > chlorhexidine. In vivo experiments on the antibiofilm properties revealed that all concentrations of the oils were significantly (p < 0.001) more effective than chlorhexidine. In conclusion, essential oils may be considered as safe agents in the development of novel antibiofilm agents. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Flavonoids, taxifolin and luteolin attenuate cellular melanogenesis despite increasing tyrosinase protein levels
Authors: An Sang Mi , Kim Hyo Jung , Kim Jung‐Eun , Boo Yong Chool
Published: August 2008

Flavonoids are a group of polyphenolic compounds widely distributed in plants. Their potent bio‐activities and relatively low toxicity have rendered them useful ingredients in functional cosmetics. The purpose of the present study was to examine their potential effects on cellular melanogenesis. When tested in murine melanoma B16F10 cells activated by α‐melanocyte stimulating hormone (α‐MSH), taxifolin and luteolin inhibited the cellular melanogenesis as effectively as arbutin, one of the most widely used hypopigmenting agents in cosmetics. As opposed to their antimelanogenic effects, taxifolin and luteolin rather increased the tyrosinase protein levels in the absence and presence of α‐MSH. However, these flavonoids effectively inhibited tyrosinase‐catalysed oxidation of l‐dihydroxyphenylalanine in cell‐free extracts and in living cells. Furthermore, they attenuated cell pigmentation induced by expression of exogenous human tyrosinase. Therefore, the antimelanogenic effects of taxifolin and luteolin are attributed to their inhibitory effects on tyrosinase enzymatic activity, despite their effects on increasing tyrosinase protein levels. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comparison of the antidiabetic activity of Berberis lyceum root extract and berberine in alloxan‐induced diabetic rats
Authors: Gulfraz M. , Mehmood S. , Ahmad A. , Fatima N. , Praveen Z. , Williamson E. M.
Published: August 2008

Berberine has been shown to have hypoglycaemic activity in several in vitro and in vivo models, although the mechanism of action is not fully known. Berberis lyceum Royle root produces high concentrations of berberine, and in traditional medicine, the whole extract of this plant is used widely to treat diabetes. The antidiabetic activity of the ethanol root extract of Berberis lyceum was compared with pure berberine in normal and alloxan‐diabetic rats using similar doses of each. The concentration of berberine in the extract was determined to be 80% dry weight with only trace amounts of other alkaloids present. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of berberine and a whole extract of Berberis lyceum on blood glucose and other parameters associated with diabetes, to compare the effects of the crude extract with those of pure berberine and thus validate its use as a therapeutic agent, and finally to identify any contribution of the other components of the extract to these effects.

Oral administration of 50 mg/kg of Berberis extract and berberine to normal and experimental diabetic rats produced a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in blood glucose levels from days 3–7 days of treatment. Significant effects were also observed on the glucose tolerance, glycosylated haemoglobin, serum lipid profiles and body weight of experimental animals. Berberis extract and berberine demonstrated similar effects on all parameters measured, and although the extract was comparable in efficacy to berberine, it did not produce any effects additional to those shown by pure berberine. The results support the use of the extract in traditional medicine, and demonstrate that apart from being a highly cost‐effective means of treating with berberine, the total extract does not appear to confer any additional benefits or disadvantages compared with the pure compound. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Towards a consistent numerical compressible non‐hydrostatic model using generalized Hamiltonian tools
Authors: Gassmann Almut , Herzog Hans‐Joachim
Published: August 2008

A set of compressible non‐hydrostatic equations for a turbulence‐averaged model atmosphere comprising dry air and water in three phases plus precipitating fluxes is presented, in which common approximations are introduced in such a way that no inconsistencies occur in the associated budget equations for energy, mass and Ertel's potential vorticity. These conservation properties are a prerequisite for any climate simulation or NWP model.

It is shown that a Poisson bracket form for the ideal fluid part of the full‐physics equation set can be found, while turbulent friction and diabatic heating are added as separate ‘dissipative’ terms. This Poisson bracket is represented as a sum of a two‐fold antisymmetric triple bracket (a Nambu bracket represented as helicity bracket) plus two antisymmetric brackets (so‐called mass and thermodynamic brackets of the Poisson type).

The advantage of this approach is that the given conservation properties and the structure of the brackets provide a good strategy for the construction of their discrete analogues. It is shown how discrete brackets are constructed to retain their antisymmetric properties throughout the spatial discretisation process, and a method is demonstrated how the time scheme can also be incorporated in this philosophy. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society
The influence of background wind direction on the roadside turbulent velocity field within a complex urban street
Authors: Smalley R. J. , Tomlin A. S. , Dixon N. S. , Boddy J. W. D.
Published: August 2008

The turbulent velocity field within a complex urban street in the city of York, United Kingdom was measured over a one‐month period, with data coverage over a wide range of background wind directions, θref (where θref = 0° is relative to the street axis, and angles increasing clockwise). Within the street, a persistent mean‐flow cross‐street circulation exists for 15° ⩽θref < 165° in addition to possible flow convergence for 240° ⩽θref < 300° . The magnitude of the in‐street normalised turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) is dependent on the type of predominant in‐street mean‐flow structures. During conditions that correspond to mean‐flow cross‐street circulation, the TKE is approximately twice the magnitude on the windward side compared with the leeward side. For nearly all wind directions, and on both sides of the street, the TKE is approximately constant with height for 0.4 < z/H < 0.8. There is evidence that the in‐street TKE increases with background TKE when other meteorological influences are relatively constant. For background wind directions free from mean flow convergence, the least variability in the sector‐averaged turbulence data occurs when the TKE is normalised by the in‐street mean wind speed, rather than the background wind speed. The two‐point cross‐correlation of the vertical‐velocity component fluctuations on the windward side is at least 0.6 between the mid and upper anemometers. The two‐point cross‐correlation between cross‐street (same height) vertical‐velocity component fluctuations is negative and non‐negligible during mean‐flow circulation, which indicates possible cross‐street coherence in the turbulent velocity field. The turbulent Reynolds stress anisotropy tensor, which provides an indication of the level of TKE redistribution between the components, and the overall level of turbulence anisotropy, is discussed with reference to the mean‐flow structures within the street. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society
Perspectives on team dynamics: Meta learning and systems intelligence
Authors: Luoma Jukka , Hämäläinen Raimo P. , Saarinen Esa
Published: August 2008

Losada observed management teams develop their annual strategic plans in a lab designed for studying team behaviour. Based on these findings he developed a dynamical model of team interaction and introduced the concept of meta learning (ML) which represents the ability of a team to avoid undesirable attractors. This paper analyses the dynamic model in more detail and discusses the relationship between ML and the new concept of systems intelligence (SI) introduced by Saarinen and Hämäläinen. We propose that the ML ability of a team clearly represents a systems intelligent competence. Losada's mathematical model predicts interesting dynamic phenomena in team interaction. However, our analysis shows how the model also produces strange and previously unreported behaviour under certain conditions. Thus, the predictive validity of the model also becomes problematic. It remains unclear whether the model behaviour can be said to be in satisfactory accordance with the observations of team interaction. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Functional supramolecular systems with highly cooperative and responding properties
Authors: Nabeshima Tatsuya , Akine Shigehisa
Published: August 2008

The dynamic processes of host–guest interactions contribute to the multistep regulation of various molecular functions such as the catalysis of chemical reactions, transport of materials, control of reaction pathways, and cooperative and responsive phenomena particularly in biological systems. In this review, we describe artificial metallo‐supramolecular systems, which exhibit highly cooperative and responsive functions to external stimulus, by utilizing formation of the metal complexes and their characteristic properties. Pseudomacrocycles such as pseudocrown ethers and pseudocryptands have been synthesized to control macrocyclic and macrobicyclic effects on guest recognition by using a metal ion as an effector, and remarkably positive and negative allosteric effects have been achieved. Highly cooperative stepwise regulation of the affinity to anions has also been achieved by a pseudocryptand and a salt‐binding host. The electrostatic interactions between the anions and cations are important for the combination specificity of the salts. We also introduce a linear bis‐salamo ligand as a precursor for a novel multimetal cooperative host. A trinuclear zinc complex was formed cooperatively and only the central zinc ion was replaced by lanthanide and calcium ions in a transmetalation way. © 2008 The Japan Chemical Journal Forum and Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Chem Rec 8: 240–251; 2008: Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com) DOI 10.1002/tcr.20153
Derivation of coupled impedance equation of a transformer and its application
Authors: Lee Kwang‐Jeek , Park Gooman
Published: August 2008

When the load of a resonant transformer is variable, it is complicated to find the value of the quality factor Q of the primary circuit of the transformer because the coupled impedance operated by the secondary circuit of the transformer has a great effect on its primary circuit. Therefore, the only way to find out Q is to get the ratio of the inductor voltage V1 of the primary of the transformer to the voltage of the source Vg, which must be measured by equipment such as oscilloscopes.

In this paper we have derived a new equation for the coupled impedance including the coupling coefficient k, the turns ratio n, the resistive load R0, and the reactance XL1 of the primary of the transformer as the main parameters from the existing equation of coupled impedance. And we derived an equation for the quality factor Q, which involves the coupled impedance in series with the resonant circuit of the transformer.

When R0 ≥ 2XL2, for quality factor Q, the errors in its theoretical values are less than 3.98% of its measured values. And in the case of the load voltage V0, all errors in the theoretical values are less than 2.65% of its measured values. Moreover, we also analyzed a typical transformer by using the derived equation for coupled impedance. Then, in the case of the load voltage V0, when the load is variable, the difference of its measured values from the theoretical ones is less than 5.18%. As a result, the newly derived equation for coupled impedance is very useful to analyze the characteristics of a typical transformer as well as a series resonant transformer which has many benefits by virtue of the quality factor Q. © 2008 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Numerical techniques for accurate evaluation of overhead line and underground cable constants
Authors: Noda Taku
Published: August 2008

Accurately calculating the electrical constants of a transmission line, such as an overhead line or an underground cable, is of crucial importance for various types of power system simulations. This article presents some techniques as elements for accurately calculating the transmission line constants. One is a numerical integration technique for rigorously evaluating the ground‐return impedance of a transmission line. The technique achieves specified accuracy such as a relative error of 10−6 with practical computation time and is applicable both to overhead lines and underground cables. A technique to calculate conductor‐internal impedances, which preserves at least 7 digits of accuracy, is also presented. For the constant calculations of coaxial cables, a systematic procedure for converting the loop impedances of coaxial conductors into their series impedance matrix is derived. Finally, a method for properly sorting modal quantities to obtain their smooth frequency responses, while considering eigenvalue degeneracy, is given. © 2008 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Design of a robust current controller to position estimation error for positioning of a sensorless control of interior permanent magnet synchronous motors under high‐speed drives
Authors: Hasegawa Masaru , Matsui Keiju
Published: August 2008

This article proposes a new current controller for high‐speed drives in interior permanent magnet synchronous motors (IPMSMs) with position sensorless control. It has been pointed out that the conventional current control systems become unstable under high‐speed drives. First, this article shows that rotor position estimation error causes unstable current control, and this instability is especially emphasized at high speed. To overcome this instability, this article proposes a simple modified controller with 2DOF structure, the design of which is also explained. Stability, using the proposed current controller, is then analyzed theoretically, and the proposed controller can extend the stable region for IPMSM position sensorless control, which is an improvement over conventional systems. © 2008 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Development of recursive interpolated D/FFT for on‐line and highly accurate frequency analysis
Authors: Kuraishi Takashi , Kawada Masatake , Isaka Katsuo
Published: August 2008

Frequency analysis of digital signals based on discrete/fast Fourier transform (D/FFT) inevitably has some inherent drawbacks such as short‐and long‐range leakage. As one of the methods to overcome the above drawbacks, interpolated discrete/fast Fourier transform (IpD/FFT) has been proposed. IpD/FFT has the ability to improve accuracy considerably. We proposed IpD/FFT, combined with recursive algorithm (RA), to achieve on‐line calculation. By evaluating the errors of the proposed method due to short‐and long‐range leakage, we showed that the proposed method can provide more accurate performance compared with recursive DFT (R‐DFT). © 2008 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A study of lightning risk
Authors: Shindo Takatoshi , Suda Tomotaka
Published: August 2008

It is important to establish a lightning risk management scheme for rational insulation design. In this paper, lightning risk assessment is carried out for a customer facility and a wind turbine blade. The calculated values of lightning risk agree with field experiences. © 2008 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Room temperature operation of surface‐conduction single chamber fuel cell using a novel inorganic electrolyte as proton conductor
Authors: Nagata Akiyoshi , Nosaka Hidehiko , Yoshimura Yutaro , Kimura Takeshi
Published: August 2008

The performance at room temperature of a single chamber fuel cell (SCFC) using a novel pseudboehmite (pb) proton conductor as the inorganic electrolyte, which can operate in the gas mixtures of hydrogen and oxygen, is studied based on the dependence on the soaked treatments of the pb electrolyte, generated from the aluminum film. The surface‐conduction SCFC with a new electrode arrangement, moreover, operated at room temperature in the dry and wet gas mixtures. Maximum open circuit voltage (OCV) of 540 mV was achieved at room temperature operation in the wet gas mixture using the pb electrolyte generated by the soaked treatment of 60 °C. The OCV property in the dry gas mixture falls by a half value when compared to the case of the wet gas mixtures. © 2008 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Numerical simulation of hydrogen storage into a single‐walled carbon nanotube in a plasma
Authors: Yamaguchi Hiroyuki , Nejoh YasuNori
Published: August 2008

A model of the hydrogen storage into a single‐walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) in a plasma is studied by numerical simulation. It is demonstrated for the first time that a proton entering into the SWNT shows a two‐dimensional trajectory even though the SWNT is capped when Lennard‐Jones and Coulomb potentials exist. The conditions for the proton to enter into the SWNT are that the carbon atoms should be negatively charged and the potential formed by the SWNT at the center of its hexagonal structure is negative. © 2008 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Cholesterol displacement by ceramide in sphingomyelin‐containing liquid‐ordered domains, and generation of gel regions in giant lipidic vesicles
Authors: Sot Jesús , Ibarguren Maitane , Busto Jon V. , Montes L.-Ruth , Goñi Félix M. , Alonso Alicia
Published: August 2008

Fluorescence confocal microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry are used in combination to study the phase behaviour of bilayers composed of PC:PE:SM:Chol equimolecular mixtures, in the presence or absence of 10 mol% egg ceramide. In the absence of ceramide, separate liquid‐ordered and liquid‐disordered domains are observed in giant unilamellar vesicles. In the presence of ceramide, gel‐like domains appear within the liquid‐ordered regions. The melting properties of these gel‐like domains resemble those of SM:ceramide binary mixtures, suggesting Chol displacement by ceramide from SM:Chol‐rich liquid‐ordered regions. Thus three kinds of domains coexist within a single vesicle in the presence of ceramide: gel, liquid‐ordered, and liquid‐disordered. In contrast, when 10 mol% egg diacylglycerol is added instead of ceramide, homogeneous vesicles, consisting only of liquid‐disordered bilayers, are observed.
Reciprocal regulation of 12‐ and 15‐lipoxygenases by UV‐irradiation in human keratinocytes
Authors: Yoo Hyun , Jeon Byeongwook , Jeon Myung-Shin , Lee Hyangkyu , Kim Tae-Yoon
Published: August 2008

The 12/15‐lipoxygenase (12/15‐LOX) pathways of arachidonate metabolism have been implicated in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Since UV photo‐therapy is a commonly used technique for inhibiting cell proliferation and inflammation in skin diseases, we hypothesized that UV‐irradiation may affect 12/15‐LOX expression which might regulate cell proliferation. In this study, we showed that UV‐irradiation suppressed 12‐LOX expression, whereas up‐regulated 15‐LOX expression. Treatment with the 15‐LOX metabolites sufficiently suppressed insulin‐like growth factor II‐induced 12‐LOX expression and blocked cell cycle progression. On the basis of our findings, we think that the 15‐LOX metabolites may inhibit epidermal hyperplasia in psoriasis by regulating 12‐LOX expression.
Pediatric otolaryngologists' actions regarding secondhand smoke exposure: Pilot data suggest an opportunity to enhance tobacco intervention
Authors: Mueller Darryl T. , Collins Bradley N.
Published: August 2008

OBJECTIVE

To assess pediatric otolaryngologists' training, actions, and attitudes with respect to patients exposed to secondhand smoke.

STUDY DESIGN

Cross‐sectional survey.

SUBJECTS

Pediatric otolaryngologists and senior residents.

METHODS

An anonymous, Web‐based survey of pediatric oloaryngologists was designed to capture demographics, tobacco‐specific education, actions, and attitudes. Responses were analyzed descriptively and entered into logistic regression models to determine predictors of adherence to the basic tenets of the general pediatrics secondhand smoke exposure‐prevention guidelines.

RESULTS

One hundred‐fifteen US physicians completed the survey. Descriptive analysis revealed low levels of training and low levels of tobacco‐specific intervention among respondents. Logistic regression models showed that greater tobacco‐specific knowledge/education and fewer perceived barriers predicted greater adherence to the basic tenets of the pediatrics guidelines.

CONCLUSION

Our pilot study provides preliminary evidence that can guide specific improvements in tobacco‐intervention training for pediatric otolaryngologists and residents.
Evaluation of prognostic factors and middle ear risk index in tympanoplasty
Authors: Pinar Ercan , Sadullahoglu Kerim , Calli Caglar , Oncel Semih
Published: August 2008

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to examine the role of the prognostic factors and middle ear risk index on the success of tympanoplasty.

STUDY DESIGN

Case series.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

The charts of 231 patients who underwent tympanoplasty operations between 2002 and 2007 were reviewed. Prognostic factors such as age, sex, presence of systemic diseases, location and size of perforation, duration of dry period, presence of myringosclerosis, presence of septal and conchal pathology, operation type, and status of the opposite ear and middle ear risk index were investigated.

RESULTS

The overall success rate was 74.4%. Multivariate analysis was carried out on significant prognostic factors to obtain independent variables and yielded the following results (95% CI): size of the perforation (<50%) (OR:8.11), healthy opposite ear (OR:5.64), more than 3 months dry period (OR:2.21), absence of myringosclerosis (OR:4.01) and low middle ear risk index (OR:87.1).

CONCLUSION

Size of the perforation(<50%), healthy opposite ear, absence of myringosclerosis, more than 3 months dry period, and low middle ear risk index were found to be significant independent prognostic factors.
Double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial with esomeprazole for symptoms and signs associated with laryngopharyngeal reflux
Authors: Reichel Oliver , Dressel Holger , Wiederänders Katrin , Issing Wolfgang J.
Published: August 2008

OBJECTIVE

To determine the efficacy of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy with esomeprazole on symptoms and signs associated with laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR).

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Prospective, double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled study. Sixty‐two patients with a reflux finding score (RFS) > 7 and a reflux symptom index (RSI) > 13 were enrolled and received either esomeprazole 20 mg twice daily or placebo for three months. RSI and RFS were assessed at baseline, after six weeks, and after three months.

RESULTS

Reductions of total RSI and RFS as well as of several subscores were significantly higher in the treatment group compared to placebo after three months (P < 0.05 each). The difference between study groups was most pronounced for posterior commissure hypertrophy (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

In the treatment of LPR‐related symptoms a high placebo effect can be observed. However, compared to control, twice‐daily PPI treatment for three months demonstrated a significantly greater improvement in laryngeal appearance and LPR symptoms.
Pharyngeal adaptation in Zenker's diverticulum: The “faux pharyngoesophageal segment”
Authors: Leonard Rebecca , Belafsky Peter , McKenzie Susan
Published: August 2008

Background

We have noticed a protrusion on the pharyngeal wall in patients with Zenker's diverticulum (ZD). The protrusion gives the appearance of a neo‐pharyngoesophageal segment (faux‐PES) and may represent an adaptation to protect the airway.

Study Design

A case‐control study.

Methodology

The fluoroscopic swallow studies of patients with ZD were compared with matched controls. Information regarding the presence and location of a faux‐PES, true PES opening, pharyngeal constriction, and laryngohyoid elevation was compared.

Results

The fluoroscopic swallow studies of 31 patients with ZD were compared with 31 controls. A faux‐PES was found in 100 percent of ZD patients and in 0 percent of controls. The mean maximum opening of the faux‐PES was 1.5 (±0.27) cm. The faux‐PES was located 1 cm above the true PES below the entrance to the supraglottic airway. This is the optimal location for airway defense.

Conclusions

The faux‐PES was identified in 100 percent of patients with ZD. The faux‐PES may represent a physiologic adaptation to protect the airway from regurgitation out of a ZD.
Risks of allergy vial contamination: Comparison of mixing in‐office versus under ventilation hood
Authors: Lay P. Chase , Bass Richard , Hughes Larry F. , Lin Sandra Y.
Published: August 2008

Objective

Compare the risk of bacterial contamination of allergy immunotherapy vials prepared in‐office versus those mixed under a ventilation hood.

Study Design

Prospective single‐blinded study.

Setting

Tertiary otolaryngology outpatient clinic.

Results

Five hundred thirty‐seven vials were prepared and cultured for aerobes and anaerobes over an 11‐month period. Three hundred twenty vials were arbitrarily assigned to in‐office preparation and 217 to under‐hood preparation. A total of two positive cultures occurred in vials prepared in‐office and one from under‐hood preparation. Follow‐up cultures of these three vials were all negative. No patients receiving injections had signs or symptoms of skin or systemic infections from the injections.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that the risk of bacterial contamination in immunotherapy vials in both groups is rare.
Tinnitus aurium in persons with normal hearing: 55 years later
Authors: Bo Luca Del , Forti Stella , Ambrosetti Umberto , Serena Costanzo , Mauro Davide , Ugazio Gregorio , Langguth Berthold , Mancuso Antonio
Published: August 2008

Objective

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of silence on the appearance of auditory phantom perceptions in normal‐hearing adults, with specific emphasis on the influence of suggestion.

Study Design

Cross‐sectional survey.

Subjects and Methods

Fifty‐three normal‐hearing young Caucasian adults were subjected to two 4‐minute sessions in an anechoic sound chamber. In the first session the chamber was empty; in the second session the chamber contained a nonfunctioning loudspeaker. At the end of each session, subjects had to indicate which sounds they perceived from a list of 23 different sounds.

Results

When the loudspeaker was not present, 83 percent of the participants reported that they experienced at least one sound, and the percentage increased to 92 percent when the loudspeaker was present.

Conclusion

These results confirm the emergence of tinnituslike perceptions in a nonclinical population in a silent environment and indicate that suggestive mechanisms play only a minor role in their generation.

© 2008 American Academy of Otolaryngology‐Head and Neck Surgery Foundation. All rights reserved.
Neuropeptide Y Gene Polymorphism and Plasma Neuropeptide Y Level in Febrile Seizure Patients in Taiwan
Authors: Lin Lung‐Chang , Lin Hung‐Shun , Yang Rei‐Cheng
Published: August 2008

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) has been shown to depress the hyperexcitability of neurons. In the present study, we investigated the association between the nucleotide (nt) 5671 C/T polymorphism of the NPY gene and the plasma NPY level in patients with febrile seizures (FS). Fifty‐six patients with FS and 55 control subjects were enrolled. Genotype and allele frequencies were compared. The frequencies of genotypes TT, TC and CC for the NPY gene nt 5671 C/T polymorphism were 21.4%, 28.6% and 50.0%, respectively, in patients with FS, and 14.6%, 40.0% and 45.4%, respectively, in control subjects. The frequencies of alleles T and C were 35.7% and 64.3%, respectively, in patients with FS, while those in the control group were 34.5% and 65.5%, respectively. We found no significant relationship between the NPY gene nt 5671 C/T polymorphism and FS. The plasma NPY concentrations of the FS group, the age‐matched non‐FS group, and subjects aged > 6 years in the non‐FS group were 48.23±32.49, 55.36±23.12, and 70.10±60.31 pg/mL, respectively. These results indicate no statistical difference in plasma NPY concentration between FS patients and the non‐FS group. However, plasma NPY concentration was found to increase significantly with age.
Analysis of Surgically Treated Intraspinal Tumors in Southern Taiwan
Authors: Su Yu‐Feng , Lieu Ann‐Shung , Lin Chih‐Lung , Lee Kung‐Shing , Hwang Yen‐Fen , Yen Chun‐Po , Chang Chih‐Zen , Loh Joon‐Khim , Huang Tzuu‐Yuan , Hwang Shiuh‐Lin , Kwan Aij‐Lie , Howng Sheng‐Long , Wang Chih‐Jen
Published: August 2008

The medical records of 117 patients with spinal tumors who underwent surgery with pathologic confirmation from January 1999 to April 2004 at Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital were reviewed. Data from this review were compared with those obtained from the same institution 10 years earlier (covering the period 1988‐1995) and from other reported series. There were 69 male and 48 female patients aged from 13 to 87 years old (mean age, 51.9). The most common pathologic findings were metastasis in 45.3% (53/117), nerve sheath tumors in 28.2% (33/117), menin‐giomas in 12% (14/117) and neuroepithelial tumors in 6% (7/117). The peak ages at diagnosis were 41‐50 years and 61–70 years. A slight male predominance was noted for all tumors, except meningiomas. Motor weakness, even paralysis, was the major clinical presentation (64–86%), followed by sensory deficits (50%) and pain (42%). The location of tumors was most often in the thoracic (50.4%; 59/117), lumbosacral (27.4%; 32/117) and cervical spine (22.2%; 26/117) segments. Among the metastatic tumors, the lung (22.6%) and breast (15.1%) were the most common primary sites of origin, followed by unknown origin, the liver (hepatocellular carcinoma), the gastrointestinal tract and the nasopharynx (nasopharyngeal cancer).
A NOTE ON THE UNIQUENESS OF POSITIVE SOLUTIONS OF ROBIN PROBLEM
Authors: DAI QIUYI , FU YUXIA
Published: August 2008

This note is devoted to prove some uniqueness results of positive solutions of a Robin problem for semi-linear elliptic equations and systems.
2-SYMMETRIC CRITICAL POINT THEOREMS FOR NON-DIFFERENTIABLE FUNCTIONS
Authors: CANDITO PASQUALE , LIVREA ROBERTO , MOTREANU DUMITRU
Published: August 2008

In this paper, some min–max theorems for even andC1functionals established by Ghoussoub are extended to the case of functionals that are the sum of a locally Lipschitz continuous, even term and a convex, proper, lower semi-continuous, even function. A class of non-smooth functionals admitting an unbounded sequence of critical values is also pointed out.
INVARIANT SUBMANIFOLDS OF CONTACT (κ, μ)-MANIFOLDS
Authors: MONTANO BENIAMINO CAPPELLETTI , DI TERLIZZI LUIGIA , TRIPATHI MUKUT MANI
Published: August 2008

Invariant submanifolds of contact (κ, μ)-manifolds are studied. Our main result is that any invariant submanifold of a non-Sasakian contact (κ, μ)-manifold is always totally geodesic and, conversely, every totally geodesic submanifold of a non-Sasakian contact (κ, μ)-manifold, μ ≠ 0, such that the characteristic vector field is tangent to the submanifold is invariant. Some consequences of these results are then discussed.
APPROXIMATION OF BANACH SPACE VALUED NON-ABSOLUTELY INTEGRABLE FUNCTIONS BY STEP FUNCTIONS
Authors: BONGIORNO B. , DI PIAZZA L. , MUSIAŁ K.
Published: August 2008

The approximation of Banach space valued non-absolutely integrable functions by step functions is studied. It is proved that a Henstock integrable function can be approximated by a sequence of step functions in the Alexiewicz norm, while a Henstock–Kurzweil–Pettis and a Denjoy–Khintchine–Pettis integrable function can be only scalarly approximated in the Alexiewicz norm by a sequence of step functions. In case of Henstock–Kurzweil–Pettis and Denjoy–Khintchine–Pettis integrals the full approximation can be done if and only if the range of the integral is norm relatively compact.
Development of prosodic patterns in Mandarin-learning infants
Authors: CHEN LI-MEI , KENT RAYMOND D.
Published: August 2008

Early prosodic development (f0 variation) was systematically measured in Mandarin-learning infants at the transition from babbling to producing first words. Spontaneous vocalizations of twenty-four infants aged 0 ; 7 to 1 ; 6 were recorded in 45-minute sessions. The speech production of twenty-four caregivers was also audio-recorded during caregiver–infant natural daily interactions at home. All recordings were transcribed using broad prosodic patterns. Analysis revealed four major findings: (1) falling f0 contours were more prominently produced than level and rising contours; (2) high prosodic patterns occurred more frequently than mid and low prosodic patterns; (3) these distribution patterns of f0 contours showed significant similarities in babbling and early words; and (4) these distribution patterns were also similar in infants' and their caregivers' data.
Korean- and English-speaking children use cross-situational information to learn novel predicate terms
Authors: CHILDERS JANE B. , PAIK JAE H.
Published: August 2008

This paper examines children's attention to cross-situational information during word learning. Korean-speaking children in Korea and English-speaking children in the US were taught four nonce words that referred to novel actions. For each word, children saw four related events: half were shown events that were very similar (Close comparisons), half were shown events that were not as similar (Far comparisons). The prediction was that children would compare events to each other and thus be influenced by the events shown. In addition, children in these language groups could be influenced differently as their verb systems differ. Although some differences were found across language, children in both languages were influenced by the type of events shown, suggesting that they are using a comparison process. Thus, this study provides evidence for comparison, a new mechanism to describe how children learn new action words, and demonstrates that this process could apply across languages.
From princely service to the open market: Singers of Italian opera and their patrons, 1600–1850
Authors: Rosselli John
Published: August 2008

We are used to thinking of ‘opera singer’ as a profession. But no such profession existed when opera emerged as a genre at the turn of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, when the first public opera house opened in Venice in 1637, or for three or four decades after that: operas were too few to occupy most of anyone's time. In the early seventeenth century not even ‘singer’ was as yet a clearly defined trade. Many singers were also instrumentalists: some accompanied themselves (and some also composed their own music), while others switched between singing and playing; the commonest Italian term for them all was musici. Others again were actors or actresses who could sing, like Virginia Andreini, drafted in an emergency to create the title part in Monteverdi's Arianna of 1608.
Myths and realities about tonal planning in Mozart's operas
Authors: Platoff John
Published: August 2008

An assumption widespread in twentieth-century analyses of Mozart's operas is that ‘high-level tonal planning’ – that is, a network of relationships among the tonic keys of separate numbers of an opera – contributes significantly to structure and meaning. A relatively recent example can be found in writings by Daniel Heartz and Tim Carter on Act I of Le nozze di Figaro, which concludes in C major with Figaro's aria ‘Non più andrai’.
The prose libretto
Authors: Macdonald Hugh
Published: August 2008

Before returning to Paris in 1874 after his eventful four-year stay in England, Gounod embarked on a comic opera based on Molière's George Dandin. Recuperating in St Leonard's-on-Sea from a ‘cerebral attack’ he wrote a lengthy Preface, dated 10–11 April 1874, from which the following is drawn:

The infinite variety of stress, in prose, offers the musician quite new horizons which will save him from monotony and uniformity. Independence and freedom of pace will then come to terms with observance of the higher laws that govern periodic pulse and the thousand nuances of prosody. Every syllable will then have its own quantity, its own precise weight in truth of expression and accuracy of language. Longs and shorts will not have to make those cruel concessions, those barbarous sacrifices of which composers and singers, it must be admitted, take so little notice. What inexhaustible mines of variety there will be in sung or declaimed phrases, in the duration and intensity of stress, in the proportion and extension of musical periods, extensions which will no longer depend on continual reiteration and repetition but on logical progression and the growth of the germinal idea on which the piece is based […]
Music and masks in Lorenzo Da Ponte's Mozartian librettos
Authors: Gallarati Paolo
Published: August 2008

In his trilogy of masterpieces composed to texts by Lorenzo Da Ponte, Mozart radically changed the musical and theatrical nature of Italian opera. The dramma giocoso became a true ‘comedy in music’ through the use of psychological realism: a vivid representation of life in continuous transformation and in all its naked immediacy is now the real protagonist of the story, an all-embracing totality within which each character represents a separate feature. This influx of a non-rationalist sense of life into the classical proportions of sonata form (whose tonal relationships and free approach to thematic development controlled the vocal set pieces) made for an explosive mixture. Even before his collaboration with Da Ponte, Mozart himself seemed well aware of his uniqueness: ‘I guarantee that in all the operas which are to be performed until mine [L'oca del Cairo] is finished, not a single idea will resemble one of mine.’
Becoming a citizen: The chorus inRisorgimentoopera
Authors: Gossett Philip
Published: August 2008

Just as politics can be analysed as a cultural and symbolic enterprise (that is, as theatre in the broadest sense), so too can theatre or opera (in a narrower sense) be analysed as political. Jonathan Dollimore identifies various conflicting processes at work in Renaissance English theatre: the ‘consolidation’ of power by a dominant order; the ‘subversion of that order’ and the ‘containment of ostensibly subversive pressures’. We need not accept Dollimore's essentially Marxist analysis of these processes in order to recognise the validity of his assertion that ‘the theatre [is] a prime location for the representation and legitimation of power’. But the way such power is consolidated, subverted or contained depends on the political and social systems in which the theatre operates. The issues are complex enough when one focuses on plays produced in Elizabethan or Jacobean London. They become even more difficult to sort out when single works or groups of related works are performed over a period of time in various locations, each with its own societal configuration, as in the different political entities that comprised the Italian peninsula during the first half of the nineteenth century (to which might be added the other European and even American audiences to which they were played). Under such circumstances, how can we measure the political implications of these works? Where does their meaning reside? How does that meaning change as a function of time or geography?
Christian themes in Russian opera: A millennial essay
Authors: Taruskin Richard
Published: August 2008

The millennium to which my title refers is that of the Christianisation of Russia, which took place in 988, and which was recently celebrated the world over, not least in newly broad-minded Russia herself. And yet the designation is somewhat imprecise: the millennium was really that of a sovereign's baptism. After considering and rejecting Judaism and Islam (so the legend goes), the Great Prince Vladimir of Kiev embraced the Christian faith and established it as a state religion – the statiest state religion that ever was (or is: the situation has been updated under the Soviets, but not fundamentally changed). The distinction is necessary if the subject of these remarks is to have any meaning at all, and it will also help explain why there is relatively little to say about it.
Aria as drama: A sketch from Mozart's Der Schauspieldirektor
Authors: Tyler Linda
Published: August 2008

There are few opportunities to compare differing readings by Mozart of the same text. Except in his sacred music, Mozart rarely had occasion to return to texts that he had already set, and relatively few sketches, drafts or heavily revised autographs offer extended alternative versions of other settings. Although most of the surviving sketches and drafts for operas and other vocal pieces do not diverge significantly from the final versions, some of these preliminary materials reveal Mozart reconsidering a text-setting, and thus offer important glimpses into his dramatic imagination. Such is the case with a draft for ‘Da schlägt die Abschiedsstunde’, the first aria of Der Schauspieldirektor. The draft and final autograph present related yet significantly different conceptions of the same number, enabling us to examine Mozart's revision of one particular aria, and his reconciliation of an individual solo number with the larger dramatic argument of the opera.
Culture and musical hermeneutics: The Salome complex
Authors: Kramer Lawrence
Published: August 2008

From Flaubert to Richard Strauss, male artists in late nineteenth-century Europe were fascinated by the figure of Salome. This fascination, indeed, amounted to a genuine craze. One representation sparked another: J.-K. Huysmans fantasised about paintings by Gustave Moreau; Oscar Wilde expanded on Huysmans; Aubrey Beardsley illustrated Wilde. Fine editions of Wilde's Salome with Beardsley's illustrations remained cult objects well into the twentieth century. In general, the Salome craze, like the science and medicine of its day, sought to legitimise new forms of control by men over the bodies and behaviour of women. The present paper revisits this well-known episode in cultural history with two distinct aims in mind, one interpretative, the other methodological. The interpretative aim is to offer a feminist approach to the fin-de-sièclecompulsion to retell the Salome story with lavish attention to misogynist imagery - those quivering female bodies and gory male heads. The methodological aim is to find a meeting ground for literary criticism and musicology as both disciplines aspire to become vehicles of a more comprehensive criticism of culture.