bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A comparison of specialisation gains from trade in in final and intermediate goods
Authors: McDonald Scott , Milner Chris
Published: September 2009

This paper sets out a method for measuring and comparing the specialisation gains from trade in intermediate goods and final goods, based upon a vertically integrated sectors (VIS) modelling approach. The factor input requirements of domestic production to replace imported intermediates is compared with the factor requirements of the ‘compensating’ exports required to purchase the imports. This method is applied to the UK economy, using a 28 sector model and a breakdown of factor inputs into land, labour and capital. Estimates of net factor‐usage or saving on individual factor (weighted for factor quality differences) and multi‐factor bases are reported. The results indicate that trade in inputs and outputs was net labour‐using, and net‐capital and land‐saving in 1979. The overall, or multi‐factor, gain from trade in intermediates was greater than for trade in final goods in 1979, with overall resource savings of 3·01% and 1·73% respectively.
Exploring the Nutritional Potential of Wild and Underutilized Legumes
Authors: Bhat Rajeev , Karim A.A.
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACT:  Providing safe, nutritious, and wholesome food for poor and undernourished populations has been a major challenge for the developing world. Acute shortage, unreliable supply, and elevated costs of protein‐rich foods of animal origin in the developing and underdeveloped countries have resulted in the search for inexpensive and reliable alternative sources of protein of plant origin. Some of the wild and underutilized legumes (such as Canavalia, Mucuna, and Sesbania, for example) have been investigated and found to possess rich nutraceutical value. However, the greatest impediment to utilizing these legumes is the presence of antinutrients, which could be successfully removed or deactivated by employing certain processing methods (cooking, dry heat treatments, germination, irradiation, among others). This review focuses on providing the details on some of the wild and underutilized legumes that might have high potential to be used as human food and animal feed, along with providing information for overcoming the malnutrition‐associated problems and also for future commercial exploitation such as a source of nutraceuticals, for new food formulations, biofortification, and in product development.
Treating mineral metabolism disorders in patients undergoing long hemodialysis: A search for an optimal strategy
Authors: JEAN Guillaume , VANEL Thierry , TERRAT Jean‐Claude , HUROT Jean‐Marc , LORRIAUX Christie , MAYOR Brice , CHAZOT Charles
Published: September 2009

In hemodialysis (HD) patients, mineral metabolism (MM) disorders have been associated with an increased mortality rate. We report the evolution of MM parameters in a stable HD population undergoing long hemodialysis by performing an annual cross‐sectional analysis for every year from 1994 to 2008. The therapeutic strategy has changed: the dialysate calcium concentration has decreased from a mean of 1.7 ± 0.1 to 1.5 ± 0.07 mmol/L and has been adapted to parathyroid hormone serum levels (from 1 to 1.75 mmol/L). The use of calcium‐based and aluminum‐based phosphate binders has decreased and they have been replaced by sevelamer; alfacalcidol has partly been replaced by native vitamin D. The percentage of patients with a parathyroid hormone serum level between 150 and 300 pg/mL has increased from 9% to 67% (P<0.001); the percentage of patients with phosphataemia between 1.15 and 1.78 mmol/L has increased from 39% to 84% (P<0.001). The percentage of those with albumin‐corrected calcemia between 2.1 and 2.37 mmol/L has increased from 29% to 61% (P<0.001), and that of patients with a calcium‐phosphorous product (Ca × P) level >4.4 mmol/L decreased from 8.8% to 2% (P=0.02). Although patients undergo long and intensive HD treatment, MM disorders are common. However, an appropriate strategy, mostly consisting of native vitamin D supplementation, progressive replacement of calcium‐based phosphate binders with non–calcium‐based ones, and individualization of dialysis session duration and dialysate calcium concentration, would result in a drastic improvement.
Acquired perforating dermatoses in patients with diabetic kidney disease on hemodialysis
Authors: Hari KUMAR K. V. S. , PRAJAPATI Jayaram , PAVAN G. , PARTHASARATHY A. , JHA Ratan , MODI K. D.
Published: September 2009

Acquired perforating dermatoses (APD) is an uncommon skin disorder seen in patients with diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, or both together. We present the clinicopathological features of APD in patients with diabetic kidney disease and discuss the recent advances in management. We retrospectively analyzed the data of 8 patients with APD presenting to our center. All patients were known cases of Type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease requiring maintenance dialysis. Acquired perforating dermatoses was diagnosed based on clinical presentation of itchy, keratotic papulonodular lesions, and characteristic histopathological features of transepithelial elimination on skin biopsy. The patients were subdivided into 4 types of APD based on the biopsy features. All our patients had Type 2 diabetes over 5 years duration and were on maintenance dialysis for more than 6 months before presentation. Acquired perforating dermatoses symptoms appeared 2 to 6 months before presentation. The majority of patients (6/8) had a subtype of reactive perforating collagenosis. All the patients showed significant resolution with topical glucocorticoid therapy. Acquired perforating dermatoses is a skin complication seen in Type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, or when both are present together. Early identification and therapy prevents the associated morbidity.
Unions without Borders: Organizing and Enlightening Immigrant Farm Workers
Authors: Griffith David
Published: September 2009

Farm workers pose special problems for union organizing due to their legal status, their high rates of turnover, their employment through subcontracts, and the temporary and seasonal dimensions of farm work. Yet by organizing farm workers, unions have developed and refined strategies that point to methods of meeting the challenges of contemporary work environments in and out of agriculture. This includes organizing workers across fragmented space, whether transnational or transregional, and organizing workers who are sifted into production regimes via subcontractual relationships. This paper examines two farm worker unions – the Farm Labor Organizing Committee and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers – in terms of their successes and failures with farm labor organizing. It finds that boycotts, the use of fine arts, balancing local and transnational interests, and building relationships based on confianza (trust) are critical to the formation and maintenance of effective union organization.
Topical calcitriol protects from UV‐induced genetic damage but suppresses cutaneous immunity in humans
Authors: Damian Diona L. , Kim Young Jin , Dixon Katie M. , Halliday Gary M. , Javeri Arash , Mason Rebecca S.
Published: September 2009

Please cite this paper as: Topical calcitriol protects from UV‐induced genetic damage but suppresses cutaneous immunity in humans. Experimental Dermatology 2010; 19: e23‐e30.

Abstract:  Calcitriol, the biologically active form of vitamin D, has been reported to cause both suppressive and protective immune effects in mice. Its immune effects in vivo in humans are unclear. We investigated the in vivo effects of topical calcitriol on minimal erythema dose and skin immune responses in healthy volunteers. We found that calcitriol did not protect from ultraviolet (UV)‐induced erythema (sunburn) when applied either 24 h before or immediately after irradiation, although it decreased the density of sunburn cells and thymine dimers seen on biopsy when applied 24 h before and again immediately after irradiation. Using the Mantoux reaction as a model of skin immunity, we found that topical calcitriol applied at high total doses reduced the Mantoux responses of nearby untreated, unirradiated skin, suggesting a para‐local or systemic immunosuppressive effect not observed with lower calcitriol doses. We then measured UV‐induced suppression of Mantoux reactions at vehicle‐treated sites and sites treated with low‐dose calcitriol, and found that calcitriol neither reduced nor enhanced UV‐induced immunosuppression. Despite calcitriol reducing UV‐induced DNA damage, which should protect the immune system, it has immunosuppressive effects in our model which may help to explain the efficacy of analogues such as calcipotriol in the treatment of psoriasis.
Increased subcutaneous adipose tissue impairs dermal function in diet‐induced obese mice
Authors: Ezure Tomonobu , Amano Satoshi
Published: September 2009

Please cite this paper as: Increased subcutaneous adipose tissue impairs dermal function in diet‐induced obese mice. Experimental Dermatology 2010; 19: 878–882.

Abstract:  Increment of subcutaneous adipose tissue is a risk factor for facial morphological changes, such as sagging, which may be at least partly because of the increased weight burden of accumulated fat. However, it is not clear how the increase of subcutaneous adipose tissue affects dermal structure and function. We examined this issue in HR‐1 hairless mice given a high‐fat diet (HFD). After having been fed with HFD for 12 weeks, the mice became obese and the subcutaneous adipose tissue layer was significantly thickened, while the dermal layer became significantly thinner than that of control mice fed normal diet. However, the thickness of the dermal layer was not changed in the ear pinna, which lacks a subcutaneous adipose layer, suggesting that increase of subcutaneous adipose tissue may induce dermal changes. The number of dermal fibroblasts in the dermis was significantly reduced in obese mice, although there was no change in gene expression levels of extracellular matrix components, including collagen, hyaluronic acid synthase, fibulin5, fibrillin‐1, laminin β1, matrix metalloproteinases and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases. Dermal elasticity was significantly decreased in obese hairless mice. These results suggest that subcutaneous adipose cells in obese mice may reduce the proliferation of dermal fibroblasts and induce a decrease of dermal thickness and elasticity. Therefore, the increment of the subcutaneous adipose layer in obese subjects may induce impairment of dermal biomechanical characteristics and promote the appearance of sagging.
Phenological growth stages of cacao plants (Theobroma sp.): codification and description according to the BBCH scale
Authors: Niemenak N. , Cilas C. , Rohsius C. , Bleiholder H. , Meier U. , Lieberei R.
Published: September 2009

The detailed description of growth stages of useful plants followed by adequate codification facilitates communication between scientists and practicians if, for example, new findings of science have to be transferred to management procedures or if experiences made at one growing site have to be adapted to another. We describe the growth stages of the worldwide species of cacao trees (Theobroma sp.) to prepare the basis for production management, comparisons of epidemiological studies of disease, of growth patterns under different environmental factors and of genetically clone specific parameters. The codification follows the ‘extended BBCH (BBCH, Biologische Bundesantalt, Bundessortenamt and CHemische Industrie, Germany) scale’, a numerical system that differentiates between principal, secondary and tertiary growth stages. Each growth stage presented from seed germination to crown development and harvest is correlated with general management practices. This scale will be of great help to cacao growers and scientists around the world for better communication, more efficient planning of management practices and experiments.
The Epidemiology of Stroke in Pakistan: Past, Present, and Future
Authors: Farooq M. U. , Majid A. , Reeves M. J. , Birbeck G. L.
Published: September 2009

Stroke is a major public health problem in developing countries of South Asia. In this paper, we review the epidemiology of stroke in Pakistan. Most of the available data are based on hospital-centred case series addressing established stroke risk factors, stroke-related mortality and disability, functional status, and case fatality rates. There are limited population-based data regarding the prevalence of established stroke risk factors in the general population, and no epidemiologic studies have been conducted to specifically identify potential stroke risk factors unique to the region. The limited data that are available from Pakistan indicate that stroke epidemiology differs between Pakistan and Western populations – in Pakistan first stroke occurs at a younger age, particularly among women, and there is a higher proportion of haemorrhagic strokes. Besides the established stroke risk factors (e.g. hypertension, smoking, and diabetes) some potentially unique stroke risk factors related to life style and dietary habits such as huqqa smoking, use of dalda and desi ghee, and orally consumed forms of tobacco, may exist in Pakistan, and warrant further investigation. The shortage of trained stroke epidemiologists is a major limiting factor to the conduct of epidemiological stroke studies in Pakistan. Epidemiologic data are essential to guide health policy development aimed at decreasing the mortality and morbidity from stroke in Pakistan. To facilitate this process, medical professionals in Pakistan could participate in the World Health Organization's STEPwise approach to stroke surveillance, which provides a framework for data collection and comparison between and within populations.
Reader performance in radiographic diagnosis of signs of mitral regurgitation in cavalier King Charles spaniels
Authors: Hansson K. , Häggström J. , Kvart C. , Lord P.
Published: September 2009

Objectives:To measure accuracy and variability of diagnosis by radiography of heart enlargement (HE) and heart failure (HF) in mitral regurgitation (MR).

Methods:Sixteen readers representing four levels of experience evaluated 50 sets of radiographs with varying severity of MR for presence or absence of HE, left atrial enlargement (LAE) and HF. The performance of the readers was compared with a reference standard, using area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The interreader agreement value kappa (K) was calculated. A subset of difficult cases of HF was analysed before and after removing an outlying reader from each group.

Results:AUC for HE was 0·89, for LAE it was 0·93 and for HF it was 0·92. Experience increased certainty of diagnosis but not accuracy. K ranges were HE, 0·53 to 0·67; LAE, 0·61 to 0·69 and HF, 0·49 to 0·58. When only difficult cases of HF were read, accuracy decreased and experienced readers performed better than inexperienced. When outlying readers were excluded, the differences between experienced and inexperienced readers increased.

ClinicalSignificance:LAE, not HE, should be used to evaluate the heart size and indirectly the severity of MR on radiographs. For HF, agreement among individual readers was only moderate. Studies of reader accuracy should consider the effects of interreader variability.
Haemangiosarcoma in the uterine remnant of a spayed female dog
Authors: Wenzlow N. , Tivers M. S. , Selmic L. E. , Scurrell E. J. , Baines S. J. , Smith K. C.
Published: September 2009

A 11‐year‐old, female, spayed greyhound was presented with a haemorrhagic discharge from the vulva. Clinical examination, vaginoscopy and a computed tomography scan showed an irregular egg‐sized mass in the region of the cervix and uterine stump. An endoscopic grab biopsy (incisional) suggested a malignant mesenchymal tumour. Following this, surgical excision of the cranial vagina, cervix and the uterine remnant was performed. The final diagnosis of haemangiosarcoma was based on histological examination of the larger excisional biopsy specimen and was confirmed by positive immunolabelling of the neoplastic endothelial cells for the von Willebrand factor.
Survey of pet owners' expectations of surgical practice within first opinion veterinary clinics in Great Britain
Authors: Demetriou J. L. , Geddes R. F. , Jeffery N. D.
Published: September 2009

Objectives:The expectations of small animal pet owners in Great Britain were evaluated on a number of issues regarding aseptic practice and clinical management and compared with final year veterinary students' assessment of actual veterinary practice.

Materials andMethods:A survey was completed by 328 small animal pet owners and 56 veterinary practices in Great Britain. Questions from the pet owner survey related to expectations and opinions on a number of surgical issues and questions from the veterinary surgeon survey examined veterinary practice in relation to the same issues. Comparisons were made to determine whether there were any differences between pet owner expectations and veterinary student assessment of actual practice of small animal first opinion clinics.

Results:In the majority of issues examined there was a significant mismatch between client expectation and provisions made. Of particular importance was the discrepancy regarding the use of surgical gloves and administration of analgesia.

ClinicalSignificance:These results suggest that attempts should be made to understand and improve the disparity that exists between small animal pet owners and veterinary surgeons in Great Britain.
Metabolism of Cyanidin‐3‐O‐β‐D‐Glucoside Isolated from Black Colored Rice and Its Antiscratching Behavioral Effect in Mice
Authors: Han S.‐J. , Ryu S.‐N. , Trinh H.‐T. , Joh E.‐H. , Jang S.‐Y. , Han M.J. , Kim D.‐H.
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACT:  Black‐colored rice (BCR), the main constituent of which is cyanidin‐3‐O‐β‐D‐glucoside (C3G), exhibits an anti‐allergic effect, and orally administered C3G is mainly metabolized to protocatechuic acid in rats. Therefore, to understand the relationship between the metabolism of C3G and its pharmacological effect, we isolated C3G from BCR, anaerobically incubated it with fecal microflora, investigated its metabolite(s) by LC‐MS/MS, and measured the antiscratching behavioral effects of C3G and its metabolites. C3G was metabolized to protocatechuic acid via cyanidin. Protocatechuic acid and cyanidin were identified as the metabolites. The activities transforming C3G to protocatechuic acid and cyanidin were 28.2 ± 11.7 and 21.8 ± 5.2 nmol/h/mg fecal microflora, respectively. C3G and its metabolites showed inhibitory effects against histamine‐ or compound 48/80‐induced scratching behaviors in mice. C3G more potently inhibited scratching behaviors following oral administration than following intraperitoneal administration. However, protocatechuic acid and cyanidin showed more potent inhibition when administered intraperitoneally than when administered orally. These metabolites also inhibited the expression of allergic cytokines, IL‐4 and TNF‐α, and the activation of their transcription factor, NF‐κB, in RBL‐2H3 cells stimulated with IgE–antigen. These findings suggest that C3G‐rich BCR may be a beneficial food for diseases involving scratching behaviors, such as chronic dermatitis, rhinitis, and psoriasis.
STEADY STATES OF SELF-GRAVITATING INCOMPRESSIBLE FLUID WITH AXIAL SYMMETRY
Authors: HUMI MAYER
Published: September 2009

In this paper we develop a simple analytic model for the steady state of self-gravitating incompressible nonswirling gas in three dimensions with axial symmetry which is based on the hydrodynamic equations for stratified fluid. These equations are then reduced to a system of two equations for the mass density and the gravitational field. Numerical solutions of these equations under different modeling assumptions (with special attention to the isothermal case) are then used to study the patterns of the resulting steady state of the fluid.
QKD NETWORKS WITH PASSIVE OPTICAL ELEMENTS: ANALYSIS AND ASSESSMENT
Authors: WEN HAO , HAN ZHENG-FU , GUO GUANG-CAN , HONG PEI-LIN
Published: September 2009

Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) networks are the trends toward multiple users' unconditional secure communication. Based on several passive optical devices, such as beam splitter, optical switch or wavelength divided multiplexer, various types of fiber-based QKD networks have been proposed. However, it is still hard to accurately assess these networks. To find the optimal solution, a general assessment that would not involve detailed schemes is quite necessary. In this paper, we introduce an evaluation method and analyze optical-device-based QKD networks including two rational aspects: (i) network connectivity and network bandwidth which reflect the network's flexibility and performance in theory; (ii) network cost that brings pragmatic restriction on the network construction in practice. Applying this model, we compare five typical types of optical-device-based QKD networks. The explicit results demonstrate the above networks' characteristics and some valuable conclusions.
RECOGNIZING BEHAVIOR IN HAND-EYE COORDINATION PATTERNS
Authors: YI WEILIE , BALLARD DANA
Published: September 2009

Modeling human behavior is important for the design of robots as well as human-computer interfaces that use humanoid avatars. Constructive models have been built, but they have not captured all of the detailed structure of human behavior such as the moment-to-moment deployment and coordination of hand, head and eye gaze used in complex tasks. We show how this data from human subjects performing a task can be used to program a dynamic Bayes network (DBN) which in turn can be used to recognize new performance instances. As a specific demonstration we show that the steps in a complex activity such as sandwich making can be recognized by a DBN in real time.
A NEW NEUTROSOPHIC APPROACH TO IMAGE DENOISING
Authors: GUO YANHUI , CHENG H. D. , ZHANG YINGTAO
Published: September 2009

A neutrosophic set (NS), a part of neutrosophy theory, studies the origin, nature, and scope of neutralities, as well as their interactions with different ideational spectra. The neutrosophic set is a general formal framework that has been recently proposed. However, the neutrosophic set needs to be specified from a technical point of view. Now, we apply the neutrosophic set into image domain and define some concepts and operators for image denoising.

The image G is transformed into NS domain, which is described using three membership sets: T, I and F. The entropy of the neutrosophic set is defined and employed to evaluate the indeterminancy. A new operation, γ-median-filtering operation, is proposed to decrease the set indeterminancy and remove noise. We have conducted experiments on a variety of noisy images using different types of noises with different levels. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed approach can remove noise automatically and effectively. Especially, it can process not only noisy images with different levels of noise, but also images with different kinds of noise well without knowing the type of the noise, which is the most difficult task for image denoising.
An algorithm for the explicit evaluation of GL(
n
;R) Kloosterman sums
Authors: Broughan Kevin A.
Published: September 2009

An algorithm for the explicit evaluation of Kloosterman sums for GL(
n
;R) for
n
≥ 2 and an implementation in the Mathematica package GL(
n
)pack are described. Plücker relations in dimensions 3, 4 and 5 are given.
The Effects of Maturation on the Colonic Microflora in Infancy and Childhood
Authors: Enck P. , Zimmermann K. , Rusch K. , Schwiertz A. , Klosterhalfen S. , Frick J. S.
Published: September 2009

The composition of colonic mircoflora and its changes with maturation have rarely been investigated in large samples.Methods.We used conventional microbiological testing to analyse the colonic flora (Kyberstatus, Institut forMicroecology, Herborn, Germany) of stool samples from 12 484 children with different intestinal and nonintestinal diagnoses. Stool samples were analysed for total colony forming units (CFU) (per g stool) and the abundance ofBifidobacteria, Bacteroides sp., Escherichia coli, Enterococcus sp.,andLactobacillus sp.with respect to age, gender. A subset of 1089 infants was analysed for monthly changes within the first year of life.Results.Total CFU and individual microbial species were highest during the first year of life, decreased within the first 2 years, and then stabilized for the remaining childhood. In infants, the total CFU rose until month 5, declined with weaning, and peaked at 9–10 months. Significant effects of age, but not of gender, were found inBacteroides sp.andLactobacilli.HoweverBacterioids sp.andLactobacilliincreased with age, whileEnterococciandE. colidecreased, and Bifidobacteria remained stable.Conclusion.Colonic microflora show both a bacteria-specific and general pattern of maturation which is most profound within the first year.
Analysis of Electric Propulsion System for Exploration of Saturn
Authors: Solórzano Carlos Renato Huaura , Prado Antonio Fernando Bertachini de Almeida , Sukhanov Alexander Alexandrovich
Published: September 2009

Exploration of the outer planets has experienced new interest with the launch of the Cassini and the New Horizons Missions. At the present time, new technologies are under study for the better use of electric propulsion system in deep space missions. In the present paper, the method of the transporting trajectory is used to study this problem. This approximated method for the flight optimization with power‐limited low thrust is based on the linearization of the motion of a spacecraft near a keplerian orbit that is close to the transfer trajectory. With the goal of maximizing the mass to be delivered in Saturn, several transfers were studied using nuclear, radioisotopic and solar electric propulsion systems.
Vitamin D Deficiency—A Clinical Spectrum: Is There a Symptomatic Nonosteomalacic State?
Authors: Kanekar Amar , Sharma Manoj , Joshi V. R.
Published: September 2009

Vitamin D deficiency is not uncommon even in the sunny land of India. Lack of sun exposure and inadequate oral intake are both responsible for vitamin D deficiency. This article provides a retrospective, examining the effects of Vitamin D deficiency in 71 patients. The study's inclusion criterion was low vitamin D level combined with musculoskeletal symptoms but without the presence of osteomalacia. All patients in this study were suspected to have vitamin D deficiency. The data were retrieved from the case-charts of patients seen between 1996 and 2001 at the rheumatology services of Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai, India. This study found no correlation between Vitamin D levels and symptoms, or between the severity of Vitamin D deficiency and the number of symptoms displayed. Subclinical vitamin D deficiency or preosteomalacic state was the term coined for individuals with vitamin D deficiency producing nonspecific musculoskeletal symptoms in the absence of clinical osteomalacia.
Celecoxib antagonizes perifosine's anticancer activity involving a cyclooxygenase-2-dependent mechanism
Authors: Elrod Heath A. , Yue Ping , Khuri Fadlo R. , Sun Shi-Yong
Published: September 2009

Perifosine is an orally bioavailable alkylphospholipid currently being tested in phase II clinical trials as a potential anticancer drug. In this study, we reveal a novel mechanism underlying the anticancer activity of perifosine that involves the induction of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) in human cancer cells. Perifosine induced apoptosis and/or cell cycle arrest in several lung and head and neck cancer cell lines. However, the combination of perifosine with low concentrations of celecoxib rendered cells less sensitive to perifosine both in cell culture systems and in lung cancer xenograft models. Subsequently, we examined the effects of perifosine on COX-2 expression and activity in a set of lung and head and neck cancer cell lines, and found that perifosine rapidly and potently increased COX-2 levels and activity, the degrees of which correlated to the abilities of perifosine to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. We also detected increased COX-2 levels in lung cancer xenografts treated with perifosine. Moreover, blockage of COX-2 induction by both antisense and small interfering RNA approaches decreased cell sensitivity to perifosine. Collectively, these data indicate that the activation of COX-2 contributes to the anticancer activity of perifosine, including apoptosis induction and growth arrest. These data are clinically relevant as they suggest that the combination of perifosine and COX-2 inhibitors such as celecoxib, may produce a potential drug contradiction. [Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(9):2575–85]
Expressive and Receptive Language Characteristics in Three-Year-Old Preterm Children with Extremely Low Birth Weight
Authors: Van Lierde Kristiane M. , Roeyers Herbert , Boerjan Sabine , De Groote Isabel
Published: September 2009

Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyze the language characteristics of a group of extremely low birth weight (ELBW) children at 3 years of age and to compare these language results with a sample of full-term children with normal birth weight (FBW). Methods: All children were judged to be free of any major physical, sensorial and neurological impairments and had a mental developmental index of >55 on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. The Language was tested using the Reynell Developmental Language scales. Results: There was a significant difference between the ELBW group and the FBW group regarding the receptive and all the expressive language characteristics. There was a significant correlation between the mental developmental index and the language scores in the ELBW as well as in the FBW group. Conclusion: According to the analysis of the language characteristics, the logopedic approach to 3-year-old children born with ELBW must be focused on receptive (comprehension of ‘wh’-questions, passive sentences, inferencing skills and spatial prepositions) and expressive (defining words, expressing semantic relations) morphosyntactic abilities and linguistic conceptualization. These communication disorders appear unrelated to neurological or sensorial impairments, but can be partly explained by a decreased general mental functioning.
Microsomal Desaturation of Linoleic into γ-LinoIenic Acid in Livers of Fetal, Suckling and Pregnant Rats
Authors: Satomi S. , Matsuda I.
Published: September 2009

In order to estimate the synthesis of arachidonate in the liver of fetal, suckling and pregnant rats, the conversion rate of linoleate to γ-linolenate was studied. The significantly higher conversion rate was found both in fetal and pregnant animal, whereas the ratio of arachidonate to linoleate in plasma lipid as well as in liver microsomal lipid was not elevated in pregnant rats. Instead of reduced conversion rate of 6-day suckling rats, the ratio of arachidonate to linoleate in plasma was higher than that of pregnant animals, probably due toincreased supply of linoleate as substrate from mother’s milk.
Carnitine Transferases in Human Fetal Tissues
Authors: Hahn P. , Skala J.
Published: September 2009

Activities of carnitine acetyl- and carnitine palmitoyltransferase in whole homogenates and isolated mitochondria from human fetal heart, liver, brain, skeletal muscle, intestine and placenta were studied. Both enzymes were considerably more active in human fetal liver and heart than in the same organs of fetal rats. Activities in fetal muscle and brain, however, were very low.
The Effect of Sodium Intake on Maternal Milk Electrolytes and Aldosterone, Corticosterone and 18-Hydroxydeoxy-corticosterone Production in the Offspring of Rats
Authors: Dlouha H. , Erdösova R. , Kraus M. , Skopkova J.
Published: September 2009

The effects of decreased dietary sodium content during pregnancy and lactation on the activity of adrenal glands of the offspring were investigated. Low salt diet (0.3% of NaCl) increased the aldosterone production in newborn rats, on day 7 and on day 15 decreased the production of 18-hydroxydeoxycorticosterone only; on day 20 only the aldosterone production was increased. Based on the measurements of sodium and potassium concentrations in milk and urine of the offspring, the lasting effects of intrauterine conditions on newborn adrenal gland regulation and the adrenocortical regulatory system activity during the suckling period are discussed. This is done on the basis of literary evidence on amounts of the sodium and potassium required for body mass growth and the observation on the probable shortage of potassium supply in maternal milk towards the end of the suckling period.
Lysis of Neonatal Human Erythrocytes in Hypotonic Solutions of Glucose
Authors: Schettini F. , Mautone A.
Published: September 2009

The rate of lysis of neonatal and adult human red cells in hypotonic solutions of glucose 0.116 and 0.118 m is examined, using an automatic procedure (Fragiligraph). The lysis of neonatal red cells is similar to the lysis of adult red cells. The decrease in osmotic concentration of D-glucose solution induces an increase in the rate of lysis more significantly in neonatal red cells. High density old red cells are the first to lyse in hypotonic solutions of glucose.
Metabolic Patterns of Several Tissues of Rabbits and Guinea Pigs during Postnatal Development
Authors: Isselhard W. , Fischer J.H. , Kapune H. , Stock W.
Published: September 2009

Experiments were made on rabbits and guinea pigs at various ages from birth to adulthood. The metabolic state in several organs was fixed by freeze-stop technique or a whole-body freezing modification in the younger animals. During postnatal development, the glycogen content decreased in ventricular myocardium, skeletal muscle, kidney, lung and medulla ablongata and rose in liver and cerebral cortex of the rabbits, while the values were constant or the changes were of minor significance in guinea pigs. Also in the ATP-CrP system of the CNS, changes were predominantly found in correlation with the maturation processes in the rabbits in contrast to small variations in the nearly mature born guinea pigs. The importance of these changes is discussed with regard to the metabolic state of the neuronal tissue. In ventricular myocardium and skeletal muscle, the changes in the ATP-CrP system were similar in both species, without correlation to the degree of maturity. Thus, surprisingly no change in the energy-distributing system of the heart could be found analogous to the decrease of the tolerance to anoxia during maturation processes.
Regulation of Pancreatic α-Amylase in the Neonatal Mouse
Authors: Albritton W.L. , Koops B.L. , Hurwitz R.E. , Kretchmer N.
Published: September 2009

The decrease in specific activity of mouse pancreatic α-amylase occurring at parturition is associated with changes in the morphological fine structure of the acinar cells, as evidenced by a decrease in the number of zymogen granules per cell and an increase in the rough endoplasmic reticulum. Following parturition there is a rapid increase in the synthesis of both amylase and total protein, with a selective increase in amylase synthesis during the first 24 hours. Metabolic requirements for in vitro secretion of amylase by the neonatal mouse pancreas were also studied; findings support existing evidence that fatty acids are the main oxidizable substrate of the acinar cell.
Development of the Adrenal Gland in Pigs during the Perinatal Period. Growth Rate and Ascorbic Acid Content of the Adrenal
Authors: Dvořák M.
Published: September 2009

The rate of adrenal growth in fetal pigs during the last third of gestation showed an abrupt rise in the last 20 days of intrauterine life. After birth the ratio of adrenal weight to body weight decreased with age. The ascorbic acid concentration of the adrenal gland rose abruptly during a few days before and after birth and showed no substantial changes thereafter. The ascorbic acid concentration of the liver, on the other hand, showed a rapid decline after reaching a maximum at 2–4 days after birth. It is suggested that the high activity of the pig adrenal cortex at birth is a result of intense progressive developnent in about the last sixth of fetal life.
Tissue Free Amino Acid Concentrations in Perinatal Rabbits
Authors: Stave U. , Armstrong M.D.
Published: September 2009

Free amino acids were measured in extracts from liver, kidney, and skeletal muscle (m. psoas major) of fetal, newborn, and adult rabbits. The total amount of free amino acids is at a higher level in fetal tissues than in adults; this difference is rather small in the liver, slightly larger in renal and very marked in muscle tissue. Perinatal changes of individual amino acid concentrations are different in each tissue studied. Many of such changes can be interpreted as a reflection of the metabolic sitation in each organ, e.g., the great need for essential amino acids during phases of very active protein synthesis. There were essentially no good correlations between developmental changes occurring in tissues and those in plasma.
The Role of Carnitine in Subcutaneous White Adipose Tissue from Newborn Infants
Authors: Novak M. , Hahn P. , Penn D. , Monkus E. , Skala J.
Published: September 2009

Carnitineacetyltransferase (CAT) and carnitinepalmitoyltransferase (CPT) and the carnitine content of white adipose tissue from human newborns and adult volunteers were estimated. The activity of CAT/mg mitochondrial protein did not change with age, while that of CPT was decreased in the adult. Carnitine content of newborn white adipose tissue was about 26 nmol/g wet weight, much lower than in other organs from human fetuses. Isolated white adipose tissue cells from newborn babies reacted to deoxycarnitine addition by a decrease in respiration; no such effect was observed in adult cells. In addition, the enhancing effect of norepinephrine on oxygen consumption of newborn cells could be further elevated by adding l-carnitine and again this was not observed in adult adipocytes.
Energy Metabolism and Intravenous Nutrition of Premature Infants
Authors: Rubecz I. , Mestyán J.
Published: September 2009

Metabolic and energetic responses to intravenous infusion of Aminosol (Aminosol-glucose, Vitrum, Stockholm) were studied in 7 pre-term newborn infants. Aminosol caused a 10-percent mean rise in the metabolic rate. The average cumulative calorigenic response to the nutritive solution was found to be 13.4% of the basal heat production and 9.7% of the calories infused. The proportion of glucose and amino acid oxydation markedly increased, while a simultaneous decrease in utilization of fat could be observed. At the same time a considerable increase in plasma concentration of glucose and α-amino nitrogen and a fall in FFA level could be detected.
Late Effects of Perinatal Morphine Administration on Pituitary-Thyroidal and Gonadal Function
Authors: Bakke John L. , Lawrence Nancy L. , Bennett Jane
Published: September 2009

A brief period of neonatal morphine sulfate (MS) addiction in the rat results in lifelong alterations in some endocrine functions. Some changes, such as decreased growth, are probably the nonspecific result of neonatal malnutrition. Others may be the result of altered hypothalamic pituitary function. When neo-MS rats were studied as adults they tended to have larger pituitary glands containing less TSH. Their thyroid glands were larger when corrected for the smaller body weight. Testicular weights were increased and uterine weights were reduced. Adult basal pituitary and serum TSH levels were usually normal, but upon challenge with propylthiouracil, there was an initially greater goiter growth suggesting an initial abnormal increase in TSH secretion followed by a decrease in net TSH synthesis and diminished pituitary size. These late endocrine consequences of neonatal narcotic addiction in rats make it important to study the adult endocrine function of humans born of addicted mothers.
Protein Synthesis Rate in the Newborn Lamb
Authors: Soltész Gy. , Joyce Jenny , Young Maureen
Published: September 2009

Fractional protein synthesis rate was measured in the liver, and skeletal and cardiac muscles of newborn lambs, 2–5 days of, age. The contant infusion method was used and 14C-labelled leucine was given intravenously for 5 h. Blood samples were taken each hour and analysed for plasma leucine and specific activity; at the end of the experiment free (Si) and protein-bound (SB) leucine specific activity was measured in each organ. The calculated results indicated that more than 100% of the liver proteins were synthetised in a day in the newborn lamb, and that the synthesis rate of cardiac and skeletal muscle proteins were 35 and 25% day-1, respectively. Total leucine flux was 900 μmol/kg/day.
Induction of Enzyme Activity during Fetal Development
Authors: Schuit K.E. , Dickie M.W.
Published: September 2009

The activity of ornithine transcarbamylase, an enzyme of the urea cycle, has been measured in the liver of fetal, newborn, and adult rats in order to identify the time of development at which this aspect of liver function begins, and to elucidate the control mechanisms by which enzymes are induced during development. In the fetus, the activity of this enzyme reaches a peak immediately before birth and drops sharply during the first hours of extrauterine life. Enzyme activity increases in response to injected carbamyl phosphate. Once genetic competence is achieved, the hepatocyte is capable of responding rapidly and sensitively to metabolic stimuli such as the accumulation of the products of protein metabolism.
The Effect of Intravenous Fructose and Glucose on Metabolism and Plasma Insulin Levels in Newborn Infants
Authors: Přibylová H. , Kimlová I. , Štroufová A.
Published: September 2009

Changes in blood glucose, fructose, plasma insulin (IRI), lactate, pyruvate, and free fatty acids (FFA) were determined in 15 healthy newborns after fructose load and 10 newborns after glucose load. Fructose loading resulted in stimulation of plasma insulin release, but to a lesser degree than after glucose administration. In more than half the group, fructose loading was followed by a double-peaked curve. Blood glucose did not change after fructose load; there was a slight increase in lactate concentration with no change in lactate: pyruvate ratio. FFA wasdepressed; the glucose-induced effect was greater.
Quantitative Studies of Human Placenta I.
Authors: Laga Emil M. , Driscoll Shirley G. , Munro Hamish N.
Published: September 2009

Eighteen term placentas from a middle-class North American urban population were examined by stereologic techniques and an image quantizer. The trimmed placental weight averaged 469 g, of which 339 g was Ê»functional parenchyma’ and 130 g Ê»nonparenchymal tissue’ (decidual and chorionic plates and large vessels and pathological components such as infarcts). Microscopically, the parenchyma was divided into villi and intervillous space. The volume of intervillous space was, at 110 cm3, significantly larger than that of the villous capillaries, which measured 30 cm3. The mass of the chorionic villi averaged 214 g and comprised 168 g of peripheral and 46 g of stem villi. Most of the 60 g of trophoblast and of the 31.5 g of fibroblasts, and a significant fraction of the 91 g of collagenous stroma were present in the peripheral villi. The longest diameter of the peripheral villi averaged 74 µm and their cross-sectional area 1,100 µm2. The surface area of the peripheral villi was 16 m2 and that of the corresponding xillous capillaries 12 m2. A model for estimating placental oxygen diffusion capacity (Dpo2) was constructed on the basis of these stereologic measurements. The resistance to oxygen diffusion from maternal to fetal red cells in the placenta was attributed to five serial compartments i.e. (1) the oxygen-hemoglobin interactions in the maternal red cells in the intervillous space; (2) the maternal blood plasma in the intervillous space; (3) the villous membrane comprising syncytiotrophoblast, basement membrane, connective tissue and fetal capillary wall; (4) the fetal blood plasma, in the villous capillaries and (5) the oxygen-hemoglobin interactions in the fetal red cells present in the villous capillaries. The diffusion capacity of the placental membrane (DM), comprising (2–4), was 3.256 and that of the total placenta 3.086 ml oxygen min––1 · mm Hg––1. The corresponding specific diffusion capacities per 100 g of placenta were 0.694 for the placental membrane (DM/w) and 0.658 ml. min––1 · mm Hg––1 for the whole placenta (DP/w). The resistance of the villous membrane was consequently the limiting factor in oxygen diffusion, both when considering the 110-ml maternal and 30-ml fetal blood volumes as the effective exchangers or when considering a single capillary transit for oxygen with 10 ml in each of the maternal and fetal compartments.
Effect of Varying Iodine Intake on its Concentration in Rat Tissues during Early Development
Authors: Stolc V. , Knopp J. , Stolcova Emilia
Published: September 2009

From the day of parturition, three groups of lactating rats and their young were kept on a laboratory diet containing 60 ng iodine/g of food and drank water with an iodine concentration of 5, 100 and 500 ng/ml, respectively. The first two groups of sucklings showed a relatively decreasing and the third a relatively increasing iodine intake (μg I/day/100 g body weight). Iodine intake in food was found to affect iodine concentration but had no effect on its decline in the tissues during postnatal life. Consequently, it is presumed that this decline is genetically controlled.
Respiratory Depressant Effects of Morphine on the Central Nervous System of the Infant Rat
Authors: Bass N.H. , Lundborg P.
Published: September 2009

The dose of morphine hydrochloride (1.5 mg/kg) necessary to achieve 50% depression of the ventilatory rates was identical in both 5- and 30-day-old rats. However, at equivalent blood levels, drug concentrations in the brain stem, cerebral hemispheres, and cerebrospinal fluid of the infant rat were approximately 2-fold greater than those found in the older animal. With increased doses (3 mg/kg), the respiratory rate of the infant rat decreased to 15% of resting values, in association with an increased rate of morphine accumulation in the cerebrospinal fluid. Although older rats showed only a 50% depression of the respiratory rate at doses as high as 6 mg/kg, the LD50 (16 mg/kg) was 73% lower than found for the infant animal. In the usual therapeutic dose range, the infant rat appears to be no more sensitive to the toxic effects of morphine than the older animal.
Metabolite Levels Reflecting Changes in Liver Energy Metabolism during the Neonatal Period
Authors: Bartels H.
Published: September 2009

In newborn guinea pigs the enhancement of liver glucose-6-phosphatase is significantly correlated to the decrease in liver glycogen, to a decreasing ratio glucose-6-P/glucose in the liver and to an increasing liver/blood ratio for glucose. The oxaloacetate/phosphoenolpyruvate ratio in the liver declines markedly during the first 3 days. The changing metabolite pattern in vivo is regarded to be indicative of rising gluconeogenic flow rates during the neonatal period. The ATP and ADP levels in the liver increase significantly during the first week of life without marked alterations of the ATP/ADP ratio.
Position of the Oxygen Dissociation Curve in Newborns with Transitory Hyperbilirubinaemia
Authors: Petrich C. , Göbel U. , Blanke H.
Published: September 2009

In newborns, suffering from transitory hyperbilirubinaemia, oxygen partial pressure of blood was measured at 50% oxygen saturation (p50). The p50 shows a decline with rising serum bilirubin on the 98-percent confidence level. The statistic values were 20.7 mm Hg at 0 and 19.6 mm Hg at 10 mg bilirubin/100 ml serum. The consequences for the icteric child are discussed.