bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Paediatricians' knowledge, attitudes and practice following provision of educational resources about prevention of prenatal alcohol exposure and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Payne Janet M , France Kathryn E , Henley Nadine , D'Antoine Heather A , Bartu Anne E , Mutch Raewyn C , Elliott Elizabeth J , Bower Carol
Published: March 2011

Aim:  The study aims to provide paediatricians in Western Australia (WA) with educational resources (http://www.ichr.uwa.edu.au/alcoholandpregnancy) about the prevention of prenatal alcohol exposure and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, and assess changes in their knowledge, attitudes and practice about fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and alcohol consumption in pregnancy.

Methods:  Following our 2004 survey of paediatricians, we developed and distributed educational resources to 159 paediatricians in WA in 2007. Six months later, we surveyed these paediatricians and compared their responses with results from 2004 using prevalence rate ratios (PRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results:  Of 133 eligible paediatricians, 82 (61.7%) responded: 65.9% had seen the resources, of these 66.7% had used them and 29.6% said the resources had helped them change, or influenced their intent to change, their practice. There was no change in the proportion that knew all the essential features of FAS (18.3% in 2007; 20.0% in 2004) or had diagnosed FAS (58.5% in 2007; 58.9% in 2004). An increased proportion (75.6% in 2007; 48.9% in 2004) agreed that pregnant women should completely abstain from consuming alcohol (PRR 1.55, 95% CI 1.21–1.97). Only 21.7% (no increase from 2004) routinely asked about alcohol use when taking a pregnancy history.

Conclusions:  We recommend that asking about alcohol use during pregnancy should be emphasised in paediatric training. Unless paediatricians' capacity to ask about alcohol consumption when taking a pregnancy history and to diagnose FAS is increased, FAS will remain under‐diagnosed in Australia and opportunities for management, early intervention and prevention will be overlooked.
Clinical features of nine patients with alternating hemiplegia of childhood
Authors: Tatlı Burak , Aydınlı Nur , Çalışkan Mine , Özmen Meral , Kara Bülent , Yaramış Ahmet , Dilber Cengiz , Yılmaz Kutluhan , Küçükuğurluoğlu Yasemin , Ekici Barış
Published: March 2011

Aim: To define clinical features of patients with alternating hemiplegia of childhood.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical presentation and course of the disease in patients diagnosed between January 2003 and December 2008 at the Pediatric Neurology Department of the Istanbul Medical Faculty.

Results: The nine patients had a mean age of 6.6 months (2–15 months) at the onset of symptoms. Paroxysmal eye movements were the early symptom of five patients. All patients had recurrent alternating hemiplegic episodes and relief of symptoms while sleeping. Duration of events varied widely from few minutes to several days and was associated with slowly progressive neurological deterioration. Flunarizine might decrease frequency of events but is not effective to neurological deterioration. Amantadine as an alternative agent is used in add‐on therapy, but epileptogenic side effect prevented the evaluation of long‐term efficacy.

Conclusion: Trials on new agents like amantadine are necessary for more effective control of the disease.
Increased iron and oxidative stress are separately related to cognitive decline in elderly
Authors: Umur Elcin E , Oktenli Cagatay , Celik Serkan , Tangi Fatih , Sayan Ozkan , Sanisoglu Yavuz S , Ipcioglu Osman , Terekeci Hakan M , Top Cihan , Nalbant Selim , Kucukardali Yasar
Published: March 2011

Aim:  The aim of this study is to examine the relation between body iron, oxidative stress and cognitive function in elderly.

Methods:  Eighty‐seven elderly residents from nursing homes were the subjects of our study. Cognitive status was screened by the Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE). Of the 87 eligible subjects, 46 patients who obtained 24 or fewer points on the MMSE scale were considered as subjects with cognitive dysfunction. The control group consisted of 41 subjects who obtained more than 24 points on the MMSE. Routine biochemical analyses, parameters of iron metabolism, malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px) were determined in all subjects.

Results:  There were statistically significant increases in serum iron, transferrin saturation, ferritin and MDA levels; whereas there was a statistically significant decrease in serum GSH‐Px enzyme activity and serum sodium levels in subjects with cognitive dysfunction. A significant negative correlation was found between serum iron, transferrin saturation, ferritin and MMSE score. There was a negative correlation between MMSE score and serum MDA; however, a positive significant correlation was found between MMSE score and both GSH‐Px enzyme activity and serum sodium.

Conclusion:  Our study provides evidence of increased markers of iron deposition and oxidative stress in patients with cognitive dysfunction. It seems likely that these markers negatively affect the MMSE score. Interestingly, we did not find any correlation between the markers of iron deposition and oxidative stress. Future studies will be required to demonstrate whether diminishing iron and oxidative stress will enhance MMSE score and thereby ameliorate cognitive impairment. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2011; 11: 504–509.
Peroxisomal polyhydroxyalkanoate biosynthesis is a promising strategy for bioplastic production in high biomass crops
Authors: Tilbrook Kimberley , Gebbie Leigh , Schenk Peer M. , Poirier Yves , Brumbley Stevens M.
Published: March 2011

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are bacterial carbon storage polymers with diverse plastic‐like properties. PHA biosynthesis in transgenic plants is being developed as a way to reduce the cost and increase the sustainability of industrial PHA production. The homopolymer polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is the simplest form of these biodegradable polyesters. Plant peroxisomes contain the substrate molecules and necessary reducing power for PHB biosynthesis, but peroxisomal PHB production has not been explored in whole soil‐grown transgenic plants to date. We generated transgenic sugarcane (Saccharum sp.) with the three‐enzyme Ralstonia eutropha PHA biosynthetic pathway targeted to peroxisomes. We also introduced the pathway into Arabidopsis thaliana, as a model system for studying and manipulating peroxisomal PHB production. PHB, at levels up to 1.6%–1.8% dry weight, accumulated in sugarcane leaves and A. thaliana seedlings, respectively. In sugarcane, PHB accumulated throughout most leaf cell types in both peroxisomes and vacuoles. A small percentage of total polymer was also identified as the copolymer poly (3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐3‐hydroxyvalerate) in both plant species. No obvious deleterious effect was observed on plant growth because of peroxisomal PHA biosynthesis at these levels. This study highlights how using peroxisomal metabolism for PHA biosynthesis could significantly contribute to reaching commercial production levels of PHAs in crop plants.
Review and meta‐analysis of the short‐term effects of a vegetable oil emulsion on food intake
Authors: Appleton K. M. , Smit H. J. , Rogers P. J.
Published: March 2011

Several short‐term studies have investigated the effects of a vegetable oil emulsion on subsequent food intake, although findings have been inconsistent. This work aimed to review all studies, and investigate differences in study outcomes based on methodology. All known studies were identified. Data were abstracted from published studies (n = 7). Details of unpublished studies were gained from investigators/sponsors (n = 5), or were unavailable for reasons of confidentiality (n = 4). Available data were combined using meta‐analyses. A combined appetite suppressant effect of the emulsion compared with control was found for test meal intake at approximately 4, 12 and 36 h post‐treatment: smallest combined mean difference (random effects model) = 0.53 MJ (95% confidence interval 0.20, 0.86), P < 0.01. However, considerable heterogeneity (variability) between study results was also found (smallest I2 = 94%, P < 0.01), questioning the predictive validity of the above findings. Meta‐regression suggested this heterogeneity to be related to differences in the processed nature of the product, treatment dose and in particular year of study (smallest B = 0.54, 95% confidence interval 0.06, 1.03, P = 0.04), although again heterogeneity was found. The only consistent finding was a lack of effect on food intake 4 h post‐preload in studies conducted after 2003. These results suggest a small but inconsistent appetite suppressant effect of the vegetable oil emulsion. However, due to the large heterogeneity, no definitive conclusions can be drawn.
Talking to strangers (Respond to this article at http://www.therai.org.uk/at/debate)
Authors: Smith Alexander Thomas T.
Published: March 2011

The language used by politicians and its social effects have been of long‐standing interest to social anthropology. Opinion‐formers on both sides of the North Atlantic have recently argued that this language can inflame tensions and reinforce divisions. In the UK, the discussion has centred on relations between a white majority and a Muslim minority, while in the US, in the aftermath of the attempted assassination of a Democratic Congresswoman in Arizona, it has focused on the risk of political language provoking violence. The antidote to inflammatory language is often assumed to be moderation, defined as a (self‐) disciplined engagement with divided publics. Drawing on the insights of Danielle Allen's Talking to strangers, here I suggest that moderation might be re‐imagined, not as a vague commitment to centrism and the ‘middle ground’, but as a powerful resource for citizens and communities to challenge the ideological excesses of politics, religion and the market in the twenty‐first century.
Climate change and anthropology: The importance of reception studies (Respond to this article at http://www.therai.org.uk/at/debate)
Authors: Rudiak‐Gould Peter
Published: March 2011

Climate change anthropology to date has devoted itself primarily to ‘observation studies’: investigations of how communities perceive and respond to the local physical impacts of global warming. I argue for the utility, and necessity, of a complementary research programme in ‘reception studies’: investigations of how communities receive, interpret and adopt the global scientific discourse of climate change that is now spreading rapidly to even the most remote societies. Using the Marshall Islands as a case study, I demonstrate the powerful influence of this discourse on local views of environmental change, belying recent arguments that anthropologists wishing to access emic notions of climate change must exclude the influence of foreign scientific education from their analysis.
Desecularisation and Sexual Equality
Authors: Jeffreys Sheila
Published: March 2011

There has been a rise in the political power of organised religions in both western countries and the non-west in the last two decades. There has been desecularisation of the public sphere in countries such as the UK and Australia which takes the form of deliberate government policy both to consult with ‘faith communities’ and to create an influential role for them in policy formation. These developments are likely to endanger sexual equality because the religious organisations are usually discriminatory with respect to gender and sexuality, both in their employment practices and their ideologies. This article will examine the ways in which desecularisation has been taking place in the UK and Australia and the implications of this for sexual equality.
Controlling anger in self‐reported sober and alcohol intoxicated states: Moderating effects of trait anger and alcohol consumption
Authors: JOHANSSON ADA , SANTTILA PEKKA , CORANDER JUKKA , JERN PATRICK , PAHLEN BETTINA VON DER , VARJONEN MARKUS , SANDNABBA KENNETH
Published: March 2011

Johansson, A., Santtila, P., Corander, J., Jern, P., von der Pahlen, B., Varjonen, M. & Sandnabba, K. (2011). Controlling anger in self‐reported sober and alcohol intoxicated states: Moderating effects of trait anger and alcohol consumption. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 52, 382–388.

Retrospective self‐reports about prior sober and alcohol intoxicated states were explored to reveal moderating effects of trait anger and alcohol consumption on anger control. The analyses were based on self‐reports of trait anger and alcohol consumption as well as self‐reports of the participants’ typical levels of anger control in sober and alcohol intoxicated states in a population based sample of Finnish twins and their siblings (N = 4,852). The reported levels of anger control were lower regarding prior alcohol intoxicated states than sober states. A three‐way interaction between alcohol consumption, trait anger and anger control was found. Whereas no interaction between alcohol consumption and trait anger was found in the self‐reported sober state, there was an interactive effect of trait anger and alcohol consumption on anger control in the intoxicated state, indicating that the difference in anger control between those with high levels of alcohol consumption and those with low levels, was greater at higher levels of trait anger. Women had lower levels of anger control than men, but the relationship between trait anger, alcohol consumption and anger control was similar for both genders. In conclusion, the results showed that those with high levels of trait anger and alcohol consumption showed the lowest levels of anger control in self‐reported alcohol intoxicated states, and indicate the importance of separating between anger control when sober and intoxicated since anger control seems to be differently related to at least trait anger and alcohol consumption in these states.
How German Labor Courts Decide: An Econometric Case Study
Authors: Berger Helge , Neugart Michael
Published: March 2011

Courts are an important element in the institutional framework of labor markets, often determining the degree of employment protection. German labor courts provide a vivid example in this regard. However, we know relatively little about court behavior. A unique dataset on German labor court verdicts reveals that social and other criteria like employee characteristics, the type of job, local labor market conditions and court composition influence court decisions. At least as striking is that workers’ chances to win depend on where and when their cases are filed. This generates considerable ex ante uncertainty about outcomes.
Developing a geographic search filter to identify randomised controlled trials in Africa: finding the optimal balance between sensitivity and precision
Authors: Pienaar Elizabeth , Grobler Liesl , Busgeeth Karishma , Eisinga Anne , Siegfried Nandi
Published: March 2011

Background:  Research on identifying trials using geographic filters is limited.

Objectives:  To test the sensitivity and precision of a filter to identify African randomised controlled trials (RCTs).

Methods:  We searched medline and embase for RCTs published in 2004 using a Cochrane filter for RCTs. The search was limited to HIV/AIDS but irrespective of location. Two investigators independently identified African RCTs from the retrieved records forming a reference set. We then repeated the search using an African geographic filter comprising country and regional terms forming the filter set. We compared the sensitivity and precision of the sets.

Results:  The medline reference set comprised 1799 records with 23 African RCTs; for embase, the reference set comprised 763 records with 37 African RCTs. The medline filter set comprised 180 records with 17 African RCTs; the embase filter set comprised 98 records with 27 African RCTs. Sensitivity of the filter was 74% (medline) and 73% (embase). Addition of the filter improved precision from 1.3% to 9.4% (medline) and from 5% to 28% (embase).

Conclusion:  The African filter improved precision with some loss in sensitivity. Incomplete reporting of trial location in electronic bibliographic records restricts efficiency of geographic filters. Prospective trial registration should alleviate this.
USING PSEUDO‐PANELS TO MEASURE INCOME MOBILITY IN LATIN AMERICA
Authors: CUESTA JOSE , ÑOPO HUGO , PIZZOLITTO GEORGINA
Published: March 2011

This paper presents a comparative overview of mobility patterns in 14 Latin American countries between 1992 and 2003. Using three alternative econometric techniques on constructed pseudo‐panels, the paper provides a set of estimators for the traditional notion of income mobility as well as for mobility around extreme and moderate poverty lines. The estimates suggest very high levels of time‐dependent unconditional immobility for the Region. However, the introduction of socioeconomic and personal factors reduces the estimate of income immobility by around 30 percent. There are also large variations in country‐specific income mobility (estimated to explain some additional 10 percent of inter‐temporal income variation). Analyzing the determinants of changes in poverty incidence within cohorts revealed statistically significant roles for age, gender, and education of the household head, the latter subject to distinctive effects across levels of attainment and transition in and out of poverty.
Preoperative vs. Postoperative Bilateral Paravertebral Blocks for Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: A Prospective Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Naja Zoher M. , El‐Rajab Mariam , Ziade Fouad , Al‐Tannir Mohamad , Itani Taha
Published: March 2011

Background:  The aim of this clinical trial was to determine the potential analgesic effect of preoperative paravertebral blockade in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Methods:  Sixty patients scheduled for laparoscopic cholecystectomy were randomized to one of two groups with 30 patients each: bilateral nerve stimulator guided paravertebral blockade at the T5 to T6 level either prior to induction of general anesthesia (Group 1) or blockade immediately postoperatively (Group 2).

Results:  The preoperative paravertebral block group had significantly lower visual analog scale scores compared with the postoperative paravertebral block group both at rest 12 hours postoperatively (1.06 vs. 1.89; P < 0.05), on movement 12 hours postoperatively (1.89 vs. 3.00; P < 0.001) and on coughing 12 hours postoperatively (2.24 vs. 3.17; P < 0.01). The consumption of analgesics as well as the duration of hospital stay was significantly reduced in patients receiving preoperative paravertebral blocks (P < 0.05). [Correction added after online publication 27th May 2011: visual analog scores were amended]

Conclusion:  Bilateral paravertebral blockade performed prior to general anesthesia for laparoscopic cholecystectomy can provide early discharge and better postoperative pain management.
22. Traumatic Plexus Lesion
Authors: van Dongen Robert , Cohen Steven P. , van Kleef Maarten , Mekhail Nagy , Huygen Frank
Published: March 2011

Abstract:  Pain, motor, and sensory deficits characterize patients with a traumatic lesion of the brachial plexus. Frequently, more severe injuries co‐exist that require immediate surgical attention.

Early rehabilitation and physical therapy are the cornerstones of treatment. Pharmacological management can be difficult. Surgical reconstruction is frequently advised when nerves are disrupted. The results, mostly from small historical reports, vary greatly. Neurostimulation may have an additional beneficial effect, especially if the pathophysiology of nociception and neuropathic pain becomes evident in these complex patients.
Florida Households’ Expected Responses to Hurricane Hazard Mitigation Incentives
Authors: Ge Yue , Peacock Walter Gillis , Lindell Michael K.
Published: March 2011

This study tested a series of models predicting household expectations of participating in hurricane hazard mitigation incentive programs. Data from 599 households in Florida revealed that mitigation incentive adoption expectations were most strongly and consistently related to hazard intrusiveness and risk perception and, to a lesser extent, worry. Demographic and hazard exposure had indirect effects on mitigation incentive adoption expectations that were mediated by the psychological variables. The results also revealed differences in the factors affecting mitigation incentive adoption expectations for each of five specific incentive programs. Overall, the results suggest that hazard managers are more likely to increase participation in mitigation incentive programs if they provide messages that repeatedly (thus increasing hazard intrusiveness) remind people of the likelihood of severe negative consequences of hurricane impact (thus increasing risk perception).
Ethnography of the Street: When is a Place not a Place?
Authors: Radice Martha
Published: March 2011

[in focus, place, ethnography, urban anthropology, Montreal, fieldwork]
Teaching Anthropology Courses through a Human Rights Lens
Authors: Schafft Gretchen E
Published: March 2011

[public affairs, human rights forum, human right]

Gretchen E Schafft is contributing editor of Human Rights Forum, the AN column of the AAA Committee for Human Rights.
Characteristics of foraging sites and protein status in wintering muskoxen: insights from isotopes of nitrogen
Authors: Gustine David D. , Barboza Perry S. , Lawler James P. , Arthur Stephen M. , Shults Brad S. , Persons Kate , Adams Layne G.
Published: March 2011

Identifying links between nutritional condition of individuals and population trajectories greatly enhances our understanding of the ecology, conservation, and management of wildlife. For northern ungulates, the potential impacts of a changing climate to populations are predicted to be nutritionally mediated through an increase in the severity and variance in winter conditions. Foraging conditions and the availability of body protein as a store for reproduction in late winter may constrain productivity in northern ungulates, yet the link between characteristics of wintering habitats and protein status has not been established for a wild ungulate. We used a non‐invasive proxy of protein status derived from isotopes of N in excreta to evaluate the influence of winter habitats on the protein status of muskoxen in three populations in Alaska (2005–2008). Multiple regression and an information‐theoretic approach were used to compare models that evaluated the influence of population, year, and characteristics of foraging sites (components of diet and physiography) on protein status for groups of muskoxen. The observed variance in protein status among groups of muskoxen across populations and years was partially explained (45%) by local foraging conditions that affected forage availability. Protein status improved for groups of muskoxen as the amount of graminoids in the diet increased (−0.430 ± 0.31, β± 95% CI) and elevation of foraging sites decreased (0.824 ± 0.67). Resources available for reproduction in muskoxen are highly dependent upon demographic, environmental, and physiographic constraints that affect forage availability in winter. Due to their very sedentary nature in winter, muskoxen are highly susceptible to localized foraging conditions; therefore, the spatial variance in resource availability may exert a strong effect on productivity. Consequently, there is a clear need to account for climate–topography effects in winter at multiple scales when predicting the potential impacts of climatic shifts on population trajectories of muskoxen.
Evaluation of a new foam to increase skin hydration of the foot in type 2 diabetes: a pilot study
Authors: Papanas Nikolaos , Papazoglou Dimitrios , Papatheodorou Konstantinos , Maltezos Efstratios
Published: March 2011

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of a new product (Neuropad repair foam®) in promoting skin hydration of the foot in type 2 diabetes. Included in this study were 20 type 2 diabetic patients (10 men, mean age 61·40 ± 2·44 years). Patients applied Neuropad repair foam® on the plantar aspect of the right foot twice daily. No agent was applied on the left foot. Patients were examined at baseline, after 7 treatment days and after 14 treatment days. Evaluation of skin dryness was performed by means of the Multi Skin test Corneometer MC 900. In the right foot, skin capacitance was 26·55 ± 4·14 arbitrary units (a.u.) at baseline, 28·90 ± 4·53 a.u. after 7 days of treatment and 32·05 ± 4·54 a.u. after 14 days of treatment. There was a significant increase in skin capacitance from baseline to 7 days of treatment (P < 0·001), from baseline to 14 treatment days (P < 0·001), as well as from 7 to 14 days of treatment (P < 0·001). The same significant (P < 0·001) increases were observed both in men and in women. No changes were noted in the left foot. At baseline, there was no difference in skin capacitance between right and left foot (P = 0·186). However, skin capacitance was significantly higher on the right versus left foot, both after 7 days (P < 0·001) and after 14 days of treatment (P < 0·001). In conclusion, results with the new foam appear encouraging in ameliorating skin dryness in the diabetic foot and further investigation is warranted.
The role of WNT10B in physiology and disease
Authors: Wend P. , Wend K. , Krum S. A. , Miranda‐Carboni G. A.
Published: March 2011

Wnt10b is a member of the Wnt ligand gene family that encodes for secreted proteins, which activate the ancient and highly conserved Wnt signalling cascade. The Wnt pathway has been shown to be essential for embryonic development, tissue integrity, and stem cell activity, but if deregulated, also causes disease such as cancer. Although the 19 different Wnt ligands found in both human and mouse can activate several branches of the Wnt pathway, WNT10B specifically activates canonical Wnt/β‐catenin signalling and thus triggers β‐catenin/LEF/TCF‐mediated transcriptional programs. In this review, we highlight the unique functions of WNT10B and mechanisms of how WNT10B acts in the immune system, mammary gland, adipose tissue, bone and skin. In these organs, WNT10B has been well established to be involved in signalling networks controlling stemness, pluripotency and cell fate decisions. Deregulation of these processes causes diseases such as breast cancer, obesity and osteoporosis. Compelling evidence suggests that WNT10B is a valuable candidate for the development of therapeutic regimens for human diseases.
The empty forest revisited
Authors: Wilkie David S. , Bennett Elizabeth L. , Peres Carlos A. , Cunningham Andrew A.
Published: March 2011

Tropical forests are among the most species‐rich ecosystems on the planet. Some authors argue that predictions of a tropical forest extinction crisis based on analyses of deforestation rates are overly pessimistic since they do not take account of future agricultural abandonment as a result of rural–urban migration and subsequent secondary regrowth. Even if such regrowth occurs, it is crucial to consider threats to species that are not directly correlated with area of forest cover. Hunting is an insidious but significant driver of tropical forest defaunation, risking cascading changes in forest plant and animal composition. Ineffective legislation and enforcement along with a failure of decision makers to address the threats of hunting is fanning the fire of a tropical forest extinction crisis. If tropical forest ecosystems are to survive, the threat of unsustainable hunting must be adequately addressed now.
Ecosystem services provided by bats
Authors: Kunz Thomas H. , Braun de Torrez Elizabeth , Bauer Dana , Lobova Tatyana , Fleming Theodore H.
Published: March 2011

Ecosystem services are the benefits obtained from the environment that increase human well‐being. Economic valuation is conducted by measuring the human welfare gains or losses that result from changes in the provision of ecosystem services. Bats have long been postulated to play important roles in arthropod suppression, seed dispersal, and pollination; however, only recently have these ecosystem services begun to be thoroughly evaluated. Here, we review the available literature on the ecological and economic impact of ecosystem services provided by bats. We describe dietary preferences, foraging behaviors, adaptations, and phylogenetic histories of insectivorous, frugivorous, and nectarivorous bats worldwide in the context of their respective ecosystem services. For each trophic ensemble, we discuss the consequences of these ecological interactions on both natural and agricultural systems. Throughout this review, we highlight the research needed to fully determine the ecosystem services in question. Finally, we provide a comprehensive overview of economic valuation of ecosystem services. Unfortunately, few studies estimating the economic value of ecosystem services provided by bats have been conducted to date; however, we outline a framework that could be used in future studies to more fully address this question. Consumptive goods provided by bats, such as food and guano, are often exchanged in markets where the market price indicates an economic value. Nonmarket valuation methods can be used to estimate the economic value of nonconsumptive services, including inputs to agricultural production and recreational activities. Information on the ecological and economic value of ecosystem services provided by bats can be used to inform decisions regarding where and when to protect or restore bat populations and associated habitats, as well as to improve public perception of bats.
PHOTOCHEMICAL LINKAGE OF ANTIBODIES TO SILICON CHIPS
Authors: Sundarababu Gajendran , Gao Hui , Sigrist Hans
Published: March 2011

Antibodies and antigen binding fragments thereof were photochemically immobilized on surface‐modified silicon chips of 5 × 5 mm size. Silicon surface‐grafted diazirines and benzophenones formed covalent bonds with the immunoreagents on light activation. Photolithographic immobilization of monoclonal antibodies in aqueous media was achieved on silicon chips by activating surface‐grafted benzophenones. The presence of bovine serum albumin during irradiation reduced nonspecific adsorption of the immunoreagents and retained the immunoactivity of the photoimmobilized molecules.
KINETICS AND MECHANISM OF PHOTOCYCLOADDITION OF DEOXYURIDINES TO 2,3‐DIMETHYL‐2‐BUTENE
Authors: Haga Naoki , Takayanagi Hiroaki , Ogura Haruo , Kuriyama Yasunao , Tokumaru Katsumi
Published: March 2011

The mechanism of photocycloaddition of 2′‐deoxyuridine (1a) and thymidine (1b) to 2,3‐dimethyl‐2‐butene (Bu) in acetonitrile by UV irradiation has been studied. The reciprocal quantum yield for the cycloaddition increased linearly with reciprocal concentrations of Bu in acetonitrile to give limiting quantum yields at infinite concentration of Bu as 0.030 and 0.0096 for 1a and 1b, respectively. This shows that the cycloaddition proceeds in a two‐step mechanism between the triplet state of 1 and Bu through biradical intermediates. Addition of cis‐1,3‐pentadiene quenched the reaction obeying the Stern–Volmer equation. The above quenching experiments and laser transient spectroscopy revealed that the triplet state of 1a reacts with Bu with much larger rate constant (1.3–1.6 × 109 M−1 s−1) than that of 1b (4–5 × 107 M−1 s−1) reflecting larger steric hindrance exerted in the reaction of 1b than that of 1a.
PHOTOLUMINESCENT PROPERTIES OF OCTADECYLRHODAMINE B IN MICELLES OF LOW‐MOLECULAR‐WEIGHT DETERGENTS AND WATER‐SOLUBLE TRIBLOCK COPOLYMERS
Authors: Nakashima Kenichi , Fujimoto Yoshinori , Anzai Takayuki
Published: March 2011

The fluorescence intensity, lifetime and degree of polarization of octadecylrhodamine B (ORB) have been measured in order to examine the usefulness of this molecule as a probe of micelle properties for low‐molecular‐weight detergents and water‐soluble triblock copolymers. The surfactants examined are hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride (HTAC), Triton X‐100 (TX‐100), sodium dode‐cylsulfate (SDS), sodium tetradecylsulfate (STS), and Pluronic L64 (ethylene oxide [EO]13 propylene oxide30 EO13, L64). The fluorescence intensity and degree of polarization of ORB show drastic increases at the critical micelle concentrations (CMC) of HTAC, TX‐100 and L64, indicating that ORB is cooperatively incorporated into the micelles upon micellization. This feature demonstrates the validity of ORB as a probe for detecting micelle formation of these surfactants. However, in the case of SDS and STS, the fluorescence intensity starts to rise at concentrations far below the CMC, and the degree of polarization does not show significant changes at the CMC. The details of the interactions between ORB and the anionic surfactants have been unclear. These facts imply that some caution is needed for the applications of ORB to the systems containing anionic surfactants. The local viscosity of L64 micelles has been determined by polarization and lifetime measurements. The structure of the block copolymer micelles and the locations of the probe in the micelles are discussed in terms of the viscosity data.
GENETIC AND MOLECULAR ANALYSES OF UV RADIATION‐INDUCED MUTATIONS IN THE FEM‐3 GENE OF CAENORHABDITIS ELEGANS
Authors: Hartman Phil S. , De Wilde Daniel , Dwarakanath Vangipuram N.
Published: March 2011

The utility of a new target gene (fem‐3) is described for investigating the molecular nature of mutagenesis in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. As a principal attribute, this system allows for the selection, maintenance and molecular analysis of any type of mutation that disrupts the gene, including deletions. In this study, 86 mutant strains were isolated, of which 79 proved to have mutations in fem‐3. Twenty of these originally tested as homozygous inviable. Homozygous inviability was expected, as Stewart and coworkers had previously observed that, unlike in other organisms, most UV radiation‐induced mutations in C. elegans are chromosomal rearrangements of deficiencies (Mutat. Res. 249, 37–54, 1991). However, additional data, including Southern blot analyses on 48 of the strains, indicated that most of the UV radiation‐induced fem‐3 mutations were not deficiencies, as originally inferred from their homozygous inviability. Instead, the lethals were most likely “coincident mutations” in linked, essential genes that were concomitantly induced. As such, they were lost owing to genetic recombination during stock maintenance. As in mammalian cells, yeast and bacteria, the frequency of coincident mutations was much higher than would be predicted by chance.
AUTOMATED MECHANICAL STIMULATION AND MEASUREMENT OF BIOLUMINESCENCE IN MARINE DINOFLAGELLATES
Authors: Stolzenberg Hans‐Christian , Kalnowski Gunther , Dott Wolfgang
Published: March 2011

A new integrated system for reproducible, automated mechanical stimulation and measurement of bioluminescence (BL) in multiple samples of marine dinoflagellate cell suspensions is described. The system was designed to allow the application of standardized experimental routines to parallel test vials for the purpose of toxicity testing. A sample tray delivered test vials to the position of mechanical stimulation and BL measurement. Mechanical stimulation of BL was applied as sharp rotation‐onset of the test vial about its vertical axis. Thus, any direct chemical or physical perturbation of the cell suspension was avoided. A silicon photovoltaic cell measured the emitted light. Stimulation, measurement and recording of BL were integrated and controlled by specially developed software, which runs on a personal computer in the graphic environment of MS‐Windows. Precise scheduling, flexible programming and identical repetition of experimental routines are possible in practice. For Gonyaulax polyedra, details of BL, as stimulated and measured with the new system, are presented and discussed. We conclude that the system exhibits specific features that offer wide potential of application in several fields of research on dinoflagellate BL, particularly for toxicity testing.
SPECTROSCOPIC AND MICROSCOPIC CHARACTERISTICS OF HUMAN SKIN AUTOFLUORESCENCE EMISSION
Authors: Zeng Haishan , MacAulay Calum , Palcic Branko , McLean David I.
Published: March 2011

To improve the understanding of human skin autofluorescence emission, the spectroscopic and microscopic characteristics of skin autofluorescence were studied using a combined fluorescence and reflectance spectroanalyzer and a fiber optic microspectrophotometer. The autofluorescence spectra of in vivo human skin were measured over a wide excitation wavelength range (350–470 nm). The excitation–emission matrices of in vivo skin were obtained. An excitation–emission maximum pair (380 nm, 470 nm) was identified. It was revealed that the most probable energy of skin autofluorescence emission photons increases monotonically and near linearly with increasing excitation photon energy. It was demonstrated that the diffuse reflectance, R, can be used as a first order approximation of the fluorescence distortion factor f to correct the measured in vivo autofluorescence spectra for the effect of tissue reabsorption and scattering. The microscopic in vitro autofluorescence properties of excised skin tissue sections were examined using 442 nm He–Cd laser light excitation as an example. It was demonstrated that the fluorophore distribution inside the skin tissue is not uniform and the shapes of the autofluorescence spectra of different anatomical skin layers vary. The result of this study confirms that the major skin fluorophores are located in the dermis and provides an excellent foundation for Monte Carlo modeling of in vivo autofluorescence measurements.
THE EFFECT OF ALA AND RADIATION ON PORPHYRIN/HEME BIOSYNTHESIS IN ENDOTHELIAL CELLS
Authors: He Dan , Behar Susana , Nomura Nakao , Sassa Shigeru , Lim Henry W.
Published: March 2011

To study porphyrin biosynthesis in human microvascular endothelial cells, HMEC‐1 cells, a transformed human microvascular endothelial cell line, were incubated with 5‐aminolevulinic acid (ALA), the precursor of endogenous porphyrins, and porphyrin accumulation was measured spectro‐fluorometrically. The HMEC‐1 cells accumulated porphyrin in a concentration‐related and a time‐dependent fashion. Protoporphyrin was the predominant porphyrin accumulated in the cells. The effect of light on protoporphyrin accumulation was evaluated by exposing the ALA‐loaded HMEC‐1 cells to ultraviolet‐A (UVA) and blue light, followed by another incubation with ALA for 2–24 h. Enhancement of protoporphyrin accumulation in irradiated HMEC‐1 cells was observed 2–24 h after irradiation, which was associated with a decrease in ferrochelatase protein and activity. Porphyrin accumulation from ALA after irradiation was significantly decreased when catalase (750–3000 U/mL, 29.3–44.3% suppression) or superoxide dismutase (270 U/mL, 36.4% suppression) was present during irradiation. These data demonstrate that HMEC‐1 cells were capable of porphyrin biosynthesis, and that exposure of protoporphyrin‐containing HMEC‐1 cells to UVA and blue light, which includes the Soret band spectrum, decreased the ferrochelatase activity and its protein. These changes were mediated, at least in part, by reactive oxygen species.
Obesity Hypertension in Adolescents: Epidemiology, Evaluation, and Management
Authors: Flynn Joseph T. , Falkner Bonita E.
Published: March 2011

The prevalence of hypertension among all adolescents is approximately 3.5%, with somewhat higher rates of prehypertension. Obesity affects approximately 20% of adolescents in the United States, and the prevalence of hypertension is much higher among obese adolescents compared with nonobese adolescents. As in other populations, the evaluation of elevated blood pressure in obese adolescents should begin with a confirmation of the blood pressure elevation, followed by a focused diagnostic work‐up to detect possible secondary causes of hypertension. Primary therapy for obesity‐related hypertension in adolescents begins with weight loss, and may include antihypertensive medications if target‐organ damage or other indications for drug therapy are present. The emphasis of management should be reduction of future cardiovascular risk.

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2011;13:323–331. ©2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Water beetle biodiversity in Mediterranean standing waters: assemblage composition, environmental drivers and nestedness patterns
Authors: PICAZO FÉLIX , BILTON DAVID T. , MORENO JOSÉ LUIS , SÁNCHEZ‐FERNÁNDEZ DAVID , MILLÁN ANDRÉS
Published: March 2011

Abstract.  1. Nowadays, it is widely accepted that increasing human activity is highly related to the current biodiversity loss, this fact being especially worrying in aquatic ecosystems, mainly in semi‐arid areas. To date, studies on the biodiversity of small standing waters are focused on Central and Northern Europe, Mediterranean regions being poorly documented.

2. Here, data for aquatic Coleoptera in SE Iberia have been used to: (i) explore the relative contribution of standing waters to regional aquatic biodiversity, (ii) identify the environmental drivers structuring beetle assemblages, (iii) determine the degree to which standing water assemblages are nested subsets, and (iv) make recommendations for the conservation and management of the habitats studied.

3. Water beetles are a hyperdiverse group of aquatic insects which represent good surrogates of aquatic biodiversity. A total of 95 sites across eight habitat types were sampled, 174 species being recorded (11% were Iberian endemics).

4. Habitat types generally had distinct aquatic beetle faunas; a combination of conductivity, anthropogenic impact and altitude best explaining differences in assemblages across sites. Beetle faunas were significantly nested, this being the case across all sites, and for both fresh and saline systems independently. Disturbance was identified as a key driver of nestedness across sites overall, and particularly in freshwaters, whereas conductivity was more important in saline waters.

5. Our study identifies the biodiversity importance of lentic inland waters in the Iberian southeast, and points to the influence that human activities already exert on the invertebrate faunas of western Mediterranean wetlands.
Effects of Size, Orientation, and Form Tolerances on the Frequency Distributions of Clearance Between Two Planar Faces
Authors: Ameta Gaurav , Davidson Joseph K. , Shah Jami J.
Published: March 2011

A new mathematical model for representing the geometric variations of a planar surface is extended to include probabilistic representations for a 1D dimension of interest, which can be determined from multidimensional variations of the planar surface on a part. The model is compatible with the ASME/ANSI/ISO Standards for geometric tolerances. Central to the new model is a Tolerance-Map® (T-Map®) (Patent No. 6963824), a hypothetical volume of points that models the 3D variations in location and orientation of a feature, which can arise from tolerances on size, position, orientation, and form. The 3D variations of a planar surface are decomposed into manufacturing bias, i.e., toward certain regions of a Tolerance-Map, and into geometric bias that can be computed from the geometry of T-Maps. The geometric bias arises from the shape of the feature, the tolerance-zone, and the control used on the mating envelope. Influence of manufacturing bias on the frequency distribution of 1D dimension of interest is demonstrated with two examples: the multidimensional truncated Gaussian distribution and the uniform distribution. In this paper, form and orientation variations are incorporated as subsets in order to model the coupling between size and form variations, as permitted by the ASME Standard when the amounts of these variations differ. Two distributions for flatness, i.e., the uniform distribution and the Gaussian distribution that has been truncated symmetrically to six standard deviations, are used as examples to illustrate the influence of form on the dimension of interest. The influence of orientation (parallelism and perpendicularity) refinement on the frequency distribution for the dimension of interest is demonstrated. Although rectangular faces are utilized in this paper to illustrate the method, the same techniques may be applied to any convex plane-segment that serves as a target face.
Affective-Cognitive Modeling for User Experience With Modular Colored Fuzzy Petri Nets
Authors: Xu Qianli , Zhou Feng , (Roger) Jiao Jianxin
Published: March 2011

Design innovation that accommodates customers’ affective needs along with their cognitive decisions suggests itself to be of primary importance for a system to convey more added-value. Product development should accommodate complicated interactions among human users and multiple products, and thus entails the need for systematic modeling of users’ affective states in conjunction with the cognitive process. This paper adopts a perspective of designing product ecosystems with a particular focus on the activity-based user experience (UX). To model the affective-cognitive aspects of UX, a modular colored fuzzy Petri net (MCFPN) model is developed to capture the causal relations embedded in users’ affective responses and cognitive processes. The method is applied to design a product ecosystem of a subway station. Initial findings from simulation indicate that the ecosystem perspective of product design is a useful step toward affective-cognitive engineering, and the MCFPN formalism excels in incorporating UX into product development.
Modeling the Effect of Product Architecture on Mass-Collaborative Processes
Authors: Le Qize , Panchal Jitesh H.
Published: March 2011

Traditional product development efforts are primarily based on well-structured and hierarchical product development processes. The products are systematically decomposed into subsystems that are designed by dedicated teams with well-defined information flows. Over the last 2 decades, a new product development approach called mass-collaborative product development (MCPD) has emerged. The fundamental difference between a traditional product development process and a MCPD process is that the former is based on top-down decomposition while the latter is based on evolution and self-organization. The paradigm of MCPD has resulted in highly successful products such as Wikipedia, Linux, and Apache. Despite the success of various projects using MCPD, it is not well understood how the product architecture affects the evolution of products developed using such processes. Toward addressing this gap, we present an agent-based model to study the effect of product architectures in MCPD processes. The model is executed for different architectures ranging from slot architecture to bus architecture and the rates of product evolution are determined. The agent-based modeling approach allows us to study how (a) the degree of modularity of products and (b) the sequence of decoupling affect the evolution time of individual modules and overall products developed through MCPD processes. The approach is presented using the architecture of mobile phones as an illustrative example. This approach provides a simple and intuitive way to study the effects of product architecture on the MCPD processes. It is helpful in determining suitable strategies for product decomposition and module decoupling, and in identifying the product architectures that are suitable for MCPD processes.