bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and validation of prognostic models designed to predict wheelchair skills at discharge from spinal cord injury rehabilitation
Authors: de Groot S. , Bevers GE , Dallmeijer AJ , Post MWM , van Kuppevelt HJM , van der Woude LHV
Published: November 2009

Objective: To develop and validate a statistical model to predict wheelchair skills at discharge (t 2) from personal and lesion characteristics and wheelchair skills at the start of spinal cord injury inpatient rehabilitation (t1).

Design: Prospective cohort study

Setting: Eight Dutch rehabilitation centres.

Subjects: One hundred and forty-two patients with a spinal cord injury.

Main measures: Models were developed with the performance time and ability score at t2 as dependent variables and t1 scores of performance time and ability score, age, gender, body mass index, level and completeness of the lesion as independent variables. The statistical models were evaluated by comparing individual estimated scores with actual measured scores.

Results: The main independent variables to predict wheelchair skills at discharge were the t1 performance time and ability score, age, gender and lesion level. The intraclass correlation coefficient between the estimated and actual ability score was 0.79 and for the performance time 0.86. However, the 95% limits of agreement and their confidence intervals were relatively wide for both ability score (—2.3 to 3.4, range 0—8) and performance time (—12.5 to 8.2, range 11—40 seconds).

Conclusion: The prognostic models developed in this study to predict future wheelchair skills might help planning the course of rehabilitation. The models should be used with caution in daily clinical practice, but may add useful information to clinical expertise and knowledge of the individual patient.
Comparison of the Bender Gestalt-II and VMI-V in Samples of Typical Children and Children with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders
Authors: Volker Martin A. , Lopata Christopher , Vujnovic Rebecca K. , Smerbeck Audrey M. , Toomey Jennifer A. , Rodgers Jonathan D. , Schiavo Audrey , Thomeer Marcus L.
Published: November 2009

The visual-motor skills of 60 children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASDs) and 46 typically developing children were assessed using the Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt Test— Second Edition (BG-II) and Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration, Fifth Edition (VMI-V). Within-group comparisons yielded substantive mean differences between the BG-II Copy score and VMI-V composite,Visual Perception and Motor Coordination sections of the VMI-V, and Copy and Recall sections of the BG-II, in both samples. Between-groups differences were assessed in a subsample of 27 participants from each group matched on age, gender, ethnicity, and parent education. After statistically controlling for IQ, the HFASD group scored significantly lower than the typically developing group on the two scores from each test with greater motor involvement. Intratest and intertest correlations were similar across the two samples. Correlations between the BG-II Copy score and VMI-V composite were .55 for the HFASD and .48 for the typically developing sample.
Male and Female University Students’ Experiences of Indirect Aggression
Authors: Leenaars Lindsey , Rinaldi Christina M.
Published: November 2009

This study examines the role of sex, gender role orientation, social representations of indirect aggression, and indicators of psychosocial adjustment in indirect aggression and victimization in an emerging adult sample. A total of 42 participants (19 men, 23 women) recruited are required to complete the questionnaires, along with 18 participants out of the total study sample also completing daily journals. No sex differences are found for either indirect aggression or victimization. Indirect victimization is found to be the most significant predictor of indirect aggression. When controlling for indirect aggression, mania is the most significant predictor of indirect victimization. An inductive thematic analysis of the journals is conducted. The results are interpreted in relation to previous research and theory. Limitations, implications, and directions for future research are discussed.
Blood cocaine and metabolite pharmacokinetics after cardiac arrest in a body-packer case
Authors: de Prost Nicolas , Mégarbane Bruno , Questel Frank , Bloch Vanessa , Cantin Bertaux Delphine , Pourriat Jean Louis , Rabbat Antoine
Published: November 2009

Introduction: Cocaine body packing, the internal concealment of cocaine for transportation between countries, may expose to life-threatening intoxications. No data is currently available on the pharmacokinetics of cocaine and its metabolites when a packet rupture occurs in a body packer. Case report: We report the first pharmacokinetic data associated with a severe cocaine intoxication in a body packer, resulting in cardiac arrest. Massive concentrations of cocaine (observed maximal concentration: 1.66 mg/L, 1 hour after the cardiac arrest) were measured in plasma up to about 15 hours, suggesting a prolonged absorption due to a slow-release in the gastrointestinal tract despite surgical extraction of the packets. Apparent cocaine elimination half-life was 7.6 hours. Conclusion: A prolonged apparent cocaine elimination half-life has been observed. Further pharmacokinetic studies are needed to understand better the pathophysiology of acute cocaine intoxication in body packers.
Disparate distribution of activating and inhibitory killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor genes in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Hou Y-F. , Zhang Y-C. , Jiao Y-L. , Wang L-C. , Li J-F. , Pan Z-L. , Yang Q-R. , Sun H-S. , Zhao Y-R.
Published: November 2009

The genes of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs), which are involved in the activation of T cells and natural killer cells, are highly variable. In recent years, the role of KIRs in autoimmune diseases has received increasing attention. The present study was undertaken to determine the association of the polymorphism of KIR genes with the susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The polymorphism of KIR genes of 93 patients with SLE together with 123 healthy donors as the control group was determined by polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers. Twenty-seven novel gene combinations were found. Genotypic frequencies of KIR2DL2 (p < 0.001) and KIR2DS1 (p < 0.001) were much higher in patients with SLE than in control subjects. Individuals with two and more than two activating KIR genes were found more frequently in patients than in control subjects (80.7% versus 66.7%, p = 0.022). The results suggest that a genetic disturbance between activating and inhibitory KIR genes may be one of the key factors underlying the pathogenesis of SLE.
Energy and Climate Change
Authors: Razavi Hossein
Published: November 2009

India is facing an unprecedented challenge in the energy sector where it has to respond to the rapidly increasing energy demand, widespread environmental issues, lack of access to electricity by some 400 million people, increasing reliance on oil imports, and an increasing scrutiny and political pressure from the international com-munity regarding the impact of India’s energy consumption on the global climate change. This paper examines the implications of a business-as-usual (BAU) scenario of energy growth in India in regard to two major issues: the security of supply and the climate change. It then considers various measures of energy efficiency and energy diversification to arrive at policies which would enable the country to move towards a more sustainable scenario. Under this sustainable scenario India will maximise the use of clean energy resources, minimise inefficiencies in the energy supply-demand chain, and reduce its dependence on imported oil. At the same time, the sustainable scenario would result in a slower growth in CO2 emissions. The benefit of carbon saving to the global environment supports a package of cooperation between India and the international community, which would enable India to access and afford the most advanced energy technologies as they become available.
The Effects of Adolescent Victimization on Self-Concept and Depressive Symptoms
Authors: Turner Heather A. , Finkelhor David , Ormrod Richard
Published: November 2009

Using two waves of the Developmental Victimization Survey (DVS), this research examined the effects of different forms of child victimization on changes in self-concept in a national sample of 11- to 18-year-old youth. Specifically, we (a) assessed the independent effects of past-year sexual victimization, nonsexual child maltreatment, peer victimization, and nonvictimization adversity on changes in mastery and self-esteem, (b) investigated the effects of these stressors on levels of depressive symptoms, and (c) determined the extent to which changes in mastery and/or self-esteem mediate associations between victimization and depression. Results indicate that only sexual victimization independently reduced self-esteem, and there were no significant changes in mastery in response to victimization exposure. Declines in self-esteem partially mediated the association between past-year sexual victimization exposure and levels of depressive symptoms. Strong direct effects of each form of victimization and nonvictimization adversity on depression were also evident. Results suggest that sexual victimization experiences may have uniquely powerful effects on self-esteem that are not apparent for other types of victimization and stress.
Theory Pruning: Strategies to Reduce Our Dense Theoretical Landscape
Authors: Leavitt Keith , Mitchell Terence R. , Peterson Jeff
Published: November 2009

The current article presents a systematic approach to theory pruning (defined here as hypothesis specification and study design intended to bound and reduce theory). First, we argue that research that limits theory is underrepresented in the organizational sciences, erring overwhelmingly on the side of confirmatory null hypothesis testing. Second, we propose criteria for determining comparability, deciding when it is appropriate to test theories or parts of theories against one another. Third, we suggest hypotheses or questions for testing competing theories. Finally, we revisit the spirit of ‘‘strong inference.’’ We present reductionist strategies appropriate for the organizational sciences, which extend beyond traditional approaches of ‘‘critical’’ comparisons between whole theories. We conclude with a discussion of strong inference in organizational science and how theory pruning can help in that pursuit.
Beliefs about insulin as a predictor of fear of hypoglycaemia
Authors: Beléndez Marina , Hernández-Mijares Antonio
Published: November 2009

The present study extends previous research by exploring the predictive value of beliefs about insulin therapy in fear of hypoglycaemia (FoH). Data were collected on 81 Spanish adults (aged 18—58 years) with type 1 diabetes. Participants completed a survey questionnaire containing the following measures: state-trait anxiety inventory, beliefs about medicines questionnaire (specific scale), a modified version of the FoH Survey (worry scale) and different questions about demographic and clinical information (duration of diabetes, daily shots of insulin, severe hypoglycaemic episodes, metabolic control). Regression analyses showed that history of severe hypoglycaemic episodes and concerns about insulin therapy had the most predictive influence on FoH. Treatment perceptions, particularly concerns about insulin, were related to reported FoH. However, FoH is a complex phenomenon and more research is needed in order to gain a better understanding of its predictors and correlates.
Engineering characteristics of sand-clay mixtures used for clay cores of earth-fill dams
Authors: Gökalp Z.
Published: November 2009

Clay is the main construction material for clay cores of earth-fill dams. Clay minerals swell when they become wet and shrink when they dry out; cracks develop as they lose moisture. If precautions are not taken to prevent seepage through these cracks, dam failures may result. In this study, sand was added to montmorillonite-dominant clay soils to investigate the effect of sand-inclusion rates on the engineering characteristics of clay soils used in the construction of clay cores of earth-fill dams. Changes in the consistency limits, compaction characteristics, permeability, stress-strain relationships and swelling characteristics with increasing sand inclusion rates were evaluated. Based on the results from experimental trials, a 30% sand inclusion rate appears to be the optimum proportion; most of the swelling occurred in the voids of grains and led to permeability levels below the allowable limits for earth-fill dams.
Impacts of clay mineralogy and physiographic units on the distribution of potassium forms in calcareous soils in Iran
Authors: Rezapour S. , Jafarzadeh A. A. , Samadi A. , Oustan S.
Published: November 2009

The potassium pools of five major physiographic units of the Urmia region situated in western Azerbaijan province, north-west Iran, were studied to determine the distribution of K forms as functions of clay mineralogy and physiographic units. Soil samples from horizons of ten pedons were selected and analysed for physiochemical properties, clay mineralogy and forms of K. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that the soils were similar in clay-mineral compositions, consisting of illite, smectite, chlorite, and kaolinite, for the different physiographic units, but vary in the relative amounts of these minerals. The illite content was highest in piedmont plain (P.P) followed by plateau (Pl), river alluvial plain (R.A.P), colluvial alluvial plain (C.A.R) and lowland (L.L) units. Smectite content was highest in Pl followed by P.P, L.L, R.A.P and C.A.P units. Several processes, such as the diversity of weathering rate, biocyclying processes of K accumulation, geomorphologic conditions and soil formation processes, caused significant differences in most K forms in the soils. A wide variation in total K (HF-extractable K) (0.54–1.1%), non-exchangeable K (280–450 mg kg–1) and exchangeable K (217–330 mg kg–1) occurred among the physiographic units, corresponding to variations in their mineralogical compositions, mainly the abundance of illite. Significant differences (P⩽ 0.05) were found for K, HNO3-extractable K and non-exchangeable K between the soils with large illite contents (30–50%) and with small illite contents (10–30%). A significant positive relationship existed between mineral K and illite content (r2= 0.85,P⩽ 0.001) and non-exchangeable K and illite content (r2= 0.84,P⩽ 0.001). The results indicated that these pools of K are mainly released from the frayed edges and wedge zones of illite.
Theoretical calculations of [AlO4/M+]0
defects in quartz and crystal-chemical controls on the uptake of Al
Authors: Botis S. M. , Pan Yuanming
Published: November 2009

The
[AlO4/M+]0
(where M = H, Li, Na and K) defects in α-quartz have
been investigated by ab initio calculations at the
density functional theory (DFT) level, using the
CRYSTAL06 code, 72-atom supercells, and all-electron
basis sets. Our DFT calculations yielded substantially improved results than
previous cluster calculations with minimal basis sets. For example, the
[AlO4/M+(a<)]0
defects with M = H, Li and Na have been shown to be
more stable than their
[AlO4/M+(a>)]0
structural analogues (where a> and a< denote the location of the
charge-compensating ion on the long-bond and short-bond side respectively),
correctly predicting the common occurrence of paramagnetic
[AlO4/M+(a>)]+
centres. In addition, the [AlO4/K+]0
defects have been investigated for the first time and are shown to be stable in
quartz. Moreover, our calculations confirm previous
suggestions that incorporation of the
[AlO4/M+]0
defects results in significant structural relaxations that extend at least to the
nearest Si atoms and give Li—O and Na—O bond distances in better agreement with
the experimentally obtained values. The present theoretical results on the
[AlO4/M+]0
defects provide a more complete picture for the coupled
Al3+—M+
substitutions and hence new insights into crystal-chemical controls on the uptake
of Al in quartz.
Oxygen isotope sector zoning in natural hydrothermal quartz
Authors: Jourdan A.-L. , Vennemann T. W. , Mullis J. , Ramseyer K.
Published: November 2009

Oxygen isotope measurements using SIMS and laser-fluorination methods confirm
the presence of concentric and sector zoning in low-temperature (200°C to
<400°C) hydrothermal quartz from Alpine veins. While concentric zoning is most
readily explained by changes in the chemical composition of the fluid or
temperature of crystallization, the reasons for sector zoning are more difficult
to explain. Relative enrichment in 18O for
crystallographically different sectors of quartz corresponds to
m >r
>z. Sector zoning is, however, largely limited to
the exterior zones of crystals and/or to crystals with large Al (>1000 ppm) and
trace element contents, probably formed at temperatures <250°C. Differences in
δ18O between the prismatic (m)
relative to the rhombohedral (r and z) growth sectors of up to 2% can be explained
by a combination of a face-related crystallographic and/or a growth rate control.
In contrast, isotopic sector zoning of up to about 1.5% amongst the different
rhombohedral faces increases in parallel with the trace element content and is
likely to represent disequilibrium growth. This is indicated by non-systematic, up
to 2%, differences within single growth zones and the irregular, larger or
smaller, δ18O values (of several permil) of the exterior
compared to the inner zones of the same crystals. Disequilibrium growth may be
related to the large trace element content incorporated into the growing quartz at
lower temperatures (<250°C) and/or be related to fluid-vapour separation,
allowing crystal growth from both a vapour as well as a liquid phase.
Trace element chemistry and textures of quartz during the magmatic
hydrothermal transition of Oslo Rift granites
Authors: Larsen R. B. , Jacamon F. , Kronz A.
Published: November 2009

This study documents the textures and chemical evolution of igneous quartz
(Qz) in granite from the Oslo Rift (Norway) during the magmatic-hydrothermal
transition. Contrary to the other major igneous phases, primary quartz is well
preserved. SEM-CL imaging documents four types of quartz (Qz1— Qz4). Qz1: bright
primary magmatic quartz that grew under H2O-undersaturated
conditions and developed a conspicuous sector zoning. Qz2: light grey luminescent
secondary quartz that surrounds Qz1 and altered Qz1 in a ‘non-destructive’
process. Qz3: is usually darker than Qz2 and intersects Qz1 and Qz2. It is formed
by dissolution/recrystallization processes involving saline deuteric fluids. Qz4:
found in narrow cracks and patches of black quartz intersecting all the other
types. EPMA in situ analyses of the different quartz
generations confirm that the intensity of luminescence of quartz is positively
correlated with the Ti content of the quartz. Aluminium and K are mostly
incorporated in quartz in the form of
[AlO4/K+]0
centre defects. In the Drammen granite, the Ti and Al contents of Qz1 averages 200
ppm and 80 ppm respectively. Titanium in Qz1 varies from 50 to 95 ppm in the
peralkaline granite known as ekerite, whereas Al is irregular and ranges between
100 ppm and values below the limit of detection (LODAl at 2σ
= 14 ppm). In all samples, Qz2 and Qz3 are strongly depleted in Ti and Al compared
to Qz1. Either the Ti content in Qz2 is falling gradually towards Qz1 or more
abruptly, whereas it is sharp from Qz3 towards Qz1 and Qz2. Potassium is variable
in all four quartz types and samples, and ranges from values below the detection
limit (LODk, at 2σ = 8 ppm) to 120 ppm. Grains in Qz4, being
only 1–2µm wide, could not be resolved with the EPMA beam. In all granites, quartz
crystallized from haplogranitic melts at P ~1.5 kbar
and T = 700—750°C. SEM-CL and EPMA studies of igneous
Oslo Rift quartz illustrate vividly the complex chemical and physical processes
that characterize the magmatic-hydrothermal transition in shallow granitic systems
and show that the chemistry of primary aqueous fluids is strongly modified from
its primary igneous composition before eventually being expelled from the granitic
system and perhaps incorporated in ore-forming hydrothermal convection
systems.
Dual targeting of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway as an antitumor strategy in Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia
Authors: Roccaro Aldo M. , Sacco Antonio , Husu Emanuel N. , Pitsillides Costas , Vesole Steven , Azab Abdel Kareem , Azab Feda , Melhem Molly , Ngo Hai T. , Quang Phong , Maiso Patricia , Runnels Judith , Liang Mei-Chih , Wong Kwok-Kin , Lin Charles , Ghobrial Irene M.
Published: November 2009

We have previously shown clinical activity of a mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex 1 inhibitor in Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM). However, 50% of patients did not respond to therapy. We therefore examined mechanisms of activation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mTOR in WM, and mechanisms of overcoming resistance to therapy. We first demonstrated that primary WM cells show constitutive activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway, supported by decreased expression of phosphate and tensin homolog tumor suppressor gene (PTEN) at the gene and protein levels, together with constitutive activation of Akt and mTOR. We illustrated that dual targeting of the PI3K/mTOR pathway by the novel inhibitor NVP-BEZ235 showed higher cytotoxicity on WM cells compared with inhibition of the PI3K or mTOR pathways alone. In addition, NVP-BEZ235 inhibited both rictor and raptor, thus abrogating the rictor-induced Akt phosphorylation. NVP-BEZ235 also induced significant cytotoxicity in WM cells in a caspase-dependent and -independent manner, through targeting the Forkhead box transcription factors. In addition, NVP-BEZ235 targeted WM cells in the context of bone marrow microenvironment, leading to significant inhibition of migration, adhesion in vitro, and homing in vivo. These studies therefore show that dual targeting of the PI3K/mTOR pathway is a better modality of targeted therapy for tumors that harbor activation of the PI3K/mTOR signaling cascade, such as WM.
Lung function and bronchodilator response in 4-year-old children with different wheezing phenotypes
Authors: Oostveen E. , Dom S. , Desager K. , Hagendorens M. , De Backer W. , Weyler J.
Published: November 2009

Persistent wheeze is a common chronic disease in early childhood and later may progress to asthma. However, the association between pre- and post-bronchodilator lung function and the wheezing phenotype in preschool children is not known.

Children 4 yrs of age involved in a prospective birth cohort study (in Antwerp, Belgium) concerning perinatal factors and the occurrence of asthma and allergies, were invited to participate in lung function measurements with the forced oscillation technique. The wheezing phenotype was assessedvia(bi)annual questionnaires.

Wheezing phenotype and baseline respiratory impedance data were available for 325 children, 96% of whom underwent bronchodilation tests. The baseline resistance at 4 Hz was higher in children with early transient (11.0 hPa·s·L−1, n = 127) or persistent wheeze (11.9 hPa·s·L−1, n = 54) than in children who never wheezed (10.3 hPa·s·L−1, n = 144). After bronchodilation, the resistance decreased on average by 22%. The decrease was greater among the persistent wheezers than among those who never wheezed (3.4versus2.3 hPa·s·L−1).

The baseline lung function was poorer and the bronchodilator response was greater in 4-yr-old children with persistent wheeze than in those who never wheeze or who had early transient wheeze, implying a higher bronchomotor tone in the former group.
Parental occupation is a risk factor for childhood wheeze and asthma
Authors: Tagiyeva N. , Devereux G. , Semple S. , Sherriff A. , Henderson J. , Elias P. , Ayres J. G.
Published: November 2009

The present birth cohort study investigated whether or not childhood wheeze and asthma are associated with parental exposure to occupational sensitisers that cause asthma.

Parental occupation, from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), was related to wheeze, asthma, ventilatory function, airway responsiveness and atopic sensitisation in children aged 0–102 months.

Occupation was recorded for 11,193 mothers and 9,473 fathers antenatally, and for 4,631 mothers and 5,315 fathers post-natally. Childhood respiratory outcomes were not associated with parental occupational exposure to diisocyanates, glues/resins, dyes, animal dust, solder, enzymes and wood dust. Maternal post-natal occupational exposure to latex and/or biocides/fungicides increased the likelihood of childhood wheeze and asthma. High levels of latex or biocide/fungicide exposure were associated with an OR (95% CI) of 1.26 (1.07–1.50) and 1.22 (1.02–2.05), respectively, for wheezing up to 81 months. Combined maternal latex and biocide/fungicide exposure increased the likelihood of childhood wheeze (1.22 (1.03–1.43)) and asthma. High paternal occupational flour dust exposure was associated with an increased likelihood of wheeze after 30 months (2.31 (1.05–5.10)) and asthma by 91 months (3.23 (1.34–7.79)).

Maternal occupational exposure to latex and/or biocides and paternal exposure to flour dust increases the risk of childhood asthma. Further studies in this area are justified.
Human airway smooth muscle is structurally and mechanically similar to that of other species
Authors: Chin L.Y.M. , Bossé Y. , Jiao Y. , Solomon D. , Hackett T.L. , Paré P.D. , Seow C.Y.
Published: November 2009

Airway smooth muscle (ASM) plays a vital role in the exaggerated airway narrowing seen in asthma. However, whether asthmatic ASM is mechanically different from nonasthmatic ASM is unclear. Much of our current understanding about ASM mechanics comes from measurements made in other species. Limited data on human ASM mechanics prevents proper comparisons between healthy and asthmatic tissues, as well as human and animal tissues. In the current study, we sought to define the mechanical properties of healthy human ASM using tissue from intact lungs and compare these properties to measurements in other species.

The mechanical properties measured included: maximal stress generation, force–length properties, the ability of the muscle to undergo length adaptation, the ability of the muscle to recover from an oscillatory strain, shortening velocity and maximal shortening. The ultrastructure of the cells was also examined.

Healthy human ASM was found to be mechanically and ultrastructurally similar to that of other species. It is capable of undergoing length adaptation and responds to mechanical perturbation like ASM from other species. Force generation, shortening capacity and velocity were all similar to other mammalian ASM.

These results suggest that human ASM shares similar contractile mechanisms with other animal species and provides an important dataset for comparisons with animal models of disease and asthmatic ASM.
Tiotropium reduction of lung inflammation in a model of chronic gastro-oesophageal reflux
Authors: Cui Y. , Devillier P. , Kuang X. , Wang H. , Zhu L. , Xu Z. , Xia Z. , Zemoura L. , Advenier C. , Chen H.
Published: November 2009

Gastro-oesophageal reflux is frequent in chronic airway diseases and is considered a trigger for symptoms. In animal models, bilateral vagotomy or muscarinic antagonists prevent the increase in airway resistance and the microvascular leakage induced by acute oesophageal acid instillation.

The present study investigates lung inflammation and remodelling in an animal model of chronic gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD), and the effectiveness of pretreatments with tiotropium, atropine and dexamethasone.

Mice were exposed to twice-daily intra-oesophageal HCl instillations for 21 days. Exposure to HCl causes: marked infiltration by inflammatory cells of the airways and of peribronchial areas; an increase in epithelial thickness; histological features of interstitial pneumonitis; an increase in cell numbers and in the levels of interleukin-8; and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids, as well as ofin vitrotracheal contractility. The administration of nebulised tiotropium or intraperitoneal atropine prior to each instillation of HCl, considerably inhibited all these changes.

These results indicate a major role of acetylcholine in airway inflammation and remodelling in a GORD model, and demonstrate that tiotropium and atropine can prevent lung inflammation with an effectiveness similar to intraperitoneal dexamethasone, providing additional evidence that anticholinergics might contribute to the control of inflammatory processes in airway diseases.
Prediction of Adult Height Based on Automated Determination of Bone Age
Authors: Thodberg Hans Henrik , Jenni Oskar G. , Caflisch Jon , Ranke Michael B. , Martin David D.
Published: November 2009

Context: Adult height prediction is a common procedure in pediatric endocrinology, but it is associated with a considerable variability and bias from the bone age rating.

Objective: A new method for adult height prediction is presented, based on automated bone age determination.

Method: The method predicts the fraction of height left to grow from age and BoneXpert bone age. This is refined by drawing the prediction toward the population mean, or alternatively toward the height predicted from the parents’ heights. Boys’ body mass index and girls’ height at menarche can be included optionally as predictors.

Participants: A total of 231 normal children from the First Zurich Longitudinal Study (1ZLS) were followed from age 5 until cessation of growth with annual x-rays of the left hand. A total of 198 normal children from the Third Zurich Longitudinal Study were used for validation.

Results: The root mean square error of adult height prediction (Tanner-Whitehouse 3 method in parentheses considered as standard for accuracy) on the 1ZLS was 3.3 cm (3.5 cm) for boys aged 10–15 yr and 2.7 cm (3.1 cm; P < 0.005 for difference to Tanner-Whitehouse 3) for girls aged 8–13 yr. High body mass index before puberty negatively affected adult height of boys, independent of bone age.

Conclusions: With the new method, adult height prediction has become objective because the dependence on manual bone age rating is eliminated. The method is well-suited to analyze large studies and provide a consistent body of evidence regarding the relation between maturation, body mass, and growth across populations, conditions, and ethnicities.
Dynamic Pricing with a Prior on Market Response
Authors: Farias Vivek F. , Van Roy Benjamin
Published: November 2009

We study a problem of dynamic pricing faced by a vendor with limited inventory, uncertain about demand, and aiming to maximize expected discounted revenue over an infinite time horizon. The vendor learns from purchase data, so his strategy must take into account the impact of price on both revenue and future observations. We focus on a model in which customers arrive according to a Poisson process of uncertain rate, each with an independent, identically distributed reservation price. Upon arrival, a customer purchases a unit of inventory if and only if his reservation price equals or exceeds the vendor's prevailing price.

We propose a simple heuristic approach to pricing in this context, which we refer to as decay balancing. Computational results demonstrate that decay balancing offers significant revenue gains over recently studied certainty equivalent and greedy heuristics. We also establish that changes in inventory and uncertainty in the arrival rate bear appropriate directional impacts on decay balancing prices in contrast to these alternatives, and we derive worst-case bounds on performance loss. We extend the three aforementioned heuristics to address a model involving multiple customer segments and stores, and provide experimental results demonstrating similar relative merits in this context.
Confessions of a virtual scholar, or, writing as worldly performance
Authors: Manghani Sunil
Published: November 2009

Reflecting on the contemporary phenomenon of blogging, and performed in the specific modality of the blog, this article presents a snapshot of a world wide web of writing (and the performance of writing) measured in centuries, rather than decades. As the reader works their way back
through the timeline of the article, questions arise as to the status and stability of the texts, scriptors and their layered performance. Enacting a living methodology associated with Walter Benjamin's Arcades Project, the article makes live the performer's dilemma to borrow, reference,
steal or recycle the writing of others. Overall, the article cannot be summarized or translated beyond the event of its very performance (and the performances it archives).
Sensing the story: structure and improvisation in writing for performance
Authors: Dennis Rea
Published: November 2009

This article discusses the process of writing through devising in performance. It takes as a case study Apart of and A Part From in which muscle and sense memory touch, smell, taste, sound and sight were the points of departure for a contemporary performance piece on migration
and identity. This was a practice-as-research project aimed to better understand the artist's body (myself) in improvisation with memory fragments. Working from a non-verbal frame the writing experience began as actions in space, then new memories in my body, to maps on paper, to key word
and some staging patterns, to systematic capturing of the textual, rhythmic and spatial structures in the emerging 30-minute performance. Various objects were incorporated to give aesthetic coherence of the piece. The article reports on the processes of writing in action, the writing and performing
as lived experience and how the writing emerged from the spaces in between self and other, self and object, self and space, present self and past self.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Diabetes
Authors: Whitebird Robin R. , Kreitzer Mary Jo , O'Connor Patrick J.
Published: November 2009

In Brief

Diabetes poses a major life stress that requires considerable physical, emotional, and psychological accommodation and coping. Mind-body therapies have drawn significant interest for their potential to assist in managing stress and adaptation to chronic illness. This review highlights the literature and research on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction to improve the health and well-being of individuals with diabetes.
Luminescent properties and the morphology of SrMoO4:Eu3+ powders synthesized via combining sol-gel and solid-state route
Authors: Wei Qiong , Chen Donghua
Published: November 2009

SrMoO4:Eu3+ red phosphors were prepared by combining sol-gel and solid-state route. Citric acid and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), employed as the chelating agents, were added to the aqueous solutions of metal nitrates. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and photoluminescent spectra techniques (PL) were used to characterize the resultant powders. The results indicated the obtained SrMoO4:Eu3+ phosphors were fine powders with a particle size of 50 nm. The effects of synthesizing conditions were also investigated and optimized, which included the synthesis temperature and the activator concentration on the luminescent intensity. Compared with SrMoO4:Eu3+ phosphors prepared by Solid-state reaction SrMoO4:Eu3+ phosphors prepared by combining sol-gel and solid-state route showed appropriate particle size and a higher emission intensity.
Novel Patterns of Functional Electrical Stimulation Have an Immediate Effect on Dorsiflexor Muscle Function During Gait for People Poststroke
Authors: Kesar Trisha M. , Perumal Ramu , Jancosko Angela , Reisman Darcy S. , Rudolph Katherine S. , Higginson Jill S. , Binder-Macleod Stuart A.
Published: November 2009

Background

Foot drop is a common gait impairment after stroke. Functional electrical stimulation (FES) of the ankle dorsiflexor muscles during the swing phase of gait can help correct foot drop. Compared with constant-frequency trains (CFTs), which typically are used during FES, novel stimulation patterns called variable-frequency trains (VFTs) have been shown to enhance isometric and nonisometric muscle performance. However, VFTs have never been used for FES during gait.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to compare knee and ankle kinematics during the swing phase of gait when FES was delivered to the ankle dorsiflexor muscles using VFTs versus CFTs.

Design

A repeated-measures design was used in this study.

Participants

Thirteen individuals with hemiparesis following stroke (9 men, 4 women; age=46–72 years) participated in the study.

Methods

Participants completed 20- to 40-second bouts of walking at their self-selected walking speeds. Three walking conditions were compared: walking without FES, walking with dorsiflexor muscle FES using CFTs, and walking with dorsiflexor FES using VFTs.

Results

Functional electrical stimulation using both CFTs and VFTs improved ankle dorsiflexion angles during the swing phase of gait compared with walking without FES (X̅±SE=−2.9°±1.2°). Greater ankle dorsiflexion in the swing phase was generated during walking with FES using VFTs (X̅±SE=2.1°±1.5°) versus CFTs (X̅±SE=0.3±1.3°). Surprisingly, dorsiflexor FES resulted in reduced knee flexion during the swing phase and reduced ankle plantar flexion at toe-off.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that novel FES systems capable of delivering VFTs during gait can produce enhanced correction of foot drop compared with traditional FES systems that deliver CFTs. The results also suggest that the timing of delivery of FES during gait is critical and merits further investigation.
Endoscopic endonasal repair of anterior skull base non-traumatic cerebrospinal fluid leaks, meningoceles, and encephaloceles
Authors: Nyquist Gurston G. , Anand Vijay K. , Mehra Saral , Kacker Ashutosh , Schwartz Theodore H.
Published: November 2009

Object

The endoscopic endonasal approach has become the preferred technique for CSF leak and encephalocele repair of the anterior skull base. The purpose of this study is to identify patient characteristics; review adjunctive perioperative treatments, reconstruction techniques, and outcomes; and identify risk factors for failure in patients undergoing endoscopic endonasal repair of anterior skull base CSF leaks and encephaloceles.

Methods

This is a prospective observational study of patients undergoing endoscopic endonasal repair of a CSF leak between October 2004 and May 2009. Twenty-eight consecutive patients underwent 32 procedures. Twenty-two of the patients were women, which represents a statistically significant trend toward the female sex (p < 0.05). The average body mass index (33.9) was significant for obesity. The origin of the skull base defect included the cribriform plate (in 9 cases), fovea ethmoidalis (in 7), combined fovea ethmoidalis/cribriform plate (in 2), lateral sphenoid sinus (in 6), sella (in 4), clivus (in 3), and frontal sinus (in 1).

Results

The overall endonasal closure rate was 93.8% (30 of 32 procedures). One failure occurred due to overaggressive postoperative debridement, while the other recurred along the posterior wall of the frontal sinus, and endoscopic repair would have occluded the recess.

Conclusions

The endoscopic endonasal approach for the treatment of CSF leaks and encephaloceles of the anterior skull base is the preferred method of repair in the vast majority of cases. The authors' 93.8% closure rate in a variety of anatomical locations compares favorably with the transcranial approach and echoes the results of other endoscopic series.
The endoscopic, endonasal, transmaxillary transpterygoid approach to the pterygopalatine fossa, infratemporal fossa, petrous apex, and the Meckel cave
Authors: Hofstetter Christoph P. , Singh Ameet , Anand Vijay K. , Kacker Ashutosh , Schwartz Theodore H.
Published: November 2009

Object

In this paper the authors' goal was to present their clinical experience with lesions of the pterygopalatine fossa, infratemporal fossa, lateral sphenoid sinus, cavernous sinus, petrous apex, and Meckel cave using simple and extended endoscopic transpterygoid approaches to the lateral skull base.

Methods

Simple and expanded endoscopic transpterygoid approaches were performed in a series of 13 patients with varying pathology that included lateral sphenoid sinus encephaloceles, benign and malignant sinonasal tumors, and lesions of neural origin.

Results

A gross-total resection was achieved in 5 of 9 patients, while a subtotal resection for tissue diagnosis and cytoreduction prior to further adjuvant treatment was performed in the remaining patients. Sphenoid sinus encephaloceles were successfully repaired via a transpterygoid approach in all 4 patients. The skull base defect was reconstructed using a multilayered closure. One patient developed a postoperative CSF leak, which was successfully treated conservatively. The mean follow-up time was 16 months. Five patients complained of recurrent sinusitis. One patient experienced xerophthalmia and palate numbness. Three patients had died by the time of this report. Two patients died of unrelated causes. The third patient died of progression of an aggressive pterygopalatine osteosarcoma despite undergoing cytoreductive surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy.

Conclusions

An endoscopic transpterygoid approach is a minimally invasive endoscopic approach for lesions located or extending to the pterygopalatine fossa, infratemporal fossa, petrous apex, Meckel cave, and other regions of the paramedian skull base.
Endovascular management of inadvertent brachiocephalic arterial catheterization
Authors: Powers Ciaran J. , Zomorodi Ali R. , Britz Gavin W. , Enterline David S. , Miller Michael J. , Smith Tony P.
Published: November 2009

Object

Inadvertent catheterization of brachiocephalic arteries (carotid artery, subclavian artery, or vertebral artery) during attempted placement of a central venous catheter can have potentially disastrous complications. While removal of the catheter in the operating room is almost always an option, there are circumstances in which a less invasive approach may be more appropriate. The authors present their experience using endovascular techniques for removal of inadvertently placed central venous catheters to elucidate potential options for successful nonsurgical management.

Methods

The authors reviewed their database of interventional procedures that occurred between January 1, 2000, and February 1, 2009. All cases referred for management of suspected brachiocephalic arterial catheterization or arterial injury after attempted placement of a central venous catheter were included. Medical records and radiological imaging were reviewed to determine patient demographics, clinical situation, methods for removal, as well as clinical and imaging follow-up.

Results

A total of 13 patients, ranging in age from 31 to 88 years old, were referred to interventional radiology for management of suspected inadvertent arterial catheterization of the brachiocephalic arteries. Angiography confirmed arterial catheterization in 9 patients. Three patients were referred after developing uncontrolled hemorrhage or expanding hematomas following attempted catheterization. One patient who had an arterial waveform after placement of an internal jugular catheter was found to have early venous filling from a dialysis fistula requiring no intervention. Ten patients were treated in the interventional suite using angiographically monitored manual pressure (1 patient), balloon tamponade (3 patients), use of a percutaneous closure device (1 patient), stent grafting (4 patients), or embolization of the injured vessel alone (1 patient). One patient was taken to the operating room for removal of the inadvertently placed catheter due to vessel thrombosis. No procedural complications were encountered, and no patient required sacrifice of a major brachiocephalic vessel.

Conclusions

Angiographic evaluation of patients who underwent inadvertent catheterization of brachiocephalic arteries or their branches allowed successful endovascular treatment or excluded the need for intervention in 12 (92%) of 13 patients. The choice and use of specific endovascular techniques should be dictated by patient factors and the vessel inadvertently catheterized.
Interaction of neurovascular protection of erythropoietin with age, sepsis, and statin therapy following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage
Authors: Tseng Ming-Yuan , Hutchinson Peter J. , Kirkpatrick Peter J.
Published: November 2009

Object

In a previous randomized controlled trial, the authors demonstrated that acute erythropoietin (EPO) therapy reduced severe vasospasm and delayed ischemic deficits (DIDs) following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. In this study, the authors aimed to investigate the potential interaction of neurovascular protection by EPO with age, sepsis, and concurrent statin therapy.

Methods

The clinical events of 80 adults older than 18 years and with < 72 hours of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, who were randomized to receive 30,000 U of intravenous EPO-β or placebo every 48 hours for a total of 3 doses, were analyzed by stratification according to age (< or ≥ 60 years), sepsis, or concomitant statin therapy. End points in the trial included cerebral vasospasm and impaired autoregulation on transcranial Doppler ultrasonography, DIDs, and unfavorable outcome at discharge and at 6 months measured with the modified Rankin Scale and Glasgow Outcome Scale. Analyses were performed using the t-test and/or ANOVA for repeated measurements.

Results

Younger patients (< 60 years old) or those without sepsis obtained benefits from EPO by a reduction in vasospasm, impaired autoregulation, and unfavorable outcome at discharge. Compared with nonseptic patients taking EPO, those with sepsis taking EPO had a lower absolute reticulocyte count (nonsepsis vs sepsis, 143.5 vs. 105.8 × 109/L on Day 6; p = 0.01), suggesting sepsis impaired both hematopoiesis and neurovascular protection by EPO. In the EPO group, none of the statin users suffered DIDs (p = 0.078), implying statins may potentiate neuroprotection by EPO.

Conclusions

Erythropoietin-related neurovascular protection appears to be attenuated by old age and sepsis and enhanced by statins, an important finding for designing Phase III trials.
Kinetic Resolution: A Powerful Tool for the Synthesis of Planar-Chiral Ferrocenes
Authors: Alba Andrea-Nekane , Rios Ramon
Published: November 2009

Since the serendipitous discovery of ferrocene by Pauson and Kealy in 1951, it has become one of the most important structures in Organic Chemistry. Lately, kinetic resolution has emerged as a useful tool for the synthesis of planar chiral ferrocenes. This review aims to cover and discuss the development of this topic.
Functional Consequences of Mutations and Polymorphisms in the Coding Region of the PAF Acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) Gene
Authors: Stafforini Diana  M.
Published: November 2009

In the past several years a number of alterations in the PAFAH/PLA2G7/LpPLA2 gene have been described. These include inactivating mutations, polymorphisms in the coding region, and other genetic changes located in promoter and intronic regions of the gene. The consequences associated with these genetic variations have been evaluated from different perspectives, including in vitro biochemical and molecular studies and clinical analyses in human subjects. This review highlights the current state of the field and suggests new approaches that can be used to evaluate functional consequences associated with mutations and polymorphisms in the PAF-AH gene.