bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dietary supplementation of tetradecylthioacetic acid increases feed intake but reduces body weight gain and adipose depot sizes in rats fed on high‐fat diets
Authors: Wensaas A. J. , Rustan A. C. , Rokling‐Andersen M. H. , Caesar R. , Jensen J. , Kaalhus O. , Graff B. A. , Gudbrandsen O. A. , Berge R. K. , Drevon C. A.
Published: September 2009

Aim: The pan‐peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor (PPAR) ligand and fatty acid analogue tetradecylthioacetic acid (TTA) may reduce plasma lipids and enhance hepatic lipid metabolism, as well as reduce adipose tissue sizes in rats fed on high‐fat diets. This study further explores the effects of TTA on weight gain, feed intake and adipose tissue functions in rats that are fed a high‐fat diet for 7 weeks.

Methods: The effects on feed intake and body weight during 7 weeks' dietary supplement with TTA (∼200 mg/kg bw) were studied in male Wistar rats fed on a lard‐based diet containing ∼40% energy from fat. Adipose tissue mass, body composition and expression of relevant genes in fat depots and liver were measured at the end of the feeding.

Results: Despite higher feed intake during the final 2 weeks of the study, rats fed on TTA gained less body weight than lard‐fed rats and had markedly decreased subcutaneous, epididymal, perirenal and mesenteric adipose depots. The effects of TTA feeding with reduced body weight gain and energy efficiency (weight gain/feed intake) started between day 10 and 13. Body contents of fat, protein and water were reduced after feeding lard plus TTA, with a stronger decrease in fat relative to protein. Plasma lipids, including Non‐Esterified Fatty Acids (NEFA), were significantly reduced, whereas fatty acid β‐oxidation in liver and heart was enhanced in lard plus TTA‐fed rats. Hepatic UCP3 was expressed ectopically both at protein and mRNA level (>1900‐fold), whereas Ucp1 mRNA was increased ∼30‐fold in epididymal and ∼90‐fold in mesenteric fat after lard plus TTA feeding.

Conclusion: Our data support the hypothesis that TTA feeding may increase hepatic fatty acid β‐oxidation, and thereby reduce the size of adipose tissues. The functional importance of ectopic hepatic UCP3 is unknown, but might be associated with enhanced energy expenditure and thus the reduced feed efficiency.
THE DEMAND FOR BEER, WINE AND SPIRITS: A SURVEY OF THE LITERATURE
Authors: Fogarty James
Published: September 2009

Abstract The demand for alcohol literature is vast and much conflicting information about the nature of the demand for alcoholic beverages has been published. This paper presents a survey of the literature, and then uses the technique of meta‐regression analysis to establish insights into the nature of the demand for beer, wine and spirits. Unlike previous meta‐studies of the demand for alcoholic beverages this study adjusts for the precision of each elasticity estimate. The analysis presented suggests reported elasticity estimates will be influenced by such factors as estimation technique, data frequency and time period under consideration. With respect to time, the findings suggest that the demand for alcoholic beverages has become less inelastic since the mid‐1950s and that the income elasticity has been falling since the mid‐1960s. The analysis also found support for the idea that alcohol as a commodity group is a necessity, and that consumers respond to price discounting with inventory behaviour rather than true substitution behaviour. Little support is found for the idea that the demand for alcoholic beverages varies fundamentally across most countries, although wine may be an exception.
Significant reduction of fungal disease symptoms in transgenic lupin (Lupinus angustifolius) expressing the anti‐apoptotic baculovirus gene p35
Authors: Wijayanto Teguh , Barker Susan J. , Wylie Stephen J. , Gilchrist David G. , Cowling Wallace A.
Published: September 2009

Narrow‐leafed lupin (NLL; Lupinus angustifolius) is a recently domesticated but anciently propagated crop with significant value in rotation with cereals in Mediterranean climates. However, several fungal pathogens, traditionally termed necrotrophs, severely affect broad‐acre production and there is limited genetic resistance in the NLL germplasm pool. Symptoms of many of these diseases appear as localized areas of dead cells exhibiting markers of programmed cell death. Based on our previous research, we hypothesized that engineered expression of the baculovirus anti‐apoptotic p35 gene might reduce symptoms of these diseases. Using Agrobacterium tumefaciens‐mediated transformation of a cultivar highly susceptible to several pathogens, 14 independent NLL lines containing both the p35 and bar genes were obtained (p35‐NLL). Integration and expression of the transgenes were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), progeny testing, Southern blot, Northern blot and reverse transcriptase‐PCR analyses. Fecundity and nodulation were not altered in these lines. Third or fourth generation p35‐NLL lines were challenged with necrotrophic fungal pathogens (anthracnose in stem and leaf, and Pleiochaeta root rot and leaf brown spot) in controlled environment conditions. Several p35‐NLL lines had significantly reduced disease symptoms. Interestingly, as with natural resistance, no single line was improved for all three diseases which possibly reflecting spatial variation of p35 expression in planta. These data support an alternative molecular definition for ‘necrotrophic disease’ in plants and suggest new routes for achieving resistance against a range of pathogens.
ZFN‐induced mutagenesis and gene‐targeting in Arabidopsis through Agrobacterium‐mediated floral dip transformation
Authors: De Pater Sylvia , Neuteboom Leon W. , Pinas Johan E. , Hooykaas Paul J. J. , Van Der Zaal Bert J.
Published: September 2009

Zinc‐finger nucleases (ZFNs) are artificial restriction enzymes, custom designed for induction of double‐strand breaks (DSBs) at a specific locus. These DSBs may result in site‐specific mutagenesis or homologous recombination at the repair site, depending on the DNA repair pathway that is used. These promising techniques for genome engineering were evaluated in Arabidopsis plants using Agrobacterium‐mediated floral dip transformation. A T‐DNA containing the target site for a ZFN pair, that was shown to be active in yeast, was integrated in the Arabidopsis genome. Subsequently, the corresponding pair of ZFN genes was stably integrated in the Arabidopsis genome and ZFN activity was determined by PCR and sequence analysis of the target site. Footprints were obtained in up to 2% of the PCR products, consisting of deletions ranging between 1 and 200 bp and insertions ranging between 1 and 14 bp. We did not observe any toxicity from expression of the ZFNs. In order to obtain ZFN‐induced gene‐targeting (GT), Arabidopsis plants containing the target site and expressing the ZFN pair were transformed with a T‐DNA GT construct. Three GT plants were obtained from ∼3000 transformants. Two of these represent heritable true GT events, as determined by PCR, Southern blot analysis and sequencing of the resulting recombined locus. The third plant showed an ectopic GT event. No GT plants were obtained in a comparable number of transformants that did not contain the ZFNs. Our results demonstrate that ZFNs enhance site‐specific mutagenesis and gene‐targeting of Agrobacterium T‐DNA constructs delivered through floral dip transformation.
Competent Actors or Vulnerable Objects? Constructions of Children and State Intervention among Finnish Politicians in Relation to the Child Protection Act 1983 and 2006
Authors: Nygård Mikael
Published: September 2009

This article investigates constructions of children and state intervention among Finnish MPs during the parliamentary debates relating to the 1983 and 2006 enactments of the Child Protection Act. It seeks to illuminate the politicization of children within a parliamentary framework, and to illuminate the role of dominant discourses, ideas and ideological views in shaping child protection policy. The research data consist of the official transcriptions of speeches made by MPs during the preliminary debates relating to the 1983 and 2007 bills on child protection.The data were analysed by using qualitative content analysis. The results suggest that the notion of the child as an actor with individual rights was rather controversial among MPs in 1983. The core of this controversy consisted of whether or not parental authority should be weakened in favour of enhanced child agency, and whether it would be advisable to permit more intense public intervention in the family sphere. In the 2006 debate, by contrast, the idea of children's rights and agency had become an uncontested principle that impregnated most of the speakers' statements. However, this accentuation of the child's agency pro forma was accompanied by rather gloomy evaluations of the well‐being of contemporary families with children, including claims for more rigorous public actions in order to regulate family‐related risks. This resulted in a somewhat paradoxical situation where children's rights were emphasized, while at the same time stricter demands on public and adult control over children were presented.
Gendering the Comparative Analysis of Welfare States: An Unfinished Agenda
Authors: Orloff Ann Shola
Published: September 2009

Can feminists count on welfare states—or at least some aspects of these complex systems—as resources in the struggle for gender equality? Gender analysts of “welfare states” investigate this question and the broader set of issues around the mutually constitutive relationship between systems of social provision and regulation and gender. Feminist scholars have moved to bring the contingent practice of politics back into grounded fields of action and social change and away from the reification and abstractions that had come to dominate models of politics focused on “big” structures and systems, including those focused on “welfare states.” Conceptual innovations and reconceptualizations of foundational terms have been especially prominent in the comparative scholarship on welfare states, starting with gender, and including care, autonomy, citizenship, (in) dependence, political agency, and equality. In contrast to other subfields of political science and sociology, gendered insights have to some extent been incorporated into mainstream comparative scholarship on welfare states. The arguments between feminists and mainstream scholars over the course of the last two decades have been productive, powering the development of key themes and concepts pioneered by gender scholars, including “defamilialization,” the significance of unpaid care work in families and the difficulties of work-family “reconciliation,” gendered welfare state institutions, the relation between fertility and women's employment, and the partisan correlates of different family and gender policy models. Yet the mainstream still resists the deeper implications of feminist work, and has difficulties assimilating concepts of care, gendered power, dependency, and interdependency. Thus, the agenda of gendering comparative welfare state studies remains unfinished. To develop an understanding of what might be needed to finish that agenda, I assess the gendered contributions to the analysis of modern systems of social provision, starting with the concept of gender itself, then moving to studies of the gendered division of labor (including care) and of gendered political power.
Are there differences between cephalic and extracephalic cutaneous allodynia in migraine patients?
Authors: Guy N , Marques AR , Orliaguet T , Lanteri-Minet M , Dallel R , Clavelou P
Published: September 2009

Cutaneous allodynia (CA), pain in response to innocuous cutaneous stimuli, is recognized as a sign of central sensitization during migraine episodes. It is either restricted within the pain area on the ipsilateral head, or extends within and outside the head. Moreover, CA can be elicited in response to thermal (heat or cold) and/or mechanical stimuli. This raises the question as to whether cephalic and extracephalic CAs share the same properties. We assessed cephalic and extracephalic CAs in migraine episodic patients using a questionnaire completed at home during migraine attacks. A total of 67 episodic migraine patients (58 women, nine men; 40 ± 13 years old) addressed all questions in the questionnaire. Forty-nine patients (73%) cited one or more allodynic symptoms during or immediately after the migraine attack. Almost all 49 patients reported cephalic CA, whereas 24 (49%) also reported extracephalic CA. Occurrence and extension of CA correlated ( P = 0.005) with headache intensity. Modalities of cephalic and extracephalic CA were different (χ2 = 12.03; P = 0.002), extracephalic CA being mostly thermal (75%) whereas cephalic CA was mostly mechanical (92%). This suggests that cephalic and extracephalic CAs involve different mechanisms.
Post-craniotomy headache: A proposed revision of IHS diagnostic criteria
Authors: Rocha-Filho PAS , Gherpelli JLD , de Siqueira JTT , Rabello GD
Published: September 2009

Seventy-nine patients with intracranial aneurysms were evaluated in the presurgical period, and followed up to 6 months after surgery. We compare patients who fulfilled with those that did not post-craniotomy headache (PCH) diagnostic criteria, according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders. Semistructured interviews, headache diaries, Short Form-36 and McGill Pain Questionnaire were used. Seventy-two patients (91%) had headaches during the follow-up period. The incidence of PCH according to the International Headache Society diagnostic criteria was 40%. Age, sex, type of surgery, temporomandibular disorder, vasospasm, presence and type of previous headaches, and subarachnoid haemorrhage were not related to headache classification. There were no differences in the quality of life, headache frequency and characteristics or pain intensity between patients with headache that fulfilled or not PCH criteria. We proposed a revision of the diagnostic criteria for PCH, extending the headache outset after surgery from 7 to 30 days, and including the presence of headaches after surgery in patients with no past history of headaches, or an increase in headache frequency during the first 30 days of the postsurgical period followed by a decrease over time. Using these criteria we would classify 65% of our patients as having PCH.
Nitroglycerin provocation in normal subjects is not a useful human migraine model?
Authors: Tvedskov JF , Iversen HK , Olesen J , Tfelt-Hansen P
Published: September 2009

Provoking delayed migraine with nitroglycerin in migraine sufferers is a cumbersome model. Patients are difficult to recruit, migraine comes on late and variably and only 50–80% of patients develop an attack. A model using normal volunteers would be much more useful, but it should be validated by testing the response to drugs of known efficacy in acute migraine. Furthermore, treatment during headache rather than pretreatment is the most naturalist method. To fulfil these requirements we used continuous long-lasting infusion of glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) 0.25 µg kg−1 min−1 for 140 min and gave aspirin 1000 mg, zolmitriptan 5 mg or placebo to normal healthy volunteers. The design was double-blind, placebo-controlled three-way crossover. Our hypothesis was that these drugs would be effective in the treatment of the mild constant headache induced by long-lasting GTN infusion. The headaches did not fulfil the International Headache Society diagnostic criteria for migraine without aura. Moreover, there was no effect on headache of either zolmitriptan or aspirin. Thus our hypothesis was disproved and we conclude that our model is not valid for the testing of new acute antimigraine drugs. Our experiment suggests that headache caused by direct nitric oxide (NO) action in the continued presence of NO is very resistance to analgesics and to specific acute migraine treatments. This suggests that NO works very deep in the cascade of events associated with vascular headache, whereas tested drugs work higher in the cascade. The model suggested here should therefore be tested with other headache/migraine-provoking agents that supposedly work higher in the cascade of events. The need for human models persists, but the solution to this problem is still pending.
Five‐year experience in the treatment of alopecia areata with DPC
Authors: El‐Zawahry BM , Bassiouny DA , Khella A , Zaki NS
Published: September 2009

Background  The effectiveness of Diphencyprone (DPC) in alopecia areata (AA) was demonstrated in several studies with highly variable response rates ranging from 5% to 85%.

Objective  The response rate and variable factors affecting the prognosis were studied focusing on long‐term follow‐up with or without maintenance therapy.

Methods  A total of 135 cases of AA were treated with DPC. Patients were divided into five groups according to the area of scalp affected: Grade 1 AA: 25–49% scalp affection; Grade 2 AA: 50–74% scalp affection; Grade 3 AA: 75–99% scalp affection; alopecia totalis and alopecia universalis. An initial response was defined as appearance of new terminal hair within treated sites. Excellent response was defined as terminal hair covering >75% of the scalp. Relapse meant >25% hair loss. Maintenance therapy meant ongoing therapy once every 1–4 weeks after excellent response. Follow‐up was performed to detect any relapse of AA.

Results  Ninety‐seven patients continued therapy for ≥3 months. After an initial 3 month lag, cumulative excellent response was seen in 15 patients (15.4%), 47 patients (48.5%), 51 patients (52.6%) and 55 patients (55.7%) after 6, 12, 18 and 24 months respectively in a mean median time of 12 months. The only patient variable affecting the prognosis was baseline extent of AA. Excellent response was seen in 100%, 77%, 54%, 50% and 41% in Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, AA totalis and AA universalis patients respectively. Side‐effects were few and tolerable. Hair fall >25% occurred in 17.9% of patients on maintenance and 57.1% of patients without maintenance therapy (P‐value = 0.025).

Conclusion  Diphencyprone is an effective and safe treatment of extensive AA. A long period of therapy is needed and will increase the percentage of responders especially in alopecia totalis and universalis. Maintenance therapy is recommended to reduce the risk of relapse.
Chronic constriction injury induces aquaporin‐2 expression in the dorsal root ganglia of rats
Authors: Buffoli Barbara , Borsani Elisa , Rezzani Rita , Rodella Luigi F.
Published: September 2009

Aquaporins are a family of water channel proteins involved in water homeostasis in several tissues. Current knowledge of aquaporin expression in the nervous system is very limited. Therefore the first aim of this study was to assess, by immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting analysis, the presence and localization of aquaporin‐2 in the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia of naïve adult rats. In addition, we evaluated aquaporin‐2 expression in response to chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve, a model of neuropathic pain. Our results showed that aquaporin‐2 expression was not detectable either in the spinal cord or the dorsal root ganglia of naïve rats. However, we showed for the first time an increase of aquaporin‐2 expression in response to chronic constriction injury treatment in small‐diameter dorsal root ganglia neurons but no expression in the lumbar spinal cord. These data support the hypothesis that aquaporin‐2 expression is involved in inflammatory neuropathic nerve injuries, although its precise role remains to be determined.
Children’s patterns of emotional reactivity to conflict as explanatory mechanisms in links between interpartner aggression and child physiological functioning
Authors: Davies Patrick T. , Sturge‐Apple Melissa L. , Cicchetti Dante , Manning Liviah G. , Zale Emily
Published: September 2009

Background:  This paper examined children’s fearful, sad, and angry reactivity to interparental conflict as mediators of associations between their exposure to interparental aggression and physiological functioning.

Methods:  Participants included 200 toddlers and their mothers. Assessments of interparental aggression and children’s emotional reactivity were derived from maternal surveys and a semi‐structured interview. Cortisol levels and cardiac indices of sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) activity were used to assess toddler physiological functioning.

Results:  Results indicated that toddler exposure to interparental aggression was associated with greater cortisol levels and PNS activity and diminished SNS activity. Toddler angry emotional reactivity mediated associations between interparental aggression and cortisol and PNS functioning. Fearful emotional reactivity was a mediator of the link between interparental aggression and SNS functioning.

Conclusions:  The results are interpreted within conceptualizations of how exposure and reactivity to family risk organize individual differences in physiological functioning.
The association between prenatal cocaine exposure and physiological regulation at 13 months of age
Authors: Schuetze Pamela , Eiden Rina D. , Danielewicz Susan
Published: September 2009

Background:  This study examined the association between prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) and autonomic regulation at 13 months of age.

Methods:  Measures of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) were obtained from 156 (79 exposed, and 77 nonexposed) infants during baseline and during tasks designed to elicit positive (PA) and negative affect (NA).

Results:  There was a significant suppression of RSA during the negative affect task for nonexposed infants but not for exposed infants. Maternal symptoms of depression or anxiety (MDA) did not mediate this association. However, gender and MDA did moderate this association such that exposed boys and exposed infants whose mothers had higher levels of MDA had an increase in RSA during a task designed to elicit NA rather than the typical pattern of RSA suppression.

Conclusions:  These results suggest that there are several possible pathways from PCE to physiological dysregulation during late infancy.
Wilderness and future conservation priorities in Australia
Authors: Watson James E.M. , Fuller Richard A. , Watson Alexander W. T. , Mackey Brendan G. , Wilson Kerrie A. , Grantham Hedley S. , Turner Matthew , Klein Carissa J. , Carwardine Josie , Joseph Liana N. , Possingham Hugh P.
Published: September 2009

Aim  Most approaches to conservation prioritization are focused on biodiversity features that are already threatened. While this is necessary in the face of accelerating anthropogenic threats, there have been calls to conserve large intact landscapes, often termed ‘wilderness’, to ensure the long‐term persistence of biodiversity. In this study, we examine the consequences of directing conservation expenditure using a threat‐based framework for wilderness conservation.

Location  The Australian continent.

Methods  We measured the degree of congruence between the extent of wilderness and the Australian protected area network in 2000 and 2006, which was established using a threat‐based systematic planning framework. We also assessed priority areas for future reserve acquisitions identified by the Australian government under the current framework.

Results  In 2000, 14% of Australia’s wilderness was under formal protection, while the protected area network covered only 8.5% of the continent, suggesting a historical bias towards wilderness protection. However, the expansion of the reserve system from 2000 to 2006 was biased towards non‐wilderness areas. Moreover, 90% of the wilderness that was protected over this period comprised areas not primarily designated for biodiversity conservation. We found a significant (P < 0.05) negative relationship between bioregions considered to be a priority for future reserve prioritization and the amount of wilderness they contain.

Main conclusions  While there is an urgent need to overcome past biases in reserve network design so as to better protect poorly represented species and habitats, prioritization approaches should not become so reactive as to ignore the role that large, intact landscapes play in conserving biodiversity, especially in a time of human‐induced climate change. This can be achieved by using current or future threats rather than past threats to prioritize areas, and by incorporating key ecological processes and costs of acquisition and management within the planning framework.
Disentangling the effects of land use, shrub cover and climate on the invasion speed of native and introduced pines in grasslands
Authors: Boulant Nadine , Garnier Aurélie , Curt Thomas , Lepart Jacques
Published: September 2009

Aims  To determine how changes in land use, climate and shrub cover affect the invasion dynamics of native (Pinus sylvestris L.) and introduced (Pinus nigra Arn. subsp. nigra) pines in grasslands. To analyse how these factors interact and affect seedling recruitment, a bottleneck in the lifecycle of many trees. Such information is required to manage the dynamics of these species.

Location  Grands Causses, calcareous plateaus (Southern France).

Methods  We used both published and unpublished demographic and dispersal data to assess population growth and invasion speed of invading pines. A demographic and spatially explicit model, which included density dependence and stochasticity in dispersal, demography and environment, was run for different scenarios of sheep grazing pressure (nil, extensive or intensive), shrub cover (0, 10 or 20%) and drought frequency (past‐to‐present or future). For each scenario, population growth rate, invasion speed and elasticity of invasion speed to each demographic and dispersal parameter were computed.

Results  Grazing was the main factor for limiting invasion speed. Shrub cover reduced tree spread under nil or extensive grazing pressure, but increased it under intensive grazing pressure. Although dry years led to nil seedling establishment rates, an increase in their frequency had surprisingly few effects on pine invasion speed. This last result remained unchanged when very dry years, inducing seedling, but also sapling mortality were introduced. In most environmental conditions, population growth rate and invasion speed were higher for the introduced than for the native pine. Elasticity analysis highlighted the importance of demographic parameters on invasion speed, notably adult and sapling survival.

Main conclusion  Tree invasion speed may rely at least as much on human activities, like sheep grazing, tree cutting and non‐native trees introduction, as on changes in climate factors. Therefore, human activities need to be explicitly taken into account in the prediction and management of tree dynamics.
Interaction between renin–angiotensin and sympathetic nervous systems in a rat model of pressure overload cardiac hypertrophy
Authors: Rathore H. A. , Munavvar A. S. , Abdullah N. A. , Khan A. H. , Fathihah B. , NurJannah M. H. , Raisa N. A. , Anand Swarup K. R. L. , Abdullah M. H. , Salman I. M. , Johns E. J.
Published: September 2009

1 A raised cardiac workload activates neurohormones which will increase muscle mass and shift contractility to the right along the Frank‐Starling curve.

2 This study examined the interaction between the SNS and RAS in contributing to vascular responsiveness following the development of cardiac hypertrophy due to aortic banding.

3 Sprague Dawley rats (180–200 g) were assigned to one of six groups; Normal, Sham‐operated, Aortic Banded (AB), Aortic Banded treated with losartan (ABLOS), Aortic Banded treated with 6‐hydroxydopamine (ABSYMP) and Aortic banded treated with both losartan and 6‐hydroxydopamine (ABSYMPLOS). A constricting band was placed around the supra renal aorta on day zero with drug treatment from day 37 to day 44. Vasopressor responses to noradrenaline, phenylephrine, methoxamine and angiotensin II were measured on day 45.

4 The magnitudes of the MAP responses to all vasoactive agents, expressed as percentage changes, were similar in Normal and Sham groups, but reduced in the AB group. ABLOS group showed attenuated response to ANGII whereas all responses were enhanced in the ABSYM group.

5 A positive interaction between the two systems was observed with α1A‐adrenoceptors identified as a major component of SNS and AT1 receptors of RAS to induce vasopressor effects.
Analysis and Interpretation of the Structural Failures of the Orthostate in the Northern Wall of the Athens Parthenon
Authors: Toumbakari E.‐E.
Published: September 2009

Abstract:  An investigation into the typology of the failures recorded on the first row (orthostate) of the Parthenon northern wall and analysis of their causes was undertaken. Systematic marble detachment was observed at the areas of the connectors. Failures were categorised and five failure modes were defined. The understanding of the structural history of the building and the design of new interventions requires the analysis of the factors that produced the observed failures, namely mechanical action or rust. The analysis undertaken was based on the simultaneous consideration of: (a) the kinematic restrictions of each block separately; (b) the applied system of deformations/displacements on each structural member; and (c) the applied system of deformations/displacements on the wall itself. Moreover, a numerical analysis was also undertaken, and some preliminary results are also reported. The effect of the marble orthotropy (mainly the position of the marble soft plane inside the block) was also studied. The main conclusion of the study is that the mechanical action of the connectors could explain the observed structural pathology, whereas rust is not a necessary condition for the structural failures to occur.
Moxifloxacin‐Containing Triple Therapy as Second‐Line Treatment for Helicobacter pylori Infection: Effect of Treatment Duration and Antibiotic Resistance on the Eradication Rate
Authors: Yoon Hyuk , Kim Nayoung , Lee Byoung Hwan , Hwang Tae Jun , Lee Dong Ho , Park Young Soo , Nam Ryoung Hee , Jung Hyun Chae , Song In Sung
Published: September 2009

Background and Aim:  The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a moxifloxacin‐containing triple therapy as second‐line treatment for Helicobacter pylori infection. We also investigated the effect of treatment duration and antibiotic resistance on the eradication rate of this therapy.

Methods:  We prospectively enrolled patients found to have persistent H. pylori infections after failure of first‐line proton‐pump inhibitor‐based triple therapy. Patients took moxifloxacin (400 mg q.d.), amoxicillin (1000 mg b.i.d.), and esomeprazole (20 mg b.i.d.). The eradication rate, drug compliance, and adverse event rates were evaluated. Minimal inhibitory tests were performed for moxifloxacin and amoxicillin by the agar dilution method.

Results:  In 2004, 41 patients were treated for 7 days. The intention‐to‐treat and per‐protocol eradication rates (ITT/PP) were 75.6/83.8%. Moxifloxacin resistance was 5.6%. Therapy was extended to 10 days during 2005–2006 and 139 patients were treated. The ITT/PP eradication rates were 71.9/82.6%; moxifloxacin resistance had increased to 12%. The final group of 181 patients in 2007–2008 who were treated for 14 days also had low eradication rates (68/79.9%), but there was no statistical significance in the efficacy among the treatment periods. Moxifloxacin resistance in 2007–2008 was 28.2%. Side‐effect increased with treatment duration (i.e., 9.8, 12.2, and 25.4% at 7, 10, and 14 days, respectively, p = .001).

Conclusion:  The 7‐day moxifloxacin‐containing triple therapy produced an unacceptably low eradication rate. Increasing the duration of therapy was expected to increase the eradication rate, but the expected increased did not materialize, most likely because of coincident marked increase in the prevalence of resistance to moxifloxacin. Tailored treatment based on antibiotic susceptibility testing might be more effective in the achievement of high eradication rate when rapid antibiotic resistance such as moxifloxacin is occurring.
A Population‐Based Epidemiologic Study of Helicobacter Pylori Infection and its Association with Systemic Inflammation
Authors: Jackson Louisa , Britton John , Lewis Sarah A. , McKeever Tricia M. , Atherton John , Fullerton Donna , Fogarty Andrew W.
Published: September 2009

Background:  Infection with Helicobacter pylori is associated with a variety of non‐gastrointestinal sequelae. These may be mediated by an increase in systemic inflammation. We assessed if serologic evidence of infection with H. pylori is associated with increased serum C‐reactive protein (CRP) levels.

Methods:  The study design consisted of a randomly selected, cross‐sectional population‐based study of 2633 individuals phenotyped in 1991, of whom 2361 participants provided serum samples to permit measurement of H. pylori’s serologic status and CRP levels.

Results:  Male gender (odds ratio (OR): 1.65; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.23–2.21), age (OR per year: 1.05; 95% CI: 1.04–1.06), height (OR per meter: 0.05; 95% CI: 0.01–0.24), current smoking habit (compared with never smokers, OR: 1.46; 95% CI: 1.13–1.88), and less affluent socioeconomic status were associated with increased odds of being seropositive for H. pylori. Helicobacter pylori infection was associated with increased risk of having an elevated serum CRP (above 3 mg/L) after adjustment for gender, age, height, smoking status, and socioeconomic status (OR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.05–1.67). Similar associations were seen using a threshold for elevated serum CRP of greater than 1 mg/L.

Conclusions:  Our data suggest that infection with H. pylori is associated with increased systemic inflammation. This suggests one potential mechanism to explain the extra‐gastrointestinal conditions associated with H. pylori infection.
Meta‐Analysis: Lactobacillus Containing Quadruple Therapy Versus Standard Triple First‐Line Therapy for Helicobacter pylori Eradication
Authors: Zou Jian , Dong Jie , Yu Xiaofeng
Published: September 2009

Background:  Recent evidence showed that Lactobacilli could exert an inhibitory effect on Helicobacter pylori both in vitro and in vivo models. To systematically evaluate whether adding Lactobacilli to H. pylori eradication regimens could improve eradication rates and reduce side effects during anti‐H. pylori treatment.

Materials and Methods:  Eligible articles were identified by searches of electronic databases. We included all randomized trials comparing Lactobacilli supplementation to placebo or no treatment during anti‐H. pylori regimens. Statistical analysis was performed with Review Manager 5.0.10. Subanalysis analysis was also performed.

Results:  We identified eight randomized trials (n = 1372). Pooled H. pylori eradication rates were 82.26% (95% CI = 78.01–86.51%) and 76.97% (95% CI = 73.11–80.83%) for patients with or without Lactobacilli by intention‐to‐treat analysis, respectively, the odds ratio (OR) was 1.78 (95% CI = 1.21–2.62). The occurrence of total side effects had no significant difference and were 30.84% (95% CI = 24.82–36.86%) and 42.24% (95% CI = 35.89%–48.59%) for two groups, the summary OR was 0.49 (95% CI = 0.24–1.02); However, Lactobacilli supplementation group had lower occurrence of diarrhoea, bloating and taste disturbance.

Conclusions:  Our review suggests that supplementation with Lactobacilli could be effective in increasing eradication rates of anti‐H. pylori therapy for first‐treated patients. Furthermore, Lactobacilli showed a positive impact on some H. pylori therapy‐related side effects.
Excimer Laser Assisted Angioplasty in Hemodialysis Access Intervention
Authors: Yevzlin Alexander S. , Urbanes Aris
Published: September 2009

A case is described in which an excimer laser is used to assist angioplasty of a severe central venous lesion that is refractory to conventional techniques. Modern laser technology uses the ultraviolet (UV) spectral region to generate nanosecond pulses of energy. This results in photoablation, which is the process by which energy photons cause molecular bond disruption, while minimizing thermal damage to the surrounding vascular tissues. Further investigation of excimer laser assisted angioplasty in the setting of hemodialysis access intervention is needed to rigorously define its potential role. In occlusive disease where no conventional alternative is available, however, laser therapy is a viable option.
Detecting Alcohol‐Related Problems in Developing Countries: A Comparison of 2 Screening Measures in India
Authors: Nayak Madhabika B. , Bond Jason C. , Cherpitel Cheryl , Patel Vikram , Greenfield Thomas K.
Published: September 2009

Background:  There is inadequate recognition of alcohol misuse as a public health issue in India. Information on screening measures is critical for prevention and early intervention efforts. This study critically evaluated the full and shorter versions of the AUDIT and RAPS4‐QF as screening measures for alcohol use disorders (AUDs) in a community sample of male drinkers in Goa, India.

Methods:  Data from male drinking respondents in a population study on alcohol use patterns and sexual risk behaviors in randomly selected rural and urban areas of North Goa are reported. Overall, 39% (n = 743) of the 1899 screened men, age 18 to 49, reported consuming alcohol in the last 12 months. These current drinkers were administered the screening measures as part of detailed interviews on drinking patterns and AUD symptoms. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis was conducted for each combination of screening measure and criterion (alcohol dependence or any AUD). Reliability and correlations among the 4 measures were also examined.

Results:  All 4 measures performed well with area under the curves of at least 0.79. The full screeners that included both drinking patterns and problem items (the AUDIT and the RAP4‐QF) performed better than their shorter versions (the AUDIT‐C and the RAPS4) in detecting AUDs. Performance of the AUDIT and RAPS4‐QF improved with lowered and raised thresholds, respectively, and alternate cut‐off scores are suggested. Scores on the full measures were significantly correlated (0.80). Reliability estimates for the AUDIT measures were higher than those for the RAPS4 measures.

Conclusions:  All measures were efficient at detecting AUDs. When screening for alcohol‐related problems among males in the general population in India, cut‐off scores for screeners may need to be adjusted. Selecting an appropriate screening measure and cut‐off score necessitates careful consideration of the screening context and resources available to confirm alcohol‐related diagnoses.
The Cultural Politics of Mixed‐Income Schools and Housing: A Racialized Discourse of Displacement, Exclusion, and Control
Authors: Lipman Pauline
Published: September 2009

In this article, I examine the contested and racially coded cultural politics of creating mixed‐income schools in mixed‐income communities. Policymakers claim deconcentrating low‐income people will reduce poverty and improve education. However, based on activist research in Chicago, I argue these policies are grounded in “culture of poverty” theories that pathologize Black

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urban space. They legitimate displacement and gentrification and further the neoliberal urban agenda while negating that urban communities of color and their schools are spaces of community.[mixed income, race, neoliberalism, cultural politics]
Not Too “College‐Like,” Not Too Normal: American Muslim Undergraduate Women's Gendered Discourses
Authors: Mir Shabana
Published: September 2009

Building on an ethnographic study of American Muslim undergraduate women at two universities in Washington, D.C., I examine undergraduate Muslim women's construction of gendered discourses. Stereotypes feed into both majority and minority constructions of Muslim women's gendered identities. I highlight Muslim women's resistance to and adoption of such stereotypes as they construct various modalities of interaction with men on campus. [higher education, gender, Muslim women, ethnography, sexuality]
Synthesis of Titanium Carbide Nanoparticles with a High Specific Surface Area from a TiO2 Core–Sucrose Shell Precursor
Authors: Bae Shin‐Tae , Shin Hyunho , Jung Hyun Suk , Hong Kug Sun
Published: September 2009

By carbothermally reducing a TiO2 core–sucrose shell precursor, titanium carbide mesoporous nanoparticles with a very high specific surface area (147 m2/g at 1500°C) have been prepared. The high specific surface area results from the mesoporous nature of the produced nanoparticles with two types of pores: the one with a pore diameter of about 20 nm and the other with <4 nm.
Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Antiperovskite Ti3AlC Prepared by an In Situ Reaction/Hot‐Pressing Route
Authors: Zhang Xiaowen , Wang Xiaohui , Li Fangzhi , Zhou Yanchun
Published: September 2009

Bulk Ti3AlC ceramic containing 2.68 wt% TiC was prepared by an in situ reaction/hot‐pressing route. The reaction path, microstructure, mechanical and thermal properties were systematically investigated. At room temperature Vickers hardness of Ti3AlC ceramic is 7.8 GPa. The flexural strength, compressive strength, and fracture toughness are 182, 708 MPa, and 2.6 MPa·m1/2, respectively. Its apparent Young's modulus, shear modulus, bulk modulus and Possion's ratio are 208.9, 83.4, 140.4 GPa, and 0.25 at room temperature. Apparent Young's modulus decreases slowly with the increasing temperature, and at 1210°C the modulus is 170 GPa. The average coefficient of thermal expansion of Ti3AlC ceramic is about 10.1 × 10−6 K−1 in the temperature range of 150°–1200°C. Both the molar heat capacity and thermal conductivity increase with an increase in the temperature. At 300 and 1373 K, the molar heat capacities are 87 and 143·J·(mol·K)−1, while the thermal conductivities are 8.19 and 15.6 W·(m·K)−1, respectively.
Reverse Micelle‐Mediated Synthesis and Characterization of Tricalcium Phosphate Nanopowder for Bone Graft Applications
Authors: Dasgupta Sudip , Bose Susmita
Published: September 2009

Nanocrystalline β‐tricalcium phosphate (β‐TCP) powder was synthesized using reverse micelle as a template system. Cyclohexane was used as the oil phase, aqueous solutions of calcium nitrate and phosphoric acid as the aqueous phase, and poly(oxyethylene)5 nonylphenol ether (NP‐5) and/or poly(oxyethylene)12 nonylphenol ether (NP‐12) as the surfactants. The powder were synthesized at a fixed Ca/P molar ratio of 1.5 at a pH of 10. The synthesized powder were calcined at 800°C to obtain monophasic β‐TCP. Particle size, morphology, and surface area of the synthesized powder were dependent on the chemistry of the surfactant and composition of the microemulsion. The powder were characterized using a BET surface area analyzer, powder X‐ray diffraction, dynamic light scattering technique, and transmission electron microscopy. TCP nanoparticles had a particle size between 32 and 135 nm, and a BET‐specific average surface area between 57 and 103 m2/g with controlled morphology. The powder were consolidated and sintered at 1250°C in a 3 kW microwave furnace in the form of a compact disk. Human osteoprecursor cells (osteoblastic precursor cell line 1 [OPC1]) were used to assess the biocompatibility of TCP disks after 1, 5, and 11 days in culture using scanning electron microscopy, MTT assay, and alkaline phosphatase expressions. Disk samples were biocompatible and showed excellent OPC1 cell adhesion, growth, and proliferation. Biocompatible β‐TCP nanopowder were synthesized with controlled particle size, morphology, and surface area using a reverse micelle‐mediated template system.
Compositional Dependence of Phase Separation and Photoluminescence in Er‐Doped Alkaline Borosilicate Glasses
Authors: Chiang Chih‐Chun , Shyu Jiin‐Jyh
Published: September 2009

Er3+‐doped materials have attracted great attention. In this study, the effects of the kind of alkali (Li, Na, and K), Er2O3 concentration (up to 3 mol%), and P2O5 addition (0 and 2 mol%) on the phase separation, optical absorption, and photoluminescence (PL) of the alkali borosilicate glasses were investigated. The relationship between microstructure and optical properties of the glasses is discussed. It was found that the development of the droplet phase enhances both the light‐scattering effect (enhancing the PL intensity) and the concentration‐quenching effect (reducing the PL intensity). As a result, the variation of the PL intensity of the Er3+ 4I13/2→4I15/2 transition with Er2O3 content is mainly caused by the conflict between the light‐scattering effect and the concentration‐quenching effect. The 1 mol% Er2O3‐doped, P2O5‐containing, sodium borosilicate glass has the optimum microstructure and thus the highest PL intensity.
Effects of Heat‐treatments on the Mechanical Strength of Coated YSZ: An Experimental Assessment
Authors: Toftegaard Helmuth , Sørensen Bent F. , Linderoth Søren , Lundberg Mats , Feih Stefanie
Published: September 2009

The mechanical strength of thin, symmetric sandwich specimens consisting of a dense yttria‐stabilized zirconia (YSZ) substrate coated with a porous NiO–YSZ layer at both major faces was investigated. Specimens were loaded in uniaxial tension to failure following heat treatments at various temperatures. In comparison with the YSZ material, the failure strength of coated specimens was found to increase for heat treatments at 1100°C, but decreased again with further increased heat‐treatment temperatures.
Synthesis of Porous Silica Foams via a Novel Vacuum‐Induced Sol–Gel Method
Authors: Delaney Paul , Hanrahan John P. , Copley Mark P. , O'Byrne Justin , Holmes Justin D. , Morris Michael A.
Published: September 2009

Mesoporous silica foams having a macroporous skeleton and well‐ordered internal mesoporous structure were synthesized by a novel vacuum‐induced sol–gel process. This contrasts with the usual route involving expensive sacrificial microspheres. The resulting materials had a tri‐modal pore size distribution and were characterized by nitrogen physisorption, X‐ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy.
Fracture Strength of Polycrystalline Silicon Wafers for the Photovoltaic Industry
Authors: Borrero‐López Oscar , Vodenitcharova Tania , Hoffman Mark , Leo Anthony J.
Published: September 2009

The fracture strength of polycrystalline silicon wafers has been investigated by means of twist and four‐point bending tests. Under a twisting configuration, which generates high tensile stresses within the middle of the wafers, a unimodal distribution in strength is obtained. The characteristic strength and Weibull modulus are 131.0 MPa, and 14.4, respectively. Under a four‐point bending configuration, which generates high stresses both at the surface and at the edges, an additive bimodal distribution is obtained. The first mode of the distribution has a characteristic strength of 76.0 MPa and a Weibull modulus of 1.6; the second mode has a characteristic strength of 161.2 MPa and a Weibull modulus of 11.5. Fractographic observations confirm that the first mode (lower strength) corresponds to wafers which failed from large edge chips (sizes up to 90 μm). Weibull analysis suggests that the second mode (higher strength) corresponds to wafers which failed from smaller surface chips (sizes up to 50 μm). The results obtained point to large edge chips as the most dangerous defects degrading the fracture strength of the wafers. This is of great relevance for the photovoltaic industry, as fracture of silicon wafers limits both the performance and lifetime of the solar cells, and production yields.