bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Strict glycaemic control in patients hospitalised in a mixed medical and surgical intensive care unit: a randomised clinical trial
Authors: De La Rosa Gisela Del Carmen , Donado Jorge Hernando , Restrepo Alvaro Humberto , Quintero Alvaro Mauricio , González Luis Gabriel , Saldarriaga Nora Elena , Bedoya Marisol , Toro Juan Manuel , Velásquez Jorge Byron , Valencia Juan Carlos , Arango Clara Maria , Aleman Pablo Henrique , Vasquez Esdras Martin , Chavarriaga Juan Carlos , Yepes Andrés , Pulido William , Cadavid Carlos Alberto ,   Grupo de Investigacion en Cuidado intensivo: GICI-HPTU
Published: September 2008

Introduction

Critically ill patients can develop hyperglycaemia even if they do not have diabetes. Intensive insulin therapy decreases morbidity and mortality rates in patients in a surgical intensive care unit (ICU) and decreases morbidity in patients in a medical ICU. The effect of this therapy on patients in a mixed medical/surgical ICU is unknown. Our goal was to assess whether the effect of intensive insulin therapy, compared with standard therapy, decreases morbidity and mortality in patients hospitalised in a mixed ICU.

Methods

This is a prospective, randomised, non-blinded, single-centre clinical trial in a medical/surgical ICU. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either intensive insulin therapy to maintain glucose levels between 80 and 110 mg/dl (4.4 to 6.1 mmol/l) or standard insulin therapy to maintain glucose levels between 180 and 200 mg/dl (10 and 11.1 mmol/l). The primary end point was mortality at 28 days.

Results

Over a period of 30 months, 504 patients were enrolled. The 28-day mortality rate was 32.4% (81 of 250) in the standard insulin therapy group and 36.6% (93 of 254) in the intensive insulin therapy group (Relative Risk [RR]: 1.1; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.85 to 1.42). The ICU mortality in the standard insulin therapy group was 31.2% (78 of 250) and 33.1% (84 of 254) in the intensive insulin therapy group (RR: 1.06; 95%CI: 0.82 to 1.36). There was no statistically significant reduction in the rate of ICU-acquired infections: 33.2% in the standard insulin therapy group compared with 27.17% in the intensive insulin therapy group (RR: 0.82; 95%CI: 0.63 to 1.07). The rate of hypoglycaemia (≤ 40 mg/dl) was 1.7% in the standard insulin therapy group and 8.5% in the intensive insulin therapy group (RR: 5.04; 95% CI: 1.20 to 21.12).

Conclusions

IIT used to maintain glucose levels within normal limits did not reduce morbidity or mortality of patients admitted to a mixed medical/surgical ICU. Furthermore, this therapy increased the risk of hypoglycaemia.

Trial Registration

clinicaltrials.gov Identifiers: 4374-04-13031; 094-2 in 000966421
Seismic stimulation for enhanced oil recovery
Authors: Pride Steven R. , Flekkøy Eirik G. , Aursjø Olav
Published: September 2008

The pore-scale effects of seismic stimulation on two-phase flow are modeled numerically in random 2D grain-pack geometries. Seismic stimulation aims to enhance oil production by sending seismic waves across a reservoir to liberate immobile patches of oil. For seismic amplitudes above a well-defined (analytically expressed) dimensionless criterion, the force perturbation associated with the waves indeed can liberate oil trapped on capillary barriers and get it flowing again under the background pressure gradient. Subsequent coalescence of the freed oil droplets acts to enhance oil movement further because longer bubbles overcome capillary barriers more efficiently than shorter bubbles do. Poroelasticity theory defines the effective force that a seismic wave adds to the background fluid-pressure gradient. The lattice-Boltzmann model in two dimensions is used to perform pore-scale numerical simulations. Dimensionless numbers (groups of material and force parameters) involved in seismic stimulation were defined carefully so that numerical simulations could be applied to field-scale conditions. Using defined analytical criteria, there is a significant range of reservoir conditions over which seismic stimulation can be expected to enhance oil production.
Effects of fluids and dual-pore systems on pressure-dependent velocities and attenuations in carbonates
Authors: Agersborg Remy , Johansen Tor Arne , Jakobsen Morten , Sothcott Jeremy , Best Angus
Published: September 2008

The effects of fluid substitution on P- and S-wave velocities in carbonates of complex texture are still not understood fully. The often-used Gassmann equation gives ambiguous results when compared with ultrasonic velocity data. We present theoretical modeling of velocity and attenuation measurements obtained at a frequency of [Formula: see text] for six carbonate samples composed of calcite and saturated with air, brine, and kerosene. Although porosities (2%–14%) and permeabilities [Formula: see text] are relatively low, velocity variations are large. Differences between the highest and lowest P- and S-wave velocities are about 18% and 27% for brine-saturated samples at 60 and [Formula: see text] effective pressure, respectively. S-wave velocities are measured for two orthogonal polarizations; for four of six samples, anisotropy is revealed. TheGassmann model underpredicts fluid-substitution effects by [Formula: see text] for three samples and by as much as 5% for the rest of the six samples. Moreover, when dried, they also show decreasing attenuation with increasing confining pressure. To model this behavior, we examine a pore model made of two pore systems: one constitutes the main and drainable porosity, and the other is made of undrained cracklike pores that can be associated with grain-to-grain contacts. In addition, these dried rock samples are modeled to contain a fluid-filled-pore system of grain-to-grain contacts, potentially causing local fluid flow and attenuation. For the theoretical model, we use an inclusion model based on the [Formula: see text]-matrix approach, which also considers effects of pore texture and geometry, and pore fluid, global- and local-fluid flow. By using a dual-pore system, we establish a realistic physical model consistently describing the measured data.
Acquisition geometry analysis in complex 3D media
Authors: van Veldhuizen E. J. , Blacquière G , Berkhout A. J.
Published: September 2008

Increasingly, we must deal with complex subsurface structures in seismic exploration, often resulting in poor illumination and, therefore, poor image quality. Consequently, it is desirable to take into consideration the effects of wave propagation in the subsurface structure when designing an acquisition geometry. We developed a new, model-based implementation of the previously introduced focal-beam analysis method. The method’s objective is to provide quantitative insight into the combined influence of acquisition geometry, overburden structure, and migration operators on image resolution and angle-dependent amplitude accuracy. This is achieved by simulation of migrated grid-point responses using focal beams. Note that the seismic response of any subsurface can be composed of a linear sum of grid-point responses. The focal beams have been chosen because any migration process represents double focusing. In addition, the focal source beam and focal detector beam relate migration quality to illumination properties of the source geometry and sensing properties of the detector geometry, respectively. Wave-equation modeling ensures that frequency-dependent effects in the seismic-frequency range are incorporated. We tested our method by application to a 3D salt model in the Gulf of Mexico. Investigation of well-sampled, all-azimuth, long-offset acquisition geometries revealed fundamental illumination and sensing limitations. Further results exposed the shortcomings of narrow-azimuth data acquisition. The method also demonstrates how acquisition-related amplitude errors affect seismic inversion results.
Long-Term Survival for Patients With Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer With Intratumoral Lymphoid Structures
Authors: Dieu-Nosjean Marie-Caroline , Antoine Martine , Danel Claire , Heudes Didier , Wislez Marie , Poulot Virginie , Rabbe Nathalie , Laurans Ludivine , Tartour Eric , de Chaisemartin Luc , Lebecque Serge , Fridman Wolf-Herman , Cadranel Jacques
Published: September 2008

Purpose

It has been established that the immune system plays an important role in tumor rejection. There is also compelling evidence that immune responses can develop independently of secondary lymphoid organs in tertiary lymphoid structures. We studied the presence and the correlation of tertiary lymphoid structures with clinical outcome in non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), as the prognostic value of these structures in patients with cancer had not yet been established.

Patients and Methods

This retrospective study was performed by immunohistochemistry on paraffin-embedded tissue specimens from 74 patients with early-stage NSCLC.

Results

Tertiary lymphoid structures were detected in some tumors but not in nontumoral lungs. Thus we called these structures tumor-induced bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (Ti-BALT). As in lymph nodes, Ti-BALTs were composed of mature dendritic cell (DC)/T-cell clusters adjacent to B-cell follicles and had features of an ongoing immune response. Because the quantitative counting of Ti-BALT was difficult to achieve, we used mature DCs that homed exclusively in Ti-BALT as a specific marker of these structures. Univariate analysis showed that the density of mature DCs was highly associated with a favorable clinical outcome (overall, disease-specific, and disease-free survival), suggesting that Ti-BALT may participate in antitumoral immunity. The density of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, in particular, CD4+ and T-bet+ Th1 T cells, was profoundly decreased in tumors weakly infiltrated by mature DCs.

Conclusion

The density of mature DCs was found to be a better predictor of clinical outcome than the other parameters tested. The number of tumor-infiltrating mature DCs may identify patients with early-stage NSCLC who have a high risk of relapse.
Results of the EICESS-92 Study: Two Randomized Trials of Ewing's Sarcoma Treatment—Cyclophosphamide Compared With Ifosfamide in Standard-Risk Patients and Assessment of Benefit of Etoposide Added to Standard Treatment in High-Risk Patients
Authors: Paulussen Michael , Craft Alan W. , Lewis Ian , Hackshaw Allan , Douglas Carolyn , Dunst Jürgen , Schuck Andreas , Winkelmann Winfried , Köhler Gabriele , Poremba Christopher , Zoubek Andreas , Ladenstein Ruth , van den Berg Henk , Hunold Andrea , Cassoni Anna , Spooner David , Grimer Robert , Whelan Jeremy , McTiernan Anne , Jürgens Herbert
Published: September 2008

Purpose

The European Intergroup Cooperative Ewing's Sarcoma Study investigated whether cyclophosphamide has a similar efficacy as ifosfamide in standard-risk (SR) patients and whether the addition of etoposide improves survival in high-risk (HR) patients.

Patients and Methods

SR patients (localized tumors, volume <100 mL) were randomly assigned to receive four courses of vincristine, dactinomycin, ifosfamide, and doxorubicin (VAIA) induction therapy followed by 10 courses of either VAIA or vincristine, dactinomycin, cyclophosphamide, and doxorubicin (VACA; cyclophosphamide replacing ifosfamide). HR patients (volume ≥100 mL or metastases) were randomly assigned to receive 14 courses of either VAIA or VAIA plus etoposide (EVAIA). Outcome measures were event-free survival (EFS; defined as the time to first recurrence, progression, second malignancy, or death) and overall survival (OS).

Results

A total of 647 patients were randomly assigned: 79 SR patients were assigned to VAIA, 76 SR patients were assigned to VACA, 240 HR were assigned to VAIA, and 252 HR patients were assigned to EVAIA. The median follow-up was 8.5 years. In the SR group, the hazard ratios (VACA v VAIA) for EFS and OS were 0.91 (95% CI, 0.55 to 1.53) and 1.08 (95% CI, 0.58 to 2.03), respectively. There was a higher incidence of hematologic toxicities in the VACA arm. In the HR group, the EFS and OS hazard ratios (EVAIA v VAIA) indicated a 17% reduction in the risk of an event (95% CI, −35% to 5%; P = .12) and 15% reduction in dying (95% CI, −34% to 10%), respectively. The effect seemed greater among patients without metastases (hazard ratio = 0.79; P = .16) than among those with metastases (hazard ratio = 0.96; P = .84).

Conclusion

Cyclophosphamide seemed to have a similar effect on EFS and OS as ifosfamide in SR patients but was associated with increased toxicity. In HR patients, the addition of etoposide seemed to be beneficial.
Phase I Study of Weekly Oxaliplatin in Relapsed or Refractory Pediatric Solid Malignancies
Authors: Geoerger Birgit , Doz François , Gentet Jean-Claude , Mayer Michele , Landman-Parker Judith , Pichon Fabienne , Chastagner Pascal , Rubie Hervé , Frappaz Didier , Le Bouil Anne , Gupta Sunil , Vassal Gilles
Published: September 2008

Purpose

To explore feasibility, maximum-tolerated dose (MTD), and recommended dose (RD) for phase II studies of weekly oxaliplatin for the treatment of relapsed or refractory pediatric solid malignancies.

Patients and Methods

Eligible patients were 6 months to 21 years old, had a diagnosis of a solid malignancy, and had experienced treatment failure with at least two or more previous lines of therapy. The phase I study was multicentric, open-label, and nonrandomized. It foresaw two phases: a dose-escalation phase (comprising six levels) to find the RD and an extension at the RD to evaluate the cumulative toxicity. Oxaliplatin was administered intravenously over 2 hours on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 28-day cycle.

Results

Forty-five patients were enrolled: 29 patients in the dose-escalation phase and 16 patients in the extension at the RD. Median age was 9.5 years (range, 2.8 to 20.0 years) and 7.8 years (range, 1.8 to 19.2 years), respectively. The dose-limiting toxicities during the first treatment cycle were grade 3 (G3) sepsis at 50 mg/m2, G3 dysesthesia at 90 mg/m2, and G3 dysesthesia and G3 paresthesia at 110 mg/m2, thus the MTD and RD was 90 mg/m2. No case of ototoxicity was reported. Stable disease was reported in seven patients (16.3%), and confirmed partial response was observed in two patients (4.7%), one with neuroblastoma and one with osteosarcoma.

Conclusion

Oxaliplatin administered in a weekly schedule has an acceptable safety profile, different from cisplatin and carboplatin, and shows activity in children with relapsed or refractory solid tumors, suggesting further investigation in pediatric malignancies.
Eya4 regulation of Na+/K+-ATPase is required for sensory system development in zebrafish
Authors: Wang Libin , Sewell William F. , Kim Sang D. , Shin Jordan T. , MacRae Calum A. , Zon Leonard I. , Seidman J. G. , Seidman Christine E.
Published: September 2008

To investigate the mechanisms by which mutations in the human transcriptional co-activator EYA4 gene cause sensorineural hearing loss that can occur in association with dilated cardiomyopathy, we studied eya4 expression during zebrafish development and characterized eya4 deficiency. eya4 morphant fish embryos had reduced numbers of hair cells in the otic vesicle and lateral line neuromasts with impaired sensory responses. Analyses of candidate genes that are known to be expressed in a temporal and spatial pattern comparable to eya4focused our analyses on atp1b2b, which encodes the β2b subunit of the zebrafish Na+/K+-ATPase. We demonstrate atp1b2b levels are reduced in eya4 morphant fish and that morpholino oligonucleotides targeting the atp1b2b gene recapitulated the eya4 deficiency phenotypes, including heart failure, decreased sensory hair cell numbers in the otic vesicle and neuromasts, and abnormal sensory responses. Furthermore, atp1b2b overexpression rescued these phenotypes in eya4 morphant fish. We conclude that eya4regulation of Na+/K+-ATPase is crucial for the development of mechanosensory cells and the maintenance of cardiac function in zebrafish.
Antagonistic roles forUltrabithoraxandAntennapediain regulating segment-specific apoptosis of differentiated motoneurons in theDrosophilaembryonic central nervous system
Authors: Rogulja-Ortmann Ana , Renner Simone , Technau Gerhard M.
Published: September 2008

The generation of morphological diversity among segmental units of the nervous system is crucial for correct matching of neurons with their targets and for formation of functional neuromuscular networks. However, the mechanisms leading to segment diversity remain largely unknown. We report here that the Hox genes Ultrabithorax (Ubx) and Antennapedia (Antp) regulate segment-specific survival of differentiated motoneurons in the ventral nerve cord of Drosophilaembryos. We show that Ubx is required to activate segment-specific apoptosis in these cells, and that their survival depends on Antp. Expression of the Ubx protein is strongly upregulated in the motoneurons shortly before they undergo apoptosis, and our results indicate that this late upregulation is required to activate reaper-dependent cell death. We further demonstrate that Ubx executes this role by counteracting the function of Antp in promoting cell survival. Thus, two Hox genes contribute to segment patterning and diversity in the embryonic CNS by carrying out opposing roles in the survival of specific differentiated motoneurons.
Numb mediates the interaction between Wnt and Notch to modulate primitive erythropoietic specification from the hemangioblast
Authors: Cheng Xin , Huber Tara L. , Chen Vincent C. , Gadue Paul , Keller Gordon M.
Published: September 2008

During embryonic development, the establishment of the primitive erythroid lineage in the yolk sac is a temporally and spatially restricted program that defines the onset of hematopoiesis. In this report, we have used the embryonic stem cell differentiation system to investigate the regulation of primitive erythroid development at the level of the hemangioblast. We show that the combination of Wnt signaling with inhibition of the Notch pathway is required for the development of this lineage. Inhibition of Notch signaling at this stage appears to be mediated by the transient expression of Numb in the hemangioblast-derived blast cell colonies. Activation of the Notch pathway was found to inhibit primitive erythropoiesis efficiently through the upregulation of inhibitors of the Wnt pathway. Together, these findings demonstrate that specification of the primitive erythroid lineage is controlled, in part, by the coordinated interaction of the Wnt and Notch pathways, and position Numb as a key mediator of this process.
Mutational analysis of vaccinia virus mRNA cap (guanine-N7) methyltransferase reveals essential contributions of the N-terminal peptide that closes over the active site
Authors: Zheng Sushuang , Shuman Stewart
Published: September 2008

RNA guanine-N7 methyltransferase catalyzes the third step of eukaryal mRNA capping, the transfer of a methyl group from AdoMet to GpppRNA to form m7GpppRNA. Mutational and crystallographic analyses of cellular and poxvirus cap methyltransferases have yielded a coherent picture of a conserved active site and determinants of substrate specificity. Models of the Michaelis complex suggest a direct in-line mechanism of methyl transfer. Because no protein contacts to the guanine-N7 nucleophile, the AdoMet methyl carbon (Cε) or the AdoHcy sulfur (Sδ) leaving group were observed in ligand-bound structures of cellular cap methyltransferase, it was initially thought that the enzyme facilitates catalysis by optimizing proximity and geometry of the donor and acceptor. However, the structure of AdoHcy-bound vaccinia virus cap methyltransferase revealed the presence of an N-terminal “lid peptide” that closes over the active site and makes multiple contacts with the substrates, including the AdoMet sulfonium. This segment is disordered in the vaccinia apoenzyme and is not visible in the available structures of cellular cap methyltransferase. Here, we conducted a mutational analysis of the vaccinia virus lid peptide (545DKFRLNPEVSYFTNKRTRG563) entailing in vivo and in vitro readouts of the effects of alanine and conservative substitutions. We thereby identified essential functional groups that interact with the AdoMet sulfonium (Tyr555, Phe556), the AdoMet adenine (Asn550), and the cap triphosphate bridge (Arg560, Arg562). The results suggest that van der Waals contacts of Tyr555 and Phe556 to the AdoMet Sδ and Cε atoms, and the electron-rich environment around the sulfonium, serve to stabilize the transition state of the transmethylation reaction.
New Exact Algorithms for One-Machine Earliness-Tardiness Scheduling
Authors: Sourd Francis
Published: September 2008

In one-machine scheduling, mixed-integer program time-indexed formulations are often used to provide very good lower bounds through Lagrangian relaxations. To get an improved lower bound, we add valid cuts to a time-indexed formulation and show we still have a Lagrangian relaxation that can be solved as a shortest path in a graph. Two branch-and-bound algorithms are then presented for the earliness-tardiness scheduling problem with either common or general due dates. In both cases, our algorithms outperform the previously published approaches.
Strategic Interaction Across Countries and Multinational Agglomeration: An Application to the Cement Industry
Authors: Ghemawat Pankaj , Thomas Catherine
Published: September 2008

Agglomeration in foreign direct investment (FDI) is typically attributed to location-specific characteristics such as natural resource advantages or production-related spillovers between multinational firms. The increasing collocation of the largest global firms in the cement industry since the 1980s is not easily attributed to either of these explanations. This paper draws on theories of multimarket contact to test whether strategic interaction across national markets has influenced the successive market entry decisions generating the observed agglomeration. We first establish that there is indeed nonrandom agglomeration of the six largest cement firms. We next show that preexisting cross-market interaction with current incumbents helps predict which firm will enter a given market and also the choice of market a given firm enters. The association does not appear to be caused by strategic convergence or mimicry of recent entry events and cannot be explained by production side effects, which depend only on local conditions. The findings are consistent with multimarket contact models where collocation allows firms to sustain higher prices in all markets. This latter inference is also supported by evidence of an association between global firm market share and local cement price. The paper suggests that pricing spillovers can serve as an alternative motivation for FDI agglomeration.
The Impact of Delay Announcements in Many-Server Queues with Abandonment
Authors: Armony Mor , Shimkin Nahum , Whitt Ward
Published: September 2008

This paper studies the performance impact of making delay announcements to arriving customers who must wait before starting service in a many-server queue with customer abandonment. The queue is assumed to be invisible to waiting customers, as in most customer contact centers, when contact is made by telephone, e-mail, or instant messaging. Customers who must wait are told upon arrival either the delay of the last customer to enter service or an appropriate average delay. Models for the customer response are proposed. For a rough-cut performance analysis, prior to detailed simulation, two approximations are proposed: (1) the equilibrium delay in a deterministic fluid model, and (2) the equilibrium steady-state delay in a stochastic model with fixed delay announcements. These approximations are shown to be effective in overloaded regimes, where delay announcements are important, by making comparisons with simulations. Within the fluid model framework, conditions are established for the existence and uniqueness of an equilibrium delay, where the actual delay coincides with the announced delay. Multiple equilibria can occur if a key monotonicity condition is violated.
Macroscopic control of plasma polymerization processes
Authors: Hegemann Dirk
Published: September 2008

Plasma polymerization covers a broad range of plasma deposits from soft to hard coatings. Nanoscale coatings are formed within a dry and eco-friendly process on different substrate materials and structures. To gain a deeper insight into plasma polymerization, a macroscopic approach using the concept of chemical quasi-equilibria might be useful. Following this macroscopic approach, the reaction parameter power input per gas flow W/F, which represents the specific energy invested per particle within the active plasma zone, solely determines the mass deposition rate. Hence, plasma polymerization can be described by measuring the deposited mass and examining the power input and gas flow which contributes to it. Thus, the control, investigation, and up-scaling of plasma polymerization processes are enabled. Different examples are given to make use of the macroscopic approach.
Radio frequency expanding plasmas at low, intermediate, and atmospheric pressure and their applications
Authors: Dinescu Gheorghe , Ionita Eusebiu R.
Published: September 2008

We report on the operation and characteristics of radio frequency (RF) plasma beam sources based on the expansion of the discharge outside of limited spaces with small interelectrode gaps. The appropriate electrode configuration, combined with high mass flow values and appropriate power levels, leads to small- or large-size plasma jets, working stably at low, intermediate, and atmospheric pressures. The sources are promising tools for a wide range of applications in thin film deposition, surface modification, and cleaning, including the case of temperature-sensitive substrates.
Hollow cathode and hybrid atmospheric plasma sources
Authors: Baránková Hana , Bardos Ladislav
Published: September 2008

Generation and features of the radio frequency (RF) hollow cathode discharge (HCD) are compared for the atmospheric and moderate pressures. The atmospheric-pressure plasma systems, fused hollow cathode (FHC) and hybrid hollow electrode-activated discharge (H-HEAD), are described. Examples of applications where both FHC and H-HEAD have already been employed are given, and potentials for new processes are discussed.
Synthesis of functional TiO2-based nanoparticles in radio frequency induction thermal plasma
Authors: Ishigaki Takamasa , Li Ji-Guang
Published: September 2008

A method of synthesizing functional nanostructured powders by using reactive thermal plasma processing has been developed. Nanosized TiO2 powders have been synthesized by the plasma oxidation of solid and liquid precursors. Quench gases, either injected from the shoulder of the reactor or injected counter to the plasma plume from the bottom of the reactor, are used to affect the quench rate and hence the particle size of the resultant powders. The experimental results are well supported by numerical analysis of the effects of the quench gas on flow pattern and temperature field of the thermal plasma as well as trajectory and temperature histories of the particles. The plasma-synthesized TiO2 nanoparticles showed phase preferences different from those synthesized by conventional wet processes. Nanosized particles of high crystallinity and nonequilibrium chemical composition were formed in one step by reactive thermal plasma processing. The plasma-synthesized nanoparticles were spherical and hardly agglomerated. Applications of highly functional nanoparticles are thought to require nanoparticles structured in the forms of (1) dispersoids, (2) fillers, and (3) patterns. For these purposes, plasma-synthesized nanocrystallites seem to be suitable.
Thermal plasma treatment of stormwater detention pond sludge
Authors: Chang Jen-Shih , Li Helena O. L. , Guo Yiping
Published: September 2008

A thermal plasma treatment experiment was conducted on stormwater detention pond sludge. The original sludge compositions were analyzed by neutron activation multi-element analysis. Thirty-two elements were detected in the sludge samples, and nine of them were below detection limit. The assessment of Zn, As, Mn, and Fe concentrations against the Ontario Ministry of Environment's Sediment Quality Guidelines indicated a marginal-to-significant pollution, and the concentration of Cr presented a gross pollution. After thermal plasma treatment, the mean weight percentage removal at 0 and 2 L/min of air flow rates was 2.78 ± 0.51 and 3.85 ± 1.35 %, respectively. The maximum weight removal of 5.87 % was achieved with 2 L/min air flow rate and 2 h of treatment time. Reduction of total organic carbon (TOC) increased with increasing treatment time and air flow rate. Eight gas compounds, CO, CO2, NO, NO2, NO
x
, SO2, H2S, and C
x
H
y
were measured and observed during the treatment process.
Nomenclature for rotaxanes and pseudorotaxanes (IUPAC Recommendations 2008)
Authors: Yerin Andrey , Wilks Edward S. , Moss Gerard P. , Harada Akira
Published: September 2008

Expanded definitions of rotaxanes and pseudorotaxanes, their components, and other terms concerning rotaxanes are given. The uniform classification and nomenclature principles for naming different types of rotaxanes and pseudorotaxanes are described and illustrated with examples. Recommendations are provided for unambiguous description of rotaxane isomerism with special descriptors that include information about position of rotaxane components.
Correspondence of Gilbert Highet and Helen MacInnes with Classical Scholars and Other Individuals
Authors: Ball Robert J.
Published: September 2008

Gilbert Highet and Helen MacInnes—one, an eminent classical scholar, the other, a writer of espionage novels—figured prominently in America’s cultural pantheon of the mid-twentieth century. This paper examines correspondence of this celebrated couple with classical scholars and other individuals inside and outside academia, some of them distinguished. They include Cyril Bailey, Maurice Bowra, Edmund Wilson, Grayson Kirk, Gilbert Murray, Rolfe Humphries, Ruth Jaeger, Janice Gorn, Bernard Weisberger, Joseph Fontenrose, John Lindsay, and Steele Commager. The correspondence, dealing with academic and extra-academic matters, has been reproduced word for word, with explanatory footnotes as appropriate.
Homeric Warriors and Battles: Trying to Resolve Old Problems
Authors: Raaflaub Kurt A.
Published: September 2008

Homeric battle descriptions have long eluded satisfactory interpretation. Major problems include the mode of fighting, the role of commoners in battle, the extraordinary duration of battles lasting entire days, and the use of chariots. A better understanding is possible by taking the poet’s narrative techniques seriously (such as alternation between panoramic and scenic perspectives or common use of formulaic or type scenes). The latter, for example, help explain the “epic overextension” of battles by stringing together “normal battles,” corresponding to a familiar reality, and chaotic-fantastic flight and aristeia scenes, where gods and chariots are much more prominent than elsewhere.
Emodulanda in Ovid’s Amores 1.1
Authors: Waterhouse William C.
Published: September 2008

The word emodulanda in Amores 1.1 emphasizes the fact that elegiacs are the full and proper form for an erotic Muse.
Tiberius and the Libraries: Public Book Collections and Library Buildings in the Early Roman Empire
Authors: Houston George W.
Published: September 2008

The principate of the emperor Tiberius was a surprisingly interesting period in Roman library history. Devoted to books and scholarship himself, Tiberius built what must have been a very large new library, but he also confirmed the Augustan principle of constructing numerous separate structures rather than one comprehensive library. He invented the position of library commissioner, to which he appointed a scholarly advisor, not an administrator. He gave texts of three Greek authors to the libraries. This implies that those works had not previously been in the collection and so gives us valuable insight into the contents of the Augustan libraries.
Assumptions About Human Nature and the Impact of Philosophical Concepts on Professional Issues: A Questionnaire-Based Study with 800 Students from Psychology, Philosophy, and Science
Authors: Fahrenberg Jochen , Cheetham Marcus
Published: September 2008

Abstract:
Philosophical anthropology is concerned with assumptions about human nature, differential psychology with the empirical investigation of such belief systems. A questionnaire composed of 64 questions concerning brain and consciousness, free will, evolution, meaning of life, belief in God, and theodicy problem was used to gather data from 563 students of psychology at seven universities and from 233 students enrolled in philosophy or the natural sciences.

Essential concepts were monism–dualism–complementarity, atheism–agnosticism–deism–theism, attitude toward transcendence–immanence, and self-ratings of religiosity and interest in meaning of life. The response profiles ( Menschenbild ) of women and men, and of psychology students in the first and midterm of study were very similar. The method of statistical twins indicated a number of differences between students of psychology, philosophy, and the natural sciences. The majority of respondents were convinced that philosophical preconceptions on mind–body and free will have important practical implications for the way in which psychotherapists, physicians, or and judges exercise their professions.
Faith in Politics. New Trends in the Study of Religion and Politics
Authors: Bellin Eva
Published: September 2008

Studies of religion and politics have begun to force their way into the mainstream of the discipline thanks to their increasing methodological sophistication and theoretical ambition in addition to the push of real-world events. In comparative politics, puzzle-driven structured comparison has yielded new insights into the rationality of religious behavior, the weight of path dependence in shaping religious values, and the play of socioeconomic factors in shaping religion's vitality. In international relations, recognition of the importance of religious identities and values in the play of international affairs has spelled an advance over realist caricatures that long discounted ideas as epiphenomenal and focused on the quest for wealth and power as the sole driver of international politics. But notable lacunae remain. The comparative subfield still needs to reckon with the noninstrumental aspect of religious behavior, the power of religion as an independent variable, and the differential appeal, persuasiveness, and political salience of religious ideas over time. The IR subfield must move beyond “paradigm wars” focused on whether religion matters in international politics in favor of more empirically grounded, structured comparison to illuminate when and why religion matters in international affairs.
The Evil Angels in the Vita and the Letters of St. Antony the Great. Some Observations concerning the Problem of the Authenticity of the Letters
Authors: Bumazhnov Dmitrij F.
Published: September 2008

Das durch die Vita Antonii und eine beträchtliche Anzahl altkirchlicher Zeugnisse überlieferte Bild Antonius' des Großen zeigt ihn als Dämonenkämpfer und Exorzisten, der – wie auch die überwiegende Mehrheit paganer und christlicher Autoren seiner Zeit – von der Fähigkeit der Dämonen, nach Belieben erscheinen zu können, überzeugt sein mußte. Dieser Zug, dem eine historische Plausibilität nicht abgesprochen werden kann, steht im krassen Gegensatz zu der ebenfalls dem Antonius zugeschrieben Epistula 6,55, wo die Erscheinungsfähigkeit von Dämonen in einem polemisch aufgeladenen Kontext in Abrede gestellt wird. Während die Polemik gegen die Möglichkeit der Sichtbarkeit Gottes wie der Dämonen in Epistula 6,50-56 auf einen historischen Zusammenhang mit dem ersten origenistischen Streit in Ägypten schließen läßt, wird durch die Diskrepanz zwischen Epistula 6,55 und dem Rest der Antoniustradition der weitgehend etablierte Konsens hinsichtlich der Echtheit der sog. Antoniusbriefe problematisiert.
Humán papillomavírus (HPV-16) kimutatása a colon laphámsejtes carcinomájából és annak nyirokcsomó-metastasisaibólr
Authors: Bognár Gábor , István Gábor , Ledniczky György , Ondrejka Pál
Published: September 2008

Absztrakt

A humán papillomavírus (HPV) etiológiai szerepe számos laphámeredetű malignomában ismert. A colon laphámsejtes rákja (SCC) ritka betegség, etiológiája bizonytalan. Egy általunk operált SCC-eset kapcsán célunk volt kimutatni egy esetleges HPV-fertőzést. Egy 94 éves nőbeteget operáltunk passage-zavart okozó colon descendens tumor miatt. A szövettani vizsgálat SCC-t igazolt. Korábban kidolgozott módszerrel PCR- és Southern blot hybridisatiós technikával vizsgáltuk meg a daganatszövetet és az eltávolított nyirokcsomókat. Az eset kapcsán átnéztük az SCC-re vonatkozó irodalmat. A malignomákban leggyakrabban előforduló HPV-típusok (16, 18) közül a HPV-16 jelenlétét tudtuk igazolni a SCC-ben és a környező 9 nyirokcsomóból 4-ben. Ezek közül 2 metastaticus volt. Egy SCC-s betegnél sikerült HPV-16-fertőzöttséget kimutatni, a primer tumorból és a metastaticus nyirokcsomók mellett további környező nyirokcsomókból. Ilyen tanulmányt tudomásunk szerint még senki nem közölt.
Gliceril-trinitrát lokális alkalmazásának szerepe a végbélrepedés kezelésébenr
Authors: Takáts Károly , Tóth András , Bursics Attila
Published: September 2008

Absztrakt

A végbélrepedés az analis nyálkahártya ischaemiás fekélye, mely leggyakrabban a hátsó comissurában alakul ki. A kezelésére választandó eljárást az elváltozás nagysága, valamint fennállásának ideje határozza meg. Az első lépés minden esetben a beteg ellátása az életmódjára vonatkozó utasításokkal. A lokális gyógyszeres kezelés (gliceril-trinitrát, botulinum-toxin), valamint a sebészi kezelés célja egyaránt a belső analis sphincter tónusfokozódásának a csökkentése. Igazi “farmakológiai sphincterotomia” csak a gliceril-trinitrát tartalmú kenőcsök lokális alkalmazásával, valamint a botulinum-toxin-injekcióval érhető el. A nitrogén-oxid neurotranszmitterként a belső analis sphincter relaxációját mediálja. A gliceril-trinitrát nitrogén-oxid-donorként viselkedve izomrelaxációt okoz. Gyakori mellékhatása a fejfájás az agyi erek kitágulásának következményeként, de ez gyógyszeresen jól csillapítható.
State-Level Health Care Access and Use Among Children in US Immigrant Families
Authors: Yu Stella M. , Huang Zhihuan J. , Kogan Michael D.
Published: September 2008

Objectives. We examined the association between children's state of residence and their access to health care among specific types of immigrant families: foreign-born children, US-born children with 1 foreign-born parent, US-born children with both foreign-born parents, and nonimmigrant families.

Methods. We analyzed data from 12 400 children from the 2003 National Survey of Children's Health in the 6 states with the highest proportion of immigrants (California, Florida, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, and Texas).

Results. Multivariable analyses indicated that among foreign-born children, those living in California, Illinois, and Texas were more likely to lack access to health care compared with those living in New York. Among foreign-born children with 1 or 2 US-born parents, Texas children were most likely to lack health insurance. Within nonimmigrant families, children from California, Florida, and Texas had significantly more access and use problems.

Conclusions. Our findings document differential health care access and use among states for specific immigrant family types.
Welfare Reform and Older Immigrants' Health Insurance Coverage
Authors: Nam Yunju
Published: September 2008

Objectives. I examined changes in older immigrants' health insurance coverage after welfare reform in the United States to determine whether the reform measures achieved their goal of saving money by reducing Medicaid participation without increasing the number of uninsured people.

Methods. Data were obtained from older adults who participated in the Current Population Survey's Annual Social and Economic Supplement from 1994 to 1996 and 2001 to 2005. I used logistic regression to estimate changes in the sample's Medicaid and health insurance coverage after welfare reform, paying special attention to noncitizens and recent immigrants.

Results. Older immigrants' health insurance status was associated with their citizenship status and length of stay in the United States. Medicaid participation significantly decreased among noncitizens and recent immigrants but increased among naturalized citizens. Private health insurance and employer-sponsored insurance coverage significantly increased among recent immigrants but decreased among established immigrants and naturalized citizens. The probability of being uninsured did not significantly change among any group of immigrants.

Conclusions. Given increases in postreform Medicaid participation among some immigrant groups, my findings suggest that the long-term cost-saving effectiveness of the current restrictive Medicaid eligibility policy is doubtful.
Effectiveness of a Community Coalition for Improving Child Vaccination Rates in New York City
Authors: Findley Sally E. , Irigoyen Matilde , Sanchez Martha , Stockwell Melissa S. , Mejia Miriam , Guzman Letty , Ferreira Richard , Pena Oscar , Chen Shaofu , Andres-Martinez Raquel
Published: September 2008

We used a retrospective, matching, birth cohort design to evaluate a comprehensive, coalition-led childhood immunization program of outreach, education, and reminders in a Latino, urban community. After we controlled for Latino ethnicity and Medicaid, we found that children enrolled in the program were 53% more likely to be up-to-date (adjusted odds ratio = 1.53; 95% confidence interval = 1.33, 1.75) and to receive timely immunizations than were children in the control group (t = 3.91). The coalition-led, community-based immunization program was effective in improving on-time childhood immunization coverage.
PARACHUTING CATS AND CRUSHED EGGS The Controversy Over the Use of DDT to Control Malaria
Authors: O'Shaughnessy Patrick T.
Published: September 2008

The use of DDT to control malaria has been a contentious practice for decades. This controversy centers on concerns over the ecological harm caused by DDT relative to the gains in public health from its use to prevent malaria. Given the World Health Organization's recent policy decisions concerning the use of DDT to control malaria, it is worth reviewing the historical context of DDT use.

Ecological concerns focused on evidence that DDT ingestion by predatory birds resulted in eggs with shells so thin they were crushed by adult birds. In addition, DDT spraying to control malaria allegedly resulted in cats being poisoned in some areas, which led to increased rodent populations and, in turn, the parachuting of cats into the highlands of the island of Borneo to kill the rodents, a story that influenced the decision to ban DDT spraying. I focus on this story with the intention of grounding the current debate on lessons from the past.
Occupational Conditions and Well-Being of Indigenous Farmworkers
Authors: Farquhar Stephanie , Shadbeh Nargess , Samples Julie , Ventura Santiago , Goff Nancy
Published: September 2008

Increasing numbers of indigenous farmworkers from Mexico and Guatemala have been arriving in the Pacific Northwest (indigenous people are not of Hispanic or Latino descent and migrate from regions with unique cultural and linguistic traditions). Multilingual project outreach workers administered surveys to 150 farmworkers in Oregon to assess health, occupational safety, and general living conditions. This study confirms the increasing presence of indigenous peoples in Oregon and characterizes differences between indigenous and Latino farmworkers' occupational and health needs.
Minority Health and Small Numbers Epidemiology: A Case Study of Living Conditions and the Health of Children in 5 Foreign Romá Camps in Italy
Authors: Monasta Lorenzo , Andersson Neil , Ledogar Robert J. , Cockcroft Anne
Published: September 2008

Objective. We sought to test methods for generating epidemiological evidence on health conditions of small, dispersed minority communities.

Methods. We used community-based mixed methods including a cross-sectional survey in 5 purposely selected settlements of Khorakané Romá (Gypsies of Muslim culture) in Italy to study the living conditions and health status of children aged from birth to 5 years.

Results. In the 15 days prior to the survey, 32% of the children had suffered diarrhea and 55% had had a cough. Some 17% had experienced respiratory difficulties during the past year. Risk factors associated with these outcomes included years spent living at the camp, overcrowding, housing conditions, use of wood-burning stoves, presence of rats, and issues related to quality of sanitation and drains. Qualitative information helped define the approach and the design, and in the interpretation and consolidation of quantitative results.

Conclusions. Guided by the priorities expressed by dispersed minority communities, small studies with little resources can provide a solid base to advocate for evidence-based participatory planning. Exact intervals appeared to be robust and conservative enough compared with other intervals, conferring solidity to the results.
Efficacy of a Brief Behavioral Intervention to Promote Condom Use Among Female Sex Workers in Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico
Authors: Patterson Thomas L. , Mausbach Brent , Lozada Remedios , Staines-Orozco Hugo , Semple Shirley J. , Fraga-Vallejo Miguel , Orozovich Prisci , Abramovitz Daniela , de la Torre Adela , Amaro Hortensia , Martinez Gustavo , Magis-Rodríguez Carlos , Strathdee Steffanie A.
Published: September 2008

Objectives. We examined the efficacy of a brief behavioral intervention to promote condom use among female sex workers in Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

Methods. We randomized 924 female sex workers 18 years or older without known HIV infection living in Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez who had recently had unprotected sex with clients to a 30-minute behavioral intervention or a didactic control condition. At baseline and 6 months, women underwent interviews and testing for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia.

Results. We observed a 40% decline in cumulative sexually transmitted illness incidence (P = .049) in the intervention group. Incidence density for the intervention versus control groups was 13.8 versus 24.92 per 100 person-years for sexually transmitted illnesses combined (P = .034) and 0 versus 2.01 per 100 person-years for HIV (P < .001). There were concomitant increases in the number and percentage of protected sex acts and decreases in the number of unprotected sex acts with clients (P < .05).

Conclusions. This brief behavioral intervention shows promise in reducing HIV and sexually transmitted illness risk behaviors among female sex workers and may be transferable to other resource-constrained settings.
The Promotion and Marketing of OxyContin: Commercial Triumph, Public Health Tragedy
Authors: Van Zee Art
Published: September 2008

I focus on issues surrounding the promotion and marketing of controlled drugs and their regulatory oversight. Compared with noncontrolled drugs, controlled drugs, with their potential for abuse and diversion, pose different public health risks when they are overpromoted and highly prescribed. An in-depth analysis of the promotion and marketing of OxyContin illustrates some of the associated issues.

Modifications of the promotion and marketing of controlled drugs by the pharmaceutical industry and an enhanced capacity of the Food and Drug Administration to regulate and monitor such promotion can have a positive impact on the public health.