bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Risk and outcome analysis of renal replacement therapies in patients after cardiac surgery with pre‐operatively normal renal function
Authors: Hauer D. , Kilger E. , Kaufmann I. , Kreth S. , Beiras‐Fernandez A. , Briegel J. , Schelling G. , Schmidt M. , Weis F.
Published: May 2009

Peri‐operative acute renal failure requiring renal replacement therapy is common (5–30%) after cardiac surgery and associated with a mortality of ∼50%. Pre‐operative renal impairment seems to be the most important risk factor for frank postoperative renal failure. To help evaluate the risk factors, we conducted a prospective observational trial of 1574 consecutive patients with normal pre‐operative renal function (creatinine < 110 μmol.l−1). Renal failure was defined as the need for renal replacement therapy. After univariate analysis of previously described risk factors, those who differed significantly between patients with or without renal failure were enrolled into a multivariate classification and regression tree (CART) statistical model that identifies the most ‘predictive’ risk factors and creates a ranked list of these. In patients with pre‐operatively normal renal function, a serum level of lactate > 1.1 mmol.l−1 in the first 24 h after the operation was the strongest predictor for the development of renal failure.
Comparison of breathing tube connectors during invasive bronchial procedures*
Authors: Rahe‐Meyer N. , Solomon C. , Vial S. , Gruber M. , Weilbach C. , Piepenbrock S. , Winterhalter M.
Published: May 2009

Bronchoscopy and bronchial suctioning during intra‐operative artificial ventilation often causes leakage from the ventilation circuit with a decrease in ventilatory parameters and possible workplace contamination with anaesthetic gases. Different connectors have been developed to reduce gas leakage. We evaluated the following connectors : VBM 2 mm, 3 mm and 5 mm, Bodai Suction‐Safe, Bodai Bronch‐Safe and Bodai Trach‐Safe, as well as the BE 105‐7, BE 105‐8 and SH 7‐45. Invasive bronchial instruments (catheters, bronchoscopes and bronchial blockers) with 1.67–7.33 mm diameter were used. Pressure‐controlled ventilation was performed on a test lung using a ventilator. Sevoflurane concentration in the room was measured 0.2 and 1.5 m from the connector using a photo‐acoustic infrared‐spectroscope. The VBM connectors caused the least gas leak and ensured stability of ventilation parameters even at peak pressures when combined with smaller instruments. With instruments > 6 mm, BE 105‐7, BE 105‐8 and SH 7‐45 connectors performed best. The Bodai connectors showed a reduced ability to prevent leakage and to keep ventilatory parameters stable. All connectors, excluding the Bodai Trach‐Safe, prevented exposure to anaesthetic gases beyond the current safety recommendations when combined with the fitting instruments. The connectors showed different ranges of tightness, equivalent to different ranges of compatibility with the instruments used.
A randomised crossover trial comparing the i‐gel supraglottic airway and classic laryngeal mask airway*
Authors: Janakiraman C. , Chethan D. B. , Wilkes A. R. , Stacey M. R. , Goodwin N.
Published: May 2009

In a randomised cross‐over study, we compared the performance of the single use i‐gel supraglottic airway and reusable classic laryngeal mask airway (cLMATM) in 50 healthy anaesthetised patients who were breathing spontaneously. Primary outcome was successful insertion at first attempt. Secondary outcomes included overall insertion success rate, ease of insertion, leak pressure and fibreoptic position. Success rate for insertion at the first attempt was significantly different (54% with i‐gel vs 86% with cLMA; p = 0.001). Overall success after two attempts (when the anaesthetist was allowed to change the size of the device) improved to 84% with i‐gel vs 92% with cLMA; p = 0.22. In 14 patients, the i‐gel when used first needed to be replaced with a larger size. Leak pressure was higher for the i‐gel (median [IQR] 20 [14–24] cm H2O than the cLMA 17 [12–22] cm H2O; p = 0.023). The fibreoptic view through the device was significantly better with the i‐gel than the cLMA, which was statistically significant (p = 0.03). We conclude that, with its current sizing recommendations, the i‐gel is not an acceptable alternative to cLMA. However because of the significantly improved success rate after a larger sized i‐gel was used, we recommend the manufacturer to review the sizing guidelines to improve the success rate.
Perturbation of T‐cell development by insertional mutation of a PrP transgene
Authors: Zabel Mark , Greenwood Christina , Thackray Alana M. , Pulford Bruce , Rens Willem , Bujdoso Raymond
Published: May 2009

The normal cellular form of the prion protein PrPC is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol‐linked cell‐surface glycoprotein expressed primarily by cells of the nervous and immune systems. There is evidence to suggest that PrPC is involved in cell signalling and cellular homeostasis. We have investigated the immune composition of peripheral lymphoid tissue in PrP−/−, wild‐type, tg19 and tga20 strains of mice, which express 0, 1‐, 3–5‐ and 4–7‐fold higher levels of PrPC, respectively, relative to wild‐type mice. Our data show that tga20 mice have a reduced number of spleen T‐cell receptor (TCR)‐αβ+ T cells and an increased number of TCR‐γδ+ T cells compared with wild‐type mice. This was not seen in tg19 mice, which also express elevated levels of PrPC. In addition, we have found that the Prnp transgene in the tga20 genome is located centrally on chromosome 17, in or around genes involved in T‐cell development. Significantly, mRNA transcripts from pre‐TCR‐α (pTα), a T‐cell development gene located on mouse chromosome 17, are drastically reduced in tga20 mice, indicative of a perturbation in pTα gene regulation. We propose that the immune cell phenotype of tga20 mice may be caused by the insertional mutation of the Prnp transgene into the pTα gene or its regulatory elements.
Pathways regulating lipopolysaccharide‐induced neutrophil survival revealed by lentiviral transduction of primary human neutrophils
Authors: Dick Emily P. , Prince Lynne R. , Prestwich Elizabeth C. , Renshaw Stephen A. , Whyte Moira K. B. , Sabroe Ian
Published: May 2009

Human neutrophils express Toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4) at low levels, and the role of this receptor in neutrophil responses to microbial stimuli has been questioned. Genetic manipulation of these cells to enable the study of the role of proteins such as TLR4 in their function is challenging. Here, we show that primary human neutrophils rapidly express novel proteins such as enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) after transduction with lentivirus. Stimulation of transduced neutrophils with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) resulted in increased cell survival, which was inhibited when neutrophils were transduced with a lentivirus encoding a dominant negative (dn) TLR4 protein. LPS‐induced survival was also inhibited by lentiviruses encoding dnMyD88 or a truncated TRIF (Toll/interleukin‐1R homologous domain‐containing adapter protein inducing interferon‐β) molecule, whilst, in contrast, neutrophil survival was enhanced by overexpression of kinase‐mutated interleukin‐1 receptor‐associated kinase 1 (kmIRAK‐1), which activated nuclear factor (NF)‐κB. These studies provide proof of the role of TLR4 in human neutrophil biology, have begun to elucidate TLR‐dependent pathways regulating neutrophil survival, and demonstrate that neutrophils can be genetically manipulated to enhance or inhibit survival.
Using broad‐scale, community survey data to compare species conservation strategies across regions: A case study of the Koala in a set of adjacent ‘catchments’
Authors: Crowther Mathew S. , McAlpine Clive A. , Lunney Daniel , Shannon Ian , Bryant Jessica V.
Published: May 2009

Summary  Managers of wildlife populations with a wide geographical range are understandably interested in the question of whether they can manage a broader population with a single conservation strategy (e.g. covering a set of adjacent management regions, referred to as ‘catchments’ in Australia) or whether separate strategies are required for individual catchments. We addressed this question using data from a statewide, community wildlife survey to quantify Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) habitat relationships in the catchments of four adjacent Catchment Management Authorities or CMA (>10 000 km2) of New South Wales, Australia and then tested whether these habitat relationships were similar across catchments. Although the results were constrained by the coarse resolution of the community survey and environmental data, we were able to model broad‐scale patterns of habitat use. Model explanatory power and cross‐regional predictability was low, but consistent with Koala ecology. Two environmental variables emerged as having a strong relationship with Koala presence – mean elevation and percentage of fertile soils – the importance of which varied among catchments depending on land‐use patterns. The results highlight the need for local wildlife management plans, not a single plan covering multiple catchments.
Intergenerational Justice and the Non-Reciprocity Problem
Authors: McCormick Hugh
Published: May 2009

Many of us share a strong intuitive sense that acts or policies that gravely threaten future people's well-being violate the requirements of justice. This intuition has proven problematic for theories that found justice on reciprocity because future people are viewed as powerless to reciprocate our actions towards them. The non-reciprocity problem appears to deliver a decisive blow to reciprocity-based theories of justice. I wish to dispute this view. I point to two well-known facts about human existence – generations overlap continuously and the old depend upon the young – to show that future generations are not asymmetrically vulnerable to our actions, and therefore that justice as reciprocity is not vulnerable to the non-reciprocity problem.
Soliton Interactions of the Kadomtsev–Petviashvili Equation and Generation of Large‐Amplitude Water Waves
Authors: Biondini G. , Maruno K.‐I. , Oikawa M. , Tsuji H.
Published: May 2009

We study the maximum wave amplitude produced by line‐soliton interactions of the Kadomtsev–Petviashvili II (KPII) equation, and we discuss a mechanism of generation of large amplitude shallow water waves by multi‐soliton interactions of KPII. We also describe a method to predict the possible maximum wave amplitude from asymptotic data. Finally, we report on numerical simulations of multi‐soliton complexes of the KPII equation which verify the robustness of all types of soliton interactions and web‐like structure.
Asymptotic Analysis of Pulse Dynamics in Mode‐Locked Lasers
Authors: Ablowitz Mark J. , Horikis Theodoros P. , Nixon Sean D. , Zhu Yi
Published: May 2009

Solitons of the power‐energy saturation (PES) equation are studied using adiabatic perturbation theory. In the anomalous regime individual soliton pulses are found to be well approximated by solutions of the classical nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) equation with the key parameters of the soliton changing slowly as they evolve. Evolution equations are found for the pulse amplitude(s), velocity(ies), position(s), and phase(s) using integral relations derived from the PES equation. The results from the integral relations are shown to agree with multi‐scale perturbation theory. It is shown that the single soliton case exhibits mode‐locking behavior for a wide range of parameters, while the higher states form effective bound states. Using the fact that there is weak overlap between tails of interacting solitons, evolution equations are derived for the relative amplitudes, velocities, positions, and phase differences. Comparisons of interacting soliton behavior between the PES equation and the classical NLS equation are also exhibited.
NICHOLAS WOLTERSTORFF'S JUSTICE: RIGHTS AND WRONGS: AN INTRODUCTION
Authors: Weithman Paul
Published: May 2009

This introduction sets the stage for four papers on Nicholas Wolterstorff's Justice: Rights and Wrongs, written by Harold Attridge, Oliver O'Donovan, Richard Bernstein, and myself. In his book, Wolterstorff defends an account of human rights. The first section of this introduction distinguishes Wolterstorff's account of rights from the alternative account of rights against which he contends. The alternative account draws much of its power from a historical narrative according to which theory and politics supplanted earlier ways of thinking about justice. The second section sketches that narrative and Wolterstorff's counter‐narrative. The third section draws together the main points of Wolterstorff's own account.
PLURALISM, TOLERATION, AND ETHICAL PROMISCUITY
Authors: Ivanhoe Philip J.
Published: May 2009

This paper argues that from an ethical point of view tolerance, which is simply one of a number of possible responses to ethical pluralism, is not an acceptable ideal. It fails to acknowledge and appreciate the good in other forms of life and thereby does not adequately respect the people who live these lives. Toleration limits the range of goods we might appreciate in our own lives and in the lives of those we care most about, and it tends to lead to a number of deformations or personal failures of character. In place of tolerance, we should embrace ethical promiscuity—a view that not only acknowledges ethical pluralism but also offers good reasons to celebrate this state of affairs.
Application of ICHD-II Criteria for Headaches in a TMJ and Orofacial Pain Clinic
Authors: Kang J-K , Ryu J-W , Choi J-H , Merrill RL , Kim ST
Published: May 2009

The aim of this study was to identify and diagnose headache in a temporomandibular joint and orofacial pain clinic population using the second edition of The International Classification of Headache Disorder criteria. In 502 temporomandibular disorder and orofacial pain patients, 246 patients (49%) were diagnosed with tension-type headache (TTH), followed by migraine without aura (14.5%), probable migraine (12.9%), migraine with aura (7%), probable TTH (4.8%) and cluster headache (0.2%). The prevalence of headaches was compared between male and female patients, and the prevalence of migraine was found to be higher in women than in men. In evaluating by age, the prevalence of migraine was highest in patients in their 20s and 30s and declined as age increased above 40. TTH showed the highest rate throughout all age groups, but it also decreased as age increased. In this study, the prevalence of migraine was lower than that reported in Dr Kim et al.'s study, and the prevalence of TTH much higher than that reported in the previous study. Of the headache patients, 81.1% presented with masseter muscle pain and 47.8% with temporal muscle pain. This finding suggests that pericranial muscle pain may be an inducing factor of primary headache.
β‐Blockers protect against spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in cirrhotic patients: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Senzolo Marco , Cholongitas Evangelos , Burra Patrizia , Leandro Gioacchino , Thalheimer Ulrich , Patch David , Burroughs Andrew Kenneth
Published: May 2009

Introduction: Bacterial infections have been hypothetized to be a trigger of variceal bleeding in cirrhotic patients and β‐blockers may have a protective effect by decreasing bacterial translocation, reducing portal pressure. The aim of our study was to evaluate the possible role of β‐blockers in preventing spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) in patients with liver cirrhosis and ascites.

Materials and Methods: Extensive search of the literature including randomized controlled trial (RCT) and non‐RCT of primary and secondary prophylaxis for variceal bleeding in cirrhotics using β‐blockers were evaluated. We performed a meta‐analysis using the occurrence of SBP as endpoint in all the studies, using the random effect model.

Results: Three RCT and three retrospective studies in which β‐blockers were evaluated against no treatment for the prevention of SBP in ascitic cirrhotics were included. There was a statistically significant difference of 12.1%, P<0.001 in favour of propranolol in preventing SBP, which was confirmed by sensitivity analysis evaluating only RCTs (7.8% difference). The effect was still present when haemodynamic responders were compared with non‐responders.

Conclusions: This analysis suggests a role of β‐blockers in preventing SBP in ascitic cirrhotics, independent of haemodynamic response. Further formal RCTs are needed to confirm this finding.
An Examination of L1 and L2 Gesture Use: What Role Does Proficiency Play?
Authors: GREGERSEN TAMMY , OLIVARES‐CUHAT GABRIELA , STORM JOHN
Published: May 2009

This study examines possible connections between second language competency and frequency and type of gesture use (illustrators, compensatory illustrators, adaptors, emblems, regulators, and affect displays). To this end, 75 students enrolled in beginning, intermediate, and advanced college‐level Spanish courses were videotaped while conversing in dyads, first in Spanish and then in English. ANOVA results based on observer responses to the videotape indicated that advanced learners used significantly more speech‐related, meaning‐enhancing gestures than did beginning and intermediate students and that participants used significantly more gestures overall in their native English than they did in the target language (Spanish). Pedagogical implications address the creation of supportive environments, training in strategies, and the use of authentic classroom activities that include the visual modality.
Potential of Text‐Based Internet Chats for Improving Oral Fluency in a Second Language
Authors: BLAKE CHRISTOPHER
Published: May 2009

Although a number of studies have reported on the positive effects of Internet chats in the second language classroom, to the best of my knowledge no studies to date have examined the effect of text‐based chats on oral fluency development. This exploratory study addressed the above question by examining the oral fluency development of 34 English as a second language learners who participated in the same 6‐week course but in separate instructional environments: a text‐based Internet chat environment, a traditional face‐to‐face environment, and a control environment that involved no student interaction.

The study found that the gain scores of participants in the text‐based Internet chat environment were significantly higher on the phonation time ratio and mean length of run measures than the gain scores of participants in the face‐to‐face and control environments (prior to Bonferroni adjustment). Gain scores on the three other measures were not significant. The author discusses these findings in relationship toLevelt's (1989)model of language production and argues that text‐based Internet chat environments can be a useful way of building oral fluency by facilitating the automatization of lexical and grammatical knowledge at the formulator level.
Preparation and Electrical Properties of New Oxide Ion Conductors Ce6−xGdxMoO15−δ (0.0≤x≤1.8)
Authors: Zhou Defeng , Xia Yanjie , Zhu Jianxin , Guo Wei , Meng Jian
Published: May 2009

A series of oxide ion conductors Ce6−xGdxMoO15−δ (0.0≤x≤1.8) have been prepared by the sol–gel method. Their properties were characterized by differential thermal analysis/thermogravimetry (DTA/TG), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Raman, IR, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and AC impedance spectroscopy. The XRD patterns showed that the materials were single phase with a cubic fluorite structure. The conductivity of Ce6−xGdxMoO15−δ increases as x increases and reaches the maximum at x=0.15. The conductivity of Ce4.5Gd1.5MoO15−δ is σt=3.6 × 10−3 S/cm at 700°C, which is higher than that of Ce4.5/6Gd1.5/6O2−δ (σt=2.6 × 10−3 S/cm), and the corresponding activation energy of Ce4.5Gd1.5MoO15−δ (0.92 eV) is lower than that of Ce4.5/6Gd1.5/6O2−δ (1.18 eV).
Composition Effects on Thermal and Crystallization Properties of Glasses in Sb–S–I System
Authors: Ding Lihua , Tao Hui , Chen Guorong
Published: May 2009

The effect of composition variations on thermal and crystallization properties of Sb–S–I glass system is investigated by differential thermal analysis (DTA) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD). In general, the glass transition temperature (Tg) and the temperature corresponding to the maximum crystallization rate (Tp) are found to decrease with increasing iodine concentration for a fixed Sb/S ratio. However, precipitation of SbSI phase is sensitive to the Sb/S ratio for a given iodine fraction. The optimal composition and its devitrification behavior for forming only the ferroelectric SbSI phase are established on the basis of DTA curves and XRD patterns.
HIPed Tailored Hollandite Waste Forms for the Immobilization of Radioactive Cs and Sr
Authors: Carter Melody L. , Gillen Andrew L. , Olufson Kylie , Vance Eric R.
Published: May 2009

Hot isostatically pressed tailored hollandite waste forms were used to demonstrate the immobilization of Cs and Sr are separable from spent nuclear fuel, as well as Ba and Rb. Four hollandite formulations were investigated, two samples with ∼12 wt% waste loading (on an oxide basis) and two with ∼18 wt% waste loading. Two of the samples were Al‐substituted and the other two contained Mg. The hollandite in the Al‐substituted samples contained all the waste cations, as designed, but this was not the case in the Mg‐substituted samples. The hollandite in the Mg‐substituted samples did not contain all the waste cations, with ∼50% of the Sr forming SrTiO3 as a secondary phase. This resulted in waste forms that were not as durable, with respect to Cs, as their Al counterparts. The formation of SrTiO3 had little effect on the Sr release rates and was not detrimental to the Mg‐substituted hollandite waste form. For the Al‐substituted samples, the MCC‐1 normalized release rates were <0.06 g·(m2·day)−1 at 0–28 days for all elements, while the Cs release rates remained at 2.0 g·(m2·day)−1 at 0–28 days for the Mg‐substituted samples.
Microstructure and Oxide Ion Conductivity in a Dense La9.33(SiO4)6O2 Oxy‐Apatite
Authors: Porras‐Vázquez José M. , Losilla Enrique R. , León‐Reina Laura , Marrero‐López David , Aranda Miguel A.G.
Published: May 2009

Oxy‐apatites are one of the most promising oxide ion conducting electrolytes for intermediate‐temperature solid oxide fuel cells, those operating close to 950 K. La9.33(SiO4)6O2 has the simplest stoichiometry among the oxy‐apatite family of compounds, and the range of oxide ion conductivity reported for dense ceramic pellets is very high, almost two orders of magnitude at a given temperature. The spread in conductivity values including porous pellets is obviously larger. Here, we show that dense pellets of La9.33(SiO4)6O2 ceramics prepared by three different methods, conventional, spark plasma, and reaction sintering (RS), have different bulk conductivities. Bulk activation energies are equal for all the samples studied. Furthermore, the grain boundary conductivity cannot be described by the simple brick‐layer model. These experimental findings suggest segregation at the grain boundary region, with slightly different compositions for different sintering conditions, likely leaving the grain interior with a compositional gradient. A two‐step RS led to dense pellets with the highest bulk and grain boundary oxide ion conductivities.
Processing of Oxide Composites with Three‐Dimensional Fiber Architectures
Authors: Yang James Y. , Weaver Jared H. , Zok Frank W. , Mack Julia J.
Published: May 2009

Fabrication of oxide fiber composites is accompanied by the development of drying cracks in the matrix following slurry infiltration. The cracks are a result of the inherent shrinkage in particle compacts during drying coupled with the mechanical constraints imposed on the matrix by the fibers. The effects are most pronounced in systems with three‐dimensional fiber architectures. A mitigation strategy based on the addition of coarse matrix particles to the fine particulates has been devised and demonstrated. Among the various implementation strategies explored, the most effective involves combining the two particle types (coarse and fine) into a single slurry and coinfiltrating the slurry through sequential vibration‐ and vacuum‐assisted processes. Regardless of the infiltration route, the SiC particles have no apparent detrimental effect on the fiber bundle properties. Additionally, they increase the through‐thickness thermal diffusivity by 50%–100%.
Oxyfluoronitride Glasses with High Elastic Modulus and Low Glass Transition Temperatures
Authors: Hanifi Amir Reza , Genson Annaïk , Pomeroy Michael J. , Hampshire Stuart
Published: May 2009

The preparation and properties of novel calcium aluminosilicate glasses containing both nitrogen and fluorine are reported. Nitrogen increases Young's modulus and microhardness of oxide glasses by ∼25%. However, one of the major disadvantages of the use of oxynitride glasses for high‐stiffness applications is the fact that nitrogen also increases glass viscosity. Melting temperatures of the order of ∼1700°C are required to achieve sufficiently low viscosities for glass forming and drawing processes. Fluorine substitution for oxygen in Ca–Si–Al–O–N glasses yields significant decreases in glass transition temperature and glass melting temperature as well as increasing nitrogen solubility to levels much higher than that previously reported for glasses made by melting CaO, SiO2, Si3N4, and Al2O3 powder mixtures. The important effect that N results in increased elastic modulus is not diminished by the addition of fluorine. Thus, it is possible to produce novel oxyfluoronitride glasses with a high elastic modulus but melting and working can be carried out at more conventional glass processing temperatures.
Hexagonal Plate‐like Ternary Carbide Particulates Synthesized by a Carbothermal Reduction Process: Processing Parameters and Synthesis Mechanism
Authors: Lee Jin‐Seok , Lee Sea‐Hoon , Nishimura Toshiyuki , Tanaka Hidehiko
Published: May 2009

Aluminum‐containing ternary carbide, Al4SiC4, was successfully synthesized using a mixture of Al(OH)3, SiO2, and phenolic resin by a carbothermal reduction process without any posttreatment. In addition, the processing parameters were optimized in this study. Unlike the JCPDS pattern of Al4SiC4, the powder has a highly aligned structure along the c‐axis, indicating a hexagonal plate‐like morphology. The growth rate of particulates was higher than the nucleation rate as the carbon content decreased. The crystallinity (formation yield) of Al4SiC4 was much more dependent on the ratio of carbon to oxides than on the ratio of SiO2 to Al(OH)3. Possible reaction mechanisms responsible for the synthesis of ternary carbide are discussed by considering reactions at the initial and later stages during the carbothermal reduction process.
Effect of genetic SSTR4 ablation on inflammatory peptide and receptor expression in the non‐inflamed and inflamed murine intestine
Authors: Van Op den bosch Joeri , Torfs Pascal , De Winter Benedicte Y. , De Man Joris G. , Pelckmans Paul A. , Van Marck Eric , Grundy David , Van Nassauw Luc , Timmermans Jean‐Pierre
Published: May 2009

The recently suggested pivotal role of somatostatin (SOM) receptor 4 (SSTR4) in inflammation and nociception in several non‐intestinal organs and in gastrointestinal (GI) physiology, necessitates exploration of the role of SSTR4 in GI pathophysiology. Therefore, the role of SSTR4 in GI activity was explored by investigating the effects of SSTR4 deficiency on intestinal motility, smooth muscle contractility and on the expression of SSTRs and neuropeptides in the healthy and Schistosoma mansoni‐infected murine small intestine. Functional experiments revealed no differences in intestinal motility or smooth muscle cell contractility between wild‐type and SSTR4 knockout (SSTR4–/–) mice in physiological conditions. As revealed by multiple immunofluorescent labellings, RT‐PCR and quantitative real time RT‐PCR (qPCR), genetic deficiency of SSTR4 considerably altered the expression of SOM and SSTRs in non‐inflamed and inflamed conditions, affecting both extrinsic and intrinsic components of the intestinal innervation, along with SSTR expression in several non‐neuronal cell types. Moreover, substance P and calcitonin gene‐related peptide expression were significantly elevated in SSTR4–/– mice, confirming the modulatory role of SSTR4 on intestinal pro‐inflammatory neuropeptide expression. These data suggest that SSTR4 plays a previously unexpected modulatory role in the regulation of intestinal SSTR expression. Moreover, in addition to the recently described inhibitory effects of SSTR4 on the neuronal release of pro‐inflammatory peptides, SSTR4 appears also to be involved in the neuronal expression of both pro‐ and anti‐inflammatory peptides in the murine small intestine.
Early loading of sandblasted and acid‐etched implants: a randomized‐controlled double‐blind split‐mouth study. Five‐year results
Authors: Roccuzzo Mario , Aglietta Marco , Bunino Marco , Bonino Luca
Published: May 2009

Objectives: The aim of the present split‐mouth study is to assess the peri‐implant conditions around early‐loaded sandblasted and acid‐etched (SLA) implants, 5 years after abutment connection and to compare, in the same patients, the results obtained with a standard protocol using identical implants with a TPS surface.

Material and methods: Surgical procedure was performed by the same operator and was identical at test (SLA) and control (TPS) sites, in 32 healthy patients. Abutment connection was carried out at 35 N cm 6 weeks postsurgery for test sites and 12 weeks for the controls. Patients were seen regularly, for control and professional cleaning. At 60 months, clinical measures and radiographic bone changes were recorded by the same operator, blind to the type of surface of the implant, on 27 patients, as five patients were lost to follow‐up.

Results: A total number of 106 implants were examined. No implant was lost. No significant differences were found with respect to the presence of plaque [modified plaque index (mPI) 0.27±0.56 vs. 0.32±0.54], bleeding on probing (29% vs. 32%), mean pocket depth (3.2±1 vs. 3.2±1 mm) or mean marginal bone loss (0.32±1.04 vs. 0.44±1.12 mm) between test and control. Four implants that presented ‘spinning’ at the time of abutment connection presented no significant differences from the rest of the test sites.

Conclusion: The results of this prospective study confirm that SLA implants, under defined conditions, are suitable for early loading at 6 weeks in both the mandible and the maxilla. Limited implant spinning, occasionally found at abutment connection, produces no detrimental effect on the clinical outcome when properly handled.
Effect of platelet‐rich plasma on the early bone formation around Ca‐P‐coated and non‐coated oral implants in cortical bone
Authors: Nikolidakis Dimitris , Van Den Dolder Juliette , Wolke Joop G.C. , Jansen John A.
Published: May 2009

Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of local application of platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) on the early healing of cortical bone around Ti implants with two different surface configurations.

Material and methods: Six goats were used in this study. PRP fractions were obtained from a venous blood sample of the goats and administered immediately before implant insertion. PRP was applied via gel preparation and installation of the gel into the implant site, or via dipping of the implants in PRP fraction before insertion. A total of 36 implants (18 non‐coated and 18 Ca‐P‐coated) were placed into the tibial cortical bone. The animals were sacrificed at 6 weeks after implantation and implants with surrounding tissue were prepared for histological examination. Histomorphometrical variables like the percentage of implant surface with direct bone–implant contact and the percentage of new and old bone adjacent to the implant were evaluated.

Results: More interfacial bone‐to‐implant contact was observed for all the three groups of Ca‐P‐coated implants and the Ti/PRP liquid group. All groups revealed similar percentages of old and new bone adjacent to the implant.

Conclusions: It was concluded that the additional use of PRP did not have any effect on the early cortical bone response to the Ca‐P‐coated implants, while PRP in a liquid form showed a tendency to increase bone apposition to roughened titanium implants.
Parameters of resonance frequency measurement values: a retrospective study of 385 ITI dental implants
Authors: Karl Matthias , Graef Friedrich , Heckmann Siegfried , Krafft Tim
Published: May 2009

Objectives: There is no proven clinical tool to evaluate the amount of osseointegration and stability around dental implants. Therefore, the aim of this retrospective clinical study was to evaluate resonance frequency analysis values of 385 ITI solid screw implants.

Material and methods: Both at implant placement and after healing, implant stability quotients (ISQs) were determined. For statistical analysis, Pearson's correlation coefficients, Welch's two‐sample t‐tests and paired samples t‐tests were computed at a level of significance of α=0.05.

Results: ISQ values ranged from 39 to 86 at implant placement and from 35 to 89 after healing, showing a significant increase. The highest ISQ values at both stages were obtained in the posterior mandible (P≤0.002). After healing, ISQ values in the anterior mandible were significantly higher than in the anterior maxilla (P=0.005). Implant length had a significant influence on ISQ in the anterior mandible (P=0) at insertion and in the anterior (P=0.005) and posterior mandible (P=0.036) after healing. Implant diameter and ISQ at insertion correlated in the anterior mandible (P=0.037). After healing, a significant influence was found for all regions, except the posterior maxilla (P=0.795). With the exception of the anterior maxilla (P=0.542), ISQ at placement had a significant influence on ISQ after healing. In the anterior maxilla (P=0.002) and in the posterior mandible (P=0.007), healing time significantly influenced ISQ after healing.

Conclusions: It appears that only repeated ISQ measurements of a specific implant have some diagnostic benefit, although the parameters influencing the absolute values still remain unclear.
Relationship between impulse oscillometry and spirometric indices in cystic fibrosis children
Authors: Moreau Ludovic , Crenesse Dominique , Berthier Frederic , Albertini Marc
Published: May 2009

Background: The aim of our retrospective study was to determine the relationship between impulse oscillometry (IOS) data and spirometric tests in cystic fibrosis (CF) children.

Methods: Thirty CF children aged 4–19 years have performed lung function tests (LFT). A subset of 15 patients repeated LFT on five separate occasions. IOS parameters were respiratory resistance (Rrs), reactance (Xrs) and impedance at 5 Hz (R5, X5, Zr) and the resonant frequency (Fres). Spirometry indices (SI) included forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1), forced expiratory flow during the middle half of FVC (FEF25–75) and forced vital capacity (FVC).

Results: An inverse relationship was observed between raw values of R5, Zr, Fres and SI respectively, and X5 correlated positively with SI. Although significant, these correlations were poor. Receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) were constructed to identify cutoff points for IOS parameters to discriminate between children according to predefined FEV1 thresholds (percent predicted), generally used to categorize the level of lung function impairment. No acceptable cutoff points can be found for IOS parameters. Trends analyses in the subgroup of 15 patients showed a significant decline of FEV1 between the first and the fifth evaluation. None of the IOS indices demonstrated a consistent tendency, apart from a slight decrease of Fres.

Conclusion: IOS measurements presented an insufficient sensitivity to detect and follow bronchial obstruction in CF patients.
Narrow rows reduce biomass and seed production of weeds and increase maize yield
Authors: Mashingaidze A.B. , Van Der Werf W. , Lotz L.A.P. , Chipomho J. , Kropff M.J.
Published: May 2009

Smallholder farmers in southern African countries rely primarily on cultural control and hoe weeding to combat weeds, but often times, they are unable to keep up with the weeding requirements of the crop because of its laboriousness, causing them to incur major yield losses. Optimisation of crop planting pattern could help to increase yield and suppress weeds and to reduce the critical period of weed control and the weeding requirements to attain maximum yield. Experiments were carried out in Zimbabwe during two growing seasons to assess the effect of maize density and spatial arrangement on crop yield, growth and seed production of weeds and to determine the critical period for weeding. Planting maize at 60 cm row distance achieved higher yields and better weed suppression than planting at 75 or 90 cm row distance. Increasing crop densities beyond the customary three to four plants m−2 gave modest reductions in weed biomass but also diminished crop yields, probably because of increased competition for water and nutrient resources. Maize planted in narrow rows (60 cm) intercepted more radiation and suffered less yield reduction from delaying hoe weeding than those planted in wider rows (75 or 90 cm), and the duration of the weed‐free period required to attain maximum grain yield was 3 weeks shorter in the narrow spacing than that in the 75‐ and 90‐cm row spacings. Weeding was more effective in curtailing weed seed production in the narrow row spatial arrangements than in the wide row planting. The results of these studies show that narrow row spacings may reduce weeding requirements and increase yields.
Breast cancer risk elements and nurse practitioners’ knowledge, use, and perceived comfort level of breast cancer risk assessment
Authors: Edwards Quannetta T. , Maradiegue Ann , Seibert Diane , Saunders‐Goldson Sherri , Humphreys Susanne
Published: May 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe nurse practitioners’ (NPs’) knowledge, use, and perceived comfort level in providing breast cancer risk assessment to women in clinical settings.

Data sources: This descriptive study was part of a needs assessment to determine if education and training programs on breast cancer risk assessment are warranted for NPs. A convenience sample of 147 NPs completed surveys to assess their knowledge of breast cancer risk assessment and use of empiric breast cancer risk assessment tools, and to evaluate their perceived comfort level in assessing women’s risk for developing breast cancer.

Conclusions: Assessing women’s risk for the development of breast cancer is important in providing primary and secondary preventive strategies such as chemoprevention, lifestyle changes, and enhanced surveillance that may reduce a woman’s risk for developing the disease. Although 51.4% of NPs reported providing breast cancer risk assessment, few (37%) reported use of family history or the Gail model (6%) to determine their patients’ breast cancer risk. NPs’ knowledge of breast cancer risk assessment and use of empiric risk assessment models were low. The majority (71%) of NPs felt uncomfortable or a low level of comfort in conducting breast cancer risk assessment.

Implications for practice: Excluding skin cancer, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer and second leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States. Breast cancer risk assessment is important in identifying women who may be at high risk for developing the disease. At the front line in health care, NPs can play a vital role in assessing women’s risk for breast cancer. These findings suggest that education and training may be warranted to enhance knowledge and use of empiric risk models to increase the comfort level of NPs in conducting breast cancer risk assessment to their patients.
Married Women Bankrupts in the Age of Coverture
Authors: Pearlston Karen
Published: May 2009

Many married women with separate property held their property as stock‐in‐trade and traded independently from their husbands. However, if the business failed, a married woman trader's ability to take advantage of bankruptcy process depended on the exception to coverture according to which she held her separate property. This article is the first to examine reported bankruptcy cases involving married women in their doctrinal context and in relation to other exceptions to coverture. It analyzes the issues arising in the eighteenth century and argues that they should be understood in relation to the larger picture of married women's law, especially the law of private separation. The article also considers the oblique relationship between private separation jurisprudence and married women's bankruptcy in the nineteenth century, a relationship that was bridged by a line of cases that, on the surface, seem to be unrelated.
The Long Reach of the Carceral State: The Politics of Crime, Mass Imprisonment, and Penal Reform in the United States and Abroad
Authors: Gottschalk Marie
Published: May 2009

This essay reviews five books as they relate to the causes and political consequences of mass imprisonment in the United States and the comparative politics of penal policy: Ruth Wilson Gilmore'sGolden Gulag: Prisons, Surplus, Crisis, and Opposition in Globalizing California(2007); Jeff Manza and Christopher Uggen'sLocked Out: Felon Disenfranchisement and American Democracy(2006); Jonathan Simon'sGoverning Through Crime: How the War on Crime Transformed American Democracy and Created a Culture of Fear(2007); Michael Tonry, ed.,Crime, Punishment, and Politics in a Comparative Perspective(2007); and Bruce Western'sPunishment and Inequality in America(2006).

The essay first examines the enormous and growing political repercussions of having a vast penal system embedded in a democratic polity, including the political and electoral consequences of felon disenfranchisement; increasing political, social, and economic inequality for people marked by the penal system; and the phenomenon of “governing through crime.” It also analyzes emerging strategies of resistance to US penal policies and mass incarceration, why some countries are more vulnerable to hard‐line penal policies than others, and what it will take to reverse the US prison boom.
George W. Bush in Political Time: The Janus Presidency
Authors: Magliocca Gerard N.
Published: May 2009

This essay places George W. Bush's presidency and the Bush administration in some historical context by applying the model of “political time” developed in recent books by Stephen Skowronek (2008) and Keith Whittington (2007). My thesis is that Bush's political failure during his second term was largely the result of structural tensions created by the attacks of September 11, 2001, that no leader could have overcome. This argument is an extension of Skowronek's and Whittington's views that the executive branch's relationship to other governing institutions is shaped primarily by the president's relative position in the party system. In essence, 9/11 undermined the coalition forged by Ronald Reagan by pushing President George W. Bush to pursue radical change. These actions could not be squared with his need, as the leader of the majority party, to maintain electoral stability. A presidency divided against itself in this way cannot, and did not, stand.
Law, Space, and Place: Reframing Comparative Law and Legal Anthropology
Authors: Griffiths Anne
Published: May 2009

In her book Mapping Marriage Law in Spanish Gitano Communities (2006), Susan Drummond challenges the disciplinary perspectives of comparative law and legal anthropology in her study of Gitano marriage practices. By reframing the way in which the “local” or “locale” is viewed—through an ethnographic study of Gitanos—she displaces the traditional boundaries ascribed to comparative law, with its focus on taxonomy and structure, and with legal anthropology's approach to culture. Her study not only elucidates how national and transnational law intersect, but highlights the complex interconnections between local law and the larger systems of law that attempt to regulate it. This detailed interdisciplinary depiction of the spatial and temporal dimensions of law demonstrates the importance of taking account of scale, projection, and representation that requires both comparative law and legal anthropology to rethink the nature of space and place and their relationship with law from both their macro‐ and microperspectives.
Consequential Strangers and Peripheral Ties: The Importance of Unimportant Relationships
Authors: Fingerman Karen L.
Published: May 2009

Social networks in the 21st century include a wide array of partners. Most individuals report a few core ties (primarily family) and hundreds of peripheral ties. Weak ties differ from intimate ties in emotional quality, stability, density (i.e., who knows whom), and status hierarchies. Undoubtedly, close ties are essential for human survival. Yet peripheral ties may enhance life quality and allow people to flourish. Weak ties may serve (a) distinct functions from intimate ties (e.g., information, resources, novel behaviors, and diversion), (b) parallel functions to intimate ties (e.g., defining identity and positions within social hierarchies, helping when a family member is ill, providing a sense of familiarity), and (c) reciprocal influences between peripheral partners and family members (e.g., bioecological theory). Family science might benefit from investigating consequential strangers who pepper daily life.
Checking your SOCCs and feet: the molecular mechanisms of Ca2+ entry in skeletal muscle
Authors: Dirksen Robert T.
Published: May 2009

It has long been known that skeletal muscle contraction persists in the absence of extracellular Ca2+. Nevertheless, recent evidence indicates that multiple distinct Ca2+ entry pathways exist in skeletal muscle: one active at negative potentials that requires store depletion (store‐operated calcium entry or SOCE) and a second that is independent of store depletion and is activated by depolarization (excitation‐coupled calcium entry or ECCE). This review highlights recent findings regarding the molecular identity, subcellular localization, and inter‐relationship between SOCE and ECCE in skeletal muscle. The respective roles of ryanodine receptors (RyRs), dihydropyridine receptors (DHPRs), inositol‐1,4,5‐trisphosphate receptors (IP3Rs), canonical transient receptor potential channels (TRPCs), STIM1 Ca2+ sensor proteins, and Orai1 Ca2+ permeable channels in mediating SOCE and ECCE in skeletal muscle are discussed. Differences between SOCE and ECCE in skeletal muscle with Ca2+ entry mechanisms in non‐excitable cells are also reviewed. Finally, potential physiological roles for SOCE and ECCE in skeletal muscle development and function, as well as other currently unanswered questions and controversies in the field are also considered.
The Genetic Structure and History of Africans and African Americans
Authors: Tishkoff Sarah A. , Reed Floyd A. , Friedlaender Françoise R. , Ehret Christopher , Ranciaro Alessia , Froment Alain , Hirbo Jibril B. , Awomoyi Agnes A. , Bodo Jean-Marie , Doumbo Ogobara , Ibrahim Muntaser , Juma Abdalla T. , Kotze Maritha J. , Lema Godfrey , Moore Jason H. , Mortensen Holly , Nyambo Thomas B. , Omar Sabah A. , Powell Kweli , Pretorius Gideon S. , Smith Michael W. , Thera Mahamadou A. , Wambebe Charles , Weber James L. , Williams Scott M.
Published: May 2009

African Origins

The modern human originated in Africa and subsequently spread across the globe. However, the genetic relationships among the diverse populations on the African continent have been unclear.

Tishkoff
et al.

(p. 1035; see the cover, published online 30 April) provide a detailed genetic analysis of most major groups of African populations. The findings suggest that Africans represent 14 ancestral populations. Populations tend to be of mixed ancestry which documents historical migrations. The data mainly support but sometimes challenge proposed relationships between groups of self-identified ethnicity previously hypothesized on the basis of linguistic studies. The authors also examined populations of African Americans and individuals of mixed ancestry from Cape Town, documenting the variation and origins of admixture within these groups.