bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of perchloroethylene extraction techniques in soil gas survey quantification
Authors: Zdravkov B. , Kubal M. , Janků J.
Published: May 2009

Subsurface pollution by volatile organic compounds has emerged as a widespread problem in industrialized countries. This study compares static headspace technique and methanol extraction/purge-and-trap analysis followed by thermal desorption/gas chromatography in attempts for quantification of gas survey results in the determination of these chemicals in soil. Several soils were contaminated with aqueous solution of perchloroethylene (PCE) (140 mg L−1) using a vapor treatment method. Soil spiking took place up to 24 h in desiccator by exposing individual soil samples contained in open 40 mL glass vials to PCE evaporated from the solution. After exposure the samples were stored and analyzed within 2 days. The achieved results strongly suggest that gas extraction can provide quantitative results, regarding PCE concentration in soils, which are not significantly different from liquid based extraction analysis.
The effects of copper ions on the catalytical degradation of azo dye acid chrome blue K
Authors: Liu Xiang-Hu , Lin Jing , Gao Hong-Wen , Zhang Ya-Lei
Published: May 2009

The effects of Cu2+ on the catalytical degradation of acid chrome blue K (ACBK) in UV-TiO2 and H2O2 processes were studied. In these two processes, Cu2+ markedly depressed the catalytical degradation of ACBK by its interaction with ACBK. Through this interaction, the new complex Cu(ACBK)2 formed. The formation of this new complex was favorable to protect some groups in ACBK from the oxidation of reactive oxygen generated in UV-TiO2 and H2O2 processes, and consequently had suppressing effects on degradation of ACBK. In addition, Cu2+ also inhibited the degradation of ACBK in UV-TiO2 process by influencing the adsorption of ACBK on the surface of TiO2 particles.
QSPR study for the prediction of half-wave potentials of benzoxazines by heuristic method and radial basis function neural network
Authors: Liu Huitao , Wen Yingying , Luan Feng , Gao Yuan , Li Xiuyong
Published: May 2009

The half-wave potential (E1/2) is an important electrochemical property of organic compounds. In this work, a quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) analysis has been conducted on the half-wave reduction potential (E1/2) of 40 substituted benzoxazines by means of both a heuristic method (HM) and a non-linear radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) modeling method. The statistical parameters provided by the HM model (R2 =0.946; F=152.576; RMSCV=0.0141) and the RBFNN model (R2=0.982; F=1034.171 and RMS =0.0209) indicated satisfactory stability and predictive ability. The obtained models showed that benzoxazines with larger Min valency of a S atom (MVSA), lower Relative number of H atom (RNHA) and Min n-n repulsion for a C-H bond (MnnRCHB) and Minimal Electrophilic Reactivity Index for a C atom (MERICA) can be more easily reduced. This QSPR approach can contribute to a better understanding of structural factors of the organic compounds that contribute to the E1/2, and can be useful in predicting the E1/2 of other compounds.
On the modification of methods of nuclear chronometry in astrophysics and geophysics
Authors: Olkhovsky Vladislav , Dolinska Marina
Published: May 2009

In practically all known methods of nuclear chronometry until now, research has usually taken into account the life-times of only the fundamental states of α-radioactive nuclei. But in the processes of nuclear synthesis in stars and under the influence of constant cosmic radiation on the surfaces of planets the excitations of the α-radioactive nuclei are still ongoing. Between these processes there are states with excited α-particles inside the parent nuclei leading to much smaller life-times. And inside the large masses of stellar, terrestrial and meteoric substances there are transitions between different internal conditions of radioactive nuclei that are accompanied by infinite chains of γ-radiations with subsequent γ-absorptions, further γ-radiations, etc. For a description of the α-decay evolution that accounts for such excited states and multiple γ-radiations and γ-absorptions inside stars, and under the influence of cosmic radiation on the Earth’s surface we present a quantum-mechanical approach, which is based on the generalized Krylov-Fock theorem. A few simple estimations are also presented. These approaches lead to the conclusion that the usual (non-corrected) “nuclear clocks” do really point not to realistic values but to the upper limits of the durations of α-decay in stellar and planet processes.
A hierarchy of Hamilton operators and entanglement
Authors: Steeb Willi-Hans , Hardy Yorick
Published: May 2009

We consider a hierarchy of Hamilton operators Ĥ
N in finite dimensional Hilbert spaces $$
\mathbb{C}^{2^N }
$$. We show that the eigenstates of Ĥ
N are fully entangled for N even. We also calculate the unitary operator U
N(t) = exp(—Ĥ
N
t/ħ) for the time evolution and show that unentangled states can be transformed into entangled states using this operator. We also investigate energy level crossing for this hierarchy of Hamilton operators.
Interfacial wave propagation due to an interfacial line source
Authors: Qazi Zahid , Rizvi Azhar
Published: May 2009

Interfacial wave propagation parallel to a dielectric interface has been studied by considering an electric current line source present at the interface. The first order asymptotic evaluation of field components shows a null of the electric field at the interface. An amplitude null represents an unstable structure in the phase map and a phase front discontinuity across the interface. Higher order asymptotic evaluation has been employed to gain further insight into this propagation problem. The results show that the wavefronts need not be discontinuous. The continuity of the phase fronts is preserved with the help of interesting and stable structures such as saddle points and center points in the phase map of the electric field in both half spaces.
A case of ichthyosiform sarcoidosis with unusual localization
Authors: Tekin Salim , Cayir Kerim , Bilici Mehmet , Şipal Sare , Atasoy Mustafa , Türkeli Mehmet
Published: May 2009

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease of unknown cause that commonly involves the lungs, lymph nodes, bones, liver, spleen, or skin. Cutaneous findings of sarcoidosis occur in 20% to 35% of patients with systemic disease. The recognition of cutaneous lesions is important, because it gives important clues to diagnosis and also allows for easy biopsy. We report a 71-year-old Turkish woman with erythematous lesions, which included widespread, erythematous macules of various sizes on the chest, abdomen, and back on both sides of her body. Fine white scales covered some of the lesions. Hepatomegaly and bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy were also observed. Biopsy specimens of the skin showed dermal, noncaseating, epitheloid granulomas. The diagnosis, based on correlation of the clinical presentation and histopathological findings, was ichthyosiform sarcoidosis with systemic involvement. The difference between our case and other cases of ichthyosiform sarcoidosis described in the literature is that ours involved only the trunk and not the extremities. We are presenting this case because it is an interesting and rare variant of ichthyosiform sarcoidosis.
Divisibity, iterated digit sums, primality tests
Authors: Ericksen Larry
Published: May 2009

The divisibility of numbers is obtained by iteration of the weighted sum of their integer digits. Then evaluation of the related congruences yields information about the primality of numbers in certain recursive sequences. From the row elements in generalized Delannoy triangles, we can verify the primality of any constellation of numbers. When a number set is not a prime constellation, we can identify factors of their composite numbers. The constellation primality test is proven in all generality, and examples are given for twin primes, prime triplets, and Sophie Germain primes.
On ratio block sequences with extreme distribution function
Authors: Filip Ferdinánd , Mišík Ladislav , Tóth János
Published: May 2009

Distribution functions of ratio block sequences formed from sequences of positive integers are investigated in the paper. We characterize the case when the set of all distribution functions of a ratio block sequence contains c
0, the greatest possible distribution function. Presented results complete some previously published results.
On estimations of dispersion of ratio block sequences
Authors: Bukor József , Csiba Peter
Published: May 2009

Using new characteristics of an infinite subset of positive integers we give some estimations of the dispersion of the related block sequence.
Σn+1-invariant forms of higher degree
Authors: Sładek Andrzej
Published: May 2009

In [EGAWA, Y.—SUZUKI, H.: Automorphism groups of Σn+1-invariant trilinear forms, Hokkaido Math. J. 11, (1985), 39–47] are explored Σn+1-invariant symmetric trilinear forms and their automorphisms. In the paper we generalize their results to d-linear symmetric forms for any d ≥ 3.
Right triangles with algebraic sides and elliptic curves over number fields
Authors: Girondo E. , González-Diez G. , González-Jiménez E. , Steuding R. , Steuding J.
Published: May 2009

Given any positive integer n, we prove the existence of infinitely many right triangles with area n and side lengths in certain number fields. This generalizes the famous congruent number problem. The proof allows the explicit construction of these triangles; for this purpose we find for any positive integer n an explicit cubic number field ℚ(λ) (depending on n) and an explicit point P
λ of infinite order in the Mordell-Weil group of the elliptic curve Y
2 = X
3 − n
2
X over ℚ(λ).
A hypergeometric approach, via linear forms involving logarithms, to criteria for irrationality of Euler’s constant
Authors: Sondow Jonathan , Zlobin Sergey
Published: May 2009

Using an integral of a hypergeometric function, we give necessary and sufficient conditions for irrationality of Euler’s constant γ. The proof is by reduction to known irrationality criteria for γ involving a Beukers-type double integral. We show that the hypergeometric and double integrals are equal by evaluating them. To do this, we introduce a construction of linear forms in 1, γ, and logarithms from Nesterenko-type series of rational functions. In the Appendix, S. Zlobin gives a change-of-variables proof that the series and the double integral are equal.
Pseudo-randomness of van der Corput’s sequences
Authors: Blažeková O.
Published: May 2009

The aim of this paper is to find main terms of the star D
N* and extremal D
N discrepancies of the two dimensional sequence (x
n, x
n+1), n = 0, 1, 2, ..., N − 1, where x
n, n = 0, 1, 2, ..., is the van der Corput sequence. This give a quantitative form of a well-known result that van der Corput sequence is not pseudorandom.
Waring’s problem with restrictions on q-additive functions
Authors: Wagner Stephan
Published: May 2009

In a paper of Thuswaldner and Tichy, a version of Waring’s problem with restrictions on the sum of digits was considered. This paper is devoted to a generalization of their result to arbitrary completely q-additive functions.
On the distribution of reducible polynomials
Authors: Kuba Gerald
Published: May 2009

Let ℛn(t) denote the set of all reducible polynomials p(X) over ℤ with degree n ≥ 2 and height ≤ t. We determine the true order of magnitude of the cardinality |ℛn(t)| of the set ℛn(t) by showing that, as t → ∞, t
2 log t ≪ |ℛ2(t)| ≪ t
2 log t and t
n ≪ |ℛn(t)| ≪ t
n for every fixed n ≥ 3. Further, for 1 < n/2 < k < n fixed let ℛk,n(t) ⊂ ℛn(t) such that p(X) ∈ ℛk,n(t) if and only if p(X) has an irreducible factor in ℤ[X] of degree k. Then, as t → ∞, we always have t
k+1 ≪ |ℛk,n(t)| ≪ t
k+1 and hence |ℛn−1,n
(t)| ≫ |ℛn(t)| so that ℛn−1,n
(t) is the dominating subclass of ℛn(t) since we can show that |ℛn(t)∖ℛn−1,n
(t)| ≪ t
n−1(log t)2.On the contrary, if R
ns(t) is the total number of all polynomials in ℛn(t) which split completely into linear factors over ℤ, then t
2(log t)n−1 ≪ R
ns(t) ≪ t
2 (log t)n−1 (t → ∞) for every fixed n ≥ 2.
On the parity of the class number of the 7nth cyclotomic field
Authors: Ichimura Humio
Published: May 2009

For an odd prime number p and an integer n ≥ 0, let h
n be the class number of the p
n+1st cyclotomic field Q($$
\zeta _{p^{n + 1} }
$$). It is known that when p = 3 or 5, h
n is odd for all n ≥ 0. We prove that the same holds also when p = 7.
Evaluation of infinite series involving special products and their algebraic characterization
Authors: Genčev Marian
Published: May 2009

The aim of the paper is the investigation of special infinite series of the form $$
\sum\limits_{n = 0}^\infty {\left( {\frac{{\prod\limits_{s = 0}^{m_1 n} {(s + a)} \prod\limits_{s = 0}^{m_2 n} {(s + b)} }}
{{\prod\limits_{s = 0}^{(m_1 + m_2 )n + 1} {(s + a + b)} }}} \right)} ^c \cdot \frac{{P(n)}}
{{\theta ^n }} \cdot f_n (n)
$$ where (a, b, m
1, m
2, θ, c, P(n)) ∈ ℝ4 × ℂ × {±1} × [n] and $$
\{ f_n (n)\} _{n \in \mathbb{N}_0 }
$$ is a sequence of rational functions. A general summation method for the sum above in the case of the special choice of parameters a, b and f
n(n) is included. We find the 2m-tuple of rational numbers α
i, β
j (1 ≤ i ≤ m, 1 ≤ j ≤ m) for which iff and vice versa.
Scrambling non-uniform nets
Authors: Tezuka Shu
Published: May 2009

In this paper, we consider Owen’s scrambling of an (m−1, m, d)-net in base b which consists of d copies of a (0, m, 1)-net in base b, and derive an exact formula for the gain coefficients of these nets. This formula leads us to a necessary and sufficient condition for scrambled (m − 1, m, d)-nets to have smaller variance than simple Monte Carlo methods for the class of L
2 functions on [0, 1]d. Secondly, from the viewpoint of the Latin hypercube scrambling, we compare scrambled non-uniform nets with scrambled uniform nets. An important consequence is that in the case of base two, many more gain coefficients are equal to zero in scrambled (m − 1, m, d)-nets than in scrambled Sobol’ points for practical size of samples and dimensions.
The Role of Violence and the Idea of America in Ralph Ellison's “A Party Down at the Square”
Authors: Stewart Anthony
Published: May 2009

While Ralph Ellison's unshakable faith in the American democracy and his obvious desire to be counted among the great tradition of American (not necessarily African American) literature, have at times made him appear accommodationist to some, and even "dangerous," to use Amiri Baraka's word, to others, this view overlooks the centrality of violence in Ellison's fiction. By examining the role of violence in a key early scene of Invisible Man, but mostly in Ellison's early short story, "A Party Down at the Square," this essay argues that there is an important addition to the understanding of Ellison's writing available through an examination of the role violence plays in his work.
Mobilizing Culture, Cultural Mobility
Authors: Haslam Jason
Published: May 2009

This review of Linda Frost's Never One Nation and Mark Simpson's Trafficking Subjects argues that these works contribute to the exploration of the multivalent identificatory practices of the nineteenth-century United States and that, when taken together, the two books also offer opposed but complementary methodologies for analysing the fragmentary material and cultural history of the nineteenth-century United States. Frost's work focuses primarily on the varying, mutually reinforcing, and often conflicting ways in which American popular culture of the period constructed race, focusing primarily on popular periodical texts, while Simpson instead focuses on the cultural deployment of the concept of mobility within the United States and the ways in which that concept can both reinforce and undermine the status quo.
Resignifying Preservation: A Borderlands Response to American Eugenics in Jovita Gonzalez and Eve Raleigh'sCaballero
Authors: Ramirez Pablo
Published: May 2009

By the 1930s, eugenicists had involved matters of blood, inheritance, and reproduction in the creation of a bio-political discourse that made “Americanness” a question of blood relations—a family affair—rather than a question of citizenship. Caballero provides scholars with a rare example of a Mexican–Anglo response to contemporary eugenic discourse. In Caballero, co-authors Jovita Gonzalez and Eve Raleigh reconfigure the discursive net of marriage, citizenship, race, and preservation by engaging two distinct but overlapping discourses of preservation: eugenics, which focuses on preserving racial purity, and ethnography and folklore studies, which focus on preserving the folk in the face of modernization. This essay reads Caballero alongside Jovita Gonzalez's folklore studies and fiction in order to examine how the text critiques eugenics’ and ethnography's either/or rhetoric of preservation and assimilation. This critique allows Gonzalez and Raleigh to envision the preservation of Mexican-American culture through integration and the preservation of whiteness as a joint effort between Mexican Americans and Anglos.
Pills, Policy Making and Perceptions: Inside the FDA During the “Reagan Revolution,” 1981–1982
Authors: Richert Lucas
Published: May 2009

Ronald Reagan won the presidency in 1980 and, as promised, quickly took action to rein in the regulatory agencies and limit the size of government. The US Food and Drug Administration, regulator of one quarter of the American domestic economy, was a target of that regulatory reform program. This article explores not only the Reagan administration's impact on the FDA in the early 1980s, but how these impacts were perceived by staff members inside the agency. Getting to grips with how FDA staff members perceived the Reagan victory and thereafter the tangible outcomes of the Reagan administration's regulatory reform agenda from 1981 to 1982 (measured using budget levels, personnel, workload, enforcement actions, and morale) helps clarify and accentuate the existing literature.
Human Voices: Language and Conscience in Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
Authors: Cooper Lydia R.
Published: May 2009

Many critics writing on Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee claim that the novel eludes easy interpretation because of its complex ironic twists, its juxtaposition of comedy and tragedy, and its penchant for pointing the sword of satire both at the pre-industrial Arthurian world and at Hank's own industrialized America. This confusion has led some critics to throw up their hands and write off the novel as one of Twain's artistic “failures.” However, exploring the novel's use of language and the role of story-telling, in particular, may shed light on its seeming ambiguity. A Connecticut Yankee explores the human capacity for both malice and mercy through the artifice and art of story-telling. From the first pages, the novel draws attention to the power of language to perpetrate violence and to mask it. This paper examines the novel's linguistic and narrative devices, especially the novel's juxtapositions of external differences—a Yankee in medieval England, different dialects, machinery in a pre-industrial age, and so forth—in order to argue that this time-travel tale ultimately reveals more crushing similarities than differences. The novel does not, then, present a linear story-line but rather uses narrative form to explore the overarching theme of human nature, which, regardless of time or of the structure of story, is consistent.
Through Roots and Routes:On the Road’s Portrayal of an Outsider's Journey into the Meaning of America
Authors: Skinazi Karen E.H.
Published: May 2009

Jack Kerouac believed that his French Canadian roots held the key to his knowledge, despite the fact that he became known as the “principal avatar” of a generation of American youth. In his bestselling autobiographical novel, On the Road, Kerouac splits his ethnic (French) and national (American) sides into two figures, Sal and Dean, to demonstrate the deficits and benefits of both parts of a hyphenated identity. Italian Sal sees himself as the eternal outsider, whereas Dean is America itself. Yet Sal uses his outsider qualities to connect with other outsiders whose “roots” are beyond the limits of nationhood. And Dean, despite the seemingly endless freedom of his “routes” across the country, is stuck in old tropes of Americanness that do not afford him new possibilities. Together, they create a vision of America that is full of its own grandeur, while refusing to be insular.
Consensus among Physiotherapists in the United Kingdom on the Use of Normal Saline Instillation Prior to Endotracheal Suction: A Delphi Study
Authors: Roberts Fiona E.
Published: May 2009

Purpose: To investigate whether physiotherapists consider normal saline instillation (NSI) useful before endotracheal suctioning and, if so, when.

Methods: Sixty-eight respiratory physiotherapists recruited from the United Kingdom's Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Respiratory Care agreed to participate in a Delphi study. Clinicians’ opinion of when NSI should be used was established and developed into statements. Level of agreement with each statement was collated through three rounds of a questionnaire. Clinicians’ experiences were also reported.

Results: From the 52 responses to the third questionnaire, there was consensus that respiratory physiotherapists in the United Kingdom would use NSI when sputum retention is a problem, particularly when treatment options are limited (96%) and when sputum is obstructing the airway (92%). They agreed that non-bronchoscopic bronchoalveolar lavage can be used to resolve persistent atelectasis (70%). They would not use NSI for a test treatment during initial assessment without evidence of retained secretions (94%), when secretions are copious but can be cleared by alternative physiotherapy techniques (96%), to enhance a cough unless very strong evidence indicates retained secretions (81%), or to compensate for inadequate suction technique (90%).

Conclusion: This study provides clinicians’ views about when NSI could be used.
Healthy Eating Champions Award For Elementary Schools
Authors: He Meizi , Callaghan Christine , Evans Anita , Mandich Gillian
Published: May 2009

Purpose: The Healthy Eating Champions Award for Elementary Schools (HEC) is a public health initiative that recognizes and rewards schools for their outstanding commitment to the promotion of nutrition, for nutrition education, and for making healthy foods and beverages available. This process evaluation assessed HEC implementation, identified benefits and barriers, and solicited suggestions for program improvement.

Methods: In-person interviews with principals or their designates from 28 HEC participating schools were conducted in fall 2006.

Results: Participants had positive feelings about the HEC program and shared many success stories. Perceived program benefits included increased student awareness about healthy eating, more student involvement in healthy eating initiatives, the creation of opportunities for goal setting and spirit boosting, and improved hygiene practices. The challenge of getting parents and teachers involved and the significant financial needs of schools in low-income areas were identified as challenges.

Conclusions: Participants view the HEC program as having a positive impact on the healthy eating environment in schools.
Determinants of Diet QualityAmong Canadian Adolescents
Authors: Storey Kate E. , Hanning Rhona M. , Lambraki Irene A. , Driezen Pete , Fraser Shawn N. , McCargar Linda J.
Published: May 2009

Purpose: Dietary intakes and nutrition behaviours were examined among different diet quality groups of Canadian adolescents.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 2850 Alberta and Ontario adolescents aged 14 to 17, who completed a self-administered web-based survey that examined nutrient intakes andmeal behaviours (meal frequency andmeal consumption away from home).

Results:Meanmacronutrient intakes were within Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges; however,micronutrient intakes andmedian food group intakes were below recommendations based on Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating (CFGHE). Overall diet quality indicated that 43%, 47%, and 10%of students had poor, average, and superior diet quality, respectively. Adolescents with lower diet quality had significantly different intakes of macronutrients and CFGHE-defined “other foods.” In terms of diet quality determinants, those with poor diet quality had higher frequencies of suboptimalmeal behaviours. Students with poor diet quality consumed breakfast and lunch less frequently than did those with average and superior diet quality.

Conclusions: Canadian adolescents have low intakes of CFGHE-recommended foods and high intakes of “other foods.” Those with poor diet quality had suboptimal macronutrient intakes and increased meal skipping and meal consumption away from home. Adherence to CFGHE may promote optimal dietary intakes and improve nutritional behaviours.
Paint Your Plate: Effectiveness of a Point-of-purchase Display
Authors: Colapinto Cynthia K. , Malaviarachchi Darshaka
Published: May 2009

Purpose: This study was conducted to determine consumer understanding and retention of nutrition information presented at grocery stores during the Paint Your Plate campaign via two approaches: interactive display events and brochure distribution.

Methods: Data were collected at 17 grocery stores in northern Ontario. Eleven stores held interactive display events with public health staff, a display, resources, and food samples. Six stores only distributed brochures. A total of 688 participants completed a baseline questionnaire, and 432 consented to a three-month follow- up telephone call. Of these, 201 were randomly selected to participate.

Results: Participants at interactive display events were six times more likely than participants receiving brochures to identify a serving size of fruit and vegetables (odds ratio [OR]=5.88; 95%confidence interval [CI]: 4.05, 8.54) and 23 timesmore likely to identify the recommended number of servings of fruit and vegetables (OR=22.67; 95%CI: 14.29, 35.98).However, at follow-up, there was no significant difference between type of event and the ability to answer correctly.

Conclusions: Interactive displays increased immediate knowledge but failed to increase retention, a finding that suggests consistent presence of the message is needed to reinforce initial understanding and retention. More emphasis should be placed on directing funding toward increasing the frequency and duration of promotional efforts.
Dietary habits and health beliefsOf Chinese Canadians
Authors: Kwok Stephanie , Mann Linda , Wong Kwan , Blum Ilya
Published: May 2009

Purpose: The relationships among dietary behaviours, traditional health beliefs (THB), and demographic characteristics of Chinese Canadians living in Toronto were examined, as were their primary sources of nutrition information.

Methods: Through the use of probability sampling, 106 adult subjects who originated fromChina, Hong Kong, or Taiwan were recruited fromfive Chinese community organizations. A telephone interview, employing a tested questionnaire, was conducted in Cantonese orMandarin. All data were analyzed with MS Excel and SPSS statistical software.

Results: Dietary acculturation is gradual and individual. Participants reported regular intakes of fruits and vegetables and fat-reducing behaviours. Most used both Chinese and Western cooking methods. Practices based on traditional Chinese health beliefs (THB), such as balancing yin and yang foods to promote health, were prevalent. Participants were grouped as THB-strong, THB-moderate, or THB-weak, on the basis of their health belief scores. Various significant relationships among the variables were identified. Chinese media, friends, and family were the primary sources of nutrition information; dietitians were identified by only 12%.

Conclusions: This is the first study to apply a THB grouping for Chinese Canadians. Results will provide an important basis for nutrition interventions to encourage immigrants to make healthy food choices, using both traditional and Western foods.
Evaluation of a Pilot Arts and Health Module In a Graduate Community Nutrition Program
Authors: Fox Ann L.
Published: May 2009

Several health disciplines have incorporated the arts into professional education programs; however, little work has been done in the field of dietetics. A pilot arts module was implemented as part of a graduate education program in community nutrition. The course instructor developed a structured, open-ended questionnaire, which was administered to participating students before the educational module. The same students completed a similar questionnaire at the end of the module. Responses were compared and analyzed thematically so that changes could be noted in perspectives on the arts and health upon module completion. Findings suggested that students' understanding of “art” and “science” changed during the module, that they recognized benefits of incorporating the arts into community nutrition practice, and that they could identify resources that would support their efforts to do so. The positive student responses to this pilot project support the further development of arts initiatives within dietetic education.
Reasons for Non-Return toA Pediatric Weight Management Program
Authors: Kitscha Catherine E. , Brunet Kim , Farmer Anna , Mager Diana R.
Published: May 2009

Purpose: Obesity in childhood has become a major public health concern because of increasing rates of overweight and obesity. To address this epidemic, effective dietetic interventions must be developed. We examined parent/caregiver and/or patient reasons for not returning for follow-up clinical care in the Alberta Health Services, Edmonton Area's Nutrition Services Pediatric Weight Management Program (NS PWMP) in Edmonton, Alberta.

Methods: A qualitative telephone survey was developed to identify reasons for non-return to the NS PWMP. Face validity was evaluated by five pediatric registered dietitians (RDs).

Results: The survey was administered to parents/caregivers of children or adolescents aged 2.5 to 14.2 years (n=21) who attended fewer than two appointments in the NS PWMP. The major reasons for non-return included physical barriers (scheduling, parking, location), organizational barriers (clinic environment), and program educational content (type of educational tools, the focus of lifestyle education on the individual rather than the family, physical activity interventions, and appropriateness of information for the parent or child).

Conclusions: Development and delivery of effective dietetic interventions for children and adolescents at risk of overweight and obesity may be achieved by emphasizing skill building within the child and the family. Analysis of child and family feedback on clinical RD services is critical to optimization of care in a pediatric weight management program.
Beverage Consumption in Low Income, “Milk-friendly’’ Families
Authors: Glanville N. Theresa , McIntyre Lynn
Published: May 2009

Purpose: Beverage consumption by poor, lone mother-led, “milk-friendly” families living in Atlantic Canada was characterized over a one-month income cycle.

Methods: Beverage intake and food security status were assessed weekly, using a 24-hour dietary recall and the Cornell- Radimer food insecurity questionnaire. Families were classified as “milk friendly” if total consumption of milk was 720 mL on a single day during the month. Beverage intake was assessed using t-tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), repeated measures ANOVA with post hoc comparisons, and chi-square analysis.

Results: Milk consumption by milk-friendly families (76; total sample, 129) was highest at the time of the month when they had the most money to spend. During all time intervals, mothers consumed the least amount of milk and children aged one to three years consumed the most. Mothers consumed carbonated beverages disproportionately, while children of all ages consumed more fruit juice/drink. Mothers’ coffee consumption was profoundly increased when either they or their children were hungry.

Conclusions: The quality of beverage intake by members of low-income households fluctuates in accordance with financial resources available to purchase foods. Mothers’ beverage intake is compromised by the degree of food insecurity the family experiences.
Oil from Algae; Salvation from Peak Oil?
Authors: Rhodes Christopher J.
Published: May 2009

A review is presented of the use of algae principally to produce biodiesel fuel, as a replacement for conventional fuel derived from petroleum. The imperative for such a strategy is that cheap supplies of crude oil will begin to wane within a decade and land-based crops cannot provide more than a small amount of the fuel the world currently uses, even if food production were allowed to be severely compromised. For comparison, if one tonne of biodiesel might be produced say, from rape-seed per hectare, that same area of land might ideally yield 100 tonnes of biodiesel grown from algae. Placed into perspective, the entire world annual petroleum demand which is now provided for by 31 billion barrels of crude oil might instead be met from algae grown on an area equivalent to 4% of that of the United States. As an additional benefit, in contrast to growing crops it is not necessary to use arable land, since pond-systems might be placed anywhere, even in deserts, and since algae grow well on saline water or wastewaters, no additional burden is imposed on freshwater–a significant advantage, as water shortages threaten. Algae offer the further promise that they might provide future food supplies, beyond what can be offered by land-based agriculture to a rising global population.
Eradicating Malaria
Authors: Breman Joel G.
Published: May 2009

The renewed interest in malaria research and control is based on the intolerable toll this disease takes on young children and pregnant women in Africa and other vulnerable populations; 150 to 300 children die each hour from malaria amounting to 1 to 2 million deaths yearly. Malaria-induced neurologic impairment, anemia, hypoglycemia, and low birth weight imperil normal development and survival. Resistance of Plasmodium falciparum to drugs and Anopheles mosquitoes to insecticides has stimulated discovery and development of artemisinin-based combination treatments (ACTs) and other drugs, long-lasting insecticide-treated bednets (with synthetic pyrethroids) and a search for non-toxic, long-lasting, affordable insecticides for indoor residual spraying (IRS). Malaria vaccine development and testing are progressing rapidly and a recombinant protein (RTS,S/AS02A) directed against the circumsporozoite protein is soon to be in Phase 3 trials. Support for malaria control, research, and advocacy through the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the U.S. President's Malaria Initiative, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, WHO and other organizations is resulting in decreasing morbidity and mortality in many malarious countries. Sustainability of effective programs through training and institution strengthening will be the key to malaria elimination coupled with improved surveillance and targeted research.
The Role of Anti-Mutated Citrullinated Vimentin Antibodies in the Diagnosis of Early Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: LIU XIA , JIA RULIN , ZHAO JINXIA , LI ZHANGUO
Published: May 2009

Objective.

Anti-mutated citrullinated vimentin (MCV) antibodies have been reported as a fairly sensitive serological marker of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We evaluated the diagnostic value of anti-MCV in a large cohort of Chinese patients with early RA.

Methods.

One hundred seventy patients with early RA (< 1 yr duration), 66 with other rheumatic diseases, 10 with infectious diseases, and 60 healthy individuals were included in our study. Serum anti-MCV and second-generation anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP2) were measured by ELISA, and rheumatoid factor (RF) was measured by rate nephelometry. The associated clinical data of patients with early RA were also evaluated. Then disease activity was scored by the formula for Disease Activity Score (DAS)28, and the degree of radiological changes was assessed by Sharp score.

Results.

The prevalence of serum anti-MCV in patients with early RA (78.2%, 133/170) was significantly higher than that of other rheumatologic patients and patients with infectious diseases. It was 12% (3/25) in systemic lupus erythematosus, 9.5% (2/21) in primary Sjögren’s syndrome, 10% (1/10) in systemic sclerosis, 20% (2/10) in ankylosing spondylitis, 12.5% (1/8) in viral hepatitis type B, and 0% (0/2) in tuberculosis. Anti-MCV was not found in the serum of healthy subjects. The sensitivities of anti-MCV, anti-CCP2, and RF tests for early RA were 78.2%, 61.8%, and 72.4%, respectively, and the specificities were 93.4%, 96.3%, and 80.1%. The combination of anti-MCV and anti-CCP2 positivity showed a very high specificity (97.8%) and positive predictive value (97.1%), but a low sensitivity (58.8%). The sensitivity reached 81.2% when the union of anti-MCV and anti-CCP2 positivities was used as one combined criterion. Statistically, anti-MCV had significant correlation with anti-CCP2 (r = 0.587, p = 0.01, 2-tailed) and RF (r = 0.389, p = 0.01, 2-tailed). In addition, it had an interesting correlation with radiological assessment (r = 0.349, p = 0.05, 2-tailed). The anti-MCV had no significant correlation with other factors, such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, antikeratin antibody, antiperinuclear factor, global visual analog scale score for joint pain, IgA, IgG, IgM, C3, C4, hidden rheumatoid factor for IgA (HRFIgA), HRFIgG, and DAS28.

Conclusion.

Anti-MCV is a novel diagnostic marker for early RA. It may be more useful if the anti-CCP2 assay is performed concomitantly to diagnose patients with early RA.
Spinal Radiographic Changes in Ankylosing Spondylitis: Association with Clinical Characteristics and Functional Outcome
Authors: BOONEN ANNELIES , CRUYSSEN BERT vander , de VLAM KURT , STEINFELD SERGE , RIBBENS CLIO , LENAERTS JAN , Van den BOSCH FILIP , MIELANTS HERMAN , DEWULF LODE , VASTESAEGER NATHAN
Published: May 2009

Objective.

To determine which patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) have radiographic spinal damage and to investigate the relation between radiographic spinal changes and limitations in physical function.

Methods.

A cross-sectional nationwide study in Belgium of patients with AS under the care of a rheumatologist. The treating physician completed a questionnaire including clinical disease manifestations and laboratory findings (HLA-B27 and C-reactive protein), and classified spinal radiographs into 3 categories: (1) no AS-related spinal abnormalities; (2) syndesmophytes; and (3) spinal ankylosis. Patients completed the Bath AS Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) and the Bath AS Functional Index (BASFI). Ordinal regressions were performed to quantify the relationship between clinical manifestations and spinal radiographic changes. Generalized linear models were computed to quantify relationships among clinical manifestations, radiographic spinal changes, and functioning (BASFI).

Results.

A total of 619 patients fulfilled modified New York criteria for definite AS and had evaluable radiographic data; 68% were male and disease duration was 17.5 (SD 12.2) years. Male sex, younger age at symptom onset, and hip involvement were associated with radiographic changes; but HLA-B27, peripheral arthritis, and extraarticular disease status (uveitis, psoriasis, and inflammatory bowel disease) were not. Older age, BASDAI, hip involvement, and spinal change contributed to BASFI; but sex, disease duration, peripheral arthritis, and extraarticular manifestations did not.

Conclusion.

Radiographic spinal changes in patients with AS are seen more often in men and those with hip involvement. BASFI status indicates the influence of radiographic changes and hip involvement, but does not reflect the presence of peripheral arthritis and does not differ between men and women.
Immunological Reconstitution after Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis: Relationship Between Clinical Benefits and Intensity of Immunosuppression
Authors: BOHGAKI TOSHIYUKI , ATSUMI TATSUYA , BOHGAKI MIYUKI , FURUSAKI AKIRA , KONDO MAKOTO , SATO-MATSUMURA KAZUKO C. , ABE RIICHIRO , KATAOKA HIROSHI , HORITA TETSUYA , YASUDA SHINSUKE , AMASAKI YOSHIHARU , NISHIO MITSUFUMI , SAWADA KEN-ICHI , SHIMIZU HIROSHI , KOIKE TAKAO
Published: May 2009

Objective.

To analyze the relationship between clinical benefits and immunological changes in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) treated with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).

Methods.

Ten patients with SSc were treated with high-dose cyclophosphamide followed by highly purified CD34+ cells (n = 5) or unpurified grafts (n = 5). Two groups of patients were retrospectively constituted based on their clinical response (good responders, n = 7; and poor responders, n = 3). As well as clinical findings, immunological reconstitution through autologous HSCT was assessed by fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis, quantification of signal joint T cell receptor rearrangement excision circles (sjTREC), reflecting the thymic function, andfoxp3, a key gene of regulatory T cells, mRNA levels.

Results.

Patients’ clinical and immunological findings were similar between good and poor responders, or CD34-purified and unpurified groups at inclusion. The sjTREC values were significantly suppressed at 3 months after autologous HSCT in good responders compared with poor responders (p = 0.0152). Reconstitution of CD4+CD45RO− naive T cells was delayed in good responders compared with poor responders. The phenotype of other lymphocytes, cytokine production in T cells, andfoxp3gene expression levels after autologous HSCT did not correlate with clinical response in good or poor responders. Clinical and immunological findings after autologous HSCT were similar between CD34-purified and unpurified groups.

Conclusion.

Our results suggest that immunosuppression intensity, sufficient to induce transient suppression of thymic function, is attributable to the feasible clinical response in patients with SSc treated with autologous HSCT. Appropriate monitoring of sjTREC values may predict clinical benefits in transplanted SSc patients after autologous HSCT.
Clinical Correlates of Self-reported Physical Health Status in Systemic Sclerosis
Authors: HUDSON MARIE , STEELE RUSSELL , LU YING , THOMBS BRETT D. , PANOPALIS PANTELIS , BARON MURRAY
Published: May 2009

Objective.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a multisystem disease associated with impaired health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Our objective was to identify the clinical characteristics that correlate with the physical health status of patients with SSc, as assessed by the Medical Outcomes Trust Short Form-36 (SF-36).

Methods.

Cross-sectional, multicenter study of 416 patients from the Canadian Scleroderma Research Group Registry. Patients were assessed with detailed clinical histories, medical examinations, and self-administered SF-36. Multiple linear regression was used to assess the relationship between selected demographic and clinical variables and the SF-36 Physical Component Summary (PCS) score.

Results.

The greatest impairments in the SF-36 were in the domains measuring physical health, and the mean SF-36 PCS score was 37.5 (± 11.2). In multivariate analysis, significant clinical predictors of the SF-36 PCS were shortness of breath, number of gastrointestinal problems, skin score, swollen joint count, and age. The final model explained 47% of the variance in the SF-36 PCS.

Conclusion.

Clinical characteristics identified as significant correlates of the self-reported physical health status in SSc should each be targets of intervention in order to improve the HRQOL of patients with this disease.
Relationship Between Pack-year History of Smoking and Response to Tumor Necrosis Factor Antagonists in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: MATTEY DEREK L. , BROWNFIELD ANN , DAWES PETER T.
Published: May 2009

Objective.

To determine whether there is a quantitative relationship between smoking history and response to therapy with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists.

Methods.

A history of cigarette smoking was obtained from a questionnaire completed by each patient starting therapy with TNF antagonists since 2002 (n = 154). A core set of demographic and clinical variables was recorded at baseline and at 3 and 12 months. The extent of smoking was quantified in pack-years (py), with 1 py equivalent to 20 cigarettes per day for 1 year. The association between smoking intensity and response was assessed using contingency tables and logistic regression analysis. Response to therapy was defined according to the European League Against Rheumatism improvement criteria.

Results.

There was an increasing trend of no response at 3 and 12 months with increasing py history [p (trend) = 0.008 and 0.003, respectively]. The change in Disease Activity Score (DAS)28 over the first 3 months was inversely associated with the number of py (r = −0.28, p = 0.002). The association of py history with response failure was independent of age, sex, disease duration, baseline disease activity score (DAS28), Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) score, IgM rheumatoid factor, and smoking at baseline. The most significant effect was seen in patients treated with infliximab.

Conclusion.

RA patients with a history of smoking were more likely to show a poor response to TNF antagonists. Response failure was associated with the intensity of previous smoking, irrespective of smoking status at initiation of anti-TNF therapy.
Prospective Study of Neuropsychiatric Events in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors: HANLY JOHN G. , SU LI , FAREWELL VERN , McCURDY GRACE , FOUGERE LISA , THOMPSON KARA
Published: May 2009

Objective.

To prospectively examine neuropsychiatric (NP) events and their association with health related quality of life (HRQOL) over time in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods.

In an observational cohort study from a single academic center, NP events and their attribution were identified at enrollment and at annual assessments for up to 7 years. NP events were characterized using the American College of Rheumatology case definitions; other variables were global SLE disease activity and cumulative organ damage. The outcomes of NP events were recorded and self-report HRQOL was measured with the mental (MCS) and physical (PCS) component summary scores of the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36.

Results.

There were 209 patients, 88% female and 92% Caucasian, with a mean (standard deviation) age of 43.7 (13.8) years. Followup was available in 175/209 (84%) patients. There were 299 NP events in 132/209 (63%) patients over a mean followup of 3.6 (2.5) years. Thirty-one percent of NP events in 54 patients were attributed to SLE. Multivariate analysis indicated lower MCS scores in patients with NP events compared to those without events (p < 0.001) regardless of attribution. The group means for PCS scores were significantly lower in patients with NP events (p < 0.001) regardless of attribution. There was no association between HRQOL and cumulative organ damage, nor between NP events and the progression of organ damage.

Conclusion.

The association of lower HRQOL with NP events over time, which is independent of progression in cumulative organ damage, emphasizes the persistent negative effect of NP events in the lives of patients with SLE.