bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Plasma long‐chain fatty acids profile and metabolic outcomes in normolipidaemic obese children after one‐year nutritional intervention
Authors: Verduci Elvira , Radaelli Giovanni , Salvioni Michela , Riva Enrica , Giovannini Marcello
Published: December 2010

Aim:  To assess the association between changes in plasma long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) profile and metabolic outcomes after 1‐year nutritional intervention in normolipidaemic obese children.

Methods:  Fifty‐seven normolipidaemic obese children, aged 8–13 years, were recruited in the study. Body mass index (BMI) z‐scores were calculated. Fasting blood samples were analysed for insulin, glucose, lipid profile and fatty acid (FA) levels at baseline and after an 1‐year nutritional‐behaviour intervention. Insulin resistance was estimated by homeostatic model assessment (HOMA).

Results:  Fifty‐one obese children completed the study. At the end of the intervention, the children showed decreased BMI z‐score (mean reduction 0.25; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.18–0.31), HOMA index (1.6; 0.6–2.5), plasma‐saturated FA (1.49; 0.67–2.31 mg/dL), C20:3n‐9 (0.05; 0.02–0.07 mg/dL) and increased plasma levels of monounsaturated FA (mean increase 1.35; 0.63–2.07 mg/dL), n‐6 PUFA (1.02; 0.08–1.97 mg/dL), n‐3 PUFA (0.24; 0.07–0.40 mg/dL), C20:4n‐6 (0.37; 0.11–0.63 mg/dL), C18:3n‐3 (0.04; 0.01–0.07 mg/dL), C22:6n‐3 (0.30; 0.17–0.42 mg/dL) and the C22:6n‐3/C20:4n‐6 ratio (0.02; 0.01–0.03 mg/dL) ratio.

Conclusions:  Nutritional interventions may improve plasma LCPUFA profile and metabolic outcomes of normolipidaemic obese children.
IMAGING DIAGNOSIS—MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING FEATURES OF METASTATIC CEREBRAL LYMPHOMA IN A DOG
Authors: THOMOVSKY STEPHANIE A. , PACKER REBECCA A. , BURCHAM GRANT N. , HENG HOCK GAN
Published: December 2010

We describe histopathologically confirmed intracranial metastasis of cutaneous lymphoma. In magnetic resonance (MR) images there was a heterogeneous, contrast‐enhancing, extraaxial mass in the right parietal and piriform lobes at the level of the optic chiasm. Our MR imaging findings are consistent with reports in humans in that lymphoma masses have indistinct borders that are iso‐ to hyperintense relative to adjacent gray matter on T2‐weighted images. Our report varies from findings in humans in that the mass was extraaxial, whereas masses reported in humans are intraaxial. Contrast enhancement can be heterogeneous, as in our report, or homogeneous.
Editorial: Employment as a Path to Inclusion
Authors: Lysaght Rosemary
Published: December 2010

Author provides synthesis of issues and findings of articles contained in a special collection on employment and vocational involvement of adults with intellectual disabilities (ID), noting that the articles in this issue cover an array of topics, including volunteerism, transition, and alternative models of employment, and that although addressing an array of issues, they are intricately linked. Author posits that these articles may serve to advance the research agenda with respect to transition and employment by encouraging attention to key issues, such as creating a dialogue around the role of employment in contrast to other productivity options in the lives of people with ID; increasing attention to meaningful outcomes in determining the success of transition and employment support efforts; and focusing on innovation and new paradigms to improve employment results.
A Preliminary Investigation of Factors Affecting Employment Motivation in People With Intellectual Disabilities
Authors: Andrews Abbye , Rose John L.
Published: December 2010

Relatively small numbers of people with intellectual disabilities (ID) are engaging in paid employment and those who are tend to be working only part‐time. This preliminary study addressed the question of what factors motivate people with ID to work. The issue was investigated in a sample of 10 young work‐age adults attending supported learning courses at a further education college in England. Participants were asked directly about their feelings through a focus group. A set of questions with additional prompts was used to elicit responses, and cards and scales were used as visual aids. Participants were asked about what factors motivated them to work and what factors deterred them from working. Thematic analysis of the transcribed tapes revealed three major themes that affected participants' motivation to work: monetary gain, social aspects, and perceived competence. More detailed research is needed in order to validate these findings with a larger, more representative sample.
Choice‐Making in Vocational Activities Planning: Recommendations from Job Coaches
Authors: Cobigo Virginie , Lachapelle Yves , Morin Diane
Published: December 2010

Choice in the job seeking process may lead to increased satisfaction with the chosen job, and improve attention, performance, and motivation. Consequently, providing opportunities to express choices and interests while planning vocational activities is a key factor in achieving employment outcomes. Despite their commitment to promoting choice‐making, service providers encounter important barriers to understanding the vocational interests of persons with intellectual disabilities who may have difficulty expressing their choices verbally. Methods of recording choices expressed through nonverbal means of communication are therefore needed. Such a method was designed and field‐tested. Interviews were conducted with participating job coaches to assess its practical value and provide recommendations pertinent to its implementation and dissemination. This step is crucial to the knowledge‐to‐action process since it tailors research findings to make them meaningful to daily practice. The authors present results relevant to improving choice‐making opportunities in the job seeking and planning process of persons with intellectual disabilities. The results demonstrate the need for training to enable support staff to embed choice‐making opportunities in the daily life of persons with intellectual disabilities.
Applying Corporate Citizenship Theory to the Operation of Affirmative Businesses
Authors: Easterly Lisa , McCallion Philip
Published: December 2010

To address the need for more employment opportunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID), many vocational rehabilitation agencies have established social ventures called affirmative businesses. Unlike most traditional vocational rehabilitation programs, affirmative businesses compete directly with for‐profit businesses producing similar goods or services. Given that nonprofit agencies operating these businesses are supported by taxpayer dollars and private donations, there is increased scrutiny and expectations for legal and ethical behavior and practices. An earlier study of 15 affirmative businesses identified themes and management strategies that contributed to business viability or failure. A reexamination of the findings through the lens of corporate citizenship theory (being economically responsible, abiding by the law, engaging in ethical and moral management, and ensuring the philanthropy of businesses) found that affirmative businesses adhering to the theory's components succeeded, while those that did not failed. The two case studies presented here demonstrate that knowledge transfer of the theory's components from the for‐profit business sector to the nonprofit sector is possible and suggest this innovative business approach as a framework to attain sustainable viability within affirmative businesses. The viability of these ventures is especially important for those who live in areas where few competitive employment jobs are available or for those with the most severe ID who require higher levels of job support and job stability. Through an in‐depth examination of the theory's components, we suggest options for improving the likelihood that affirmative businesses will achieve viability and provide community‐based employment for individuals with ID.
Microenterprise Options for People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: An Outcome Evaluation
Authors: Conroy James W. , Ferris Charles S. , Irvine Ron
Published: December 2010

Opportunities for community employment of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are limited, and have not improved over the past quarter century of interest and effort. This report provides the findings from an outcome study of this issue. Twenty‐seven people with intellectual and developmental disability, residents in Kent County, Michigan, USA, chose to engage in microenterprise and became the basis of this study. We measured changes in the qualities and quantities of work life. Participants reported enhanced quality of work life in most of the 17 areas. Their overall “scale score” significantly increased by 26 points on a 100‐point scale. The support workers' data revealed significantly enhanced quality of work life in 5 of 14 areas, and their overall scale increase of 6 points approached statistical significance. Preliminary findings are regarded as encouraging, particularly because statistics on competitive and supported employment have not improved in 25 years. Microenterprise offers an alternative that promises to be satisfying, meaningful, enjoyable, and may cost significantly less to implement than traditional sheltered workshops and adult day activity centers.
Using a Knowledge Translation Lens to Develop International Collaborations to Improve the Health of Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities
Authors: Ouellette‐Kuntz Hélène , Brown Hilary K. , Baur Louise , Davis Robert , Emerson Eric , Kerr Mike , Meijer Marijke , O'Hara David , Proulx Renée , Perry Jonathan , Small Jacqueline , Van Schrojenstein Lantman‐de Valk Henny
Published: December 2010

This report describes the process used at the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disabilities Health Issues Special Interest Research Group's 2009 Roundtable to increase awareness of the importance of, and opportunities for, knowledge translation to improve the health of individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) through international collaboration. The “knowledge‐to‐action cycle” (i.e., knowledge translation) formed the basis for the roundtable discussions. The thematic areas discussed included identification and reduction of disability in adults who also have epilepsy, obesity in children and adults, adapting health promotion materials and approaches, and policy and practice healthcare management—all related to individuals with ID. The topics were explored, extant information presented, and agreements reached for further work and collaborations in each of the topic areas. It was noted that the roundtable's use of the knowledge‐to‐action framework helped the participants focus on bringing together existing knowledge in ways that can meaningfully influence policy and practice. A pre‐workshop web‐based forum allowed participants to share information and recognize the need for synthesis and tool development. Multidisciplinary working groups that are international in scope can be useful in continuing to work toward increasing awareness of the knowledge‐to‐action cycle and promoting collaborative health research in the area of health and ID.
Models of Disability, Quality of Life, and Individualized Supports: Implications for Professional Practice in Intellectual Disability
Authors: Buntinx Wil H. E. , Schalock Robert L.
Published: December 2010

In the past decade, new models have emerged with respect to the constructs of (intellectual) disability, quality of life, and supports. These models have implications both for understanding the underlying phenomena as for validating professional practices. The authors describe the context and key components of models of human functioning (American Association on Intellectual and Development Disabilities; International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health), supports, and quality of life, and demonstrate how these are related by synthesizing their similarities and differences. From this they discuss the implications for professional clinical and service good practice. It is argued that these models offer relevant frames of reference for guiding and integrating activities of medical, behavioral, and social disciplines in the field of intellectual disability services. It is also argued that knowledge of these models and their relationships facilitates communication among professionals and between professionals and policy makers.
Activity, Aging, and Retirement: The Views of a Group of Scottish People With Intellectual Disabilities
Authors: Judge Joe , Walley Robert , Anderson Bethany , Young Ruth
Published: December 2010

The structuring of daytime activities for older people with intellectual disabilities (ID) is often at odds with the views or needs of the people involved with these activities. The aim of this study was to understand the perceptions of people with ID with respect to retirement—that is, the mandatory transition from attending day centers in two Scottish localities. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 16 older adults and the resultant transcripts subjected to interpretive phenomenological analysis. Five themes emerged from the analysis: the importance of activity, the day center as a social hub, confusion concerning retirement, desire for continuity, and the value of independence. The older adults placed great value on participation in daytime activity and on attendance at local authority‐run day centers. They wished to remain active well into old age and wished to contribute to their local communities. Disconcertingly, the participants highlighted the difficulties with their understanding of “retirement” and those who demonstrated a level of understanding felt that they had a disconnected role in the process. The study revealed some important implications for service provision and development. The authors suggest that the provision of daytime activity for older people with ID should be scrutinized closely with respect to what people do as retirees and how they prepare for a change in lifestyle.
CONTEMPLATIVE INSTRUCTION AND THE GIFTS OF BEAUTY, LOVE, AND SILENCE
Authors: Caranfa Angelo
Published: December 2010

In this essay Angelo Caranfa maintains that what education should be engaging in is a ceaseless effort of cultivating in the students attention to the things of the spirit—that is, the world of aesthetic apprehension as described by such figures as Plato and Simone Weil. Caranfa attempts to show that in Plato and in Weil, we receive a vision of education that motivates the contemplative life conceived as contact with the Good, Truth, Justice, Love, and Beauty. This is a life of detachment or withdrawing, of looking or attention, of silence, and of contemplation or prayer, which is essentially a way of learning that leads, step by step, or degree by degree, and by repeated exercises, out of the cave to the realm of goodness, truth, justice, love, and beauty. This contemplative method of learning that the writings of Plato and Weil offer us is not only a critique of today's method of problem solving, of statistical analysis, of verbal noise, and lack of attention, but also of those who speak of learning apart from the spirit of beauty.
EDUCATIVE DECEIT: VLADIMIR NABOKOV AND THE [IM]POSSIBILITY OF EDUCATION
Authors: Sæverot Herner
Published: December 2010

Herner Sæverot begins this article with an example: how Søren Kierkegaard used deceit as a means to educate. In one of his biographical texts, it turns out that Kierkegaard's objective was to deceive his readers into a totalized and universal truth. According to Sæverot, Kierkegaard's approach shows that he was a “demystifier,” someone who wants to save an other from delusion and bring this person into a better understanding of the world. Contrary to Kierkegaard, Sæverot argues that education is [im]possible—which, he further maintains, may open up the possibility of being “educated.” Sæverot couches his argument in the context of a novel, Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita. Through a phenomenological study, Sæverot demonstrates how Nabokov creates deceits and adverse forces in his writings so as to open up a space of education, wherein the reader can take active part. The education of Nabokov is thus unpredictable and transformative. The ways in which Nabokov deceives and “educates” can, Sæverot ultimately contends, open up new domains for the field of educational theory (and practice).
SCIENTIFIC SELF‐DEFENSE: TRANSFORMING DEWEY'S IDEA OF TECHNOLOGICAL TRANSPARENCY
Authors: Waddington David I.
Published: December 2010

In this essay, David Waddington provides a basic outline of John Dewey's often‐overlooked views on technology education and explores how these ideas could be updated productively for use in contemporary contexts. Some of the shortcomings of Dewey's ideas are also examined—his faith in the scientific method may have been excessive, and some critics have charged that his aspirations for a technology‐infused citizenship education were overly ambitious. However, Waddington contends in this analysis that by combining Dewey's ideas with the insights of contemporary thinkers such as Bruno Latour, it is possible to update the notion of technological transparency to create a fresh approach to science and technology education. This new approach, which Waddington calls “critical transparency,” aims to help citizens develop a healthy skepticism toward science and technology.
Translating Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) Prevention Evidence into Practice: A Multidisciplinary Evidence Implementation Project
Authors: Duff Jed , Walker Kim , Omari Abdullah
Published: December 2010

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is an important patient safety issue resulting in significant mortality, morbidity, and health care resource expenditure. Despite the widespread availability of best practice guidelines on VTE prevention, we found that only 49% of our patients were receiving appropriate prophylaxis.

Aim: To improve health care professionals’ compliance with evidence‐based guidelines for VTE prevention in hospitalised patients.

Design: A practice improvement methodology was employed to identify, diagnosis, and overcome practice problems. Pre‐ and post‐intervention audits were used to evaluate performance measures.

Setting: The study was conducted from September 2008 until August 2009 and took place in a 250‐bed acute‐care private hospital in metropolitan Sydney, Australia.

Intervention: A change plan was developed that attempted to match organisational barriers to VTE guideline uptake with evidence‐based implementation strategies. The strategies used included audit and feedback, documentation aids, staff education initiatives, collaboratively developed hospital VTE prevention policy, alert stickers, and other reminders.

Results: The proportion of patients receiving appropriate VTE prophylaxis increased by 19% from 49% to 68% (p= 0.02). Surgical patient prophylaxis increased by 21% from 61% to 82% (p= 0.02) while medical patient prophylaxis increased by 26% from 19% to 45% (p= 0.05). The proportion of patients with a documented VTE risk assessment increased from 0% to 35% (p < 0.001).

Conclusions: The intervention resulted in a 19% overall improvement in prophylaxis rates, which is a significant achievement for any behavioural change intervention. There is, however, still a significant discrepancy between surgical and medical patient prophylaxis rates, which clearly warrants further attention.
Using a Pedagogical Approach to Integrate Evidence‐Based Teaching in an Undergraduate Women's Health Course
Authors: Dawley Katy , Bloch Joan Rosen , Suplee Patricia Dunphy , McKeever Amy , Scherzer Gerri
Published: December 2010

Background: Evidence‐based practice (EBP) is promoted as a foundation for nursing practice. However, the 2005 U.S. survey of nurses revealed that they do not have requisite skills for EBP.

Purpose and Goals: To evaluate a pedagogical approach aimed at (1) fostering undergraduate nursing students EBP competencies, and (2) identifying gaps in the literature to direct future women's health research.

Methods: A secondary analysis of data abstracted from required EBP clinical journals for an undergraduate women's health course in which students (n = 198) were asked to find evidence to answer their clinical questions. Content analysis was used to identify main themes of the topics of inquiry.

Results: Students identified 1,808 clinical questions and 30.3% (n = 547) of these could not be answered or supported by evidence in the literature.

Conclusions: This assignment was an important teaching and assessment tool for EBP. Questions reflected critical thinking and quest for in‐depth knowledge to support nursing practice. Some students lacked skills in searching databases and a significant number of knowledge gaps were identified that can direct women's health research.
Anal fistula plug in the treatment of anal fistula: Local experience in Chinese patients
Authors: Cheung Hester Y.S. , Wong James C.H. , Chung Chi‐Chiu , Ng Dennis C.K. , Ng Lawrence W.C. , Li Michael K.W.
Published: December 2010

Background:  Anal fistula plug was recently introduced as an alternative treatment for anal fistula. However, there is, so far, no published data on the use of the anal fistula plug both locally and in the Chinese population.

Methods:  From January 2007 to July 2008, consecutive Chinese patients with transphincteric or suprasphincteric anal fistula scheduled for elective surgery were enrolled. Anal fistula plug was used if examination under anaesthesia reviewed an internal opening. Baseline manometry pressure study was carried out for patients with recurrent fistulae. The operative technique was standardized. Measured outcomes included healing and recurrence rates, operating time, length of stay, and time for patients to return to work or normal activity.

Results:  Eleven patients underwent anal fistula plug placement, with a median follow up of 19 months. Five had completely healed fistulae, including three patients with recurrent fistulae. The success rate was 45 per cent. In the three patients with recurrent fistulae, no significant difference was demonstrated in the resting pressure between preoperative and postoperative values. There is an observable trend that proportionally more recurrent fistulae were healed by anal fistulae plug placement when compared to primary fistulae (100% vs 25%); the difference, however, did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.06, Fisher's exact test). At the conclusion of this study, no recurrence was noted in the five patients with confirmed healing.

Conclusions:  Our preliminary experience indicates anal fistula plug placement is safe and non‐invasive. However, the efficacy appears lower than initially reported. Based on our data the routine use of an anal fistula plug cannot be recommended. In our opinion, anal fistula plug placement can be considered in patients with more complex, high fistulae and in those who have recurrent fistulae despite previous surgery. It provides a non‐invasive alternative in these patients, in whom postoperative incontinence is a real concern.
The IL‐17 pathway as a major therapeutic target in autoimmune diseases
Authors: Hu Yan , Shen Fang , Crellin Natasha K. , Ouyang Wenjun
Published: December 2010

Th17 cells are a subset of T helper cells that have been recently found to play important functions in host defense and the pathogenesis of various human autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Th17 cells produce IL‐17A, IL‐17F, IL‐22, and IL‐21, of which IL‐17A and IL‐17F mediate many of the downstream pathologic functions of these cells. IL‐17A and IL‐17F signal through IL‐17RA and IL‐17RC heterodimeric receptors that are mainly expressed on tissue epithelial cells and fibroblasts. While IL‐17A and IL‐17F are important for host defense against many extracellular pathogens, they can also cause excessive tissue damage and exacerbate proinflammatory responses during autoimmunity. The IL‐17 pathway, therefore, is a primary therapeutic target downstream of Th17 cells.
Inhibitor and activator: dual functions for SHIP in immunity and cancer
Authors: Kerr William G.
Published: December 2010

SHIP1 is at the nexus of intracellular signaling pathways in immune cells that mediate bone marrow (BM) graft rejection, production of inflammatory and immunosuppressive cytokines, immunoregulatory cell formation, the BM niche that supports development of the immune system, and immune cancers. This review summarizes how SHIP participates in normal immune physiology or the pathologies that result when SHIP is mutated. This review also proposes that SHIP can have either inhibitory or activating roles in cell signaling that are determined by whether signaling pathways distal to PI3K are promoted by SHIP's substrate (PI(3,4,5)P3) or its product (PI(3,4)P2). This review also proposes the “two PIP hypothesis” that postulates that both SHIP's product and its substrate are necessary for a cancer cell to achieve and sustain a malignant state. Finally, due to the recent discovery of small molecule antagonists and agonists for SHIP, this review discusses potential therapeutic settings where chemical modulation of SHIP might be of benefit.
Improvement of Coronary Microvascular Function After Angiotensin Receptor Blocker Treatment With Irbesartan in Patients With Systemic Hypertension
Authors: Lethen Harald , Tries Hans‐Peter , Kersting Stefan , Bramlage Peter , Lambertz Heinz
Published: December 2010

Patients with hypertension exhibit changes in vessel conductance and resistance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the angiotensin receptor blocker irbesartan on coronary microvascular function. Thirty‐six hypertensive patients without coronary artery or systemic disease were examined. Coronary flow velocity reserve (CFR) was measured using transthoracic Doppler echocardiography in 18 men (54±9 years) before and after 3 months of treatment with 600 mg/d of irbesartan and in 18 controls (55±11 years). Carotid intima‐media thickness (IMT) was evaluated with high‐resolution echocardiography. Baseline CFR did not differ between groups. CFR significantly improved in the irbesartan group (from 2.87±.42 to 3.78±.32; P<.001), but remained unchanged in controls (from 2.94±.61 to 3.06±.72; P=not significant). CFR improved with treatment independent of associated risk factors. BP decreased from 150±18 mm Hg to 129±25 mm Hg (P<.001) during treatment, whereas IMT and left ventricular mass index showed no significant differences at the end of the follow‐up period in both groups. Three‐month irbesartan treatment significantly increased CFR in patients with hypertension. This improvement is attributed to blockade of the renin‐angiotensin system. Coronary microvascular function was shown to improve independent of hypertrophy regression. Patients with lower baseline CFR tended to show a more pronounced CFR response. J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2011;13:155–161. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Should We Want God to Exist?
Authors: KAHANE GUY
Published: December 2010

Whether God exists is a metaphysical question. But there is also a neglected evaluative question about God’s existence: Should we want God to exist? Very many, including many atheists and agnostics, appear to think we should. Theists claim that if God didn’t exist things would be far worse, and many atheists agree; they regret God’s inexistence. Some remarks by Thomas Nagel suggest an opposing view: that we should want God not to exist. I call this view anti‐theism. I explain how such view can be coherent, and why it might be correct. Anti‐theism must be distinguished from the argument from evil or the denial of God’s goodness; it is a claim about the goodness of God’s existence. Anti‐theists must claim that it’s a logical consequence of God’s existence that things are worse in certain respects. The problem is that God’s existence would also make things better in many ways. Given that God’s existence is likely to be impersonally better overall, anti‐theists face a challenge similar to that facing nonconsequentialists. I explore two ways of meeting this challenge.
The Newsvendor Problem and Price‐Only Contract When Bankruptcy Costs Exist
Authors: Kouvelis Panos , Zhao Wenhui
Published: December 2010

We study a supply chain of a supplier selling via a wholesale price contract to a financially constrained retailer who faces stochastic demand. The retailer might need to borrow money from a bank to execute his order. The bank offers a fairly priced loan for relevant risks. Failure of loan repayment leads to a costly bankruptcy (fixed administrative costs, costs proportional to sales, and a depressed collateral value). We identify the retailer's optimal order quantity as a function of the wholesale price and his total wealth (working capital and collateral). The analysis of the supplier's optimal wholesale price problem as a Stackelberg game, with the supplier the leader and the retailer the follower, leads to unique equilibrium solutions in wholesale price and order quantity, with the equilibrium order quantity smaller than the traditional newsvendor one. Furthermore, in the presence of the retailer's bankruptcy risks, increases in the retailer's wealth lead to increased supplier's wholesale prices, but without the retailer's bankruptcy risks the supplier's wholesale prices stay the same or decrease in retailer's wealth.
2010 ACVIM Small Animal Consensus Statement on Leptospirosis: Diagnosis, Epidemiology, Treatment, and Prevention
Authors: Sykes J.E. , Hartmann K. , Lunn K.F. , Moore G.E. , Stoddard R.A. , Goldstein R.E.
Published: December 2010

This report offers a consensus opinion on the diagnosis, epidemiology, treatment, and prevention of leptospirosis in dogs, an important zoonosis. Clinical signs of leptospirosis in dogs relate to development of renal disease, hepatic disease, uveitis, and pulmonary hemorrhage. Disease may follow periods of high rainfall, and can occur in dogs roaming in proximity to water sources, farm animals, or wildlife, or dogs residing in suburban environments. Diagnosis is based on acute and convalescent phase antibody titers by the microscopic agglutination test (MAT), with or without use of polymerase chain reaction assays. There is considerable interlaboratory variation in MAT results, and the MAT does not accurately predict the infecting serogroup. The recommended treatment for optimal clearance of the organism from renal tubules is doxycycline, 5 mg/kg PO q12h, for 14 days. Annual vaccination can prevent leptospirosis caused by serovars included in the vaccine and is recommended for dogs at risk of infection.
A Prospective Study of Clopidogrel Therapy in Dogs with Primary Immune‐Mediated Hemolytic Anemia
Authors: Mellett A.M. , Nakamura R.K. , Bianco D.
Published: December 2010

Background: A major cause of death in dogs with primary immune‐mediated hemolytic anemia (pIMHA) is thrombotic disease. Ultralow‐dose aspirin (ULDA) is commonly used to prevent thrombosis in dogs with pIMHA; however, the efficacy of antiplatelet agents in dogs with pIMHA is unknown.

Hypothesis: The use of clopidogrel (CL), alone or in combination with ULDA, would improve survival to discharge and at 90 days without important adverse effects compared with ULDA alone in dogs with pIMHA treated with standard immunosuppressive therapy.

Animals: Twenty‐four client‐owned dogs with pIMHA.

Methods: Prospective, positive‐controlled, unmasked clinical trial with dogs randomized in 3 treatment groups to receive PO ULDA or CL or both.

Results: There was no identifiable adverse reaction, evidence of hemorrhage, or increase in transfusion requirements associated with CL therapy, either alone or combined with ULDA, compared with ULDA alone. There was no significant difference between treatment groups with respect to survival to discharge and at 90 days.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance: This study suggests that CL therapy, alone or in combination with ULDA, was safe and had similar short‐term survival compared with ULDA alone in a small group of dogs with pIMHA able to tolerate oral medications and treated with standard immunosuppressive treatment.
The mid‐infrared transmission spectra of multiple stones from the Almahata Sitta meteorite
Authors: SANDFORD Scott A. , MILAM Stefanie N. , NUEVO Michel , JENNISKENS Peter , SHADDAD Muawia H.
Published: December 2010

Abstract– On October 7, 2008, the asteroid 2008 TC3 entered Earth’s atmosphere, exploded at 37 km altitude, and created a strewn field of stones, the Almahata Sitta meteorite, in Sudan. A preliminary analysis of one of these stones (#7) showed it to be a unique polymict ureilite (Jenniskens et al. 2009). Here we report 39 mid‐infrared (mid‐IR) (4000–450 cm−1; 2.5–22.2 μm) transmission spectra taken from 26 different stones collected from the strewn field. The ureilite spectra show a number of absorption bands including a complex feature centered near 1000 cm−1 (10 μm) due to Si‐O stretching vibrations. The profiles of the silicate features fall along a mixing line with endmembers represented by Mg‐rich olivines and pyroxenes, and no evidence is seen for the presence of phyllosilicates. The relative abundances of olivine and pyroxene show substantial variation from sample to sample and sometimes differ between multiple samples taken from the same stone. Analysis of a mass normalized coaddition of all our ureilite spectra yields an olivine‐to‐pyroxene ratio of 74:26, a value that falls in the middle of the range inferred from the infrared spectra of other ureilites. Both the predominance of olivine and the variable olivine‐to‐pyroxene ratio are consistent with the known composition and heterogeneity of other ureilites. Variations in the colors of the samples and the intensities of the silicate feature relative to the mass of the samples indicate a significant contribution from additional materials having no strong absorption bands, most likely graphitized carbon, diamonds, and/or metals.
Spectral reflectance properties of ureilites
Authors: CLOUTIS E. A. , HUDON Pierre , ROMANEK Christopher S. , BISHOP Janice L. , REDDY Vishnu , GAFFEY Michael J. , HARDERSEN Paul S.
Published: December 2010

Abstract– The 0.35–2.6 μm reflectance spectra of 18 ureilites have been examined in order to improve our understanding of the spectral reflectance properties of this meteorite class. Across this spectral range, ureilite spectra are characterized by a steep rise in reflectance over the 0.3 to approximately 0.7 μm range, low overall reflectance (<25%) and weak mafic iron silicate absorption bands in the 1 and 2 μm region. The weakness of these bands and the low reflectance are attributed to the presence of dispersed graphite and related carbonaceous phases, metal, and possibly shock. Wavelength positions of the mafic silicate absorption bands span a range of values, but are consistent with the presence of pyroxene and olivine. Ureilite spectra generally exhibit blue slopes across the 0.7–2.6 μm interval and exhibit many overall similarities to some carbonaceous chondrites. The weak features and spectral diversity of ureilites make reflectance spectroscopy‐based identification of a ureilite parent body challenging. As terrestrial alteration of ureilites is prevalent, spectral studies of falls are most useful for determining the spectral properties of likely parent bodies.
The elemental composition of Almahata Sitta
Authors: FRIEDRICH Jon M. , WOLF Stephen F. , RUMBLE Douglas , TROIANO Julianne , GAGNON Christopher J. L. , COMPTON Joseph R. , JENNISKENS Peter , SHADDAD Muawia H.
Published: December 2010

Abstract– We quantified up to 60 elements in four individual fragments (#4, #7, #15, and #47) of the Almahata Sitta meteorite, which entered Earth’s atmosphere on October 7, 2008. Almahata Sitta is indisputably the product of fragments of asteroid 2008 TC3 surviving passage through Earth’s atmosphere. Each of the four analyzed fragments has a ureilitic composition based on comparisons with literature data. The analyzed fragments represent each of the major lithologies of Almahata Sitta. Highly refractory siderophile elements are similarly enriched in all fragments of Almahata Sitta, while volatile elements show more compositional variability. The abundances of rare earth elements (REE) only reach CI values in the case of a single Almahata Sitta fragment (#15). More typically, REE abundances in Almahata Sitta are between 0.01 and 0.3 × CI. None of the fragments displays the classic V‐shaped REE pattern that are often found in ureilites. Given that Almahata Sitta was collected shortly after its fall, these REE compositional results indicate that the V‐shaped REE pattern found in many ureilites may be a result of extended terrestrial residence times.
Almahata Sitta—Fragment MS‐CH: Characterization of a new chondrite type
Authors: HORSTMANN Marian , BISCHOFF Addi , PACK Andreas , LAUBENSTEIN Matthias
Published: December 2010

Abstract– Among the several hundred, mostly small meteorite fragments, recovered within the Almahata Sitta strewn field, one fragment (MS‐CH), weighing 5.68 g, was detected that represents a new type of chondritic meteorite. The detection of short‐lived cosmogenic radionuclides clearly indicates that this chondrite fragment results from a fresh meteorite fall consistent with the Almahata Sitta event in October 2008. The fundamental mineralogical characteristics of the Almahata Sitta fragment MS‐CH can be summarized as follows: (1) the almost equilibrated olivine has high Fa contents of about 36 mole%. The fragment is of petrologic type 3.8 ± 0.1; (2) the metal abundance of the rock is on the order of 2.5 vol%; (3) the mean chondrule size has been determined to be roughly 450 μm; (4) point‐counting and imaging indicate that the matrix abundance is approximately 45 vol%; (5) Cr‐spinels have much lower TiO2 concentrations than typical spinels within R chondrites; (6) calcium‐aluminum‐rich inclusions are spinel‐rich and severely altered having abundant Na‐ and/or Cl‐rich alteration products. Spinel also contains significant concentrations of Fe and Zn; (7) magnetites and platinum‐group element‐rich phases (sulfides, tellurides, and arsenides) characteristic of both R and CK chondrites were not found in fragment MS‐CH; and (8) the mean oxygen isotope composition of three small fragments of Almahata Sitta MS‐CH is δ17O = +4.35‰, δ18O = +4.94‰, and Δ17O = +1.76‰. The oxygen isotopes relate MS‐CH to R chondrites. No established chondrite group having all these characteristics exists.
Asteroid 2008 TC3—Almahata Sitta: A spectacular breccia containing many different ureilitic and chondritic lithologies
Authors: BISCHOFF Addi , HORSTMANN Marian , PACK Andreas , LAUBENSTEIN Matthias , HABERER Siegfried
Published: December 2010

Abstract– Asteroid 2008 TC3 impacted Earth in northern Sudan on October 7, 2008. The meteorite named Almahata Sitta was classified as a polymict ureilite. In this study, 40 small pieces from different fragments collected in the Almahata Sitta strewn field were investigated and a large number of different lithologies were found. Some of these fragments are ureilitic in origin, whereas others are clearly chondritic. As all are relatively fresh (W0–W0/1) and as short‐lived cosmogenic radioisotopes were detected within two of the chondritic fragments, there is strong evidence that most, if not all belong to the Almahata Sitta meteorite fall. The fragments can roughly be subdivided into achondritic (ureilitic; 23 samples) and chondritic lithologies (17 samples). Among the ureilitic rocks are at least 10 different lithologies. A similar number of different chondritic lithologies also exist. Most chondritic fragments belong to at least seven different E‐chondrite rock types (EH3, EL3/4, EL6, EL breccias, several different types of EL and EH impact melt rocks and impact melt breccias; some of the latter are shock‐darkened). In addition, two H‐group ordinary chondrite lithologies were identified, and one sample of a chondrite type that is so far unique. The latter has some affinities to R chondrites. Oxygen isotope compositions of 14 fragments provide further fundamental information on the lithological heterogeneity of the Almahata Sitta meteorite. Based on the findings presented in this study, the reflectance spectrum of asteroid 2008 TC3 has to be evaluated in a new light.
Apprenticeship of Immersion: College Access for High School Students Interested in Teaching Mathematics or Science
Authors: Harkness Shelly Sheats , Johnson Iris DeLoach , Hensley Billy , Stallworth James A.
Published: December 2010

Issues related to college access and the need for a pipeline of STEM teachers, provided the impetus for the Ohio Board of Regents (OBR) to issue a call for Ohio universities to design pre‐college experiences for high school students with three major goals in mind: (a) improvement in mathematics, science, or foreign language learning; (b) increased attraction to careers as teachers of these subjects; and (c) increased familiarity and readiness for college admission to study these subjects. Through funding provided by an OBR grant we designed and implemented a summer immersion program for high school juniors and seniors in order to meet the needs of this call. Students with self‐reported interests in teaching mathematics or science spent two weeks on two environmentally different universities, Miami University and the University of Cincinnati, as a means to expose them to different campus climates while building a greater since of belonging, both culturally and academically. They also earned three PreCalculus credits through rigorous college‐coursework. Within this manuscript we describe the program, report pre‐ and post‐test data analyses, provide insights into students' perceptions of the college experience, and reflect on our own lessons learned.
Using Prediction to Promote Mathematical Understanding and Reasoning
Authors: Kasmer Lisa , Kim Ok‐Kyeong
Published: December 2010

Research has shown that prediction has the potential to promote the teaching and learning of mathematics because it can be used to enhance students' thinking and reasoning at all grade levels in various topics. This article addresses the effectiveness of using prediction on students' understanding and reasoning of mathematical concepts in a middle school algebra context. In the treatment classroom, prediction questions were utilized at the launch of each algebra lesson, and in the control classroom such questions were not used. Both classrooms were taught by the same teacher and used the same curriculum. After completing each of the linear and exponential units, the two classrooms were compared in terms of their mathematical understanding and reasoning through unit assessments. Overall, the treatment classroom outperformed the control classroom on the unit assessments. This result supports that prediction is a valid construct with respect to enhanced conceptual understanding and mathematical reasoning.
Extensions of rank one (φ,Γ)-modules and crystalline representations
Authors: Chang Seunghwan , Diamond Fred
Published: December 2010

LetKbe a finite unramified extension ofQp. We parametrize the (φ,Γ)-modules corresponding to reducible two-dimensional$\overline {\F }_p$-representations ofGKand characterize those which have reducible crystalline lifts with certain Hodge–Tate weights.
Computable bounds for Rasmussen’s concordance invariant
Authors: Lobb Andrew
Published: December 2010

Given a diagram D of a knot K, we give easily computable bounds for Rasmussen’s concordance invariant s(K). The bounds are not independent of the diagram D chosen, but we show that for diagrams satisfying a given condition the bounds are tight. As a corollary we improve on previously known Bennequin-type bounds on the slice genus.
The least common multiple of a quadratic sequence
Authors: Cilleruelo Javier
Published: December 2010

For any irreducible quadratic polynomialf(x) in ℤ[x], we obtain the estimate logl.c.m.(f(1),…,f(n))=nlogn+Bn+o(n), whereBis a constant depending on f.
Study of Interfacial Friction Force for Bubble Flows in a 2×1 Rod Channel Simplifying BWR
Authors: Kawahara Akimaro , Sadatomi Michio , Nakamoto Yutaro , Masuda Takatoshi
Published: December 2010

Most of the recent subchannel analysis codes are based on a multifluid model, and an accurate evaluation of the constitutive equations in the model is essential. In order to get an accurate interfacial friction force in two-phase bubble flows, experimental data on drag coefficient and interfacial area concentration have been obtained for air-water flows in a 2×1 rod channel simplifying a boiling water nuclear reactor fuel rod bundle. In order to know the effects of liquid properties on the data, the temperature of the test water was changed from 18°C to 50°C. The data are compared with the existing correlations reported in literatures. As a result, the semitheoretical correlation of Hibiki and Ishii (2001, “Interfacial Area Concentration in Steady Fully-Developed Bubbly Flow,” Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer, 44, pp. 3443–3461) was found to give the best prediction against the present interfacial area concentration data. The correlation of Delhaye and Bricard (1994, “Interfacial Area in Bubbly Flow: Experimental Data and Correlations,” Nucl. Eng. Des., 151, pp. 65–77) also gave a reasonably good prediction if their correlation was modified by incorporating liquid property effects. As for the drag coefficient, no correlation exists, which can predict the present data well. Therefore, we developed a new correlation, including three dimensionless numbers, i.e., bubble capillary number, Morton number, and Eötvös number. The correlation predicted the data of Liu et al. (2008, “Drag Coefficient in One-Dimensional Two-Group Two-Fluid Model,” Int. J. Heat Fluid Flow, 29, pp. 1402–1410) as well as the present data well.
Photographic Study on Two-Phase Flow Patterns of Water in a Single-Side Heated Narrow Rectangular Channel
Authors: Wang Junfeng , Huang Yanping , Wang Yanlin
Published: December 2010

Visualized experimental observation on flow patterns during flow boiling of water under single-side heated and fluid-inlet subcooled conditions in a vertical narrow rectangular channel with the cross section of 40×3 mm2 have been carried out. Four discernible flow patterns, which names dispersed bubbly, coalesced bubbly, churn flow, and annular flow are observed. Flow visualization in two dimensions of two-phase flow patterns for narrow rectangular channel, which provided clearer evidence to distinguish flow patterns, have been performed. Based on the experimental results, a flow pattern map for single-side heated narrow rectangular channel has been developed and then compared with the exiting maps and flow transition criteria.
Novel Bifurcation Design for Centrifugal Microfluidic Platform With Wide Range Rotational Speed
Authors: Lin Samuel I-En
Published: December 2010

A compact disk-based enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (CD-ELISA) is used in a wide range of applications including cancer and human immunodeficiency virus testing, drug screening, and micro-organism identification. Bifurcation design is the most important structure for microfluidic channels in CD-ELISA. In this study, a bifurcation design feasible for mass production and suitable for applications over a wide range of rotational speeds is proposed. Simulations based on two-phase flow theories along with incompressible flow theories were used in this study to confirm the feasibility of the novel design. The factors that influenced the bifurcation ratio for microfluidic channels in CD-ELISA were also investigated. The geometric length for bifurcation, opening angles, and the bifurcation shape in the middle section were varied to investigate the effects of each factor on the bifurcation ratio. From the experimental results, the factors with the greatest influence on the bifurcation ratio were the geometry of the end face of the partitioning plate and the distance from the opening end. These factors can be used as controlling factors for the design of microfluidic channels.