bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cross-National Differences in Aviation Safety Records
Authors: Barnett Arnold
Published: March 2010

Data about the mortality risk of scheduled passenger air travel over 2000–2007 around the world is examined in this paper. Worldwide, the average passenger death risk per scheduled flight over 2000–2007 was about one in 3.0 million. However, much as the center of mass of a doughnut is the center of the hole—where there is no mass—the worldwide average represents the actual risk level in few if any countries. The data support a three-population risk model across nations, in which the differences in death risk are not statistically significant within groups but are highly significant across groups. The safest nations are the traditional first-world countries (e.g., Canada, Japan), with a death risk per flight of about 1 in 14 million. Next safest are those developing-world nations that have either have recently attained first-world status (e.g., Singapore, South Korea) or are classified by experts as newly industrialized (e.g., Brazil, China) Their aggregrate death risk per flight was about 1 in 2 million. The least safe nations statistically are remaining developing-world countries, with a death risk per flight of about 1 in 800,000. In terms of relative risk, divergences within the developing world are modest compared to the overall difference between the first and developing worlds. The observed risk pattern might reflect a confluence of economic and cultural factors.
Novel anodic concepts for the selective phenol coupling reaction
Authors: Waldvogel Siegfried R.
Published: March 2010

The oxidative phenol coupling reaction of phenols with simple methyl substituents can be difficult due to several by-products. Such a challenging substrate is 2,4-dimethyl-phenol. We studied the electrochemical access to the ortho-coupled dehydrodimer. Anodic treatment in a basic electrolyte supports the formation of a molecular tricyclic architecture called Pummerer’s ketone. Employing a two-step sequence involving anodic conversion of 2,4-dimethylphenol to a preliminary substrate and different workup protocols yield exclusively and diastereoselectively polycyclic architectures. The selective ortho-coupling reaction was achieved by two strategies: A tetraphenoxy borate can be used as template substrate which can be easily made in large scale. Due to the ionic nature of the borate, no supporting electrolyte is required. This methodology can be applied to several related phenolic substrates. The second route is described by the direct conversion of 2,4-dimethylphenol on boron-doped diamond anodes. Surprisingly, the electrochemical transformation does not destruct or mineralize the substrate. Fluorinated additives allow the conversion of a broad scope of substrates.
Structure and stability of the heteroannulated [8–10]circulenes: A quantum-chemical study
Authors: Gribanova Tatyana N. , Zefirov Nikolay S. , Minkin Vladimir I.
Published: March 2010

The structure and stability of a new family of heterocyclic [n]circulenes CnNnYn (n = 8–10; Y = N, P, As, BF2, AlF2, GaF2) have been computationally studied using density functional theory (DFT) B3LYP/6-311G* calculations. The geometry of the compounds is determined by the balance of steric factors and effects of aromatic π-electron delocalization depending on the electronegativity of heteroatoms. An increase in the bulkiness of peripheral atoms Y and enlargement of the inner Cn cycle leads to the gradual transformation of the bowl-shaped circulene structure (Y = N, BF2) to planar and then saddle-shaped forms (Y = P, As, AlF2, GaF2). The calculations performed manifest stabilization of the heteroannulated circulenes ensured by the strong aromatic character of the conjugated five-membered rings fringing the central non-aromatic or antiaromatic [8–10] annulene rings.
Long- and Short-term Effects of Tobacco Smoking on Circulating Concentrations of B Vitamins
Authors: Ulvik Arve , Ebbing Marta , Hustad Steinar , Midttun Øivind , Nygård Ottar , Vollset Stein E , Bønaa Kåre H , Nordrehaug Jan E , Nilsen Dennis W , Schirmer Henrik , Ueland Per M
Published: March 2010

Background: Smoking is associated with decreased concentrations of several antioxidant vitamins. We sought to determine the relation between circulating concentrations of selected B vitamins and smoking status, with particular attention to longitudinal associations.

Methods: We used baseline data from 2 B-vitamin intervention trials that included 6837 patients with ischemic heart disease. Smoking habits were ascertained by interview. Vitamins and metabolites, including the nicotine metabolite cotinine, were measured in plasma and serum by microbiological assays or gas/liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry.

Results: The highest circulating concentrations of folate and pyridoxal 5′phosphate (PLP) and lowest concentrations of total plasma homocysteine, a functional marker of folate status, were observed for self-reported never smokers, followed by self-reported ex-smokers and current smokers (Ptrend < 0.001). Cobalamin and its functional marker methylmalonic acid were not associated with smoking status. Based on their low cotinine concentrations, we were able to identify a group of smokers that had abstained from smoking for 3 days or more. Compared with smokers with high plasma cotinine, smokers with low cotinine had significantly higher circulating concentrations of folate, PLP, and riboflavin (all P < 0.005), and this trend continued for ex-smokers, with increasing time since smoking cessation.

Conclusions: Smoking lowered circulating concentrations of folate, PLP, and riboflavin, but concentrations increased significantly after a few days of smoking cessation. We propose that short-term effects may be related to acute smoking-induced oxidative stress, whereas the longer-lasting effects among ex-smokers may reflect changes in diet and/or restoration of vitamin concentrations in tissue during the first few months to years after smoking cessation.
First report of Cladostephus spongiosus (Sphacelariales: Phaeophyta) from the Pacific coast of Mexico
Authors: Mazariegos-Villareal Alejandra , Riosmena-Rodríguez Rafael , Rosa Rivera-Camacho Alma , Serviere-Zaragoza Elisa
Published: March 2010

The brown macroalga Cladostephus spongiosus is reported for the first time from the central Pacific coast of the Baja California Peninsula. Thalli ranged from 3 to 20 cm in length, with the shortest occurring in January (winter) and the tallest in June (summer). Reproductive individuals were present in all seasons except autumn, when mean seawater temperatures reached 20.4°C. The species was found from the mid-intertidal to 6 m depth in the subtidal zone. The most common species growing with C. spongiosus were the brown algae Dictyopteris spp., Dictyota coriacea, and Padina caulescens, the red alga Polysiphonia johnstonii var. concinna and the surf-grass Phyllospadix torreyi. A detailed description of the vegetative and reproductive structures is provided. Its limited local distribution suggests a recent introduction to this region.
Performance characteristics of a microfluidic Lab-on-Chip electrophoresis system for high-density lipoprotein (HDL) subfraction separation and measurement
Authors: Yang Dan-Hui D. , Konigshofer Yves , Dike Jude , Chang Elaine , Mueller Odilo
Published: March 2010

Background: High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is believed to be protective against coronary heart disease (CHD). HDL is comprised of different subfractions. Of these, HDL 2b is believed to be the most important in preventing CHD. Current methods for HDL subfraction measurements are not standardized and often exhibit poor analytical performance, which can limit their usefulness in clinical practice.

Methods: We have developed a microfluidic Lab-on-Chip electrophoresis system for serum HDL subfraction measurements. Linear polymers are used as a sieving buffer for HDL particle separation. Nine samples and two controls can be analyzed in 30 min. The percent HDL 2b that comprises total high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) is reported.

Results: Samples with HDL-C of 0.259–2.072 mmol/L could be evaluated for percent HDL 2b with coefficient of variations (%CVs) below 8%. Total precision was typically below 1.5% and linearity was observed between 8% and 32% HDL 2b. Measurements were not affected by many therapeutic and biological compounds. Consistent results were obtained by three laboratories and showed r2 values between 0.93 and 0.95.

Conclusions: The assay allows for easy and reproducible measurement of percent HDL 2b. The experimental procedure and small size of the instrumentation needed for measurement make it viable in clinical settings.

Clin Chem Lab Med 2010;48:883–9.
Congruences for Hyper m-ary Overpartition Functions
Authors: Ma Lin , Lu Qing-Lin
Published: March 2010

We discuss a new restricted
Non-Regularity of ⌊α + log k n⌋
Authors: Rowland Eric S.
Published: March 2010

This paper presents a new proof that if
Volume as a Measure of Approximation for the Jacobi–Perron Algorithm
Authors: Schweiger Fritz
Published: March 2010

We consider the values of the consecutive minima of the quantities
Place-Difference-Value Patterns: A Generalization of Generalized Permutation and Word Patterns
Authors: Kitaev Sergey , Remmel Jeffrey
Published: March 2010

Motivated by the study of Mahonian statistics, in 2000, Babson and Steingrímsson [Sém. Lothar. Comb] introduced the notion of a “generalized permutation pattern” (GP) which generalizes the concept of “classical” permutation pattern introduced by Knuth in 1969. The invention of GPs led to a large number of publications related to properties of these patterns in permutations and words. Since the work of Babson and Steingrímsson, several further generalizations of permutation patterns have appeared in the literature, each bringing a new set of permutation or word pattern problems and often new connections with other combinatorial objects and disciplines. For example, Bousquet-Mélou et al. [J. Comb. Theory A] introduced a new type of permutation pattern that allowed them to relate permutation patterns theory to the theory of partially ordered sets.

In this paper we introduce yet another, more general definition of a pattern, called place-difference-value patterns (PDVP) that covers all of the most common definitions of permutation and/or word patterns that have occurred in the literature. PDVPs provide many new ways to develop the theory of patterns in permutations and words. We shall give several examples of PDVPs in both permutations and words that cannot be described in terms of any other pattern conditions that have been introduced previously. Finally, we discuss several bijective questions linking our patterns to other combinatorial objects.
Davidson, Truth, and Semantic Unity
Authors: Steglich-Petersen Asbjørn
Published: March 2010

In this paper I will introduce and discuss a series of problems associated with answering the question of semantic unity, and argue that the truth theoretical approach to semantics put forward by Donald Davidson suggests a possible solution. Although not put forward explicitly as such by Davidson, it is my belief that we in Davidson's interpretation of Tarski's definition of truth find the resources to illuminate and dissolve the problem of unity.
John Dewey and Liberalism
Authors: Bertman Martin A.
Published: March 2010

Dewey provides a useful analysis of what he calls historic liberalism and an interesting version of liberalism. A doctrine that he believes is useful for his time. This is a reconstituted liberalism with a holistic approach to society and nature. Dewey's “transactional” approach sees the fault of traditional liberalism as separating the individual as an entity outside an evolving social and natural context. This doctrine, while attending to greater individual freedom like all liberalism, emphasizes cooperation in a constantly evolving context guided by and modelled upon science.
Irreality of Fact
Authors: Rasmussen Stig Alstrup
Published: March 2010

It is argued that C. Wright's worry over the Basic Argument for Quitism is misplaced since the argument is incoherent. An even more basic argument is considered, and some consequences traced for, inter alia, the Tractarian view in metaphysics and Dummett's Metaphor Thesis, connecting ontology and semantics. In the course of the argument, work by, primarily, C. Peacocke and J. McDowell is touched upon.
Discursive conditions and contextual presuppositions. Habermas versus Apel
Authors: Hedberg Petra
Published: March 2010

The terms “morality” and “ethical life” refer to the relationship between Kant's universalistic and Hegel's “contextualised” account of morality. In this essay, the problem of universalism and contextualism will be addressed to Apel's and Habermas's positions. I will divide the theme into three main topics: 1) The historical reconstruction of the rational conditions of discourse ethics within Habermas's position: in which sense could this approach lead to a contextualism? 2) The difficulty with establishing a non-contextual justification of the discursive, rational conditions. Habermas's reconstructive approach will be confronted with Apel's “strict reflectional” approach which relies on stronger universalistic presuppositions. 3) This last topic will focus on the main difference between Habermas's and Apel's perspectives. This is connected to the double function of the rational “symmetry and reciprocity” -conditions: they are seen as consensual and simultaneously meta-normative conditions. Their meta-normative character is Apel's main concern, and seen as vital to social criticism.
Temperature-Compensated Cone Penetration Test Mini-Cone Using Fiber Optic Sensors
Authors: Kim Raehyun , Lee Woojin , Lee Jong-Sub
Published: March 2010

The mechanical properties obtained by using a strain gauge are influenced by the temperature change that occurs due to the electrical resistance change of the strain gauge and cable. The temperature change, which occurs during cone penetration testing, can produce an unreliable cone tip resistance. Several types of cone penetrometers with diameters ranging from 1 to 7 mm are developed by using fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors for the temperature compensation. The design concerns include the configuration, active and temperature sensor installation, and calibration. FBG active sensors monitor both the tip resistance and the temperature change, while the FBG temperature transducer only measures the temperature change. The experimental studies show that the tip resistance estimated by strain gauges is affected by the temperature change in both full and half Wheatstone bridges, but the tip resistance determined by the FBG sensors is independent of the temperature change. The tip resistances determined by the strain gauges and the FBG sensors are reliable after the temperature is compensated for. This study demonstrates that by using FBG sensors, cone penetrometers produce a more reliable cone tip resistance.
Experimental Validation of an Adjustable Railway Fastening for Slab Track
Authors: Diego S. , Casado J. A. , Carrascal I , Polanco J. A. , Gutiérrez-Solana F.
Published: March 2010

A railway infrastructure capable of supporting a high frequency of light and heavy traffic, sometimes at high speed, requires the implementation of a high quality track. A correct definition of all track components leads to a high degree of safety and comfort for travelers as well as reduced operating costs. One factor that determines the elastic behaviour of the track is the rail fastening system. In this paper, the mechanical, electrical, and environmental sustainability characterization tests based on European standards UNE-EN have been carried out, verifying that the TK04 fastening system with a lateral adjustment of ±1 cm, manufactured by ThyssenKrupp Gleistechnik GmbH, satisfies the conditions and requirements of European standards UNE-EN for installation on slab track systems for light rail.
Becoming a complete Kapellmeister: Haydn and Mattheson’s Der vollkommene Capellmeister
Authors: Jones David
Published: March 2010

Both Griesinger and Dies identify Johann Mattheson’s treatise,
Der vollkommene Capellmeister
(1739), as an important influence on Haydn’s musical development in his youth. Perhaps because Griesinger then gives more emphasis to Fux than Mattheson, and Dies reports some disparaging remarks on the treatise by the aged Haydn, the range and nature of Mattheson’s likely influence on the young musician have not been fully explored. Several authors have alluded to the relevance of Mattheson’s comments on aesthetic matters but, in a more behavioural mode, the treatise lays emphasis too on the duties and expectations of a being a successful Kapellmeister, qualities that were to be exemplified in Haydn’s long career. The essay documents this wider, formative role, including Mattheson’s enthusiasm for all things English. Consideration of Mattheson’s influence leads to a more nuanced understanding of Haydn’s personal and musical education, or
Bildung
to a use a later concept.
Haydn’s Judaizing of the apothecary
Authors: Clark Caryl
Published: March 2010

As the first Italian opera to grace the stage of the new opera house at Eszterháza,
Lo speziale
(1768) afforded Kapellmeister Haydn, and the singers and orchestral musicians under his direction, the opportunity to revel in comedic performance. The revised libretto translated well to the rural court of Prince Nicolaus, whose tastes and cultural patronage extended to opera buffa. As Matthew Head has argued (
Cambridge Companion
, 2005), Sempronio, the apothecary of the title whose fascination with the exotic makes him an easy target for duping, is also a harbinger of difference. And this “difference,” I contend, is the sign of Sempronio’s main character flaw — his Jewishness. Like other theatrical stereotypes on the mid-eighteenth-century stage, Jews came with a recognizable set of characteristic traits, all of which could readily be exploited in comedic contexts. How the apothecary’s profession and characterization, including aspects of voice, body and gesture, are linked to Jewish representation, is explored in this article through the analysis of a couple of representative scenes from the opera, among them the final Turkish scene, in which a confrontation between Orientalist Others creates semiotic overload. By characterizing the apothecary as Jewish, Haydn was able to demonstrate his complicity in the ideological agenda operative under the terms of his employment — i.e. that of re-inscribing the needs, desires and dominating authority of Prince Nicolaus. In
Lo speziale
, the prince’s penchant for theatrical works featuring Jewish characters and caricatures was transferred from
Wanderntruppe
to
Operntruppe
.
Time out of joint — Time set right: Principles of form in Haydn’s Symphony No. 39
Authors: Diergarten Felix
Published: March 2010

The opening of Haydn’s Symphony No. 39 in G minor is interrupted by two unusually long grand pauses. These brief suspensions of the time continuum reveal Haydn’s search for new narrative strategies for a genre caught up in the tensions between the boisterous concert opener, courtly representation, the bourgeois concert hall and the demands of “connoisseurs.” This use of the
Generalpause
points toward a period of upheaval in the development of symphonic forms in the 18th century. A comparative analysis examining the primarily “punctuated” concept of form in the 18th century in relation to the primarily thematic concept of form in the 19th century and the synthesis of both in the writings of Anton Reicha can show that the process of developing formal functions becomes especially acute in Haydn’s Symphony No. 39, with the two grand pauses playing a key role. Such a reading of Haydn, which seeks to reconcile “historically informed” analysis with emphatic interpretation, illustrates how the spectacular grand pauses in the Symphony No. 39 can suggest a brief suspension of not only the work’s own immanent time but the historical time of 18th-century music history.
Effectiveness of a Controlled Trial to Promote Colorectal Cancer Screening in Vietnamese Americans
Authors: Nguyen Bang H. , McPhee Stephen J. , Stewart Susan L. , Doan Hiep T.
Published: March 2010

Objectives. We conducted a controlled trial of a public education and provider intervention to increase colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates among Vietnamese Americans, who typically have lower rates than non-Hispanic Whites.

Methods. The public education intervention included a Vietnamese-language CRC screening media campaign, distribution of health educational material, and a hotline. The provider intervention consisted of continuing medical education seminars, newsletters, and DVDs. Vietnamese in Alameda and Santa Clara Counties, California, received the intervention from 2004 to 2006; Vietnamese in Harris County, Texas, were controls and received no intervention. A quasi-experimental study design with pre- and postintervention surveys of the same 533 participants was used to evaluate the combined intervention.

Results. The postintervention-to-preintervention odds ratio for having ever had a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy was 1.4 times greater in the intervention community than in the control community. Knowledge and attitudes mediated the effect of the intervention on CRC screening behavior. Media exposure mediated the effect of the intervention on knowledge.

Conclusions. Improving CRC knowledge through the media contributed to the effectiveness of the intervention.
Associations Between Racial Discrimination, Limited English Proficiency, and Health-Related Quality of Life Among 6 Asian Ethnic Groups in California
Authors: Gee Gilbert C. , Ponce Ninez
Published: March 2010

Objectives. We examined the association of racial discrimination and limited English proficiency with health-related quality of life among Asian Americans in California.

Methods. We studied Chinese (n = 2576), Filipino (n = 1426), Japanese (n = 833), Korean (n = 1128), South Asian (n = 822), and Vietnamese (n = 938) respondents to the California Health Interview Survey in 2003 and 2005. We assessed health-related quality of life with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's measures of self-rated health, activity limitation days, and unhealthy days.

Results. Overall, Asians who reported racial discrimination or who had limited English proficiency were more likely to have poor quality of life, after adjustment for demographic characteristics. South Asian participants who reported discrimination had an estimated 14.4 more activity limitation days annually than South Asians who did not report discrimination. Results were similar among other groups. We observed similar but less consistent associations for limited English proficiency.

Conclusions. Racial discrimination, and to a lesser extent limited English proficiency, appear to be key correlates of quality of life among Asian ethnic groups.
Neighborhoods and Chronic Disease Onset in Later Life
Authors: Freedman Vicki A. , Grafova Irina B. , Rogowski Jeannette
Published: March 2010

Objectives. To strengthen existing evidence on the role of neighborhoods in chronic disease onset in later life, we investigated associations between multiple neighborhood features and 2-year onset of 6 common conditions using a national sample of older adults.

Methods. Neighborhood features for adults aged 55 years or older in the 2002 Health and Retirement Study were measured by use of previously validated scales reflecting the built, social, and economic environment. Two-level random-intercept logistic models predicting the onset of heart problems, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, cancer, and arthritis by 2004 were estimated.

Results. In adjusted models, living in more economically disadvantaged areas predicted the onset of heart problems for women (odds ratio [OR] = 1.20; P < .05). Living in more highly segregated, higher-crime areas was associated with greater chances of developing cancer for men (OR = 1.31; P < .05) and women (OR = 1.25; P < .05).

Conclusions. The neighborhood economic environment is associated with heart disease onset for women, and neighborhood-level social stressors are associated with cancer onset for men and women. The social and biological mechanisms that underlie these associations require further investigation.
Policy and System Change and Community Coalitions: Outcomes From Allies Against Asthma
Authors: Clark Noreen M. , Lachance Laurie , Doctor Linda Jo , Gilmore Lisa , Kelly Cindy , Krieger James , Lara Marielena , Meurer John , Friedman Milanovich Amy , Nicholas Elisa , Rosenthal Michael , Stoll Shelley C. , Wilkin Margaret
Published: March 2010

Objectives. We assessed policy and system changes and health outcomes produced by the Allies Against Asthma program, a 5-year collaborative effort by 7 community coalitions to address childhood asthma. We also explored associations between community engagement and outcomes.

Methods. We interviewed a sample of 1477 parents of children with asthma in coalition target areas and comparison areas at baseline and 1 year to assess quality-of-life and symptom changes. An extensive tracking and documentation procedure and a survey of 284 participating individuals and organizations were used to ascertain policy and system changes and community engagement levels.

Results. A total of 89 policy and system changes were achieved, ranging from changes in interinstitutional and intrainstitutional practices to statewide legislation. Allies children experienced fewer daytime (P = .008) and nighttime (P = .004) asthma symptoms than comparison children. In addition, Allies parents felt less helpless, frightened, and angry (P = .01) about their child's asthma. Type of community engagement was associated with number of policy and system changes.

Conclusions. Community coalitions can successfully achieve asthma policy and system changes and improve health outcomes. Increased core and ongoing community stakeholder participation rather than a higher overall number of participants was associated with more change.
Late/Terminal Archaic Mortuary Practices in the Northeastern United States
Authors: Pagoulatos Peter
Published: March 2010

Late/Terminal Archaic (4000-2500 B.P.) mortuary practices are poorly understood in the Northeastern United States. This current study is designed to evaluate selected mortuary sites in terms of feature categories, grave good diversity, burial types, and associated non-human faunal and botanical remains. The Late/Terminal Archaic was a period of rapid climatic change which coincided with dramatic population increases, resource intensification, settlement system shifts, and highly ritualized burial ceremonialism. Current data indicate that Late Archaic populations throughout much of the Northeast exhibited a complex series of seasonal movements, based upon seasonal availability of resources and highly ritualized cremation burial behavior. Late Archaic groups coalesced in riverine zones in the fall season, where economic activities oriented toward nut harvesting, mammal hunting, and possibly anadromous fishing, coincided with increasingly formal and complex cremation burial ritual; settlement systems during this period broadly correspond to collectors. With the completion of the autumn food harvesting and ritual cycle, groups dispersed into upland zones in the winter months to hunt mammals and coastal zones in the spring and summer to procure aquatic-related resources. Regional climatic changes toward the end of the Late (Terminal) Archaic and the early portion of the Early Woodland (3200-2500 B.P.) may have necessitated higher group mobility more typical of foragers and corresponding changes in cremation burial ritual.
Cultural Continuity and Variable Adaptation of the Historic Period Muscogee of the Southeastern United States
Authors: Foster H. Thomas
Published: March 2010

Many researchers of the native people from the southeastern United States have tended to segregate studies of historic period Native Americans from prehistoric period Native Americans because of the assumption that historic period native people were significantly different from their pre-European contact ancestors. This article describes recent archaeological, ethnographic, and historical research on the Muscogee Creek that indicates that they were often resilient and variable in their response to culture change during the Historic Period. Archaeological and ethnohistoric measures of settlement show that the Muscogee Creek people maintained regional town settlement alliances as well as internal town settlement layout throughout the Historic Period. The botanical portion of the diet and pottery styles remained resilient to change for hundreds of years while other aspects of the economy changed. These variable responses to economic and material culture change may reflect gender differences in response to European and African culture contact.
An Experimental Approach to Understanding Thule Pottery Technology
Authors: Harry Karen G. , Frink Liam , Swink Clint , Dangerfield Cory
Published: March 2010

The Arctic is poorly suited for pottery manufacture. For historic and prehistoric potters, the cool humid weather would have meant that clays were collected wet, that pots were formed and dried under humid conditions, and that the ground and fuels used during firing would be damp. These situations would have created substantial problems for potters. To investigate how these issues might have affected Thule pottery production, in 2004 the authors initiated a series of replication experiments. These experiments, informed by ethnographic accounts, were carried out in Tununak, Alaska and on the campus of the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Results of our experiments confirm the extreme difficulties associated with making pots in the Arctic. Additionally, they inform on the effects of some of the manufacturing techniques reported to have been used historically and shed light on why Arctic potters might have made the technological choices that they did.
Voltammetric determination of the neonicotinoid insecticide thiamethoxam using a tricresyl phosphate-based carbon paste electrode
Authors: Papp Zsigmond , Guzsvány Valéria , Kubiak Szymon , Bobrowski Andrzej , Bjelica Luka
Published: March 2010

The objective of the work was to investigate the possibility of using a tricresyl phosphate-based carbon paste electrode for the direct voltammetric determination of the neonicotinoid insecticide thiamethoxam. The analyte was determined by differential pulse voltammetry in Britton-Robinson buffer pH 7.0 in the concentration range of 3.72 - 41.5 ?g mL-1. The reproducibility of the analytical signal at the 7.29 ?g mL-1 level was characterized by a relative standard deviation of 1.3 %. The applicability of the developed method was evaluated by determining thiamethoxam in a river water sample and a commercial formulation Actara 25 WG.
Mechanisms of Insulin Resistance After Insulin-Induced Hypoglycemia in Humans: The Role of Lipolysis
Authors: Lucidi Paola , Rossetti Paolo , Porcellati Francesca , Pampanelli Simone , Candeloro Paola , Andreoli Anna Marinelli , Perriello Gabriele , Bolli Geremia B. , Fanelli Carmine G.
Published: March 2010

OBJECTIVE

Changes in glucose metabolism occurring during counterregulation are, in part, mediated by increased plasma free fatty acids (FFAs), as a result of hypoglycemia-activated lipolysis. However, it is not known whether FFA plays a role in the development of posthypoglycemic insulin resistance as well.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We conducted a series of studies in eight healthy volunteers using acipimox, an inhibitor of lipolysis. Insulin action was measured during a 2-h hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp (plasma glucose [PG] 5.1 mmo/l) from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. or after a 3-h morning hyperinsulinemic-glucose clamp (from 10 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.), either euglycemic (study 1) or hypoglycemic (PG 3.2 mmol/l, studies 2–4), during which FFA levels were allowed to increase (study 2), were suppressed by acipimox (study 3), or were replaced by infusing lipids (study 4). [6,6-2H2]-Glucose was infused to measure glucose fluxes.

RESULTS

Plasma adrenaline, norepinephrine, growth hormone, and cortisol levels were unchanged (P > 0.2). Glucose infusion rates (GIRs) during the euglycemic clamp were reduced by morning hypoglycemia in study 2 versus study 1 (16.8 ± 2.3 vs. 34.1 ± 2.2 μmol/kg/min, respectively, P < 0.001). The effect was largely removed by blockade of lipolysis during hypoglycemia in study 3 (28.9 ± 2.6 μmol/kg/min, P > 0.2 vs. study 1) and largely reproduced by replacement of FFA in study 4 (22.3 ± 2.8 μmol/kg/min, P < 0.03 vs. study 1). Compared with study 2, blockade of lipolysis in study 3 decreased endogenous glucose production (2 ± 0.3 vs. 0.85 ± 0.1 μmol/kg/min, P < 0.05) and increased glucose utilization (16.9 ± 1.85 vs. 28.5 ± 2.7 μmol/kg/min, P < 0.05). In study 4, GIR fell by ∼23% (22.3 ± 2.8 μmol/kg/min, vs. study 3, P = 0.058), indicating a role of acipimox per se on insulin action.

CONCLUSION

Lipolysis induced by hypoglycemia counterregulation largely mediates posthypoglycemic insulin resistance in healthy subjects, with an estimated overall contribution of ∼39%.
Inhibition of Connective Tissue Growth Factor Overexpression in Diabetic Retinopathy by SERPINA3K via Blocking the WNT/β-Catenin Pathway
Authors: Zhang Bin , Zhou Kevin K. , Ma Jian-xing
Published: March 2010

OBJECTIVE

Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is a major fibrogenic factor. Increased retinal CTGF levels have been implicated to play a role in diabetic retinopathy. SERPINA3K is a serine proteinase inhibitor, and its levels were decreased in retinas with diabetic retinopathy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of SERPINA3K in the regulation of CTGF and fibrogenesis and its mechanism of action.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Adenovirus expressing SERPINA3K was injected intravitreally into streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. CTGF expression was measured using Western blot analysis and real-time RT-PCR. Fibrosis was evaluated by quantifying retinal fibronectin using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Wnt pathway activation was determined by phosphorylation of LDL receptor–related protein 6, a coreceptor of Wnt ligands, and stabilization of β-catenin, an essential effector of the canonical Wnt pathway.

RESULTS

Ad-SERPINA3K attenuated the CTGF and fibronectin overexpression in retinas of diabetic rats. In cultured retinal cells, SERPINA3K blocked the overproduction of CTGF induced by high glucose. Dickkopf-1, a specific Wnt antagonist, also attenuated the high-glucose–induced CTGF overexpression, indicating a role of Wnt signaling in CTGF overexpression in diabetes. Similarly, increased SERPINA3K blocked Wnt pathway activation in diabetic retinas and in cells treated with high glucose. Further, SERPINA3K also attenuated the Wnt3a-induced activation of the canonical Wnt pathway and the overexpression of CTGF.

CONCLUSION

SERPINA3K is an antifibrogenic factor, and its antifibrogenic activity is through blocking the Wnt pathway. Decreased SERPINA3K levels may contribute to the fibrosis in diabetic retinopathy.
FTO Genetic Variation and Association With Obesity in West Africans and African Americans
Authors: Adeyemo Adebowale , Chen Guanjie , Zhou Jie , Shriner Daniel , Doumatey Ayo , Huang Hanxia , Rotimi Charles
Published: March 2010

OBJECTIVE

The FTO gene is one of the most consistently replicated loci for obesity. However, data from populations of African ancestry are limited. We evaluated genetic variation in the FTO gene and investigated associations with obesity in West Africans and African Americans.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

The study samples comprised 968 African Americans (59% female, mean age 49 years, mean BMI 30.8 kg/m2) and 517 West Africans (58% female, mean age 54 years, mean BMI 25.5 kg/m2). FTO genetic variation was evaluated by genotyping 262 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across the entire gene. Association of each SNP with BMI, waist circumference, and percent fat mass was investigated under an additive model.

RESULTS

As expected, both African-ancestry samples showed weaker linkage disequilibrium (LD) patterns compared with other continental (e.g., European) populations. Several intron 8 SNPs, in addition to intron 1 SNPs, showed significant associations in both study samples. The combined effect size for BMI for the top SNPs from meta-analysis was 0.77 kg/m2 (P = 0.009, rs9932411) and 0.70 kg/m2 (P = 0.006, rs7191513). Two previously reported associations with intron 1 SNPs (rs1121980 and rs7204609, r2 = 0.001) were replicated among the West Africans.

CONCLUSIONS

The FTO gene shows significant differences in allele frequency and LD patterns in populations of African ancestry compared with other continental populations. Despite these differences, we observed evidence of associations with obesity in African Americans and West Africans, as well as evidence of heterogeneity in association. More studies of FTO in multiple ethnic groups are needed.
Ectopic Expression of E2F1 Stimulates β-Cell Proliferation and Function
Authors: Grouwels Gael , Cai Ying , Hoebeke Inge , Leuckx Gunter , Heremans Yves , Ziebold Ulrike , Stangé Geert , Chintinne Marie , Ling Zhidong , Pipeleers Daniel , Heimberg Harry , Van de Casteele Mark
Published: March 2010

OBJECTIVE

Generating functional β-cells by inducing their proliferation may provide new perspectives for cell therapy in diabetes. Transcription factor E2F1 controls G1- to S-phase transition during the cycling of many cell types and is required for pancreatic β-cell growth and function. However, the consequences of overexpression of E2F1 in β-cells are unknown.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

The effects of E2F1 overexpression on β-cell proliferation and function were analyzed in isolated rat β-cells and in transgenic mice.

RESULTS

Adenovirus AdE2F1-mediated overexpression of E2F1 increased the proliferation of isolated primary rat β-cells 20-fold but also enhanced β-cell death. Coinfection with adenovirus AdAkt expressing a constitutively active form of Akt (protein kinase B) suppressed β-cell death to control levels. At 48 h after infection, the total β-cell number and insulin content were, respectively, 46 and 79% higher in AdE2F1+AdAkt-infected cultures compared with untreated. Conditional overexpression of E2F1 in mice resulted in a twofold increase of β-cell proliferation and a 70% increase of pancreatic insulin content, but did not increase β-cell mass. Glucose-challenged insulin release was increased, and the mice showed protection against toxin-induced diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS

Overexpression of E2F1, either in vitro or in vivo, can stimulate β-cell proliferation activity. In vivo E2F1 expression significantly increases the insulin content and function of adult β-cells, making it a strategic target for therapeutic manipulation of β-cell function.
Extracellular Fatty Acid Synthase: A Possible Surrogate Biomarker of Insulin Resistance
Authors: Fernandez-Real Jose Manuel , Menendez Javier A. , Moreno-Navarrete Jose Maria , Blüher Matthias , Vazquez-Martin Alejandro , Vázquez María Jesús , Ortega Francisco , Diéguez Carlos , Frühbeck Gema , Ricart Wifredo , Vidal-Puig Antonio
Published: March 2010

CONTEXT

Circulating fatty acid synthase (FASN) is a biomarker of metabolically demanding human diseases. The aim of this study was to determine whether circulating FASN could be a biomarker of overnutrition-induced metabolic stress and insulin resistance in common metabolic disorders.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Circulating FASN was evaluated in two cross-sectional studies in association with insulin sensitivity and in four longitudinal studies investigating the effect of diet- and surgery-induced weight loss, physical training, and adipose tissue expansion using peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor agonist rosiglitazone on circulating FASN.

RESULTS

Age- and BMI-adjusted FASN concentrations were significantly increased in association with obesity-induced insulin resistance in two independent cohorts. Both visceral and subcutaneous FASN expression and protein levels correlated inversely with extracellular circulating FASN (P = −0.63; P < 0.0001), suggesting that circulating FASN is linked to depletion of intracellular FASN. Improved insulin sensitivity induced by therapeutic strategies that decreased fat mass (diet induced, surgery induced, or physical training) all led to decreased FASN levels in blood (P values between 0.02 and 0.04). To discriminate whether this was an effect related to insulin sensitization, we also investigated the effects of rosiglitazone. Rosiglitazone did not lead to significant changes in circulating FASN concentration.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that circulating FASN is a biomarker of overnutrition-induced insulin resistance that could provide diagnostic and prognostic advantages by providing insights on the individualized metabolic stress.
Progression of Cerebral Atrophy and White Matter Hyperintensities in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: de Bresser Jeroen , Tiehuis Audrey M. , van den Berg Esther , Reijmer Yael D. , Jongen Cynthia , Kappelle L. Jaap , Mali Willem P. , Viergever Max A. , Biessels Geert Jan ,   on behalf of the Utrecht Diabetic Encephalopathy Study Group
Published: March 2010

OBJECTIVE

Type 2 diabetes is associated with a moderate degree of cerebral atrophy and a higher white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volume. How these brain-imaging abnormalities evolve over time is unknown. The present study aims to quantify cerebral atrophy and WMH progression over 4 years in type 2 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A total of 55 patients with type 2 diabetes and 28 age-, sex-, and IQ-matched control participants had two 1.5T magnetic resonance imaging scans with a 4-year interval. Volumetric measurements of total brain, peripheral cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), lateral ventricles, and WMH were performed with k-nearest neighbor–based probabilistic segmentation. All volumes were expressed as percentage of intracranial volume. Linear regression analyses, adjusted for age and sex, were performed to compare brain volumes between the groups and to identify determinants of volumetric change within the type 2 diabetic group.

RESULTS

At baseline, patients with type 2 diabetes had a significantly smaller total brain volume and larger peripheral CSF volume than control participants. In both groups, all volumes showed a significant change over time. Patients with type 2 diabetes had a greater increase in lateral ventricular volume than control participants (mean adjusted between-group difference in change over time [95% CI]: 0.11% in 4 years [0.00 to 0.22], P = 0.047).

CONCLUSIONS

The greater increase in lateral ventricular volume over time in patients with type 2 diabetes compared with control participants shows that type 2 diabetes is associated with a slow increase of cerebral atrophy over the course of years.
Hyperglycemia-Induced Platelet Activation in Type 2 Diabetes Is Resistant to Aspirin but Not to a Nitric Oxide–Donating Agent
Authors: Gresele Paolo , Marzotti Stefania , Guglielmini Giuseppe , Momi Stefania , Giannini Silvia , Minuz Pietro , Lucidi Paola , Bolli Geremia B.
Published: March 2010

OBJECTIVE

Acute, short-term hyperglycemia enhances high shear stress–induced platelet activation in type 2 diabetes. Several observations suggest that platelets in type 2 diabetes are resistant to inhibition by aspirin. Our aim was to assess comparatively the effect of aspirin, a nitric oxide–donating agent (NCX 4016), their combination, or placebo on platelet activation induced by acute hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial, 40 type 2 diabetic patients were allocated to 100 mg aspirin once daily, 800 mg NCX 4016 b.i.d., both of them, or placebo for 15 days. On day 15, 1 h after the morning dose, a 4-h hyperglycemic clamp (plasma glucose 13.9 mmol/l) was performed, and blood samples were collected before and immediately after it for platelet activation and cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) inhibition studies.

RESULTS

Acute hyperglycemia enhanced shear stress–induced platelet activation in placebo-treated patients (basal closure time 63 ± 7.1 s, after hyperglycemia 49.5 ± 1.4 s, −13.5 ± 6.3 s, P < 0.048). Pretreatment with aspirin, despite full inhibition of platelet COX-1, did not prevent it (−12.7 ± 6.9 s, NS vs. placebo). On the contrary, pretreatment with the NO donor NCX 4016, alone or in combination with aspirin, suppressed platelet activation induced by acute hyperglycemia (NCX 4016 +10.5 ± 8.3 s; NCX 4016 plus aspirin: +12.0 ± 10.7 s, P < 0.05 vs. placebo for both). Other parameters of shear stress–dependent platelet activation were also more inhibited by NCX 4016 than by aspirin, despite lesser inhibition of COX-1.

CONCLUSIONS

Acute hyperglycemia-induced enhancement of platelet activation is resistant to aspirin; a NO-donating agent suppresses it. Therapeutic approaches aiming at a wider platelet inhibitory action than that exerted by aspirin may prove useful in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Validity of a Single-Factor Model Underlying the Metabolic Syndrome in Children
Authors: Martínez-Vizcaíno Vicente , Martínez Montserrat Solera , Aguilar Fernando Salcedo , Martínez Sandra Serrano , Gutiérrez Ricardo Franquelo , López Mairena Sánchez , Martínez Pablo Moya , Rodríguez-Artalejo Fernando
Published: March 2010

OBJECTIVE

We used confirmatory factor analysis to test whether a single factor might explain the clustering of the metabolic syndrome (MS) components in children.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We studied 1,020 children aged 10–13 years from 20 schools in Cuenca, Spain. The single-factor model included: waist circumference (WC), fasting insulin, triglyceride to HDL cholesterol ratio (Triglyl/HDL-C), and mean arterial pressure (MAP). The standardized scores of the four variables in the model were used to develop a continuous MS index.

RESULTS

Factor loadings were 0.67 for WC, 0.68 for fasting insulin, 0.57 for Triglyl/HDL-C, and 0.37 for MAP. The single-factor model also showed a good fit to the data. As compared with Adult Treatment Panel III criteria, the MS index showed strong validity in the diagnosis of MS (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.98, 95% CI 0.96–0.99).

CONCLUSIONS

A single underlying factor has acceptable validity to represent MS in children.
Online Diabetes Self-Management Program
Authors: Lorig Kate , Ritter Philip L. , Laurent Diana D. , Plant Kathryn , Green Maurice , Jernigan Valarie Blue Bird , Case Siobhan
Published: March 2010

OBJECTIVE

We hypothesized that people with type 2 diabetes in an online diabetes self-management program, compared with usual-care control subjects, would 1) demonstrate reduced A1C at 6 and 18 months, 2) have fewer symptoms, 3) demonstrate increased exercise, and 4) have improved self-efficacy and patient activation. In addition, participants randomized to listserve reinforcement would have better 18-month outcomes than participants receiving no reinforcement.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A total of 761 participants were randomized to 1) the program, 2) the program with e-mail reinforcement, or 3) were usual-care control subjects (no treatment). This sample included 110 American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/ANs). Analyses of covariance models were used at the 6- and 18-month follow-up to compare groups.

RESULTS

At 6 months, A1C, patient activation, and self-efficacy were improved for program participants compared with usual care control subjects (P < 0.05). There were no changes in other health or behavioral indicators. The AI/AN program participants demonstrated improvements in health distress and activity limitation compared with usual-care control subjects. The subgroup with initial A1C >7% demonstrated stronger improvement in A1C (P = 0.01). At 18 months, self-efficacy and patient activation were improved for program participants. A1C was not measured. Reinforcement showed no improvement.

CONCLUSIONS

An online diabetes self-management program is acceptable for people with type 2 diabetes. Although the results were mixed they suggest 1) that the program may have beneficial effects in reducing A1C, 2) AI/AN populations can be engaged in and benefit from online interventions, and 3) our follow-up reinforcement appeared to have no value.