bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
WILL THE DILEMMA OF EVIDENCE‐BASED SURGERY EVER BE RESOLVED?
Authors: Abraham Ned S.
Published: August 2006

Exponents of evidence‐based medicine do not undermine the importance of clinical expertise and skills, but they emphasize that decision‐making in medicine should be based on the best available evidence derived from the systematic analysis of observations made in an objective, unbiased and a reproducible fashion. The randomized controlled trial (RCT) is the most scientifically rigorous means of hypothesis testing in epidemiology. Discrepancies between established surgical and other interventions and best available evidence are common. These can be in the form of significant delay in adopting a new intervention despite strong supportive evidence, adopting an intervention before supportive evidence becomes available for reasons of novelty or pear pressure and the lack of supportive evidence for many established common practices. This is compounded further by the paucity of good quality evidence for most surgical procedures. This is arguably because of the inherent difficulties in conducting surgical RCT. The practical, ethical and financial ramifications are complex and the nature of surgical disease often compromise the chances of success or completion of RCT. Carrying out surgical RCT may have more implications on the clinician’s authority, autonomy and income and their results are more likely to be influenced by his/her expertise and competence than medical RCT. Furthermore, the success of surgical RCT is often jeopardized by very low recruitment rates. The aim of this study is to discuss the dilemma of producing evidence in surgery.
Quantitative analysis of carotid atherosclerotic lesions and high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein in community‐dwelling elderly 80 years or older
Authors: Miyano Ichiro , Takata Jun , Nishinaga Masanori , Okumiya Kiyohito , Hamada Tomio , Kubo Toru , Morita Yukari , Okawa Makoto , Yamasaki Naohito , Sato Kyoko , Matsubayashi Kozo , Doi Yoshinori
Published: August 2006

Aim:  To investigate the association between the carotid atherosclerotic lesions assessed by high‐resolution ultrasonography and high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hs‐CRP) in the community‐dwelling elderly aged 80 years or older.

Methods:  One hundred and seventy‐nine community‐dwelling elderly aged 65 years or older (78 ± 6 years, 69 men and 113 women) participated in this study. High‐resolution B‐mode ultrasonography was performed on the common carotid arteries. Intima‐media thickness (IMT) was measured using automatic measuring system and compared with standardized examinations included blood pressure, body mass index, hemoglobin‐A1c, cholesterol, creatinine, uric acid, fibrinogen and hs‐CRP.

Results:  Subjects were divided into two age groups: young‐old aged 65–79 years (113 subjects, 74 ± 3 years) and old‐old aged 80 years or older (66 subjects, 84 ± 3 years). The maximum (max) IMT was significantly increased in the old‐old compared to that of the young‐old (1.7 ± 1.0 vs 1.4 ± 0.6 mm; P = 0.02). Multivariate analysis showed that hs‐CRP was the strongest predictor of thickened max IMT in the young‐old (P = 0.022). However, it was not the predictor of thickened max IMT in the old‐old.

Conclusions:  Depending on age, hs‐CRP may have different meanings in the atherosclerotic process. In particular, the predictive power of hs‐CRP as a marker of atherosclerotic process was less significant in subjects aged 80 years or older.
Decreased salivary vascular endothelial growth factor in elderly patients with pneumonia during the course of recovery
Authors: Miyaji Atsuko , Ohwada Akihiko , Iwabuchi Kazuhisa , Ogawa Hideoki , Fukuchi Yoshinosuke
Published: August 2006

Background:  Elderly individuals are known for their high risk of acquiring pneumonia. Poor oral hygiene and high incidence of gastro‐oesophageal reflux continue to cause persistent oropharyngeal mucosal injuries and results in overgrowth of bacterial population and alteration of bacterial flora to respiratory pathogens in the oropharyngeal cavity. Salivary secretion contributes in maintaining homeostasis of the oropharyngeal mucosal barrier. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) acts as an angiogenic and permeability‐enhancing cytokine but is normally secreted in saliva. It has been previously demonstrated that VEGF secreted in the airway functions in the restoration or repair of the injured tissue. We hypothesized that salivary VEGF is a candidate as a marker to evaluate the degree of oropharyngeal mucosal injury.

Methods:  We compared the volumes, protein contents, and the amount of VEGF secreted in the saliva of patients with pneumonia during the course of recovery (P; n = 7) and those without pneumonia (n = 10).

Results:  Volumes and protein contents within the secreted saliva were similar between the patients with P and the control subjects (0.60 ± 0.28 mL versus 0.41 ± 0.34 mL, P = 0.126, 7.12 ± 5.57 µg/mL versus 3.92 ± 3.58 µg/mL, P = 0.231, respectively). The concentrations of salivary VEGF were significantly lower in patients with P than those of the controls (0.71 ± 0.37 versus 2.66 ± 3.44 µg/µg protein, P = 0.032).

Conclusion:  Lower concentrations of salivary VEGF in patients with pneumonia during the course of recovery suggested the presence of persistent oropharyngeal mucosal injury even after normalization of systemic C‐reactive protein levels. The concentration of salivary VEGF is capable of being a marker for discriminating impaired oral mucosal barrier that precipitates in development of pneumonia in elderly individuals.
Contemplative Studies: Prospects for a New Field
Authors: Roth Harold D.
Published: August 2006

We have reached a moment in history when it is time to reenvision certain basic aspects of the existing models of teaching and research in higher education in order to foster a deeper knowledge of the nature of our existence as human beings in a world that is intricately interrelated on many levels. This article suggests that one way to accomplish this is to develop a new field of academic endeavor that takes account of the emerging scientific work on the neurological foundations of the concentrated and relaxed states of mind attained by meditation and by a variety of other human endeavors, and applies them directly to our lives. It is important that we do not study them only as objects divorced from our own experience, but bring our own subjectivities directly into the equation. The field I am proposing, “contemplative studies,” would bridge the humanities, the sciences, and the creative arts in an effort to identify the varieties of contemplative experiences, to find meaningful scientific explanations for them, to cultivate firsthand knowledge of them, and to critically assess their nature and significance.
Contemplative Education in Unexpected Places: Teaching Mindfulness in Arkansas and Austria
Authors: Holland Daniel
Published: August 2006

Mindfulness meditation is increasingly recognized as a health promotion practice across many different kinds of settings. Concomitantly, contemplative education is being integrated into colleges and universities in order to enhance learning through reflection and personal insight. The confluence of these trends provides an opportunity to develop experiential curriculum that promotes both health and learning through the teaching of contemplative practices in higher education settings. Such curriculum, if indeed it is believed to be a valuable development in higher education, must not be reserved only for elite and highly competitive schools serving traditional college students, but must be integrated into campuses of all kinds and made accessible to any student. This emphasis on accessibility will need to consider the growing interest in contemplative learning across economic, religious, and ethnic groups, geographic contexts, and individual differences, including disability. The growth of contemplative curriculum in higher education will also need to be accompanied by meaningful and valid curriculum assessment methods in order to abide by the standards of contemporary university settings as it gently transforms many such settings. This article describes the development of an experiential course in mindfulness that was taught on two very different college campuses. The author's personal experiences and preparation for the course, the course content, the impact of the course on students, and reflections on contemplative practice as a movement in education are offered as an example of the potential for contemplative education in some unexpected places.
Introduction: Sociolinguistics and computer‐mediated communication
Authors: Androutsopoulos Jannis
Published: August 2006

This theme issue ofJournal of Sociolinguisticscomprises a number of empirical studies focusing on a range of ways in which people use language in computer‐mediated communication (CMC). This introduction contextualizes the contributions to this issue by providing an outline of linguistically focused CMC studies. A critique of the research on the ‘language of CMC’ is given, and aspects of CMC research from a sociolinguistic viewpoint are presented: the move from the ‘language of CMC’ to socially situated computer‐mediated discourse; its grounding in the notion of online community; and the application of sociolinguistic methodologies to its study. It is argued that CMC provides a new empirical arena for various research traditions in sociolinguistics; conversely, sociolinguistics can contribute to the interdisciplinary theorizing of CMC by demonstrating the role of language use and linguistic variability in the construction of interpersonal relationships and social identities on the Internet.
Multilingualism and commercial language practices on the Internet
Authors: Kelly‐Holmes Helen
Published: August 2006

Language practices on commercial websites have a considerable impact on the potential multilingualism of the Internet. This paper reports on a study of the Internet language practices of ten global consumer brands on their country‐, region‐, and language‐specific websites, 548 in total. The results are analysed using de Swaan's (2001) notion of a world language system. The study shows that while English performs a limited ‘hypercentral’ function on commercial websites, its prevalence is outweighed by other languages. In addition, while the international lingua franca functions of a number of de Swaan's ‘supercentral’ languages are being maintained through commercial websites (e.g. Spanish, French, Arabic), others are being downgraded (e.g. Hindi, Malay, Swahili). Finally, the main challenge to the hypercentrality of English appears to come, not from another supercentral language, but from smaller ‘central’ languages, which are increasingly appearing in the profile of websites offered by global brands.
Multilingualism, diaspora, and the Internet: Codes and identities on German‐based diaspora websites1
Authors: Androutsopoulos Jannis
Published: August 2006

The use of the Internet in diaspora has attracted considerable interest in media and cultural studies, but little attention has been paid to sociolinguistic issues. This paper is a study of linguistic diversity on websites maintained for and by members of diaspora groups in Germany. Based on online ethnography and an interpretive approach to code‐switching, the paper explores the relationships between language choices and the complex architecture of these websites, which offer edited content as well as spaces for user interaction. Language choice in edited sections, patterns of code‐switching in discussion forums, and language choice for user screen names and message signatures are examined. The findings demonstrate how code choices are tailored to the requirements of different modes within a website, and how various codes are creatively employed to display and negotiate identities that are related to the diaspora and its virtual discursive spaces.
Peace‐building: Theoretical and Concrete Perspectives
Authors: Gawerc Michelle I.
Published: August 2006

In a world where war is everybody's tragedy and everybody's nightmare, diplomacy is everybody's business. —Lord Strang1

This paper presents a comprehensive review of the conflict resolution and peace‐building literature focused on the issues involved in assessing the impact of peacemaking and peace‐building through people‐to‐people contact. Findings reveal that we are still in the beginning stages of establishing frameworks for the resolution of wars and the building of peace and that there continues to be academic and political contestation over the definition of peace and peace‐building. At the same time, this review identifies significant research progress in creating useful conceptual distinctions among the various modalities for peace, in establishing definitions that are both explanatory and remedial, and in recognizing the need for multi‐faceted approaches to peacemaking and peace‐building. Likewise, the literature indicates a growing understanding of the various forms of people‐to‐people contact, their impact, their possibilities, and their limitations. Attempts are made to reconcile the tensions between structural and social‐psychological approaches, and similarly, the contradictions between conflict resolution and social justice. Finally, directions for future research that address the impact, the effectiveness, and the possibilities for creating an infrastructure for a sustainable just peace.
Conceptions Of Liberty Deprivation
Authors: Lazarus Liora
Published: August 2006

This article adopts a theoretical and comparative perspective on the prisoner's legal status in England and Wales. Applying the principles of human rights, legality and proportionality, it argues that the prisoner's legal status must rest on a divisible conception of liberty. Such a conception must distinguish clearly between the liberty lost, and the rights restricted, by the imposition of the custodial sentence as opposed to the administration of prisons (the key distinction). In order for this to be achieved, the conception of the prisoner's legal status must also establish the purpose or purposes of the custodial sanction as distinct from the purpose of prison administration. Through comparison with Germany, the article demonstrates that the common law concept of the prisoner's legal status is unstable. Vacillating between a divisible and indivisible conception of the prisoner's liberty, the English conception of the prisoner's legal status lacks a foundation firm enough to satisfy the principles of human rights, legality and proportionality.
Diplomats Without a Flag: The Institutionalization of the Delegations of the Commission in African, Caribbean and Pacific Countries*
Authors: DIMIER VÉRONIQUE , McGEEVER MIKE
Published: August 2006

This article deals with the evolution of the status and role of the delegations of the European Commission in Africa from the 1960s onwards. Starting from an institutionalist approach, it tries to show to what extent this evolution reflects the bureaucratization of the external service (in the Weberian sense of a rational and professional civil service) in parallel with that of the administration of the Commission as a whole. It envisages the current reform of the external service as a new step in the construction of a mature European bureaucracy.
Conditioning and Fine‐Tuning Europeanization: Negotiating Regional Policy Maps under the EU's Competition and Cohesion Policies*
Authors: MÉNDEZ CARLOS , WISHLADE FIONA , YUILL DOUGLAS
Published: August 2006

Most studies of Europeanization tend to adopt a top‐down conceptual perspective exploring the impact of the EU on Member States' policies, polities and politics. Whilst it is generally recognized that Europeanization involves reciprocal relationships between the EU and Member States, few studies seek to explore the nature of such interaction. This study sheds light on such processes by exploring the negotiation of regional policy maps under the EU's competition and cohesion policies. Approaching Europeanization from this angle shifts analytical attention towards actors, their preferences and strategies, and the bargaining opportunities through which they may attain their goals over time.
Intelligence‐Sharing in the European Union: Institutions Are Not Enough*
Authors: WALSH JAMES I.
Published: August 2006

The European Union (EU) has developed three institutions to facilitate intelligence‐sharing between its Member States: the Berne Group, Europol and the European Union Military Staff. These institutions serve the useful function of creating technical mechanisms for the diffusion of intelligence among national authorities. But they do not tackle the problem of mistrust, which is the key barrier to fully effective intelligence‐sharing. This article shows that mistrust of the interests of other Member States inhibits intelligence‐sharing, that existing institutions fail to overcome this mistrust and suggests changes that could lead to more effective sharing.
Losing a self‐expanding relationship: Implications for the self‐concept
Authors: LEWANDOWSKI GARY W. , ARON ARTHUR , BASSIS SHARON , KUNAK JOHNNA
Published: August 2006

Previous research suggests that new relationships expand the self‐concept. The present research applies concepts from the self‐expansion model to examine the conditions under which relationship dissolution may influence the self‐concept. We hypothesized that the more expansion provided by a relationship predissolution, the greater the contraction of the working self‐concept postdissolution, and that this pattern would remain when controlling for predissolution closeness. These hypotheses were tested using recall of relationship qualities for recently dissolved relationships (Studies 1 and 2), as well as with a priming experiment (Study 3). The findings over the 3 studies supported both hypotheses. Those with higher levels of self‐expansion in predissolution relationships showed more detrimental impact on their working self‐concept postdissolution, even after controlling for predissolution closeness.
How do friendship maintenance behaviors and problem‐solving styles function at the individual and dyadic levels?
Authors: OSWALD DEBRA L. , CLARK EDDIE M.
Published: August 2006

Friendship maintenance behaviors and problem‐solving styles are both important for relationship satisfaction and commitment. However, the association between maintenance and problem‐solving styles is unclear. Furthermore, it has not been determined if maintenance and problem‐solving styles are individual‐ or dyadic‐level behaviors. One hundred forty‐eight friendship dyads completed measures of friendship maintenance, problem solving, and satisfaction/commitment. Utilizing the pairwise latent variable model (G. Griffin & R. Gonzalez, 1995), this research found that although there were both individual‐ and dyadic‐level components, maintenance behaviors occurred primarily at the dyadic level, but problem‐solving styles tended to be more of an individual‐level behavior. Maintenance behaviors were positively correlated with the problem‐solving styles of voice and loyalty but were negatively correlated with neglect and exit. Furthermore, friendship maintenance behaviors predicted dyadic‐level satisfaction/commitment. However, problem‐solving behaviors predicted individual‐level satisfaction/commitment. The results are discussed in terms of implications for the friendship maintenance and problem‐solving literature.
Predicting dating relationship fate with insiders’ and outsiders’ perspectives: Who and what is asked matters
Authors: LOVING TIMOTHY J.
Published: August 2006

Two recent studies (C. R. Agnew, T. J. Loving, & S. M. Drigotas, 2001; T. K. MacDonald & M. Ross, 1999) investigated the relative ability of outsiders’ (network members) and daters’ perceptions of the daters’ romance to predict relationship fate. Careful analysis of these studies suggests that the types of network members asked and what is asked significantly impact the prognostic ability of outsiders’ perceptions. The current research replicates and extends this literature and highlights the challenges posed when collecting outsiders’ perspectives of their friends’ relationships. Daters and 2 friends (1 female, 1 male) were asked to provide their perceptions of the dating relationship on 2 indexes: a direct prediction of the likelihood that the relationship would last 6 months and an overall qualitative assessment of the dater’s commitment. Results highlight the need for researchers to carefully attend to the instruments and samples employed when obtaining multiple perspectives of the same dating relationship.
Helicobacter pylori Infection in Pediatrics
Authors: Mourad‐Baars Petronella , Chong Sonny
Published: August 2006

This review summarizes the literature on Helicobacter pylori infection in childhood between April 2005 and March 2006, and includes guidelines of the Canadian Helicobacter Study Group Consensus Conference, noninvasive tests, optimum therapy regimens and problems with resistance, and reviews on immune mechanisms in the gastric mucosa that may lead to the development of an effective vaccine.
Putting the Brakes on the Rush to Spend Down End‐of‐Year Balances: Carryover Money in Oklahoma State Agencies
Authors: DOUGLAS JAMES W. , FRANKLIN AIMEE L.
Published: August 2006

End‐of‐the‐year spending sprees by government agencies are viewed generally as an example of government wastefulness. Agency personnel, however, rationalize the practice as a means for protecting their budgets from inexpedient cuts. In Oklahoma, a policy has been adopted that allows agencies to carry over and reprogram year‐end surpluses as long as the reprogrammed funds are spent within 16.5 months of the end of the fiscal year. Using agency theory as a theoretical lens, we show that this policy restructures the contract between the principal (legislature) and its agents (state agencies) so that their interests are better aligned, regarding end‐of‐the‐year surpluses.
Processing and Thermal Conductivity of Sintered Reaction‐Bonded Silicon Nitride. I: Effect of Si Powder Characteristics
Authors: Zhu Xinwen , Zhou You , Hirao Kiyoshi , Lenčéš Zoltán
Published: August 2006

This paper will present sintered reaction‐bonded silicon nitride (SRBSN) material with a high thermal conductivity of 121 W·(m·K)−1, which has been successfully prepared from a coarse Si powder with lower levels of oxygen and aluminum impurities, using a mixture of Y2O3 and MgSiN2 as sintering additives, by nitriding at 1400°C for 8 h and subsequent post‐sintering at 1900°C for 12 h at a nitrogen pressure of 1 MPa N2. This thermal conductivity value is higher than that of the materials prepared from high‐purity α‐Si3N4 powder (UBE SN‐E10) with the same additive composition under the same sintering conditions. In order to study the effects of Si powder characteristics on the processing, microstructure, and thermal conductivity of SRBSN, the other type of fine powder with higher native oxygen and metallic impurity (typically Al and Fe) contents was also used. The effects of Si particle size, native oxygen, and metallic impurities on the nitriding process, post‐sintering process, and thermal conductivity of the resultant SRBSN materials were discussed in detail. This work demonstrates that the improvement in thermal conductivity of SRBSN could be achieved by using higher purity coarse Si powder with lower levels of oxygen and aluminum impurities. In addition, this work also shows that the nitriding temperature has no significant effect on the microstructure and thermal conductivity of SRBSN during post‐sintering, although it does affect the characteristics of RBSN formed during nitridation.
An Examination of Surface Tension of Binary Lithium Borate Melts as a Function of Composition and Temperature
Authors: Shi Xiumei , Wang Qiang , Niu Xiaojuan , Li Chenxi , Lu Kunquan
Published: August 2006

Surface tensions of xLi2O–(1−x)B2O3 melts, where 0≤x≤0.68, have been measured systematically with a ring method from respective liquidus temperatures up to about 1450 K. For all of the investigated melts, the relationship between surface tension and temperature can be well described by quadratic polynomial functions. With increasing Li2O content, surface tension monotonously increased, whereas the temperature coefficient of surface tension increased slowly up to about x=0.1, changed sign from positive to negative at about x=0.2, and then remained negative with further increasing Li2O content. Together with the physical properties reported in our previous work, such as density, temperature coefficient of density, and volume expansion coefficient, etc., both surface tension and temperature coefficient of surface tension have been comparatively plotted as a function of Li/B molar ratio. Differentiated from the inflections of slope in the plots of physical properties vs. Li/B molar ratio, three characteristic regions have been found in the melts of this system. Within different regions, different effects of temperature and concentration on the physical properties of melts have been observed.
Definitive CAD/CAM‐Guided Prosthesis for Immediate Loading of Bone‐Grafted Maxilla: A Case Report
Authors: Kupeyan Herman K. , Shaffner Matt , Armstrong Joseph
Published: August 2006

Background  The reconstruction of a functional occlusion in the presence of severe residual ridge resorption remains a significant challenge for maxillofacial surgeons and prosthodontists. Removable appliances are unsuccessful in severely resorbed cases and the advanced degree of bone loss precludes conventional implant‐retained prostehesis. In recent years, bone graft reconstruction of the maxilla and the mandible has been advocated to reverse the debilitating effects of alveolar ridge resorption.

Purpose  The surgical objective was the reconstruction of the osseous platform of the jaws, thereby allowing implant‐retained definitive prosthetic rehabilitation utilizing the Teeth‐in‐an‐HourTM concept within 4 months.

Materials and Methods  A completely edentulous patient received bone grafts from the posterior iliac crest to augment both the maxillary and mandibular alveolar ridges. The manmandible was augmented using Marx’s “soft issue matrix expansion procedure” and was restored in the conventional manor using an impression and a milled framework. The maxilla underwent “inlay/onlay” bone graft augmentation of the right and left maxilla at the same time as the mandiblular procedure. Implant placement was at 4 months post‐bone graft reconstruction. Immediate loading of implants into a bone graft using Nobel Biocare’s Teeth‐in‐an‐HourTM protocol prelaunch was implemented. This included CT‐based implant planning, simultaneous CAD/CAM fabrication of a surgical guide, a CNC‐milled framework, flapless surgical placement of the implants, and immediate placement of a pre‐fabricated definitive prosthesis. This approach reduced the time necessary for an edentulous patient to transform from severely atrophic alveolar support to implant‐retained maxillary and mandibular prosthetic restorations. Immediate loading with an implant retained definitive prosthesis using a bone graft‐reconstructed osseous platform was also performed.

Conclusion  The Teeth‐in‐an‐HourTM concept was utilized to restore bone grafted augmentation of the maxilla with immediate loading of a definitive prosthesis within 4 months. The remarkable accuracy of the software, minimally invasive and short surgery and treatment time, uneventful quick recovery with minimal discomfort is a benefit not only to the patient, also to the treating team.
Extended Generic Product Structure: An Information Model for
Representing Product Families
Authors: Callahan Sean
Published: August 2006

An information model is presented that supports sharing of design definition data between the designs of completely configured variants within a product family. Design data sharing is supported across many levels of a design’s product structure hierarchy: A change in one subassembly component does not force the whole subassembly to be duplicated. This is achieved for completely configured models and does not require the use of effectivity or any other filtering mechanism. The key is recognizing a product structure architecture that acts as a template for product variants, maximizing data sharing between them. This approach is applied to many distinct product structure abstractions, including the geometric design and the logical systems design of a product. It is extended to include secondary product structure data such as interface connection points (e.g., ports) and connectivity information, which may involve connections between ports or the mapping from the logical systems design to the geometric design that implements it. This model achieves data scalability for hierarchical product structures, meaning that when adding a new product variant, the amount of new data that must be added is proportional to the amount of design change required for the new variant times the logarithm of the total system size (this logarithm is taken to the base of the branching factor of the product structure tree).
A Transparent Design System for Iterative Product Development
Authors: Sunnersjö Staffan , Cederfeldt Mikael , Elgh Fredrik , Rask Ingvar
Published: August 2006

Automated systems for variant design can be used for design iterations in order to guide the designer towards solutions that are optimized with respect to weight, cost, lead time, or other vital properties. In this work such a system for computational design problems is presented together with examples of its application. The system performs design computations, computed aided design model configuration, production process planning, and cost estimation. The design rules and algorithms are captured in knowledge “chunks,” which are human readable as well as computer executable. The workflow governing the execution of these rules and algorithms is created using a dependency structure matrix (DSM) which is included in the system. Particular attention has been given to the need for transparency, modularity, and longevity of the system, which is a prerequisite for such a system to become a viable tool in industrial applications. Experiences from the proposed system indicate that the DSM workflow manager in combination with a human readable and modularized knowledge base provides clarity and transparency for both developer and user of the system.
A Method for Automatic Generation of Parametric Computer Aided Design Models in a Mold Base e-Catalog System
Authors: Mun Duhwan , Kim Heungki , Jang Kwangsub , Cho Junmyun , Kim Junhwan , Han Soonhung
Published: August 2006

Reusing existing design models and utilizing an e-Catalog for components are required for faster product development. For the acceleration, an e-Catalog should provide parametric computer aided design (CAD) models, since parametric information is necessary for configuration design. There are difficulties, however, in building a parametric library of all the necessary combinations using a CAD system, because there are too many component combinations for each product. To overcome this problem, we propose a table parametric method to generate parametric CAD models automatically, and describe its details.
Constructive Heterogeneous Object Modeling Using Signed Approximate Real Distance Functions
Authors: Fayolle Pierre-Alain , Pasko Alexander , Schmitt Benjamin , Mirenkov Nikolay
Published: August 2006

We introduce a smooth approximation of the min∕max operations, called signed approximate real distance function (SARDF), for maintaining an approximate signed distance function in constructive shape modeling. We apply constructive distance-based shape modeling to design objects with heterogeneous material distribution in the constructive hypervolume model framework. The introduced distance approximation helps intuitively model material distributions parametrized by distances to so-called material features. The smoothness of the material functions, provided here by the smoothness of the defining function for the shape, helps to avoid undesirable singularities in the material distribution, like stress or concentrations. We illustrate application of the SARDF operations by two- and three-dimensional heterogeneous object modeling case studies.
A Multidimensional Visualization Interface to Aid in Trade-off Decisions During the Solution of Coupled Subsystems Under Uncertainty
Authors: Kanukolanu Deepti , Lewis Kemper E. , Winer Eliot H.
Published: August 2006

In this paper, the application of visualization to aid in trade-off decisions when solving multi-objective optimization problems involving coupled subsystems under uncertainty is presented. The developed visualization method is an abstract way of representing these problems for use in a solution process where multiple resultant design points may exist. In these cases, a designer must consider potentially complex trade-off decisions in order to choose a point with which to proceed. Designers can examine the coupled subsystem design space under different uncertainty conditions through three-dimensional visual representations. Promising solution regions can be determined and explored down to a specific design point. As a result, the time to locate a trade-off solution for all subsystems has the potential to substantially decrease. This paper presents background into the type of problems being addressed as well as other visualization methods used in design. The method development is presented along with the results and discussion of a test case to illustrate the method’s viability.
Associations of traffic related air pollutants with hospitalisation for first acute myocardial infarction: the HEAPSS study
Authors: Lanki T , Pekkanen J , Aalto P , Elosua R , Berglind N , D’Ippoliti D , Kulmala M , Nyberg F , Peters A , Picciotto S , Salomaa V , Sunyer J , Tiittanen P , von Klot S , Forastiere F
Published: August 2006

Background:Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is the leading cause of death attributed to cardiovascular diseases. An association between traffic related air pollution and AMI has been suggested, but the evidence is still limited.

Objectives:To evaluate in a multicentre study association between hospitalisation for first AMI and daily levels of traffic related air pollution.

Methods:The authors collected data on first AMI hospitalisations in five European cities. AMI registers were available in Augsburg and Barcelona; hospital discharge registers (HDRs) were used in Helsinki, Rome and Stockholm. NO2, CO, PM10(particles <10 μm), and O3were measured at central monitoring sites. Particle number concentration (PNC), a proxy for ultrafine particles (<0.1 μm), was measured for a year in each centre, and then modelled retrospectively for the whole study period. Generalised additive models were used for statistical analyses. Age and 28 day fatality and season were considered as potential effect modifiers in the three HDR centres.

Results:Nearly 27 000 cases of first AMI were recorded. There was a suggestion of an association of the same day CO and PNC levels with AMI: RR = 1.005 (95% CI 1.000 to 1.010) per 0.2 mg/m3and RR = 1.005 (95% CI 0.996 to 1.015) per 10000 particles/cm3, respectively. However, associations were only observed in the three cities with HDR, where power for city-specific analyses was higher. The authors observed in these cities the most consistent associations among fatal cases aged <75 years: RR at 1 day lag for CO = 1.021 (95% CI 1.000 to 1.048) per 0.2 mg/m3, for PNC = 1.058 (95% CI 1.012 to 1.107) per 10000 particles/cm3, and for NO2 = 1.032 (95% CI 0.998 to 1.066) per 8 μg/m3. Effects of air pollution were more pronounced during the warm than the cold season.

Conclusions:The authors found support for the hypothesis that exposure to traffic related air pollution increases the risk of AMI. Most consistent associations were observed among fatal cases aged <75 years and in the warm season.
Occupational and other risk factors for hand-grip strength: the Honolulu-Asia Aging Study
Authors: Charles L E , Burchfiel C M , Fekedulegn D , Kashon M L , Ross G W , Sanderson W T , Petrovitch H
Published: August 2006

Background:In certain occupations, including farm work, workers are exposed to hazardous substances, some of which are known to be toxic to the nervous system and may adversely affect muscle strength. Measurement of hand-grip strength may be useful for detecting neurotoxic exposure.

Methods:The authors studied 3522 participants of the Honolulu Heart Program and the Honolulu-Asia Aging Study to determine whether occupational exposures to pesticides, solvents, and metals assessed at exam I (1965–68) are associated with hand-grip strength at exam IV (1991–93) and change in hand-grip strength over 25 years. Correlation, analysis of variance and covariance, and linear regression were used to evaluate the associations.

Results:At exam IV, participants ranged in age from 71–93 years; mean hand-grip strength was 39.6 kg at exam I and 30.3 kg at exam IV. Over 25 years, the decline in hand-grip strength was an average of 8–9 kg for all exposures. Hand-grip strength was inversely associated with age and glucose but directly associated with cognitive function, BMI, and haemoglobin level. No other exposures were associated with hand-grip strength.

Conclusion:This study did not provide evidence that occupational exposure to pesticides, solvents, and metals adversely affected hand-grip strength in this population, but confirmed other important associations with hand-grip strength.
Respiratory health and individual estimated exposure to traffic-related air pollutants in a cohort of young children
Authors: Morgenstern V , Zutavern A , Cyrys J , Brockow I , Gehring U , Koletzko S , Bauer C P , Reinhardt D , Wichmann H-E , Heinrich J
Published: August 2006

Objectives:To estimate long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollutants on an individual basis and to assess adverse health effects using a combination of air pollution measurement data, data from geographical information systems (GIS) and questionnaire data.

Methods:40 measurement sites in the city of Munich, Germany were selected at which to collect particulate matter with a 50% cut-off aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 µm (PM2.5) and to measure PM2.5absorbance and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). A pool of GIS variables (information about street length, household and population density and land use) was collected for the Munich metropolitan area and was used in multiple linear regression models to predict traffic-related air pollutants. These models were also applied to the birth addresses of two birth cohorts (German Infant Nutritional Intervention Study (GINI) and Influence of Life-style factors on the development of the Immune System and Allergies in East and West Germany (LISA)) in the Munich metropolitan area. Associations between air pollution concentrations at birth address and 1-year and 2-year incidences of respiratory symptoms were analysed.

Results:The following means for the estimated exposures to PM2.5, PM2.5absorbance and NO2were obtained: 12.8 μg/m3, 1.7×10−5m−1and 35.3 μg/m3, respectively. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for wheezing, cough without infection, dry cough at night, bronchial asthma, bronchitis and respiratory infections indicated positive associations with traffic-related air pollutants. After controlling for individual confounders, significant associations were found between the pollutant PM2.5and sneezing, runny/stuffed nose during the first year of life (OR 1.16, 95% confidence interval 1.01 to 1.34) Similar effects were observed for the second year of life. These findings are similar to those from our previous analysis that were restricted to a subcohort in Munich city. The extended study also showed significant effects for sneezing, running/stuffed nose. Additionally, significant associations were found between NO2and dry cough at night (or bronchitis) during the first year of life. The variable “living close to major roads” (<50 m), which was not analysed for the previous inner city cohort with birth addresses in the city of Munich, turned out to increase the risk of wheezing and asthmatic/spastic/obstructive bronchitis.

Conclusions:Effects on asthma and hay fever are subject to confirmation at older ages, when these outcomes can be more validly assessed.
Acute increases of renal medullary osmolality stimulate endothelin release from the kidney
Authors: Boesen Erika I. , Pollock David M.
Published: August 2006

Experiments conducted in vitro suggest that high osmolality stimulates endothelin production and release by renal tubular epithelial cells. Whether hyperosmotic solutions exert similar effects in vivo is unknown. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that increasing renal medullary osmolality enhances urinary excretion of endothelin in anesthetized rats. Isosmotic NaCl (284 mosmol/kgH2O) was infused either intravenously (1.5 ml/h) or into the renal medullary interstitium (0.5 ml/h) during a 1-h equilibration period and 30-min baseline urine collection period, followed by either isosmotic or hyperosmotic NaCl (921 or 1,664 mosmol/kgH2O iv; 1,714 mosmol/kgH2O into renal medulla) for two further 30-min periods. Compared with isosmotic NaCl, infusion of hyperosmotic NaCl into the renal medulla significantly increased the endothelin excretion rate ( P < 0.05; from 0.30 ± 0.02 to 0.49 ± 0.03 fmol/min). Intravenous infusion of hyperosmotic NaCl also significantly increased endothelin excretion rate in a concentration-dependent manner (from 0.79 ± 0.07 to 1.77 ± 0.16 fmol/min and 0.59 ± 0.04 to 1.11 ± 0.08 fmol/min for 1,664 and 921 mosmol/kgH2O, respectively). To differentiate between effects of osmolality and NaCl, similar experiments were performed using mannitol solutions. Compared with isosmotic mannitol, medullary interstitial infusion of hyperosmotic mannitol (1,820 mosmol/kgH2O) significantly increased endothelin excretion rate ( P < 0.05; from 0.54 ± 0.03 to 0.94 ± 0.12 fmol/min). Thus exposing the renal medulla to hyperosmotic concentrations of either NaCl or mannitol stimulates endothelin release in vivo, consistent with medullary osmolality being an important regulator of renal endothelin synthesis.
Vasa recta voltage-gated Na+channel Nav1.3 is regulated by calmodulin
Authors: Lee-Kwon Whaseon , Goo Jae Hwan , Zhang Zhong , Silldorff Erik P. , Pallone Thomas L.
Published: August 2006

Rat descending vasa recta (DVR) express a tetrodotoxin (TTX)-sensitive voltage-operated Na+(NaV) conductance. We examined expression of NaVisoforms in DVR and tested for regulation of NaVcurrents by calmodulin (CaM). RT-PCR in isolated permeabilized DVR using degenerate primers targeted to TTX-sensitive isoforms amplified a product whose sequence identified only NaV1.3. Immunoblot of outer medullary homogenate verified NaV1.3 expression, and fluorescent immunochemistry showed NaV1.3 expression in isolated vessels. Immunochemistry in outer medullary serial sections confirmed that NaV1.3 is confined to α-smooth muscle actin-positive vascular bundles. NaV1.3 possesses a COOH-terminal CaM binding motifs. Using pull-down assays and immunoprecipitation experiments, we verified that CaM binds to either full-length NaV1.3 or a GST-NaV1.3 COOH-terminal fusion protein. In patch-clamp experiments, NaVcurrents were suppressed by calmodulin inhibitory peptide (CIP; 100 nM) or the CaM inhibitor N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalene-sulphonamide hydrochloride (W7). Neither CIP nor W7 altered the voltage dependence of pericyte NaVcurrents; however, raising electrode free Ca2+from 20 to ∼2,000 nM produced a depolarizing shift of activation. In vitro binding of CaM to GST-NaV1.3C was not affected by Ca2+concentration. We conclude that NaV1.3 is expressed by DVR, binds to CaM, and is regulated by CaM and Ca2+. Inhibition of CaM binding suppresses pericyte NaVcurrents.
Maintained ENaC trafficking in aldosterone-infused rats during mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptor blockade
Authors: Nielsen Jakob , Kwon Tae-Hwan , Frøkiær Jørgen , Knepper Mark A. , Nielsen Søren
Published: August 2006

Aldosterone induces redistribution of epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) to the apical plasma membrane from intracellular vesicles in renal connecting tubule (CNT) and cortical collecting duct (CCD). The role of the classical mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) in ENaC trafficking is still debated. We examined whether the MR antagonist spironolactone affects ENaC regulation in the kidney cortex of aldosterone-infused rats. Aldosterone infusion for 7 days resulted in a plasma aldosterone concentration in the high physiological range (3 to 4 nM). Aldosterone infusion decreased plasma K+concentration compared with untreated control rats. Cotreatment with spironolactone completely blocked the aldosterone-induced decrease in plasma K+. Immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry showed increased protein abundance of Na-K-ATPase α1-subunit and NCC in the kidney cortex, in response to aldosterone infusion that was blocked by spironolactone. In contrast, aldosterone-induced redistribution of ENaC subunits from the cytoplasm to the apical plasma membrane domain in CNT and CCD was unaffected by spironolactone. Immunoblotting of αENaC showed increased protein abundance in aldosterone-infused rats that was not blocked by spironolactone treatment. To exclude possible glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-mediated effects of aldosterone, we treated aldosterone-infused rats with both spironolactone and the GR antagonist RU486. Combined MR and GR blockade prevented neither ENaC trafficking nor the upregulation of αENaC protein abundance in aldosterone-infused rats. We provide new evidence for ENaC trafficking occurring independent of MR and GR activation in aldosterone-infused rats.
Systemic Cholecystokinin Differentially Affects Baro-activated GABAergic Neurons in Rat Caudal Ventrolateral Medulla
Authors: Mobley Susan C. , Mandel Daniel A. , Schreihofer Ann M.
Published: August 2006

Cholecystokinin (CCK) is released after a meal to promote digestion and satiety. Circulating CCK inhibits splanchnic sympathetic nerve activity (sSNA), which may contribute to postprandial increases in mesenteric blood flow. The CCK-induced sympathoinhibition occurs by activation of vagal afferent nerves and inhibition of a subset of presympathetic rostral ventrolateral medullary (RVLM) neurons. The present study sought to determine whether the caudal ventrolateral medulla (CVLM) may also play a role in the CCK-induced changes in sSNA. Rats were anesthetized with chloralose, artificially ventilated, paralyzed, and prepared for recording arterial pressure (AP), heart rate (HR), sSNA, and activity of individual CVLM neurons. Injection of CCK-8 (8–10 μg/kg, iv) decreased sSNA, AP, and HR. Most baro-activated CVLM neurons were excited by CCK ( n = 25, 3.4-fold increase), whereas other baro-activated CVLM neurons were not affected ( n = 7) or were inhibited ( n = 3). A subset of baro-activated CVLM neurons that were activated ( n = 8) or unaffected ( n = 2) was confirmed to be GABAergic by the presence of GAD67 mRNA. Bilateral inhibition of the CVLM by microinjections of muscimol reversed the decreases in sSNA and AP to a prominent sympathoactivation and increase in AP ( n = 18). These data suggest that systemic injection of CCK leads to the activation of most baro-activated GABAergic CVLM neurons and that the CVLM is essential for the production of CCK-induced inhibition of sSNA. The differential responses of baro-activated GABAergic CVLM neurons to CCK may contribute to the diverse responses of presympathetic RVLM neurons and sympathetic outflows observed with systemic CCK.