bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Context-Based Filtering for Assisted Brain-Actuated Wheelchair Driving
Authors: Vanacker Gerolf , Millán José del R. , Lew Eileen , Ferrez Pierre W. , Moles Ferran Galán , Philips Johan , Van Brussel Hendrik , Nuttin Marnix
Published: August 2007

Controlling a robotic device by using human brain signals is an interesting and challenging task. The device may be complicated to control and the nonstationary nature of the brain signals provides for a rather unstable input. With the use of intelligent processing algorithms adapted to the task at hand, however, the performance can be increased. This paper introduces a shared control system that helps the subject in driving an intelligent wheelchair with a noninvasive brain interface. The subject's steering intentions are estimated from electroencephalogram (EEG) signals and passed through to the shared control system before being sent to the wheelchair motors. Experimental results show a possibility for significant improvement in the overall driving performance when using the shared control system compared to driving without it. These results have been obtained with 2 healthy subjects during their first day of training with the brain-actuated wheelchair.
Weak and Strong Convergence of Multistep Iteration for Finite Family of Asymptotically Nonexpansive Mappings
Authors: Thakur Balwant Singh , Jung Jong Soo
Published: August 2007

Strong and weak convergence theorems for multistep iterative scheme with errors for finite family of asymptotically nonexpansive mappings are established in Banach spaces. Our results extend and improve the corresponding results of Chidume and Ali (2007), Cho et al. (2004), Khan and Fukhar-ud-din (2005), Plubtieng et al.(2006), Xu and Noor (2002), and many others.
Gas-Phase and Aqueous Photocatalytic Oxidation of Methylamine: The Reaction Pathways
Authors: Kachina Anna , Preis Sergei , Lluellas German Charles , Kallas Juha
Published: August 2007

Photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) of methylamine (MA) on titanium dioxide in aqueous and gaseous phases was studied. A simple batch glass reactor for aqueous PCO and an annular continuous flow reactor for the gas-phase PCO were used. Maximum aqueous PCO efficiency was achieved in alkaline media. Two mechanisms of aqueous PCO—decomposition to formate and ammonia, and oxidation of organic nitrogen directly to nitrite—lead ultimately toCO2, water, ammonia, and nitrate: formate and nitrite were observed as intermediates. A part of the ammonia formed in the reaction was oxidized to nitrite and nitrate. Volatile PCO products of MA included ammonia, nitrogen dioxide(NO2), nitrous oxide(N2O), carbon dioxide, and water. Thermal catalytic oxidation (TCO) resulted in the formation of ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and water. The gas-phase PCO kinetics is described by the monomolecular Langmuir-Hinshelwood model. No deactivation ofTiO2catalyst was observed.
Lebesgue Measurability of Separately Continuous Functions and Separability
Authors: Mykhaylyuk V. V.
Published: August 2007

A connection between the separability and the countable chain condition of spaces withL-property (a topological spaceXhasL-property if for every topological spaceY, separately continuous functionf:X×Y→ℝand open setI⊆ℝ,the setf−1(I)is anFσ-set) is studied. We show that every completely regular Baire space with theL-property and the countable chain condition is separable and constructs a nonseparable completely regular space with theL-property and the countable chain condition. This gives a negative answer to a question of M. Burke.
Stabilization and Observability of a Rotating Timoshenko Beam Model
Authors: Zuyev Alexander , Sawodny Oliver
Published: August 2007

A control system describing the dynamics of a rotating Timoshenko beam is considered. We assume that the beam is driven by a control torque at one of its ends, and the other end carries a rigid body as a load. The model considered takes into account the longitudinal, vertical, and shear motions of the beam. For this distributed parameter system, we construct a family of Galerkin approximations based on solutions of the homogeneous Timoshenko beam equation. We derive sufficient conditions for stabilizability of such finite dimensional system. In addition, the equilibrium of the Galerkin approximation considered is proved to be stabilizable by an observer-based feedback law, and an explicit control design is proposed.
Novel Features for Brain-Computer Interfaces
Authors: Woon W. L. , Cichocki A.
Published: August 2007

While conventional approaches of BCI feature extraction are based on the power spectrum, we have tried using nonlinear features for classifying BCI data. In this paper, we report our test results and findings, which indicate that the proposed method is a potentially useful addition to current feature extraction techniques.
A Pilot and Feasibility Study on the Effects of Naturopathic Botanical and Dietary Interventions on Sex Steroid Hormone Metabolism in Premenopausal Women
Authors: Greenlee Heather , Atkinson Charlotte , Stanczyk Frank Z. , Lampe Johanna W.
Published: August 2007

Naturopathic physicians commonly make dietary and/or dietary supplement recommendations for breast cancer prevention. This placebo-controlled, parallel-arm, pilot study tested the effects of two naturopathic interventions over five menstrual cycles on sex steroid hormones and metabolic markers in 40 healthy premenopausal women. The intervention arms were as follows: combination botanical supplement (Curcuma longa, Cynara scolymus, Rosmarinus officinalis, Schisandra chinensis, Silybum marinum, and Taraxacum officinalis; n = 15), dietary changes (3 servings/d crucifers or dark leafy greens, 30 g/d fiber, 1-2 liters/d water, and limiting caffeine and alcohol consumption to 1 serving each/wk; n = 10), and placebo (n = 15). Early-and late-follicular phase serum samples from cycles 1 and 5 were analyzed for estrogens (estrone, estrone-sulfate, total estradiol, and free estradiol), androgens (dehydroepiandrosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate, androstenedione, total testosterone, and free testosterone), sex hormone-binding globulin, and metabolic markers (insulin, insulin-like growth factor-I, insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3, and leptin). Serum samples collected during the mid-luteal phase of cycles 1 and 5 were analyzed for total estradiol, free estradiol, and sex hormone-binding globulin. Urine samples collected during the late follicular phase of cycles 1 and 5 were analyzed for 2-hydroxyestrone and 16α-hydroxyestrone. During the early follicular phase, compared with placebo, the botanical supplement decreased dehydroepiandrosterone (−13.2%; P = 0.02), dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (−14.6%; P = 0.07), androstenedione (−8.6%; P = 0.05), and estrone-sulfate (−12.0%; P = 0.08). No other trends or statistically significant changes were observed. When comparing dietary changes with placebo, no statistically significant differences were observed. Overall, in this pilot study, the naturopathic interventions had no substantial effects on estrogen measures. Early-follicular phase androgens decreased with the botanical supplement. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2007;16(8):1601–9)
Etiology of Familial Aggregation in Melanoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Skin
Authors: Lindström Linda S. , Yip Benjamin , Lichtenstein Paul , Pawitan Yudi , Czene Kamila
Published: August 2007

Background: Melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin (SCC) have been previously shown to coaggregate in families. To shed light on the etiology, we estimated the relative contributions of genetic and environmental factors on the occurrence of each disease, in addition to their influence on coaggregation of the two diseases. Because the malignancies are dependent on UV radiation, we did separate analyses for sun-covered and sun-exposed sites.

Methods: Our Swedish population-based data included 11 million individuals in 3 million families. We used an extended generalized linear mixed model to estimate the genetic and environmental contribution.

Results: In melanoma, the genetic contribution was 18% [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 13-22%] in the all-sites analysis, whereas the family-shared contribution was slightly higher in the sun-covered compared with sun-exposed sites analysis. SCC revealed very similar estimates in all analyses for both the genetic effects estimated to 8% (95% CI, 4-12%) and family-shared environmental factors at 18% (95% CI, 16-19%), respectively. In the coaggregation analysis, genetic and family-shared environmental components were estimated at 47% (95% CI, 43-51%) and 36% (95% CI, 33-39%), respectively.

Conclusions: Genetic factors are important in familial aggregation of melanoma and the higher sun-covered compared with sun-exposed site estimate of family-shared environment may convey benefit from cautious sunbathing. In SCC, we observed the highest contribution of family-shared environmental effects in cancer to date, implicating the importance of familial habits. Moreover, we elucidate the potential involvement of genetic variability in the familial coaggregation of melanoma and SCC. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2007;16(8):1639–43)
Cigarette Smoking and Risk of Hodgkin Lymphoma: A Population-Based Case-Control Study
Authors: Hjalgrim Henrik , Ekström-Smedby Karin , Rostgaard Klaus , Amini Rose-Marie , Molin Daniel , Hamilton-Dutoit Stephen , Schöllkopf Claudia , Chang Ellen T. , Ralfkiaer Elisabeth , Adami Hans-Olov , Glimelius Bengt , Melbye Mads
Published: August 2007

Background: Studies have inconsistently reported an association between tobacco smoking and Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) risk. The conflicting findings may reflect etiologic heterogeneity between HL subtypes, warranting further characterization of the relationship.

Methods: We collected information on tobacco-smoking habits in 586 classic HL cases and 3,187 population controls in a Danish-Swedish case-control study. HL EBV status was established for 499 cases by standard techniques. Odds ratios (OR) for an association with cigarette smoking were calculated by logistic regression for HL overall and stratified by age, sex, major histology subtypes, and tumor EBV status, adjusting for known confounders.

Results: Compared with never smokers, current cigarette smokers were at an increased overall HL risk (adjusted OR, 1.57; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.22-2.03). The association was strongest for EBV-positive HL (adjusted OR, 2.36; 95% CI, 1.51-3.71), but also applied to EBV-negative HL (adjusted OR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.05-1.97; Phomogeneity EBV-pos versus EBV-neg = 0.04). The association did not vary appreciably by age, sex, or histologic subtype, the apparent EBV-related difference present in all strata. There was no evidence of a dose-response pattern, whether by age at smoking initiation, daily cigarette consumption, number of years smoking, or cumulative number of cigarettes smoked. Similar results were obtained in analyses using non-HL patients (n = 3,055) participating in the founding study as comparison group.

Conclusion: The observed association between cigarette smoking and HL risk is consistent with previous findings and biologically plausible. Although not easily dismissed as an artifact, the limited evidence of a dose-response pattern renders the overall evidence of causality weak. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2007;16(8):1561–6)
Analysis of Genes Critical for Growth Regulation Identifies Insulin-like Growth Factor 2 Receptor Variations with Possible Functional Significance as Risk Factors for Osteosarcoma
Authors: Savage Sharon A. , Woodson Karen , Walk Elyse , Modi William , Liao Jason , Douglass Chester , Hoover Robert N. , Chanock Stephen J. ,   The National Osteosarcoma Etiology Study Group
Published: August 2007

Background: Osteosarcoma, the most common malignant primary bone tumor, typically occurs during the adolescent growth spurt. Germ-line genetic variation in genes critical in growth regulation could confer altered risk of osteosarcoma.

Methods: Fifty-two common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in 13 genes were genotyped in a prospective case-control study of osteosarcoma (104 osteosarcoma cases and 74 orthopedic controls). Genotype data analyzed with contingency tables suggested the strongest association with insulin-like growth factor 2 receptor (IGF2R) SNPs. Additional SNPs were genotyped to capture IGF2R common haplotypes and resequencing was done across the IGF2R block associated with osteosarcoma risk. Percentage methylation was determined by pyrosequencing of the IGF2R variant allele located in a CpG island.

Results: IGF2R Ex16+88G>A (rs998075) and IVS16+15C>T (rs998074) SNPs were associated with increased risk for osteosarcoma compared with orthopedic controls (haplotype odds ratio, 2.04; 95% confidence interval, 1.29-3.24). Follow-up genotyping showed that IGF2R IVS15+213C>T was also associated with increased osteosarcoma risk. Resequence analysis identified two additional SNPs linked to the risk-associated SNPs; linkage disequilibrium was strongest in a 1-kb pair region around them. The Ex16+88G>A SNP is located within a CpG island and alters methylation at that site.

Conclusion: This pilot study of germ-line genetic variation in growth pathway genes and osteosarcoma identified a haplotype block in IGF2R associated with increased risk of osteosarcoma. The presence of a SNP in this block results in loss of methylation at a CpG island, providing corroborative evidence of a possible functional variant. Our analysis of the IGF2R haplotype structure will be applicable to future studies of IGF2R and disease risk. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2007;16(8):1667–74)
Do Statins Affect Androgen Levels in Men? Results from the Boston Area Community Health Survey
Authors: Hall Susan A. , Page Stephanie T. , Travison Thomas G. , Montgomery R. Bruce , Link Carol L. , McKinlay John B.
Published: August 2007

Background: In 2005, statins were among the most commonly used prescription medications in the United States. Some data suggest statins may affect cancer risk and/or disease severity. Because cholesterol is a required intermediate in sex steroid synthesis, it is possible that statins influence prostate cancer risk through effects on steroid hormone metabolism. We investigated whether levels of circulating androgens and their carrier protein, sex hormone–binding globulin (SHBG), varied by statin exposure among a sample of 1,812 men from a population-based epidemiologic study, the Boston Area Community Health Survey.

Methods: We measured serum total testosterone, free testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, luteinizing hormone, and SHBG. Statin exposure was collected through participant self-report and/or interviewer-recorded information. Multivariate linear models were constructed to account for potential confounding.

Results: The prevalence of statin use was 12.4% [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 10.3-14.9]. On average, statin users were older, had larger body mass index and more chronic illnesses, and used more medications. We found no relationship between statin use and free testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, or luteinizing hormone. A significant association between statin use and total testosterone was initially observed but was not robust to covariate control in a multivariate model that included age, body mass index, time since awakening, and history of cardiovascular disease and diabetes (−5.5%; 95% CI, −13.2 to 2.9%). In multivariate models adjusted similarly, SHBG levels among statin users were statistically significantly lower compared with nonusers (−10.6%; 95% CI, −18.8 to −1.6%).

Conclusion: In this sample, it is unlikely that statins affect circulating androgens and prostate cancer risk through a hormonal mechanism. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2007;16(8):1587–94)
Initial presentation of scintigraphic changes during the first episode of acute pyelonephritis in children
Authors: Smokvina A. , Girotto N. , Licul V. , Grbac-Ivanković S.
Published: August 2007

99mTc-DMSA scintigraphy is generally accepted as the method of choice for detecting renal parenchymal damage in pyelonephritis. 99mTc-MAG3 dynamic scintigraphy is not routinely used for this purpose. The aim of this study was to evaluate the MAG3 scintigraphic presentation in the acute phase of pyelonephritis in children and re-evaluate them at least 6 months later, as well as to establish whether a MAG3 in the parenchymal phase is as reliable and sensitive in the detection of a renal parenchymal damage as the DMSA. Patients, methods: The MAG3 scintigraphic pattern was evaluated during the first episode of acute pyelonephritis in 31 children (median age: 2.5 years) and compared to the DMSA scan. The scintigraphy was performed on the same day with both radiopharmaceuticals. After at least 6 months the whole procedure was repeated on 28 patients. A scoring system was designed to evaluate the parenchymal lesions, and categorize them as positive or equivocal. The findings on the initial scans were compared to those obtained in the follow up studies. Results: When all lesions (equivocal + positive) were analysed, MAG3 sensitivity was 98%, and specificity 78%, while for positive lesions only, the values were 83 and 100%, respectively. The average acute severity score was significantly lower for both MAG3 and DMSA then the follow up score (p <0.0001). These results corresponded to a clinical convalescence, which was observed in 26/28 children in the follow up. Conclusion: With the MAG3 scintigraphy a reliable semi quantitative and qualitative detection of the renal inflammatory lesions can be obtained in acute pyelonephritis, as well as their recovery, thus obviating the need for a DMSA scan. Moreover, the duration of the MAG3 procedure is shorter, enabling the visualization of the entire collecting system as well, while the radiation exposure is approximately a half of that delivered by the DMSA scan.
18F-FDG metabolism in a rat model of chronic infarction
Authors: Abizanda G. , García-Velloso M. J. , Gavira J. J. , Martí-Climent J. M. , Ecay M. , Collantes M. , García de Jalôn J. A. , García-Rodríguez A. , Mazo M. , Barba J. , Richter J. A. , Prôsper F. , Peñuelas I.
Published: August 2007

Strategies to establish the functional benefit of cell therapy in cardiac regeneration and the potential mechanism are needed. Aims: Development of a semi-quantitative method for non invasive assessment of cardiac viability and function in a rat model of myocardial infarction (MI) based on the use of microPET. Animals, methods: Ten rats were subjected to myocardial imaging 2, 7, 14, 30, 60 and 90 days after left coronary artery ligation. Intravenous 18F-fluoro- 2-deoxy-2-D-glucose (18F-FDG) was administered and regional 18F activity concentrations per unit area were measured in 17 regions of interest (ROIs) drawn on cardiac polar maps. By comparing the differences in 18F uptake between baseline and each of the follow up time points, parametric polar maps of statistical significance (PPMSS) were calculated. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was blindly assessed echocardiographically. All animals were sacrificed for histopathological analysis after 90 days. Results: The diagnostic quality of 18F-FDG microPET images was excellent. PPMSS demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in 18F concentrations as early as 48 hours after MI in 4 of the 17 ROIs (segments 7, 13, 16 and 17; p <0.05) that persisted throughout the study. Semiquantitative analysis of 18F-FDG uptake correlated with echocardiographic decrease in LVEF (p <0.001). Conclusion: The use of PPMSS based on 18F-FDG-microPET provides valuable semi-quantitative information of heart glucose metabolism allowing for non-invasive follow up thus representing a useful strategy for assessment of novel therapies in cardiac regeneration.
Soluble Guanylate Cyclase-α1 Deficiency Selectively Inhibits the Pulmonary Vasodilator Response to Nitric Oxide and Increases the Pulmonary Vascular Remodeling Response to Chronic Hypoxia
Authors: Vermeersch Pieter , Buys Emmanuel , Pokreisz Peter , Marsboom Glenn , Ichinose Fumito , Sips Patrick , Pellens Marijke , Gillijns Hilde , Swinnen Marc , Graveline Amanda , Collen Desire , Dewerchin Mieke , Brouckaert Peter , Bloch Kenneth D. , Janssens Stefan
Published: August 2007

Background—

Nitric oxide (NO) activates soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), a heterodimer composed of α- and β-subunits, to produce cGMP. NO reduces pulmonary vascular remodeling, but the role of sGC in vascular responses to acute and chronic hypoxia remains incompletely elucidated. We therefore studied pulmonary vascular responses to acute and chronic hypoxia in wild-type (WT) mice and mice with a nonfunctional α1-subunit (sGCα1
−/−
).

Methods and Results—

sGCα1
−/−
mice had significantly reduced lung sGC activity and vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein phosphorylation. Right ventricular systolic pressure did not differ between genotypes at baseline and increased similarly in WT (22±2 to 34±2 mm Hg) and sGCα1
−/−
(23±2 to 34±1 mm Hg) mice in response to acute hypoxia. Inhaled NO (40 ppm) blunted the increase in right ventricular systolic pressure in WT mice (22±2 to 24±2 mm Hg,
P
<0.01 versus hypoxia without NO) but not in sGCα1
−/−
mice (22±1 to 33±1 mm Hg) and was accompanied by a significant rise in lung cGMP content only in WT mice. In contrast, the NO-donor sodium nitroprusside (1.5 mg/kg) decreased systemic blood pressure similarly in awake WT and sGCα1
−/−
mice as measured by telemetry (−37±2 versus −42±4 mm Hg). After 3 weeks of hypoxia, the increases in right ventricular systolic pressure, right ventricular hypertrophy, and muscularization of intra-acinar pulmonary vessels were 43%, 135%, and 46% greater, respectively, in sGCα1
−/−
than in WT mice (
P
<0.01). Increased remodeling in sGCα1
−/−
mice was associated with an increased frequency of 5′-bromo-deoxyuridine–positive vessels after 1 and 3 weeks (
P
<0.01 versus WT).

Conclusions—

Deficiency of sGCα1 does not alter hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction. sGCα1 is essential for NO-mediated pulmonary vasodilation and limits chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary vascular remodeling.
Beneficial Effect of Recruitable Collaterals
Authors: Meier Pascal , Gloekler Steffen , Zbinden Rainer , Beckh Sarah , de Marchi Stefano F. , Zbinden Stephan , Wustmann Kerstin , Billinger Michael , Vogel Rolf , Cook Stéphane , Wenaweser Peter , Togni Mario , Windecker Stephan , Meier Bernhard , Seiler Christian
Published: August 2007

Background—

The prognostic relevance of the collateral circulation is still controversial. The goal of this study was to assess the impact on survival of quantitatively obtained, recruitable coronary collateral flow in patients with stable coronary artery disease during 10 years of follow-up.

Methods and Results—

Eight-hundred forty-five individuals (age, 62±11 years), 106 patients without coronary artery disease and 739 patients with chronic stable coronary artery disease, underwent a total of 1053 quantitative, coronary pressure–derived collateral measurements between March 1996 and April 2006. All patients were prospectively included in a collateral flow index (CFI) database containing information on recruitable collateral flow parameters obtained during a 1-minute coronary balloon occlusion. CFI was calculated as follows:
equation

where P
occl
is mean coronary occlusive pressure, P
ao
is mean aortic pressure, and CVP is central venous pressure. Patients were divided into groups with poorly developed (CFI <0.25) or well-grown collateral vessels (CFI ≥0.25). Follow-up information on the occurrence of all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiac events after study inclusion was collected. Cumulative 10-year survival rates in relation to all-cause deaths and cardiac deaths were 71% and 88%, respectively, in patients with low CFI and 89% and 97% in the group with high CFI (
P
=0.0395,
P
=0.0109). Through the use of Cox proportional hazards analysis, the following variables independently predicted elevated cardiac mortality: age, low CFI (as a continuous variable), and current smoking.

Conclusions—

A well-functioning coronary collateral circulation saves lives in patients with chronic stable coronary artery disease. Depending on the exact amount of collateral flow recruitable during a brief coronary occlusion, long-term cardiac mortality is reduced to one fourth compared with the situation without collateral supply.
Induction of Heme Oxygenase-1 In Vivo Suppresses NADPH Oxidase–Derived Oxidative Stress
Authors: Datla Srinivasa R. , Dusting Gregory J. , Mori Trevor A. , Taylor Caroline J. , Croft Kevin D. , Jiang Fan
Published: August 2007

Our previous studies suggest that heme oxygenase (HO)-1 induction and/or subsequent bilirubin generation in endothelial cells may suppress superoxide generation of from reduced nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase. In this study, we examined the consequence of HO-1 induction in vivo on NADPH oxidase activity. Three doses of hemin (25 mg · kg
−1
, IP, every 48 hours), with or without cotreatment with the HO inhibitor tin protoporphyrin-IX (15 mg · kg
−1
, IP), were given to apolipoprotein E–deficient mice, which display vascular oxidative stress. Hemin treatment increased HO-1 expression and activity in aorta (undetectable at baseline) and kidney (by 3-fold) and significantly reduced both NADPH oxidase activity (by ≈25% to 50%) and superoxide generation in situ. The increase in HO-1 activity and inhibition of NADPH oxidase activity by hemin were reversed by tin protoporphyrin-IX and were not associated with changes in Nox2 or Nox4 protein levels. Hemin also reduced plasma F
2
-isoprostane levels by 23%. The inhibition of NADPH oxidase activity by hemin in the aorta was mimicked by bilirubin in vitro (0.01 to 1 μmol/L). Bilirubin also concentration-dependently reduced NADPH oxidase–dependent superoxide production stimulated by angiotensin II in rat vascular smooth muscle cells and by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate in human neutrophil-like HL-60 cells. HO-1 overexpression by plasmid-mediated gene transfer in rat vascular smooth muscle cells decreased NADPH-stimulated superoxide production. Thus, systemic expression of HO-1 suppresses NADPH oxidase activity by mechanisms at least partly mediated by the bile pigment bilirubin, thereby reducing oxidative stress.
The Precautionary Principle in the Twenty-First Century: A Case Study of Noise Pollution in the Ocean
Authors: Gillespie Alexander
Published: August 2007

The precautionary principle is one of the most discussed ideas in international environmental law. However, despite over 20 years of dialogue, both its status and its aplication remains uncertain. This article attempts to rectify part of this difficulty by displaying the current state of play on the principle, and how it may be applied to a specific contemporary problem. The selected problem is noise pollution
Managing Biodiversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction
Authors: Molenaar Erik
Published: August 2007

The global loss of biological diversity (biodiversity), both terrestrial and marine, occurs currently at an alarming and probably unprecedented rate. The main purpose of this article—which focuses in particular on marine capture fisheries—is to identify shortcomings in the international legal framework relating to the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) and possible solutions for selected shortcomings. The latter relate to discrete high seas fish stocks, deep-sea species and fisheries, integrated marine protected areas (MPAs) in ABNJ and, finally, to existing and new rights to conserve marine biodiversity. The main argument on this last topic is that in view of the current rate loss of marine biodiversity, reform should not just be limited to the traditional approach of strengthening, deepening and broadening obligations but should be balanced with optimizing use of existing rights and/or granting new rights to ensure that the overarching balance between socio-economic interests and the interests of marine biodiversity of present and future generations is archived.
On the Analysis of Atmospheric and Climatic Time Series
Authors: Gluhovsky Alexander , Agee Ernest
Published: August 2007

Linear parametric models are commonly assumed and used for unknown data-generating mechanisms. This study demonstrates the value of inferring statistics of meteorological and climatological time series by using a computer-intensive subsampling method that allows one to avoid time series analysis anchored in parametric models with imposed perceived physical assumptions. A first-order autoregressive model, typically adopted as the default model for correlated time series in climate studies, has been selected and altered with a nonlinear component to provide insight into possible errors in estimation due to nonlinearities in the real data-generating mechanism. The nonlinearity undetected by basic diagnostic procedures is shown to invalidate statistical inference based on the linear model, whereas the inference derived through subsampling remains valid. It is argued that subsampling and other resampling methods are preferable in complex dependent-data situations that are typical for atmospheric and climatic series when the real data-generating mechanism is unknown.
Modeling the Effect of Chlorine Emissions on Ozone Levels over the Eastern United States
Authors: Sarwar Golam , Bhave Prakash V.
Published: August 2007

This paper presents model estimates of the effect of chlorine emissions on atmospheric ozone concentrations in the eastern United States. The model included anthropogenic molecular chlorine emissions, anthropogenic hypochlorous acid emissions from cooling towers and swimming pools, and chlorine released from sea-salt aerosols. The release of chlorine emissions from sea-salt aerosols was modeled using heterogeneous reactions involving chloride ions in aerosols and three gas-phase species. The gas-phase chlorine chemistry was combined with the Carbon Bond Mechanism and incorporated into the Community Multiscale Air Quality modeling system. Air quality model simulations were performed for July 2001 and the results obtained with and without chlorine emissions were analyzed. When chlorine emissions were included in the model, ozone concentrations increased in the Houston, Texas, and New York–New Jersey areas. The daily maximum 1-h ozone concentrations increased by up to 12 parts per billion by volume (ppbv) in the Houston area and 6 ppbv in the New York–New Jersey area. The daily maximum 8-h ozone concentrations increased by up to 8 ppbv in the Houston area and 4 ppbv in the New York–New Jersey area. The monthly average daily maximum 1-h ozone concentration increased by up to 3 ppbv in the Houston area, but the increases in the monthly average daily maximum 1-h ozone concentration in the New York–New Jersey area were small. Chlorine emissions and chemistry enhanced the volatile organic compound oxidation rates and, thereby, increased the ozone production rate.
Daily Simulation of Ozone and Fine Particulates over New York State: Findings and Challenges
Authors: Hogrefe C. , Hao W. , Civerolo K. , Ku J.-Y. , Sistla G. , Gaza R. S. , Sedefian L. , Schere K. , Gilliland A. , Mathur R.
Published: August 2007

This study investigates the potential utility of the application of a photochemical modeling system in providing simultaneous forecasts of ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) over New York State. To this end, daily simulations from the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model for three extended time periods during 2004 and 2005 have been performed, and predictions were compared with observations of ozone and total and speciated PM2.5. Model performance for 8-h daily maximum O3 was found to be similar to other forecasting systems and to be better than that for the 24-h-averaged total PM2.5. Both pollutants exhibited no seasonal differences in model performance. CMAQ simulations successfully captured the urban–rural and seasonal differences evident in observed total and speciated PM2.5 concentrations. However, total PM2.5 mass was strongly overestimated in the New York City metropolitan area, and further analysis of speciated observations and model predictions showed that most of this overprediction stems from organic aerosols and crustal material. An analysis of hourly speciated data measured in Bronx County, New York, suggests that a combination of uncertainties in vertical mixing, magnitude, and temporal allocation of emissions and deposition processes are all possible contributors to this overprediction in the complex urban area. Categorical evaluation of CMAQ simulations in terms of exceeding two different threshold levels of the air quality index (AQI) again indicates better performance for ozone than PM2.5 and better performance for lower exceedance thresholds. In most regions of New York State, the routine air quality forecasts based on observed concentrations and expert judgment show slightly better agreement with the observed distributions of AQI categories than do CMAQ simulations. However, CMAQ shows skill similar to these routine forecasts in terms of capturing the AQI tendency, that is, in predicting changes in air quality conditions. Overall, the results presented in this study reveal that additional research and development is needed to improve CMAQ simulations of PM2.5 concentrations over New York State, especially for the New York City metropolitan area. On the other hand, because CMAQ simulations capture urban–rural concentration gradients and day-to-day fluctuations in observed air quality despite systematic overpredictions in some areas, it would be useful to develop tools that combine CMAQ’s predictive capability in terms of spatial concentration gradients and AQI tendencies with real-time observations of ambient pollutant levels to generate forecasts with higher temporal and spatial resolutions (e.g., county level) than those of techniques based exclusively on monitoring data.
Effect of Sleep Deprivation on Anxiety and Perceived Fatigue During a One-Man Atlantic Ocean Crossing on a Sport Catamaran
Authors: Groslambert Alain , Candau Robin B. , Millet Gregoire P.
Published: August 2007

This study is designed to identify the effects of sleep deprivation on state anxiety and perceived fatigue during a one-man Atlantic crossing on a sport catamaran. State anxiety and perceived fatigue were self-reported by the sailor on a daily basis by using a specific questionnaire and were linked by mathematical transfer functions to the sleep deprivation. The results show that state anxiety and perceived fatigue are strongly related with the wind force ( r = .57, p < .01; r = .83, p < .001; respectively) and to a lesser extent the cumulative effects of sleep deprivation ( r = .68, p < .05; r = .29, p < .05; respectively). In conclusion, despite a mean of 3 hr sleeping per day, the sailor was able to have a perceived fatigue and a state anxiety level, allowing an Atlantic crossing record to be established.
Preferences for Landscape Choice in a Southwestern Desert City
Authors: Yabiku Scott T. , Casagrande David G. , Farley-Metzger Elizabeth
Published: August 2007

Through outdoor water consumption, residential landscaping behavior affects public policy and the environment in the American Southwest. We propose a decision framework based on cost, ecological constraints, laws, and individual preferences. Controlling for cost, ecological constraints, and laws, we surveyed residents in metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona, using computer-generated landscape images to examine the effects of environmental attitudes (measured using Dunlap's New Ecological Paradigm), socialization, aesthetic affect, and demographic variables on landscape preferences. Landscape images varied from low-water xeriscapes to lush designs. Residents preferred high-water-use landscapes over dry landscapes for their own yards, even though they considered desert landscapes to be aesthetically pleasing. Women and long-term residents of the area were significantly more averse to dry landscapes. Stronger environmental attitudes did not lead to preference for xeriscapes but did lead to compromises on the amount of turf grass preferred in lush landscapes. This may contribute to the “oasis” mentality commonly found among area residents.
Diabetes Risk/
Authors: Kiblinger Lisa , Braza Norbert L.
Published: August 2007

The purpose of this article is to share an educational tool that is relevant for use with individuals with diabetes. The Diabetes Risk/Improvement Scale readily conveys to the patient in simple terms the risks that are involved if proper lifestyle controls are not in place. Diabetes educators will find this tool useful for assessment of patients as well as meaningful to patients in preventing complications of diabetes mellitus.
The State of the Science on Nursing Best Practices for Diabetes Self-Management
Authors: Seley Jane Jeffrie , Weinger Katie
Published: August 2007

Jane Jeffrie Seley is a diabetes nurse practitioner at New York Presbyterian—Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York City. She is a contributing editor and the column coordinator for Diabetes Under Control in the American Journal of Nursing. Katie Weinger is an investigator in behavioral and mental health research, director of the Center of Innovation in Diabetes Education and of the Office of Research Fellow Affairs at Joslin Diabetes Center, and an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, all in Boston. She has received a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIDDK60115) to study breaking down barriers to diabetes self-care. Contact author: Jane Jeffrie Seley, diabetesnp@gmail.com. Seley serves on the advisory boards of Abbott Diabetes Care, Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi-Aventis Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Roche Diagnostics, Bayer Diabetes Care, Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals, and GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, several of which provided funding for the project discussed in this article. The authors have no other significant ties, financial or otherwise, to any company that might have an interest in the publication of this educational activity.
Effect of Mental Health Care and Shared Decision Making on Patient Satisfaction in a Community Sample of Patients with Depression
Authors: Swanson Karen A. , Bastani Roshan , Rubenstein Lisa V. , Meredith Lisa S. , Ford Daniel E.
Published: August 2007

This study sought to understand if shared decision making and/or receipt of mental health care was associated with patient satisfaction for patients with depression and to determine whether gender modified this relationship. The data are from the Quality Improvement for Depression study, a national collaborative study of 1,481 patients diagnosed with major depression in managed care settings. The cross-sectional analyses were performed using multiple logistic regression on a sample of 1,317 patients who answered both the baseline and month six questionnaires. Shared decision making and receipt of mental health care were both positively associated with patient satisfaction. Gender was not a moderator of this relationship. Health plans may be able to improve patient satisfaction levels by teaching physicians the importance of shared decision making. Contrary to expectations, patient gender made no difference in the effects of quality of care on patient satisfaction.
Utilization Changes Following Market Entry by Physician-owned Specialty Hospitals
Authors: Mitchell Jean M.
Published: August 2007

Physician ownership of specialty hospitals has become commonplace in recent years in several states where certificate-of-need laws do not exist. The study examines trends in utilization rates for complex and simple spinal fusion procedures performed on injured workers with back/spine disorders in two markets in Oklahoma. During the time period we examine, physician-owned spine or orthopedic specialty hospitals entered both market areas in Oklahoma. Because there were no market areas in Oklahoma without physician-owned spine or orthopedic hospitals to use as a comparison group, we also analyzed trends in utilization for these surgical procedures performed on Medicare beneficiaries. We compared utilization for these procedures in Oklahoma and three other states with a high concentration of physician-owned specialty hospitals (Kansas, South Dakota, and Arizona) to utilization rates for back surgery performed on Medicare patients who reside in the Northeast region. States in the Northeast constitute an appropriate control group because there are no physician-owned specialty hospitals in this region. Both analyses indicate that the entry of the physician-owned specialty hospitals was followed by substantial increases in the market area utilization rates for complex spinal fusion surgery. Conversely, such dramatic changes did not occur in the Northeast where physician-owned specialty hospitals do not exist. After considering but ruling out alternative explanations, the findings imply that the financial incentives linked to ownership coincided with significant changes in physicians' practice patterns.
Understanding and Enhancing the Value of Hospital Discharge Data
Authors: Schoenman Julie A. , Sutton Janet P. , Elixhauser Anne , Love Denise
Published: August 2007

This work summarizes how hospital discharge data are used, identifies strengths and shortcomings, and presents suggestions for enhancing usefulness of the data. Results demonstrate that discharge data are used in a wide range of applications by diverse users. Uses include public health and population-based applications, as well as quality assessment, informed purchasing, strategic planning, and policymaking. Strategies to enhance the utility of discharge data include: improving the quality of existing data elements and adding new data elements that will support more advanced analyses, improving linkages with data from nonhospital settings and databases outside health care, and developing a technical assistance network to support statewide data organizations in their efforts to collect and analyze discharge data. As our nation moves toward universal electronic medical records, it will be important to keep in mind the many uses of discharge data in order to maintain the data capacity to fill these needs.
The Police View of Bias-Based Policing
Authors: Ioimo Ralph , Tears Rachel S. , Meadows Leslie A. , Becton J. Bret , Charles Michael T.
Published: August 2007

Bias-based policing is an issue that police departments all across the country are addressing. Considering that bias-based policing undermines relationships between the police and the public, a considerable amount of research has been conducted to uncover and prevent the occurrence of bias-based policing. Past research has primarily focused on traffic stops to assess the level of bias-based policing. However, traffic stops are only one of the many ways police interact with the public. As a result, this research project sought to broaden the approach to assessing bias-based policing beyond traffic stop data by surveying police officers to determine if they are aware of bias-based policing practices occurring in police departments, either theirs or others. This research found that 21% of survey respondents believed that bias-based policing is presently practiced by officers in their department, and 25.9% believed that bias-based policing is practiced by officers in other Virginia police departments.
Nonarrest Decision Making in Police–Citizen Encounters
Authors: Terrill William , Paoline Eugene A.
Published: August 2007

While early arrest studies tended to be more qualitative in nature and focus on the nonarrest process, more recent quantitative research has centered on the factors most likely to predict arrest. Using observational data, the current study draws on both lines of inquiry by examining incidents of nonarrest where there was a threshold of evidence that would support an arrest. A multivariate model of nonarrest decision making is presented, and qualitative narratives are analyzed to disentangle actions that police took in lieu of arrest, as well as reasons for alternate actions. The findings indicate that nonarrest behavior is much more prevalent than arrest, irrespective of evidence strength, and that several situational factors are statistically related to nonarrest decisions. The findings also show that alternative arrest actions are not demonstrably different than those noted by descriptive studies some 40 years ago, although the reasons for nonarrest behavior are substantially more varied.
Paediatric Neck Lumps III – Vascular and Lymphatic Malformations
Authors: Abernethy Laurence
Published: August 2007

Ultrasound and colour flow imaging play a major role in the diagnosis of superficial vascular and lymphatic lesions in children. For deeper and more extensive lesions, magnetic resonance imaging is often complementary to ultrasound. This review aims to provide an understanding of the biological behaviour and typical imaging appearances of haemangiomas, arteriovenous malformations, venous malformations, lymphatic malformations and similar lesions which may occur in the neck in childhood.
SNPs in Multi-Species Conserved Sequences (MCS) as useful markers in association studies: a practical approach
Authors: McCauley Jacob L , Kenealy Shannon J , Margulies Elliott H , Schnetz-Boutaud Nathalie , Gregory Simon G , Hauser Stephen L , Oksenberg Jorge R , Pericak-Vance Margaret A , Haines Jonathan L , Mortlock Douglas P
Published: August 2007

Background

Although genes play a key role in many complex diseases, the specific genes involved in most complex diseases remain largely unidentified. Their discovery will hinge on the identification of key sequence variants that are conclusively associated with disease. While much attention has been focused on variants in protein-coding DNA, variants in noncoding regions may also play many important roles in complex disease by altering gene regulation. Since the vast majority of noncoding genomic sequence is of unknown function, this increases the challenge of identifying "functional" variants that cause disease. However, evolutionary conservation can be used as a guide to indicate regions of noncoding or coding DNA that are likely to have biological function, and thus may be more likely to harbor SNP variants with functional consequences. To help bias marker selection in favor of such variants, we devised a process that prioritizes annotated SNPs for genotyping studies based on their location within Multi-species Conserved Sequences (MCSs) and used this process to select SNPs in a region of linkage to a complex disease. This allowed us to evaluate the utility of the chosen SNPs for further association studies. Previously, a region of chromosome 1q43 was linked to Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in a genome-wide screen. We chose annotated SNPs in the region based on location within MCSs (termed MCS-SNPs). We then obtained genotypes for 478 MCS-SNPs in 989 individuals from MS families.

Results

Analysis of our MCS-SNP genotypes from the 1q43 region and comparison to HapMap data confirmed that annotated SNPs in MCS regions are frequently polymorphic and show subtle signatures of selective pressure, consistent with previous reports of genome-wide variation in conserved regions. We also present an online tool that allows MCS data to be directly exported to the UCSC genome browser so that MCS-SNPs can be easily identified within genomic regions of interest.

Conclusion

Our results showed that MCS can easily be used to prioritize markers for follow-up and candidate gene association studies. We believe that this novel approach demonstrates a paradigm for expediting the search for genes contributing to complex diseases.