bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
2-Substituted agelasine analogs: Synthesis and biological activity, and structure and reactivity of synthetic intermediates
Authors: Roggen Heidi , Bohlin Lars , Burman Robert , Charnock Colin , Felth Jenny , Görbitz Carl Henrik , Larsson Rolf , Tamm Toomas , Gundersen Lise-Lotte
Published: January 2011

2-Substituted N-methoxy-9-methyl-9H-purin-6-amines were synthesized either from their corresponding 6-chloro-9-methyl-9H-purines or 2-chloro-N-methoxy-9-methyl-9H-purin-6-amine. Great diversity in the amino/imino tautomeric ratios was observed and calculated based on 1H NMR. The tautomers were identified by 1D and 2D 1H, 13C, and 15N NMR techniques, and showed significant variation both in 13C and 15N shift values. Comparison of the tautomeric ratios with Hammett F values revealed that as the field/inductive withdrawing abilities of the 2-substituent increased, the ratio of amino:imino tautomers was shifted toward the amino tautomer. Computational chemistry exposed the significance of hydrogen bonding between solvent and the compound in question to reach accurate predictions for tautomeric ratios. B3LYP/def2-TZVP density functional theory (DFT) calculations resulted in quantitatively more accurate predictions than when employing the less expensive BP86 functional. N-7-Alkylation of the 2-substituted N-methoxy-9-methyl-9H-purin-6-amines showed that when the field/inductive withdrawing ability of the 2-substituent reached a certain point the reactivity drastically dropped. This correlated with the atomic charges on N-7 calculated using a natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis. Biological screening of the final 2-substituted agelasine analogs indicated that the introduction of a methyl group in the 2-position is advantageous for antimycobacterial and antiprotozoal activity, and that an amino function may improve activity against several cancer cell lines.
Schnelles Training neuronaler Netze zur Identifikation nichtlinearer dynamischer Systeme
Authors: Deflorian Michael , Klöpper Florian
Published: January 2011

Das zeitaufwendige Training dynamischer neuronaler Netze verhindert oftmals deren industriellen Einsatz. Dieser Beitrag beschreibt ein schnelles Trainingsverfahren für neuronale Netze mit externer Dynamik zur Identifikation dynamischer nichtlinearer Systeme. Das Verfahren besteht aus zwei Schritten, wobei im ersten die Anzahl der Neuronen festgelegt und im zweiten das Netz trainiert wird. Das vorgeschlagene Trainingsverfahren konvergiert schneller als Standardtrainingsalgorithmen und erzielt eine vergleichbare Genauigkeit.
Vereinfachte schnelle Regelung von linearen Systemen mit Stellgrößenbeschränkungen
Authors: Jasniewicz Boris , Adamy Jürgen , Domont-Yankulova Dilyana
Published: January 2011

Sättigende, weiche strukturvariable Regelungen mittels impliziter Lyapunov-Funktionen eignen sich zur schnellen Regelung von linearen Systemen mit Stellgrößenbeschränkungen. Der vorliegende Beitrag stellt eine Vereinfachung dieses Regelungstyps bei gleichzeitiger Verbesserung des Regelverhaltens vor. Die Vereinfachung führt auf weniger restriktive Stabilitätsbedingungen. Hierdurch vergrößert sich die Menge regelbarer Strecken, und die Anwendung dieses Regelungstyps auf bestimmte instabile Strecken ist erstmals möglich. Des Weiteren wird ein LMI-basiertes Verfahren zur effizienten Bestimmung von Reglerparametern vorgestellt. Damit werden Entwürfe von schnellen Regelungen für zwei Benchmarkstrecken vorgenommen. Eine Nachoptimierung der Reglerparameter mittels Suchverfahren führt zu fast zeitoptimalem Verhalten.
Eine L2-optimale Beobachtertechnik zur Vermeidung von Regler-Windup
Authors: Ortseifen Andreas , Adamy Jürgen
Published: January 2011

Dieser Beitrag stellt eine neue Entwurfsmethodik für Hippes Regler-Antiwindup, das auch als Beobachtertechnik bezeichnet wird, vor. Die Beobachtertechnik basiert auf einer geeigneten Zerlegung des Reglers. Um eine akzeptable Regelgüte sicherzustellen, wurden bislang alle zulässigen Zerlegungen mittels Simulationen evaluiert. Die neu eingeführte Methode bestimmt mittels konvexer Optimierung für jede Zerlegung einen Kennwert, der die Abweichung von dem erwünschten linearen Verhalten des Regelkreises im Sinne der L
2-Norm charakterisiert. Anhand der Kennwerte wird dann eine Zerlegung gewählt.
Garantierte Störgrößeneinschließung für lineare zeitdiskrete Systeme
Authors: Falkenhain Jan , Lunze Jan
Published: January 2011

Wenn technische Prozesse von nicht messbaren Störungen beeinflusst werden, können Störgrößenbeobachter eingesetzt werden, um die Amplitude der Störung aus den messbaren Eingangs- und Ausgangssignalen zu rekonstruieren. Dieser Beitrag schlägt eine Erweiterung der Störgrößenbeobachtung für den Fall vor, dass die messbaren Signale nur mit systematischen Fehlern bestimmt werden können, wobei angenommen wird, dass obere und untere Schranken für diese Fehler bekannt sind. Dazu wird eine Methode der Zustandsmengenbeobachtung erweitert, um Mengen zu berechnen, welche die Störgröße garantiert einschließen. Informationen über die Dynamik der Störung werden durch Störmodelle berücksichtigt. Ein Beispiel zeigt die Wirksamkeit dieser Methode.
Studies on the third-phase formation in DHDECMP/dodecane/HNO3
Authors: Lohithakshan K. V. , Aswal V. K. , Aggarwal S. K.
Published: January 2011

The third-phase formation in the DHDECMP-dodecane-HNO3 system during the actinides extraction was investigated based on the densities of the phases formed and the acid uptake by the DHDECMP phase. The effects of various parameters like nature of acids, diluents, temperature of extraction, acid molarity, and concentration of DHDECMP on the Third-phase formation were studied. The third-phase formation was also explained on the basis of results of small-angle neutron scattering studies (SANS).
Morus nigraplant leaves as biomonitor for elemental air pollution monitoring
Authors: Daud Muhammad , Khalid Nasir , Waheed Shahida , Wasim Mohammad , Arif Mohammad , Zaidi Jamshed Hussain
Published: January 2011

The present paper deals with the determination of 36 elements in 120 leaf samples ofMorus nigraplant to assess their potential as biomonitor for elemental air pollution monitoring. The elemental quantification was made by employing Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) and Atomic Absorption Spectrometric (AAS) techniques. The leaf samples were collected in spring, summer and winter seasons from various sites in Islamabad with different types of anthropogenic activities as well as from a reference site with minimum of such activities. Twenty four soil samples from the respective sites were also analyzed. The reliability of the adopted procedures was established by analyzing the certified reference materials,i.e., citrus leaves-1572 and soil-7, from NIST and IAEA, respectively, under identical experimental conditions and comparing the results obtained with the certified values which are in quite good agreement with each other. The enrichment values and Pollution Load Index (PLI) of the determined elements were computed and discussed accordingly. The elemental translocation from soil to roots, stem and leaves has also been studied by analyzing these parts of the same plant. The results indicated that the leaves ofMorus nigraplant have promising potential to monitor the extent of air pollution in the vicinity of industrial as well as in high traffic areas.
Development of a CMPO based extraction process for partitioning of minor actinides and demonstration with geneuine fast reactor fuel solution (155 GWd/Te)
Authors: Antony M. P. , Kumaresan R. , Suneesh A. S. , Rajeswari S. , Robertselvan B. , Sukumaran V. , Manivannan R. , Syamala K. V. , Venkatesan K. A. , Srinivasan T. G. , Vasudeva Rao P. R.
Published: January 2011

A method has been developed for partitioning of minor actinides from fast reactor (FR) fuel solution by a TRUEX solvent composed of 0.2 M n-octyl(phenyl)-N,N-diisobutylcarbamoyl-methylphosphine oxide (CMPO)-1.2 M tri-n-butylphosphate (TBP) in n-dodecane (n-DD), and subsequently demonstrated with genuine fast reactor dissolver solution (155 GWd/Te) using a novel 16-stage ejector mixer settler in hot cells. Cesium, plutonium and uranium present in the dissolver solution were removed, prior to minor actinide partitioning, by using ammonium molybdophosphate impregnated XAD-7 (AMP-XAD), methylated poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PVP-Me), and macroporous bifunctional phosphinic acid (MPBPA) resins respectively. Extraction of europium(III) and cerium(III) from simulated and real dissolver solution, and their stripping behavior from loaded organic phase was studied in batch method using various citric acid–nitric acid formulations. Based on these results, partitioning of minor actinides from fast reactor dissolver solution was demonstrated in hot cells. The extraction and stripping profiles of 154Eu, 144Ce, 106Ru and 137Cs, and mass balance of 241Am(III) achieved in the demonstration run have been reported in this paper.
Numerische Berechnung des Flächeninhaltes ebener geschlossener Konturen
Authors: Krystek Michael
Published: January 2011

In der Messtechnik tritt häufig das Problem auf, dass eine Fläche, die von einer unregelmäßigen ebenen Kurve eingeschlossen ist, aus gemessenen Punkten dieser Randkurve so genau wie möglich bestimmt werden muss. Das Ziel dieser Publikation ist es, Formeln abzuleiten, welche die Berechnung der Fläche aus den Positionen der Messpunkte erlauben, die entweder als kartesische Koordinaten oder als Polarkoordinaten gegeben sein können. Es wird gezeigt, dass das Ergebnis für eine unendliche Anzahl von Punkten gegen die exakte kontinuierliche Lösung konvergiert. Zusätzlich wird eine Formel angegeben, die dazu verwendet werden kann, die Messunsicherheit der Fläche aus der Messunsicherheit der gemessenen Punkte nach den im GUM angegebenen Regeln zu berechnen. Der Einfluss des Approximationsfehlers wird ebenfalls diskutiert. Schließlich wird ein Algorithmus angegeben, der in der Programmiersprache C geschrieben ist, um die hier abgeleiteten Formeln zu implementieren.
Messunsicherheiten bei der Drehmomentmessung mit Referenzmesseinrichtungen
Authors: Röske Dirk
Published: January 2011

In einem früheren Beitrag [1] wurden Betrachtungen zu Messunsicherheiten an statischen Drehmoment-Normalmesseinrichtungen mit gelagerten Hebel-Masse-Systemen vorgestellt. Auf diese Maschinen sind weitere Drehmomentmesseinrichtungen, so genannte Referenzmesseinrichtungen, rückgeführt, in denen kalibrierte Drehmomentaufnehmer als Referenz eingesetzt werden. Im Beitrag werden Ansätze einer Messunsicherheitsanalyse zur Diskussion gestellt, die einige der hierbei zu beachtenden Einflussgrößen berücksichtigen.
Lipid accumulation product: a powerful marker of metabolic syndrome in healthy population
Authors: Taverna Mariano J , Martínez-Larrad María T , Frechtel Gustavo D , Serrano-Ríos Manuel
Published: January 2011

Objective

The metabolic syndrome (MS) is a cluster of cardiometabolic factors, which predisposes to diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Early detection of high-risk individuals for MS using accurate measures of insulin resistance (IR) could improve detection and prevention of CVD and diabetes. The aim of this study was to explore the ability of lipid accumulation product (LAP), compared with traditional measures of IR, to identify MS.

Design

In total, 768 Spanish adults were recruited. MS was assessed using the revised criteria of National Cholesterol Education Program/Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP/ATP III) and International Diabetes Federation (IDF). Measures of IR such as homeostasis model assessment of IR and LAP, an index of lipid accumulation based on a combination of waist circumference and serum triglycerides, were calculated. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed in order to detect the parameter with the best predictive capability for MS.

Results

The prevalence of MS-NCEP/ATP III and MS-IDF was 15.1 and 20.5% for men respectively, and 15.4 and 17.5% for women. LAP showed the highest diagnostic accuracy for MS-NCEP/ATP III (area under the curve 0.91 and 0.90 among males and females) and MS-IDF (0.88 for both males and females). This was confirmed by internal validation using 20 000 bootstrap samples. Among males and females, different LAP cut-off values exhibited high sensitivity (78–85%) and specificity (78–85%) for MS-NCEP/ATP III and MS-IDF identification with elevated efficiency (proportion of positives and negatives classified correctly by the test=78–85%). When the sample was stratified according to decades of life, LAP exhibited a slightly lower performance among women than men, especially for MS-IDF detection.

Conclusions

In non-diabetic adults LAP has a strong and reliable diagnostic accuracy for MS-IDF and, especially, MS-NCEP/ATP III among females and, in particular, among males from Spain.
A Parent-Led Family-Focused Treatment Program for Overweight Children Aged 5 to 9 Years: The PEACH RCT
Authors: Magarey Anthea M. , Perry Rebecca A. , Baur Louise A. , Steinbeck Katharine S. , Sawyer Michael , Hills Andrew P. , Wilson Gizelle , Lee Anthea , Daniels Lynne A.
Published: January 2011

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate a healthy lifestyle intervention to reduce adiposity in children aged 5 to 9 years and assess whether adding parenting skills training would enhance this effect.

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS:

We conducted a single-blinded randomized controlled trial of prepubertal moderately obese (International Obesity Task Force cut points) children, aged 5 to 9 years. The 6-month program targeted parents as the agents of change for implementing family lifestyle changes. Only parents attended group sessions. We measured BMI and waist z scores and parenting constructs at baseline, 6, 12, 18, 24 months.

RESULTS:

Participants (n = 169; 56% girls) were randomized to a parenting skills plus healthy lifestyle group (n = 85) or a healthy lifestyle–only group (n = 84). At final 24-month assessment 52 and 54 children remained in the parenting skills plus healthy lifestyle and the healthy lifestyle–only groups respectively. There were reductions (P < .001) in BMI z score (0.26 [95% confidence interval: 0.22–0.30]) and waist z score (0.33 [95% confidence interval: 0.26–0.40]). There was a 10% reduction in z scores from baseline to 6 months that was maintained to 24 months with no additional intervention. Overall, there was no significant group effect. A similar pattern of initial improvement followed by stability was observed for parenting outcomes and no group effect.

CONCLUSIONS:

Using approaches that specifically target parent behavior, relative weight loss of ∼10% is achievable in moderately obese prepubertal children and can be maintained for 2 years from baseline. These results justify an investment in treatment as an effective secondary obesity-prevention strategy.
Sleep Duration, Sleep Regularity, Body Weight, and Metabolic Homeostasis in School-aged Children
Authors: Spruyt Karen , Molfese Dennis L. , Gozal David
Published: January 2011

OBJECTIVE:

The goal was to explore the effects of duration and regularity of sleep schedules on BMI and the impact on metabolic regulation in children.

METHODS:

Sleep patterns of 308 community-recruited children 4 to 10 years of age were assessed with wrist actigraphs for 1 week in a cross-sectional study, along with BMI assessment. Fasting morning plasma levels of glucose, insulin, lipids, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein also were measured for a subsample.

RESULTS:

Children slept 8 hours per night, on average, regardless of their weight categorization. A nonlinear trend between sleep and weight emerged. For obese children, sleep duration was shorter and showed more variability on weekends, compared with school days. For overweight children, a mixed sleep pattern emerged. The presence of high variance in sleep duration or short sleep duration was more likely associated with altered insulin, low-density lipoprotein, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein plasma levels. Children whose sleep patterns were at the lower end of sleep duration, particularly in the presence of irregular sleep schedules, exhibited the greatest health risk.

CONCLUSIONS:

Obese children were less likely to experience “catch-up” sleep on weekends, and the combination of shorter sleep duration and more-variable sleep patterns was associated with adverse metabolic outcomes. Educational campaigns, aimed at families, regarding longer and more-regular sleep may promote decreases in obesity rates and may improve metabolic dysfunction trends in school-aged children.
Physiologic effects of hypothermia
Authors: Kovács Enikő , Jenei Zsigmond , Horváth Anikó , Gellér László , Szilágyi Szabolcs , Király Ákos , Molnár Levente , Sótonyi jr. Péter , Merkely Béla , Zima Endre
Published: January 2011

Therapeutic use of hypothermia has come to the frontline in the past decade again in the prevention and in mitigation of neurologic impairment. The application of hypothermia is considered as a successful therapeutic measure not just in neuro- or cardiac surgery, but also in states causing brain injury or damage. According to our present knowledge this is the only proven therapeutic tool, which improves the neurologic outcome after cardiac arrest, decreasing the oxygen demand of the brain. Besides influencing the nervous system, hypothermia influences the function of the whole organ system. Beside its beneficial effects, it has many side-effects, which may be harmful to the patient. Before using it for a therapeutic purpose, it is very important to be familiar with the physiology and complications of hypothermia, to know, how to prevent and treat its side-effects. The purpose of this article is to summarize the physiologic and pathophysiologic effects of hypothermia. Orv. Hetil., 2011, 152, 171–181.
Differentiated thyroid cancer – 2009
Authors: Konrády András
Published: January 2011

Three years ago continental guidelines were published referring management and follow-up of low risk thyroid cancer patients. The aim of this paper is to summarize the changes and new directions in this field. High risk patients require another protocol. Neck ultrasound plays important role in differential diagnosis and in detecting recurrences. Some new ultrasound techniques are discussed, too. FDG-PET can help to solve the problem of patients having negative scan and increased thyroglobulin level. In recent years there was an expansion of our knowledge about the pathomechanism of thyroid cancer. It appears that genetic alterations frequently play a key role in carcinogenesis. There are molecular methods that allow the detection of these genetic events in thyroid fine needle aspirations samples providing important information for diagnosis, management and prognosis. Instead of diagnostic whole body scanning the posttherapeutic scan became preferable but in high risk cases the diagnostic whole body scintigrams serve useful data. Primary therapy of thyroid cancer is an adequate surgery: total thyreoidectomy and, if necessary, lymph node dissection or limited surgery in selected cases. Nowadays radioguided surgery can help to improve the results. Radioiodine therapy (e.g. rest ablation) proved to be a safe and effective method to complete surgery. It can prevent relapses and results in longer survival. Thyroid hormone withdrawal or recombinant human thyrotropin stimulation can increase thyrotropin level before radioiodine treatment. These two methods have similar success rate of rest ablation but irradiation burden of blood is lower in the case of exogenous stimulation which avoids hypothyroid state and preserves quality of life. Since tumor cells fail to maintain the ability to perform physiological functions they undergo dedifferentiation. Therefore, an important aim is to reactivate some function of differentiated cells, e.g. iodine uptake, production of thyroperoxydase and thyroglobulin. Opportunities for this therapeutic effort are also mentioned. Restoration of iodine uptake enables radioisotope treatment. Until now there has been little interest in the development of new drugs for the treatment of thyroid cancer. However, advances in our understanding of tumor cell biology will lead to a paradigm shift in the therapy that is likely to benefit patients who have high risk disease and who do not almost have any therapeutic option. There are new drugs in clinical trials that appear to be more effective than earlier cytotoxic agents. Probably modern chemotherapy of advanced thyroid cancer will have significant results in the near future. Orv. Hetil., 2011, 152, 163–170.
Nutrition and life style in the elderly – risk factors and recommendations
Authors: Antal Magda , Regöly-Mérei Andrea
Published: January 2011

Demographic data appear to demonstrate an increase in the number and ratio of elderly world-wide. Authors give a short survey on physiological alterations occurring at older age, on methods suitable for assessing nutritional status and criticism thereof. Nutritional and life style habits are also discussed. Prevalence of obesity and undernutrition and their sequelae are likewise presented. Diagnosis of undernutrition by using questionnaire can significantly improve the efficiency of family doctors’ activity. Authors provide recommendations for improving nutrition and life style in healthy persons with optimal body mass, and for obese and undernourished subjects. Orv. Hetil., 2011, 152, 182–189.
Monastic Economic Reform at Rong-bo Monastery: Towards an Understanding of Contemporary Tibetan Monastic Revival and development in A-mdo
Authors: Caple Jane
Published: January 2011

Scholarly focus on the political relationship between monasteries and the state has obscured other dynamics in the post-Mao revival and development of dGe-lugs-pa monasticism in China and led to its marginalization in wider discussions about Buddhism in the contemporary world. The present article seeks to broaden our understanding by examining economic reforms at a monastery in A-mdo. Based on fieldwork conducted 2008-2009, it argues that while recent monastic economic developments converge with state policies, monks’ narratives place agency for reforms within the monastic community and present impetus for reform as a moral issue. Consideration of the moral dimension of reforms, drawing on Sayer’s conception of moral economy, allows for a thicker understanding of contemporary monastic development which takes into account dynamics that extend beyond monastic interactions with the political and hegemonic power of the Chinese state.
Interaction in conversation in Huntington´s disease
Authors: Saldert Charlotta , Eriksson Elisabeth , Petersson Kerstin , Hartelius Lena
Published: January 2011

This study explores how conversational interaction is affected in a progressive neurological disease and what changes in the communication are reported by significant others in a questionnaire. Three dyads, each consisting of a person with Huntington's disease and a conversational partner, were video-recorded, and the conversations were analysed with respect to the parameters in the questionnaire and also with the method Activity-based Communication Analysis. The analyses revealed that several important aspects of communication were affected by the disease in each of the three cases presented here. Most, but not all, of these changes in communication were also reported by the significant other in the questionnaire. These results show that it is important to look out for possible communication problems when managing individuals with Huntington's disease. The questionnaire utilised in this study, with some modifications, seems to be a promising instrument for use in a clinical setting.
On the use of the term ‘repair’ and its application to disordered conversational speech
Authors: Rutter Ben
Published: January 2011

Conversational repair is a commonly studied aspect of both normal and disordered human interaction. It has the potential to reveal a great deal about how speakers deal with problems in naturally occurring talk-in-interaction. However, the extent to which repair has been defined, classified, and then compared to such phenomena as repetitions, slips of the tongue, pauses, and fillers has not always been altogether consistent. This paper discusses the use of the term repair in a variety of disciplines and proposes a taxonomy of repair types. It is suggested that this will facilitate the quantification of repair in corpora of disordered conversation, allowing for comparisons of frequency counts across speakers, disorders, and time points.
The communicative intent of stuttered utterances
Authors: Byrd Courtney Timpson , Coalson Geoff , Bush Clara
Published: January 2011

The purpose of the present study was twofold: (1) to determine if reported differences in speech fluency between assertive versus responsive speech acts persist when the length and complexity of those acts are controlled for and (2) to explore disfluent speech production across the subtypes of speech acts that comprise the two broad speech act categories of assertive and responsive. Child utterances were coded for communicative intent using Fey's taxonomy (1986) and for length and complexity. Results revealed that when grouping speech acts into assertive versus responsive, it is the length and complexity, rather than the communicative intent of the utterance that contributes to disfluent speech. Findings also reveal there are specific speech act subtypes that do not differ in complexity, but do differ in amount of speech disfluency. Thus, the communicative intent of the utterance does appear to contribute, at least, in part to difficulties maintaining fluent speech.
The evidence for relationship-centred practice in aphasia rehabilitation
Authors: Worrall Linda , Davidson Bronwyn , Hersh Deborah , Ferguson Alison , Howe Tami , Sherratt Sue
Published: January 2011

The aim of this article is to present an argument, supported by evidence, that relationship-centred care should be at the heart of aphasia rehabilitation. This conclusion stems from a number of studies that have explored the perspectives of people with aphasia and the interaction between them, their families and their treating speech-language pathologists. It is our contention that interactional research has highlighted the importance of the relationship and the tensions in the relationships between the client (the person with aphasia and their family) and their treating speech-language pathologist. Hence the state-of-the-art interactional research in aphasia rehabilitation has supported the findings from the broader health literature about the centrality of the relationship in client care. This article therefore describes the values-based clinical approach of relationship-centred aphasia rehabilitation.
Some Modifications of the Furlow Palatoplasty in Wide Clefts—A Preliminary Report
Authors: Gupta Richie , Kumar Sanjeev , Murarka Anil Kumar , Mowar Apoorva
Published: January 2011

Objectives

Authors encounter a large percentage of wide cleft palates while operating in a Third World situation. They define the terms wide clefts and unrepairable clefts in terms of measurement. They describe their technique, which they developed to deal with wide clefts. They describe some previously unreported modifications. They also report the velar lengthening obtained.

Methods

A total of 77 cases of primary cleft palate repaired with this technique by a single author, during the period May 2006 to February 2009, were selected for the study. These were divided into two groups on the basis of measurements. Group B consisted of all clefts deemed wide or unrepairable. Group A consisted of all other cleft palates. Difference in fistula rate was studied. Velar lengthening was measured in all patients.

Observations

Two fistulae occurred in Group B. The overall fistula rate for the series was 2.6%. The series consisted of 44% wide clefts, which included one case of unrepairable cleft. Lengthening in the velum ranged from 20% to 155%. Statistically significant correlations were found between narrow clefts and age group 0 to 1 year ( p = .0094) and Veau Group 4 with wide clefts ( p = .0194).

Conclusions

The Furlow technique as originally described has shortcomings. The authors describe their technique of incorporating the Furlow repair, which enables them to use it as a primary palatoplasty, in a scenario consisting of a large percentage of wide clefts in an older age group, thereby minimizing the fistula rate while increasing palatal length.
“I Do the Best I Can”: Caregivers' Perceptions of Informal Caregiving for Older Adults in Belize
Authors: Vroman Kerryellen , Morency Jamme
Published: January 2011

In this first study of informal caregiving for older adults in Belize, 29 caregivers described their experiences of caregiving, how they perceived and managed the role, and what critical resources they needed. The three main themes identified in the caregiver interviews were the experiences of caregivers, the rewards of caregiving, and navigating the caregiver role.

Caregivers identified positively with the role of care provider and they did not describe it as burdensome nor did they describe role strain. However, caregivers' complaints of poor physical health might be construed as somatic expressions of strain. The caregivers' religiosity was salient to how they viewed and coped with their caregiver role. In conclusion, culture appears to influence positively caregivers' beliefs and perceptions of caregiving in Belize. However, the expected increase in the older population and current circumstances of many caregivers and care recipients means there is a critical need for resources to support caregivers and promote aging in place.
What Do Older Adults Seek in Their Potential Romantic Partners? Evidence from Online Personal Ads
Authors: McIntosh William D. , Locker Lawrence , Briley Katherine , Ryan Rebecca , Scott Alison J.
Published: January 2011

Because of the dearth of available partners, older women looking to date may have to relax their dating standards to find a dating partner, perhaps accepting a life situation that is not what they had hoped for. However older women may be reluctant to sacrifice an often recently-gained lifestyle free of caregiving obligations. Older men, on the other hand, have a large pool of potential dating partners and do not face the same dilemma. We compared Internet dating profiles for 100 older adults and 100 younger adults, and found that older adults (and especially older women) were more selective than younger adults when it came to the age, race, religion, income, and height of a prospective dating partner. However, older adults were willing to travel substantially farther than younger adults to meet the right partner. These findings paint a clear picture of older Internet daters as eager to meet the right person, but not desperate to meet just anyone.
Geographic Analysis of Diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children: Eastern Wisconsin, USA
Authors: Baumgardner Dennis J. , Schreiber Andrea L. , Havlena Jeffrey A. , Bridgewater Farrin D. , Steber Dale L. , Lemke Melissa A.
Published: January 2011

Objective:

To perform a novel geographic analysis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnosis in Midwest United States.

Method:

Primary care children age 5–17 with ADHD diagnosis ( N = 6833; 13.5%) were compared to those receiving well child care without ADHD diagnosis ( N = 43,630) in a Wisconsin integrated medical system. Street addresses, demographic, and block group level U.S. Census 2000 data were mapped and analyzed using ArcGIS, CrimeStat III, and SaTScan. Lead levels from a State database were linked to 2,837 subjects. Univariate analysis was done by chi-square test or Mann-Whitney U test, multivariate analysis by logistic regression.

Results:

ADHD cases were 74% male ( p = 0.0001), and more frequently diagnosed in White children (17.3%) than Blacks (10.6%), Hispanics (9.4%), or Asians (3.7%; all p values < 0.001). Overall, male gender, white race, lower block group median household income and population density, and greater distance to nearest park and airport were more predictive of ADHD ( p values < 0.001). In urban Milwaukee County (865 cases/10,493 controls) male gender, white race, suburban residence, and younger age were more predictive of ADHD ( p values < 0.01). Among children with ADHD diagnosis and linked lifetime lead values, those with a maximum level of 10 μg/dl or more differed significantly from controls (9.3% vs. 5.6%; p = 0.003); elevated lead remained a significant predictor of ADHD diagnosis in multivariate analysis.

Conclusions:

Further studies are needed to determine if geographic distribution of ADHD diagnosis can be partially explained by differential efficiency of referral for diagnosis by school districts, by race/ethnicity, and/or built environment.
Disparities in Adhd Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Authors: Morley Christopher P.
Published: January 2011

The regional study by Baumgardner and colleagues converges with existing literature to clearly show that the distribution of ADHD diagnosis falls along socioeconomic lines, according to the relative wealth of neighborhoods. This adds additional evidence that trends in the diagnosis and treatment for ADHD in children move in the exact opposite direction from those who are at highest risk for meeting criteria, for experiencing impairment, for and downstream socioeconomic sequelae. Contributing factors, such as marginal diagnoses (such as when parent and teacher symptom reports diverge), inadequate insurance coverage, limited time, and lack of familiarity and comfort with diagnostic and prescribing guidelines, may leave the door open to misdiagnosis and treatment. In some cases, this may take the form of over-diagnosis and over-treatment, in the form of false-positive diagnoses with ADHD, and treatments for it, or may alternatively take the form of false-negative diagnoses. If the social and epidemiological data are any indication, it is furthermore likely that such false-positive or false-negative outcomes may break along socioeconomic lines. Increased use of formal screening tools, increased curricular time for mental health in primary care residencies, support for physicians in the field in the form of referral options and remote consultation and support, may all serve to improve quality of care for individual patients, and may also serve to regularize treatment across socioeconomic and sociodemographic lines, hence reducing disparities. Further research is needed to study the root causes and dynamics that create such disparities, but the steps outlined above may help in the near term.
Using a Brief 10–Item Generic Measure of Quality of Life in English and Spanish Speaking Diabetic Patients
Authors: Zapata-Vega Maria I. , Rivera James , Tarlin Nancy , Bijan Inci , Maurer Martin
Published: January 2011

Objectives:

Validation of the Multicultural Quality of Life Index (MQLI), a 10-item self-rated generic multilingual quality of life (QOL) measure in ethnically-diverse diabetic patients.

Methods:

Diabetic adult patients ( n = 180) in New York City completed the MQLI, English or Spanish version. Its internal consistency, factorial structure, and construct validity were analyzed. Depression screening (PHQ-9) scores were used to divide subjects into two sub-samples with presumed different QOL levels.

Results:

A Cronbach's alpha of 0.92 demonstrated its internal consistency (English-version = 0.90, Spanish-version = 0.94). A one-single factor structure was documented (all items loadings > 0.64), accounting for 59% of the items variance in the total sample; similar results were found for each language version. Correlation of the MQLI and PHQ-9 scores yielded an r = −0.58. Mild negative correlations with self-disclosed diagnosis of depression or other mental disorders, diabetes duration, and abnormal sensation on foot exam were found, but were non-significant with other diabetes aspects (e.g., HbA1c, retinopathy). A significant difference ( p < 0.001) between the scores of two subsamples with presumed different levels of QOL (means = 8.02 vs. 5.84) was found.

Conclusions:

The MQLI demonstrated coherence around the QOL concept. It correlated significantly with mental health (particularly depression), duration of diabetes, and possible neuropathy, but not with some diabetes-related factors. Its use in diabetic care settings is recommended, possibly supplemented by QOL diabetic-specific instruments.
The Effect of Meditation on Psychological Distress among Buddhist Monks and Nuns
Authors: Verma Gauri , Araya Ricardo
Published: January 2011

Objective:

This study aimed to ascertain whether there is an association between meditation and psychological distress.

Method:

Within a cohort of meditating Monks and Nuns who have accomplished varying levels of skill in the art of meditation, we studied whether there are varying degrees of psychological distress, and if so, whether this correlates to how advanced the meditators are. In this cross-sectional study, Monks and Nuns were recruited from monasteries, nunneries, and volunteer centres throughout Dharamshala, Northern India. A total of 331 Monks and Nuns participated. Psychological distress was measured using the GHQ-12, and the expertise on meditation was assessed through the number of years practising meditation and the maximum length of time held in concentration in one sitting.

Results:

A dose response association was found with more years meditating associated with increasingly lower GHQ scores. There was 0.21 points drop in GHQ scores for every year meditating ( p = 0.001).

Conclusion:

This study shows that Monks and Nuns who are more advanced in practicing meditation show fewer signs of psychological distress than Monks and Nuns who are less advanced in the art of meditation. The practice of meditation may have therapeutic value in the management of psychological distress, and could be offered as a non-pharmacological treatment alternative in patients with anxiety and depression. This is a preliminary study with limitations. More robust evidence is needed before we can confidently establish a causal link between meditation and psychological wellbeing. Our findings should, however, encourage further research in this area to generate better evidence for the health benefits of what is a long established practice in Buddhist communities.
Preventing Wounds from Healing: A Relationship with Borderline Personality?
Authors: Sansone Randy A. , Lam Charlene , Wiederman Michael W.
Published: January 2011

Patients with borderline personality disorder are characterized by ongoing engagement in self-destructive behavior, which may, according to previous studies of samples of convenience, include preventing wounds from healing. In this study, we examined in a consecutive sample of internal medicine outpatients the relationship between borderline personality symptomatology (using two self-report measures for borderline personality) and the phenomenon of prevented-wounds-from-healing. According to two different statistical approaches, there was a statistically significant relationship between positive scores of borderline personality symptomatology on both measures, and prevented wounds from healing.
Backtracking from Globalization
Authors: Hillebrand Evan E. , Lewer Joshua J. , Zagardo Janice Turtora
Published: January 2011

This paper offers a global perspective of the political economy of the liberal trading system since the Great Depression and examines four major intellectual and socio-political challenges facing international trade and globalization going forward, including: (1) income redistribution, (2) the rise of Asia and a potential shift in comparative advantage, (3) the rise of China and the national security argument, and (4) the lack of compelling dynamic evidence supporting free trade. Given the growing domestic and global discontent with free trade, and the fact that these exacerbating issues remain, this paper suggests that U.S. and global trade policies may shift away from the liberal trading system.
NAFTA, Environmental Kuznets Curves, and Mexico's Progress
Authors: Lipford Jody W. , Yandle Bruce
Published: January 2011

The effects of NAFTA on Mexico’s environment were of great concern pre-NAFTA and have continued to be a matter concern in the post-NAFTA era. As the many studies and evidence presented in this paper show, Mexico’s environment in the post-NAFTA period has not suffered as much as pessimists feared, nor has it improved as much as optimists hoped. This outcome is consistent with theory and evidence from Environmental Kuznets Curves in that Mexico’s macroeconomic performance has been inadequate to raise Mexico’s per capita income to levels needed to cross estimated turning points for many pollutants. Seen in this light, Mexico’s environmental quality will continue to be a mixture of modest improvements along with modest setbacks until the economy exhibits strong and sustained growth.
Will Technological Progress Cure the "Advanced Technology Products" Trade Account Deficit?
Authors: Highfill Jannett , McAsey Michael
Published: January 2011

In the debate about United States subsidies of private sector R&D, it is sometimes argued that the state of our technology is closely related to our current account deficits, particularly in what has been called the “Advanced Technology Products” (ATP) trade account. The corollary is that taking appropriate actions to increase research and development activities will both improve our technology and reduce the size of the ATP trade account deficit. The paper exams this proposition in a two-country two-firm intra-industry trade model, where firms play a two-stage quality-quantity game. The primary result of the paper is that if, as compared to its trading partners, the United States has about the same demand function but higher production costs then increases in R&D are likely to reduce an ATP trade account deficit. If, on the other hand, both costs and the value customers place on the product are high in the United States as compared to its trading partners, then increases in R&D are likely to increase the size of the ATP trade account deficit.
Stressors, Academic Performance, and Learned Resourcefulness in Baccalaureate Nursing Students
Authors: Goff Anne-Marie
Published: January 2011

High stress levels in nursing students may affect memory, concentration, and problem-solving ability, and may lead to decreased learning, coping, academic performance, and retention. College students with higher levels of learned resourcefulness develop greater self-confidence, motivation, and academic persistence, and are less likely to become anxious, depressed, and frustrated, but no studies specifically involve nursing students. This explanatory correlational study used Gadzella’s Student-life Stress Inventory (SSI) and Rosenbaum’s Self Control Scale (SCS) to explore learned resourcefulness, stressors, and academic performance in 53 baccalaureate nursing students. High levels of personal and academic stressors were evident, but not significant predictors of academic performance (p = .90). Age was a significant predictor of academic performance (p = < .01) and males and African-American/Black participants had higher learned resourcefulness scores than females and Caucasians. Studies in larger, more diverse samples are necessary to validate these findings.
Phenolic content, antioxidant and antifungal activities of acetonic, ethanolic and petroleum ether extracts of Hypericum perforatum L.
Authors: Maskovic Pavle , Mladenovic Jelena , Cvijovic Milica , Acamovic-Djokovic Gordana , Solujic Slavica , Radojkovic Marija
Published: January 2011

The objective of this study was to evaluate antifungal and antioxidant
activities of Hypericum perforatum L. extracts against the growth of certain
fungi. The ethanolic, acetonic and petroleum ether extracts of the plant were
evaluated for phenols, flavonoids and non-flavonoids. The highest amounts of
phenols (17.6 mg EPC/g dry extract) and flavonoids (16.85 mg EPC/g dry
extract) were found in the acetonic extract. The highest inhibitory effect on
the growth of Penicillium canescens, Fusarium oxysporum, Alternaria
alternata, Aspergillus glaucus and Phialophora fastigiata by the disk
diffusion method was exhibited by the ethanolic extract at the concentration
of 25 mg/disk. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the ethanolic
and petroleum ether extracts was 20 mg/mL. The acetonic extract did not
affect the growth of the tested fungi. Antioxidant activity was assessed by
determining 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH) free radical
scavenging activity. The results showed that the ethanolic extract of
Hypericum perforatum L. possesses antioxidant activity. The IC50 values,
defined as the concentration of the test sample leading to 50% reduction of
the free radical concentration, determined for each measurement were <7.8125,
105.9, 5.99 and 12.77 ?g/ml for the ethanolic extract, the acetonic extract,
ascorbic acid and BHT, respectively, for DPPH free radical scavenging
activity.
Application of electrochemical methods for the investigation of intergranular corrosion welded joint austenitic stainless steel 19Cr-9Ni
Authors: Jegdic Bore , Alil Ana , Milutinovic Zlatan , Odanovic Zoran , Gligorijevic Bojan , Katavic Boris
Published: January 2011

Sensitization degree of the austenitic stainless steel welded joints was
investigated by electrochemical methods of the double loop electrochemical
potentiokinetic reactivation (DL EPR) in H2SO4 + KSCN solution, and by the
measurement of corrosion potential of the steel in the drop of the solution
of HNO3 + FeCl3 + HCl. The welded joints were tested by X-ray radiographic
method in order to check the presence of the weld defects. Grain size of the
base metal and the welded joints were determined by optical microscopy. Good
agreement between the results obtained by different electrochemical methods
was obtained. Heat-affected zone (HAZ) of the austenitic stainless steel
welded joints has shown significant degree of sensitization. The double loop
electrochemical potentiokinetic method gave quantitative evidence about
susceptibility of the stainless steel to intergranular corrosion.
New analytical solution for natural convection of Darcian fluid in porous media prescribed surface heat flux
Authors: Ganji Domiry , Sajjadi Hasan
Published: January 2011

A new analytical method called He's Variational Iteration Method is
introduced to be applied to solve nonlinear equations. In this method,
general Lagrange multipliers are introduced to construct correction
functional for the problems. It is strongly and simply capable of solving a
large class of linear or nonlinear differential equations without the
tangible restriction of sensitivity to the degree of the nonlinear term and
also is very user friend because it reduces the size of calculations besides;
its iterations are direct and straightforward. In this paper the powerful
method called Variational Iteration Method is used to obtain the solution for
a nonlinear Ordinary Differential Equations that often appear in boundary
layers problems arising in heat and mass transfer which these kinds of the
equations contain infinity boundary condition. The boundary layer
approximations of fluid flow and heat transfer of vertical full cone embedded
in porous media give us the similarity solution for full cone subjected to
surface heat flux boundary conditions. The obtained Variational Iteration
Method solution in comparison with the numerical ones represents a remarkable
accuracy.