bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of genetic association strategies in the presence of rare alleles
Authors: Mahachie John Jestinah M , Cattaert Tom , De Lobel Lizzy , Van Lishout François , Empain Alain , Van Steen Kristel
Published: December 2011

In the quest for the missing heritability of most complex diseases, rare variants have received increased attention. Advances in large-scale sequencing have led to a shift from the common disease/common variant hypothesis to the common disease/rare variant hypothesis or have at least reopened the debate about the relevance and importance of rare variants for gene discoveries. The investigation of modeling and testing approaches to identify significant disease/rare variant associations is in full motion. New methods to better deal with parameter estimation instabilities, convergence problems, or multiple testing corrections in the presence of rare variants or effect modifiers of rare variants are in their infancy. Using a recently developed semiparametric strategy to detect causal variants, we investigate the performance of the model-based multifactor dimensionality reduction (MB-MDR) technique in terms of power and family-wise error rate (FWER) control in the presence of rare variants, using population-based and family-based data (FAM-MDR). We compare family-based results obtained from MB-MDR analyses to screening findings from a quantitative trait Pedigree-based association test (PBAT). Population-based data were further examined using penalized regression models. We restrict attention to all available single-nucleotide polymorphisms on chromosome 4 and consider Q1 as the outcome of interest. The considered family-based methods identified marker C4S4935 in the VEGFC gene with estimated power not exceeding 0.35 (FAM-MDR), when FWER was kept under control. The considered population-based methods gave rise to highly inflated FWERs (up to 90% for PBAT screening).
Prioritizing single-nucleotide variations that potentially regulate alternative splicing
Authors: Teng Mingxiang , Wang Yadong , Wang Guohua , Jung Jeesun , Edenberg Howard J , Sanford Jeremy R , Liu Yunlong
Published: December 2011

Recent evidence suggests that many complex diseases are caused by genetic variations that play regulatory roles in controlling gene expression. Most genetic studies focus on nonsynonymous variations that can alter the amino acid composition of a protein and are therefore believed to have the highest impact on phenotype. Synonymous variations, however, can also play important roles in disease pathogenesis by regulating pre-mRNA processing and translational control. In this study, we systematically survey the effects of single-nucleotide variations (SNVs) on binding affinity of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). Among the 10,113 synonymous SNVs identified in 697 individuals in the 1,000 Genomes Project and distributed by Genetic Analysis Workshop 17 (GAW17), we identified 182 variations located in alternatively spliced exons that can significantly change the binding affinity of nine RBPs whose binding preferences on 7-mer RNA sequences were previously reported. We found that the minor allele frequencies of these variations are similar to those of nonsynonymous SNVs, suggesting that they are in fact functional. We propose a workflow to identify phenotype-associated regulatory SNVs that might affect alternative splicing from exome-sequencing-derived genetic variations. Based on the affecting SNVs on the quantitative traits simulated in GAW17, we further identified two and four functional SNVs that are predicted to be involved in alternative splicing regulation in traits Q1 and Q2, respectively.
Application of Bayesian regression with singular value decomposition method in association studies for sequence data
Authors: Kwon Soonil , Yan Xiaofei , Cui Jinrui , Yao Jie , Yang Kai , Tsiang Donald , Li Xiaohui , Rotter Jerome I , Guo Xiuqing
Published: December 2011

Genetic association studies usually involve a large number of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (k) and a relative small sample size (n), which produces the situation that k is much greater than n. Because conventional statistical approaches are unable to deal with multiple SNPs simultaneously when k is much greater than n, single-SNP association studies have been used to identify genes involved in a disease’s pathophysiology, which causes a multiple testing problem. To evaluate the contribution of multiple SNPs simultaneously to disease traits when k is much greater than n, we developed the Bayesian regression with singular value decomposition (BRSVD) method. The method reduces the dimension of the design matrix from k to n by applying singular value decomposition to the design matrix. We evaluated the model using a Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation with Gibbs sampler constructed from the posterior densities driven by conjugate prior densities. Permutation was incorporated to generate empirical p-values. We applied the BRSVD method to the sequence data provided by Genetic Analysis Workshop 17 and found that the BRSVD method is a practical method that can be used to analyze sequence data in comparison to the single-SNP association test and the penalized regression method.
Integrating binary traits with quantitative phenotypes for association mapping of multivariate phenotypes
Authors: Mukhopadhyay Indranil , Saha Sujayam , Ghosh Saurabh
Published: December 2011

Clinical binary end-point traits are often governed by quantitative precursors. Hence it may be a prudent strategy to analyze a clinical end-point trait by considering a multivariate phenotype vector, possibly including both quantitative and qualitative phenotypes. A major statistical challenge lies in integrating the constituent phenotypes into a reduced univariate phenotype for association analyses. We assess the performances of certain reduced phenotypes using analysis of variance and a model-free quantile-based approach. We find that analysis of variance is more powerful than the quantile-based approach in detecting association, particularly for rare variants. We also find that using a principal component of the quantitative phenotypes and the residual of a logistic regression of the binary phenotype on the quantitative phenotypes may be an optimal method for integrating a binary phenotype with quantitative phenotypes to define a reduced univariate phenotype.
A pathway-based association analysis model using common and rare variants
Authors: Cheng Lu , Hu Pingzhao , Sykes Jenna , Pintilie Melania , Liu Geoffrey , Xu Wei
Published: December 2011

How various genetic effects in combination affect susceptibility to certain disease states continues to be a major area of methodological research. Various rare variant models have been proposed, in response to a common failure to either identify or validate biologically driven causal genetic variants in genome-wide association studies. Adopting the idea that multiple rare variants may effectively produce a combined effect equal to a single common variant effect through common linkage with this variant, we construct a pathway-based genetic association analysis model using both common and rare variants. This genetic model is applied to the disease status of unrelated individuals in replication 1 from Genetic Analysis Workshop 17. In this simulated example, we were able to identify several pathways that were potentially associated with the disease status and found that common variants showed stronger genetic effect than rare variants.
Rare variant collapsing in conjunction with mean log p-value and gradient boosting approaches applied to Genetic Analysis Workshop 17 data
Authors: Cherkas Yauheniya , Raghavan Nandini , Francke Stephan , DeFalco Frank , Wilcox Marsha A
Published: December 2011

In addition to methods that can identify common variants associated with susceptibility to common diseases, there has been increasing interest in approaches that can identify rare genetic variants. We use the simulated data provided to the participants of Genetic Analysis Workshop 17 (GAW17) to identify both rare and common single-nucleotide polymorphisms and pathways associated with disease status. We apply a rare variant collapsing approach and the usual association tests for common variants to identify candidates for further analysis using pathway-based and tree-based ensemble approaches. We use the mean log p-value approach to identify a top set of pathways and compare it to those used in simulation of GAW17 dataset. We conclude that the mean log p-value approach is able to identify those pathways in the top list and also related pathways. We also use the stochastic gradient boosting approach for the selected subset of single-nucleotide polymorphisms. When compared the result of this tree-based method with the list of single-nucleotide polymorphisms used in dataset simulation, in addition to correct SNPs we observe number of false positives.
Addition of multiple rare SNPs to known common variants improves the association between disease and gene in the Genetic Analysis Workshop 17 data
Authors: Sykes Jenna , Cheng Lu , Xu Wei , Tsao Ming-Sound , Liu Geoffrey , Pintilie Melania
Published: December 2011

The upcoming release of new whole-genome genotyping technologies will shed new light on whether there is an associative effect of previously immeasurable rare variants on incidence of disease. For Genetic Analysis Workshop 17, our team focused on a statistical method to detect associations between gene-based multiple rare variants and disease status. We added a combination of rare SNPs to a common variant shown to have an influence on disease status. This method provides us with an enhanced ability to detect the effect of these rare variants, which, modeled alone, would normally be undetectable. Adjusting for significant clinical parameters, several genes were found to have multiple rare variants that were significantly associated with disease outcome.
Editorial: An apple a day keeps colitis away
Authors: Hofseth Lorne J , Matesic Lydia E
Published: December 2011

Discussion on Skyberg et al. providing evidence that apple polyphenols (APP) can protect mice from dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis and offering insight into the mechanisms.
Bridge Damage and Loss Scenarios Calibrated by Schematic Design and Cost Estimation of Repairs
Authors: Mackie Kevin R. , Wong John-Michael , Stojadinovic Bozidar
Published: December 2011

In this study probabilistic seismic loss models for reinforced concrete bridges are improved with separate models for connecting damage to repair quantities and repair quantities to money and time costs. This approach allows explicit consideration of repair design and variability of cost and time estimating that are not captured using a direct relationship between damage and loss. The proposed repair and cost models require schematic designs of bridge repairs and cost estimations to determine the model parameters, which were completed for three scenarios of damage on a single bridge. These models were used to analyze the probabilistic losses on different bridge types, specifically repair costs and repair effort. These analyses can be utilized for direct and indirect seismic loss assessments for transportation networks. All data in the proposed models were parameterized in terms of bridge properties, allowing extrapolation to bridges within the same class. The procedure is also portable for different bridge classes and state practices.
Seismic Behavior of Framed Masonry Panels with Prior Damage When Subjected to Out-of-Plane Loading
Authors: Komaraneni S. , Rai Durgesh C. , Singhal Vaibhav
Published: December 2011

Framed masonry panels are subjected to both in-plane and out-of-plane loading during earthquakes and their load-carrying capacity in the out-of-plane direction after being damaged is crucial for overall stability and safety. To assess the effect of in-plane damage on their out-of-plane behavior, three half-scaled clay brick framed masonry panels were subjected to a sequence of slow cyclic in-plane drifts and shake table-generated out-of-plane ground motions. The framed panels maintained structural integrity and out-of-plane stability even when severely damaged. Also, failure of specimens was primarily due to excessive out-of-plane deflection, rather than amplified inertia forces. Weaker interior grid elements divided masonry in smaller subpanels, and helped delay failure by controlling out-of-plane deflection and significantly enhancing the in-plane response. This subpaneling also greatly improved the in-plane response and energy dissipation potential, and consequently, the out-of-plane failure of the masonry was delayed and large in-plane drifts of up to 2.2% could be safely sustained.
Wnt Signaling in Ovarian Development Inhibits Sf1 Activation of Sox9 via the Tesco Enhancer
Authors: Bernard Pascal , Ryan Janelle , Sim Helena , Czech Daniel P. , Sinclair Andrew H. , Koopman Peter , Harley Vincent R.
Published: December 2011

Genome analysis of patients with disorders of sex development, and gain- and loss-of-function studies in mice indicate that gonadal development is regulated by opposing signals. In females, the Wnt/β-catenin canonical pathway blocks testicular differentiation by repressing the expression of the Sertoli cell-specific gene Sox9 by an unknown mechanism. Using cell and embryonic gonad culture models, we show that activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway inhibits the expression of Sox9 and Amh, whereas mRNA and protein levels of Sry and steroidogenic factor 1 (Sf1), two key transcriptional regulators of Sox9, are not altered. Ectopic activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in male gonads led to a loss of Sf1 binding to the Tesco enhancer and absent Sox9 expression that we also observed in wild-type ovaries. Moreover, ectopic Wnt/β-catenin signaling induced the expression of the female somatic cell markers, Bmp2 and Rspo1, as a likely consequence of Sox9 loss. Wnt/β-catenin signaling in XY gonads did not, however, affect gene expression of the steroidogenic Leydig cell Sf1 target gene, Cyp11a1, or Sf1 binding to the Cyp11a1 promoter. Our data support a model in ovary development whereby activation of β-catenin prevents Sf1 binding to the Sox9 enhancer, thereby inhibiting Sox9 expression and Sertoli cell differentiation.
Ausführbare UML-Modelle multimodaler Interaktionsanwendungen
Authors: Dausend Marcel , Poguntke Mark
Published: December 2011

Komplexe interaktive Anwendungen stellen sowohl für die Nutzer als auch für die Entwickler eine große Herausforderung dar, z.B. das Infotainmentsystem moderner Fahrzeuge. Dem Nutzer wird Multimodalität (Sprachbedienung neben der grafisch-haptischen Bedienung) angeboten, um die Ablenkung während des Fahrens zu reduzieren. Da die Kombination der verschiedenen Interaktionsmöglichkeiten die Komplexität der Anwendung deutlich erhöht, ist es notwendig, schon die Entwicklung dieser Systeme möglichst optimal zu unterstützen. Wir stellen einen Ansatz zur Modellierung multimodaler interaktiver Anwendungen in Form einer domänenspezifischen Modellierungssprache vor. UML-Zustandsautomaten werden in erweiterter Form verwendet. Benutzerschnittstellen verschiedener Modalitäten werden zu ausführbaren Modellen kombiniert, so dass eine interaktive Simulation der Anwendung möglich wird, die die multimodale Benutzerschnittstelle einschließt.
Methylseleninic acid is a novel suppressor of aromatase expression
Authors: Gao Ruijuan , Zhao Lijuan , Liu Xichun , Rowan Brian G , Wabitsch Martin , Edwards Dean P , Nishi Yoshihiro , Yanase Toshihiko , Yu Qun , Dong Yan
Published: December 2011

Elevated circulating estrogen levels, as a result of increased peripheral aromatization of androgens by aromatase, have been indicated to underlie the association between obesity and a higher risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Although aromatase inhibitors have been used as a first-line therapy for estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer in postmenopausal women, their potential as breast cancer chemopreventive agents has been limited due to toxicities and high costs. It is therefore imperative to develop new aromatase-inhibiting/suppressing agents with lower toxicities and lower costs for breast cancer chemoprevention, especially in obese postmenopausal women. The expression of the aromatase gene,CYP19, is controlled in a tissue-specific manner by the alternate use of different promoters. In obese postmenopausal women, increased peripheral aromatase is primarily attributed to the activity of the glucocorticoid-stimulated promoter, PI.4, and the cAMP-stimulated promoter, PII. In the present study, we show that methylseleninic acid (MSA), a second-generation selenium compound, can effectively suppress aromatase activation by dexamethasone, a synthetic glucocorticoid, and forskolin, a specific activator of adenylate cyclase. Unlike the action of aromatase inhibitors, MSA suppression of aromatase activation is not mediatedviadirect inhibition of aromatase enzymatic activity. Rather, it is attributable to a marked downregulation of promoters PI.4- and PII-specific aromatase mRNA expression, and thereby a reduction of aromatase protein. Considering the low-cost and low-toxicity nature of MSA, our findings provide a strong rationale for the further development of MSA as a breast cancer chemopreventive agent for obese postmenopausal women.
Lingüística de interações moleculares
Authors: Guimarães Romeu Cardoso
Published: December 2011

As moléculas biológicas mais interessantes são longos polímeros. Em analogia com a linguagem humana alfabética, estes podem ser chamados de textos, e analisados, quanto à estrutura primária, como sequência de letras (monômeros; como nucleotídeos, aminoácidos, etc.) ou de palavras (códigos de oligômeros, de até 5-6 letras). Considera-se que o estudo das palavras, em abordagem de tipo lingüístico, possa contribuir para o entendimento das interações (comunicações) moleculares. As linguagens e dialetos, moleculares e humanos, são contrastados. A linguagem molecular se distingue peculiarmente da humana, por exemplo, por utilizar forma tridimensional, dinâmica temporal, ausência de espaçamento e pontuação, e sobreposição de significados. Apresenta-se um método matemático para descoberta, de palavras em textos. A palavra AAA (trinca de adeninas) foi estudada na evolução do RNA ribossômico 5S. Observou-se que esta palavra é mais freqüente em organismos menos complexos e menos freqüente nos mais complexos, das linhagens de fungos, plantas e vertebrados. Nas duas últimas, reduziu-se também o grau de variabilidade gênica. Pelo contrário, grau moderado de freqüência da palavra persistiu em toda a linhagem dos invertebrados, com manutenção paralela de alto nível de variabilidade gênica. Nas mitocôndrias, plastídeos e micoplasmas, a freqüência da palavra AAA foi aumentada, de acordo com sua necessidade de interações com maior amplitude de variação. Esses comportamentos indicam que a palavra monótona AAA permite ambigüidade de interações. Com a evolução da complexidade orgânica e da maior especificidade molecular, as palavras ambíguas foram progressivamente evitadas.
Metáforas da diferença: a questão do inteiramente outro a partir da teoria da realidade como construção
Authors: Gomes Wilson da Silva
Published: December 2011

Talvez o tema mais recorrente do discurso filosófico que atravessa o pensamento moderno e a contemporaneidade seja a idéia da realidade como construção. Como reação ao realismo objetivista, que acreditava ser a realidade exterior e independente da subjetividade e para quem a experiência é a capacidade de ser afetado pelas coisas através dos sentidos e de reproduzi-las em conteúdos mentais representativos, a modernidade vai estabelecer que: a) a consciência não é uma mera passividade receptiva, mas atividade configurante; b) a realidade não é refletida pela consciência, mas por ela, de certa forma, construída. A nossa época recolhe esta herança de maneira fecunda particularmente no discurso semiológico: a realidade construída intersubjetivamente é uma teia de significados e valores que o homem institui ao redor de si no mundo. Ela sedimenta-se em sistemas de veiculação sêmicos (sobretudo na língua) e se fixa em códigos. Daí emerge a questão: tendo a realidade, enquanto construção, os limites e alcance do código, como se comporta a consciência e seus registros perante o não-codificado, o não-construído, a sua ausência? Algumas abordagens desse outro da consciência, apresentadas como declinações de metáforas da ausência, é aquilo que esse artigo pretende apresentar.
Condutas de risco à saúde e indicadores de estresse psicossocial em adolescentes estudantes do Ensino Médio
Authors: Carvalho Priscila Diniz de , Barros Mauro Virgilio Gomes de , Lima Rodrigo Antunes , Santos Carla Menêses , Mélo Edilânea Nunes
Published: December 2011

O objetivo deste artigo foi analisar a associação entre condutas de risco à saúde (tabagismo, consumo de bebidas alcoólicas e uso de drogas) e indicadores de estresse psicossocial em adolescentes estudantes do ensino médio. A pesquisa foi realizada com amostra constituída por 4.210 adolescentes estudantes de escolas públicas do Estado de Pernambuco, Brasil. O Global School-based Student Health Survey foi usado para coletar dados pessoais (demográficos e socioeconômicos) e comportamentais, e para obter medidas dos indicadores de estresse psicossocial (variáveis desfecho). Foram observadas prevalências de tristeza, sentimento de solidão, pensamento de suicídio, dificuldade para dormir devido à preocupação e planos de suicídio. Tabagismo, consumo de bebidas alcoólicas e uso de drogas foi relatado, respectivamente, por 7,7%, 30,3% e 6,9%. As prevalências de indicadores de estresse psicossocial foram maiores entre as moças, e as prevalências de exposição a condutas de risco à saúde foram maiores entre os rapazes. Concluiu-se com o estudo que o uso de drogas está diretamente associado ao pensamento e plano de suicídio e, entre as moças, o consumo de bebidas alcoólicas foi um fator associado ao estresse psicossocial.
Incidência cumulativa anual de doenças musculoesqueléticas incapacitantes relacionadas ao trabalho em uma área urbana do Brasil
Authors: Souza Norma Suely Souto , Santana Vilma Sousa
Published: December 2011

Estimou-se a incidência cumulativa anual (ICA) das doenças musculoesqueléticas incapacitantes que acometem a região cervical e/ou membros superiores (DMEMS) relacionadas ao trabalho, entre trabalhadores do Regime Geral da Previdência Social (RGPS) de Salvador, Bahia, Brasil. Trabalhadores que receberam benefícios por incapacidade temporária por DMEMS relacionadas ao trabalho foram considerados casos, em 2008. Os dados provêm dos sistemas administrativos do Instituto Nacional do Seguro Social (INSS) e do Ministério do Trabalho e Emprego (MTE). A ICA foi de 15 por dez mil trabalhadores. Mulheres, os de menor renda e aqueles que trabalhavam no ramo de atividades financeiras e indústria de transformação tinham maior ICA-DMEMS do que os seus referentes. Mulheres com o menor rendimento (um salário mínimo: R$ 415,00) tiveram a maior ICA-DMEMS, de 123 casos por dez mil. Isso sugere desigualdade na ocorrência dessas enfermidades, indicando a necessidade de priorizar não só ações de prevenção, com foco na ergonomia e organização do trabalho, como também o diagnóstico precoce, tratamento e reabilitação profissional.
Panorama da Pesquisa Acadêmica Brasileira em Nanocompósitos Polímero/Argila e Tendências para o Futuro
Authors: Anadão Priscila , Wiebeck Hélio , Valenzuela-Díaz Francisco R.
Published: December 2011

A pesquisa em nanocompósitos polímero/argila foi iniciada pela Toyota no final dos anos 80. A partir deste marco, a comunidade científica mundial voltou sua atenção para este tipo de material graças às propriedades mecânicas, químicas e térmicas avançadas em comparação com os compósitos tradicionais. Não foi diferente no Brasil, tal atenção pode ser comprovada pelos inúmeros trabalhos científicos sobre nanocompósitos que começaram a despontar no início do século XXI. Assim, o presente artigo objetiva, após discorrer sobre as definições que concernem nanocompósitos polímero/argila, apresentar as pesquisas científicas brasileiras em nanocompósitos de polímeros de uso geral, de polímeros de engenharia e de outros tipos de polímeros, relacionando-os com o método de produção empregado, morfologia final e propriedades decorrentes da formação de nanocompósitos. Por fim, o mapa da pesquisa brasileira em nanocompósitos polímero/argila e sua perspectiva para o futuro são apresentados.
Ética, Serviço Social e "responsabilidade social": o caso das pessoas idosas
Authors: Carvalho Maria Irene Lopes B. de
Published: December 2011

Este texto analisa a relação da ética com o Serviço Social considerando o princípio da responsabilidade social na intervenção com pessoas idosas. Problematiza esse princípio segundo vários autores, que o colocam em posições distintas e reporta-se a um caso como exemplo de uma intervenção profissional com uma pessoa idosa. A reflexão sobre o caso leva em conta essas duas dimensões de análise (uma mais normativa e outra mais hipotética e prospectiva). Por último, debate as decisões técnicas e os seus efeitos nas pessoas idosas e na profissão do Serviço Social.
A judicialização da política no Brasil e a atuação do assistente social na justiça
Authors: Sierra Vânia Morales
Published: December 2011

A judicialização no Brasil tem rebatido nas políticas sociais, incidindo diretamente sobre as formas de gestão da questão social. Trata-se de uma tendência que se acentua na democracia brasileira, num contexto de avanço da política neoliberal. Este artigo tem o objetivo de contribuir para o debate acerca da judicialização da política e da questão social no Brasil, com destaque à mudança no papel do Poder Judiciário e à atuação do Serviço Social no sociojurídico. A relevância para o Serviço Social se faz por sua contribuição na tarefa de tornar a justiça mais substantiva. Este trabalho tem implicações éticas, pois ao mesmo tempo em que se inclina em defesa da cidadania, numa perspectiva promocional do direito, também serve ao aperfeiçoamento dos mecanismos de controle social.
The role of natural radiations in human leukemogenesis.
Authors: Jacobson A P , Plato P A , Frigerio N A
Published: December 2011

Some 3 billion years ago, life arose from a warm pool of primordial ooze amid a constant drizzle of radiation. Steadily, man evolved from the lesser forms of life because of or in spite of his natural background-radiation environment. This study is an attempt to determine to what extent these background radiations are responsible for human disease, namely leukemia. Dose rate data were compared with data on all forms of leukemia in the 50 United States for four population subgroups. For the total U. S., no relation between background radiation and leukemia is apparent. A positive correlation appears, however, if various states are deleted from the analysis. It appears that conditions relative to populations and their environment could mask a radiation effect if in fact one is present.
Hypertension detection and control in a rural white Kentucky community.
Authors: Kotchen J M , Kotchen T A , Humphrey R , Lambertson L , Westerfield B , Wheeler D
Published: December 2011

This report presents data on the prevalence of elevated blood pressure and the status of hypertension control in a rural Kentucky community. Medical care is provided to the population under study by a long established organization of nurse practitioners. With the exception of young males, detection of hypertension has been relatively successful. However, fewer than 50 per cent of persons with blood pressure greater than 160/100 mmHg are receiving antihypertensive therapy, and greater than 60 per cent of individuals on therapy have blood pressure greater than 160/100 mmHg. Despite detection of hypertension control has not been achieved in this rural white community.
Effects of parental smoking on medical care utilization by children.
Authors: Vogt T M
Published: December 2011

A household interview survey of 2,582 adult members of the Kaiser-Permanente Medical Care Program of Oregon conducted in 1970-71 contained detailed questions about cigarette smoking patterns. Detailed, computerized medical records were maintained for all inpatient and outpatient care rendered between 1967 and 1974 to the 1,761 children of the interviewed sample. Adjusted for age, family size, socioeconomic status, and duration of Health Plan membership, children in non-smoking households used significantly more outpatient services than did children in smoking households, a relationship largely accounted for by their use of more preventive medical services than by children in smoking households. There were no significant differences in inpatient medical care use and outpatient care use for respiratory illness by children of smoking and non-smoking households.
Effects of statin use on functional capacity and muscle mass in elderly women
Authors: Boetje Martine , Bunout Daniel , Barrera Gladys , De la Maza Maria Pia , Leiva Laura , Hirsch Sandra
Published: December 2011

3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors (statins) may produce mild to severe myopathy. However, it is unclear if sarcopenia (decreased muscle mass and functional capacity) is also accentuated by the drugs. In a cross-sectional design, functional capacity (timed up and go, quadriceps- and hand grip strength) and lean body mass were compared between 71 low-dose statin users (<20 mg/day) and 57 age- and BMI-matched control subjects (all apparently healthy elderly women aged 74.6±5.3 years). Possible confounding factors were assessed by questionnaires. A fasted blood sample was taken to measure serum creatine kinase levels to search for muscle damage. Statin users had higher functional capacity than controls (quadriceps strength 25.3±7.5 kg vs. 20.5±6.3 kg in controls, P<0.001; timed up and go 9.7±2.1 s vs. 10.8±2.6 s in controls, P=0.01). After adjusting for confounding factors, this effect was not created by statin intake but by a difference in socioeconomic status between the two groups. Hand grip strength (20.6±4.3 kg vs. 19.9±3.8 kg, P=0.47) and lean body mass (36.3±4.1 kg vs. 35.6±4.6 kg, P=0.19) did not differ between statin users and controls. Muscle mass and functional capacity were not affected by statin intake but by socioeconomic status in elderly women.
Can Birth Order Affect Temperament, Anxiety and Behavior in 5 to 7-year-old Children in the Dental Setting?
Authors: Aminabadi Naser Asl , Sohrabi Azin , Oskouei Sina Ghertasi , Ajami Behjat Almolook
Published: December 2011

Aim

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationships between birth order and child's temperament, anxiety and behavior in the dental setting.

Materials and methods

A total of 200 healthy children aged 5 to 7 years, were included in this double-blind randomized controlled trial. The study consisted of two sessions. In the initial appointment, parents were provided with instructions and asked to complete children's behavior questionnaire (CBQ). In the second appointment, identical dental treatments were rendered to all subjects. During treatment, Frankl scale for child's behavior, facial Image scale (FIS) for situational anxiety, and clinical anxiety rating scale for clinical anxiety were utilized. Analysis of data was done using U Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests.

Results

Only children had higher clinical (p = 0.041) and situational (p < 0.001) anxiety, and more negative behavior (p = 0.013) compared to children with siblings. In children with siblings, first-born child was in increased risk of developing negative behavior (p = 0.008), clinical anxiety (p < 0.001) and situational anxiety (p = 0.006). With an exception (sadness, p < 0.001), no significant differences in temperament scale were observed among children with different birth orders.

Conclusion

According to the results, only children and laterborns are at higher risk of developing worse outcomes in the dental setting.

Clinical significance

The role of birth order has been ignored as a possible factor of behavior during routine dental treatment and these findings may shed light on our understanding of behavior management strategies in the dental setting. Considering the increasing pattern of family with an only child both in modern and developing countries, this is more likely that the dental team will face children with negative outcome during dental treatment.

How to cite this article

Aminabadi NA, Sohrabi A, Erfanparast L, Oskouei SG, Ajami BA. Can Birth Order Affect Temperament, Anxiety and Behavior in 5 to 7-year-old Children in the Dental Setting? J Contemp Dent Pract 2011;12(4):225-231.
Workers' Control and Centralization in the Russian Revolution: The Textile Industry of the Central Industrial Region, 1917-1920,
Authors: Husband William
Published: December 2011

In this schema, the politicization of workers' control in the second half of 1917 resulted not from elemental radicalism but from the workers' experience both in society and at the workplace. Scholars instrumental In developing this explana~ion have paid special attention to the events of 1917-1918 and to the activities of the highly skilled Petrograd metal-workers,3 although they have by no means ignored the less active and less politically conscious unskilled workers.
Social Democracy and Workers in Odessa: Ethnic and Political Considerations
Authors: Weinberg Robert
Published: December 2011

Recent scholarship on the history of Russian labor has focused on the aspirations, organizations and actions of urban workers during the Revolutions of 1905 and 1917 and has investigated the relationship between labor unrest and political events and developments throughout the Russian Empire, especially in the two capital cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg. Historians have been particularly interested in studying the interaction between socialists and workers and the extent to which labor protest and strikes were spontaneous in origin or the result of an orchestrated campaign conducted by the intelligentsia and socialist-workers. In general, these studies explain political radicalism among Russian workers by referring to the workers' specific work culture which combined elements of skill and craft solidarity, and links to the urban community; highly skilled and urbanized workers in both factories and workshops were more likely than lesser skilled and urbanized workers to be receptive to Social Democracy and to form labor organizations.
The Context of the Marxist-Leninist View of Slovak Literature 1945-1969
Authors: Rudinsky Norma
Published: December 2011

This paper resulted from an attempt to explore factors determining or underlying the "Marxificalion" of Slovak literature after 1945-- an attempt motivated by a hunch that certain Marxisl-Leninisl principles had provided a different insight into Slovak literature from that provided by the liberal, democratic "aesthetic appreciation" school of criticism in prewar Czechoslovakia. The idea that Slovak literary criticism has thrived, relatively, since World War II is by no means new and was advanced, for example, by emigre crilics.
The Northern Pacific Fishery: A Case Study of Soviet-Japanese Economic Relations
Authors: Toda Yasushi
Published: December 2011

In the nineteenth century, the Japanese first came into contact with the Russians in the fishery in the north seas. The Japanese expansion continued after the signing of the Kuril-Sakhalin Exchange Treaty in 1875 and led to the acquisition of Japanese fishing rights in the Russian territories of Kamchatka and Sakhalin as specified in the Portsmouth Treaty in 1905. The active Japanese fishery in these areas remained basically unchanged after the Bolshevik Revolution and the re-establishment of diplomatic relations in 1925. The San Francisco Peace Treaty between Japan and the Allied Powers that ended World War II and the post-war occupation was not signed by the Soviet Union. The 1956 negotiations aimed at restoring diplomatic relations between Japan and the Soviet Union resulted in a deadlock primarily because of the dispute over the Northern Territories, specifically the islands at the southern end of the Kuril Chain. Despite the fact that the territorial issue remained unresolved, the Japanese decided on a partial restoration of diplomatic relations. Their decision was prompted partially by the desire to return to the Sakhalin, Okhotsk and West Bering Sea areas to exploit the fishery.
The Bear and the Eagles: Soviet Influence in The 1970 and 1980 Polish Succession Crises
Authors: Frost Howard
Published: December 2011

The extent and dynamics of Moscow's control over its East Europeanneighbors have always been of considerable interest to Western analysts. The nature of this influence has become particularly important as the Soviet Union has, within certain parameters, condoned a modicum of East European flexibility in domestic and foreign policy since the mid-1960s. One of the most intriguing areas in the study of Soviet policy toward Eastern Europe is Soviet-East European crisis management, and particularly the extent to which the Soviets can affect the outcome of crises their allies face.
"Stormy Petrels": The Socialist Revolutionaries in Russia's Labor Organizations, 1905-1914
Authors: Melancon Michael
Published: December 2011

Lenin's harsh evaluation was not unique. Social Democrats oftendenigrated SR activities among the proletariat, whom the SDs, as Marxists, claimed as their exclusive constituency. In 1902 Iskra described the worker-oriented Petersburg SR Committee as "half-mythical" and Martov wrote that the SRs were neither socialist nor revolutionary; he and other SD contributors to the multi-volume Obshchestvennoe dvizhenie v Rossii v nachale XX-go veka, which appeared between 1909 and 1914, expressed their view of SR efforts among workers by maintaining virtual silence on the subject? After the revolution, SD labor activists such as S. A. Lozovskii and P. A. Garvi portrayed the trade union and cooperative movements as almost exclusively SD in orientation.
The Bolsheviks' "German Gold" Revisited: An Inquiry into the 1917 Accusations
Authors: Lyandres Semion
Published: December 2011

On the evening of 4 July 1917, at the height of the anti-government uprising, the Provisional Government's Minister of Justice, Pave! N. Pereverzev, authorized a press release accusing the Bolshevik leaders of treasonable activities. The report published the next day alleged that Lenin had been sent to Russia by the German government to rally support for a separate peace with Germany and "to undermine the confidence of the Russian people in the Provisional Government. " The money for his activity was allegedly channeled from Berlin to Petrograd, by way of Stockholm. In Stockholm the transfer was carried out by the Bolshevik Jakub Ftirstenberg (Hanecki) and the Russo-German Social Democrat Alexander Israel Helphand (Parvus). The main recipients in Petrograd were the Bolshevik lawyer Mieczyslaw Kozlowski and Evgeniia M. Sumenson, a relative of FtirstenbergHanecki. She and Kozlowski ran a trading business as a cover for financial dealings with Ftirstenberg, thus making the transfer of German funds look like a legitimate business transaction.
Zhdanov in Finland
Authors: Rieber Alfred J.
Published: December 2011

As the Soviet archives begin grudgingly to yield their secrets, it becomes possible to reconsider the origins of the Cold War from new perspectives.  Up to this point most books on the subject have been written out of Western source materials. Even the best of the very few attempts to put Moscow at the center of things have had to rely heavily on published or indirect evidence culled from western diplomatic and intelligence reports in order to fathom Soviet intentions.
The Role of the OGPU in Dekulakization, Mass Deportation, and Resettlement in 1930
Authors: Viola Lynne
Published: December 2011

The easing of restrictions in Russian archives and the declassifi cation of key archival documents have facilitated the unraveling of the complex policies and practices of the “elimination of the kulak as a class” (raskulachivanie, or dekulakization, for short), including the mass deportations and “special resettlement” of peasants in the early 1930s (euphemistically titled spetspereselentsy or special settlers; from 1933, trudposelentsy or labor settlers; and in later years, again, spetspereselentsy). Many of the most important directives, statistical data, and reports on dekulakization and the special settlers are now accessible and, in a few cases, published. Yet, in some ways, the more we know, the less we know. As certain facets of this massive exercise in repression become clear, other issues and questions arise which only the initial stages of documentary illumination could have brought forth.
Independence and Macroeconomic Stabilization in ex-Yugoslav and Former Soviet Republics
Authors: Kraft Evan
Published: December 2011

The breakup of the Soviet Union and the former Yugoslavia raises the question of the economic viability of the new post-Communist states. It is distinctly possible that separation was economically irrational exante, for at least some of the new states.' This, however" will be eternally debatable, while expost results can at least be studied empirically. The useful studies undertaken by Uvalic and von Selm, discussing the costs and benefits of the breakup of the former Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union respectively, rely more on theoretical argument and prediction than on analysis of postindependence outcomes. This essay attempts a more modest task: to see whether separation has facilitated the new states' efforts to handle the urgent tasks of bringing down inflation rates and creating a macroeconomic en virorunent conducive to economic growth.
Vegetarianism in Russia: The Tolstoy(an) Legacy
Authors: LeBlanc Ronald D.
Published: December 2011

The collapse of communist rule in Russia at the beginning of the 1990s revived a whole series of social, cultural, and ideological phenomena that had either laindormant or been almost entirely absent during the Soviet period, phenomena ranging from pornography and prostitution to religion and real estate. Vegetarianism, which had been demonized under Stalin as a pernicious and insidiously "antiscientific" doctrine promulgated by the ideologues of the exploitative classes in the capitalist West, experienced a revival that began during the glasnost' years; it has continued to remain popularin postcommunistRussia as well. The Vegetarian Society of the USSR, which was created in the late 1980s under Gorbachev, helped to bring together-and, more importantly, to bring out of the proverbial closet-Russian vegetarians of various hues, organizing health groups in different cities across the former Soviet Union.
Disciplines and Nations: Niko Marr vs. His Georgian Students on Tbilisi State University and Japhetidology/Caucasology Schism
Authors: Cherchi Marcello , Manning H. Paul
Published: December 2011

It is arguable that no figure in Soviet lingui stics has had more influence on that and related disciplines than the Georgian linguist Nikolaj Jakovlevich Marr (in Georgian, Niko Iakobisdze Mari) ( 1864- 1934). This influence was so powerful and pervasive that its end was stipulated by no less a figure than Joseph Stalin, in no less a venue than a "debate on linguistics" held on the pages of Pravda in 1950. Marr's role in the development of Soviet linguistics, ethnology, and other disciplines has been the focus of numerous other works, and in this essay we will confine our attention primarily to the pre-Soviet Marr, attending to a series of often acrimonious disputes between Marr and his Georgian colleagues and students that marked the transition of his intellectual and political interestsfrom a parochial focus on Georgia and the Caucasus to a far wider purview. In this transition, Marr's increasingly antagonistic relationship with his Georgian students, coming to a head with the founding ofTbilisi State University in 19 18, plays a major role. We believe that the seeds of many crucial changes in Marr's theories were sown in this period, and our objective is to place Marr in his Georgian context.
Central Asia Between East and West
Authors: Spechler Martin
Published: December 2011

Ever since their independence from the USSR in 1991 the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan have been trying to fi nd a new framework for their international relations. In this essay the experience and prospects of regional cooperation, special relations with the European Union or southeast Asia (ASEAN), or the Russian Federation are considered at length, along with some other groupings. As an alternative to preferential trade associations, affi liation with the World Trade Organization on a is prmultilateral basis obable in the years ahead. Meanwhile, the five countries independently pursue what the author has termed “export globalism”—administered trading of their staple raw materials for capital equipment and selected consumer goods.
The Russian Provincial Newspaper and Its Public, 1788–1864
Authors: Smith-Peter Susan
Published: December 2011

This work examines the rise of the provincial newspaper from its origins in Tambov under the poet and governor Gavrila Derzhavin to its widespread dissemination under Nicholas I. The newspapers included an offi cial section, which was fi lled with official announcements and orders, as well as an unoffi cial section dealing with the province. The state’s aim was to increase the fl ow of offi cial information to and from the provinces. They did not expect to stimulate local society and encourage the growth of regional identity, but these were among the unintended effects of the newspapers. In particular, the unofficial section became a forum for provincial readers and writers to study their corner of the empire in all its historical, ethnographic, statistical, and archaeological facets. This helped to lay the foundation for an active civil society during the reign of Nicholas I.
Konstantin Kavelin and the Struggle for Emancipation: A Case Study of the Westerners’ Role in the Foundation of Civil Society in Imperial Russia
Authors: Richardson Curtis
Published: December 2011

This essay explores the emergence of civil society in Imperial Russia in the 1840s and 1850s through an analysis of the role of the public in the preparation for the emancipation of the serfs before the government made the commitment to manumit the serfs. To do so, the essay considers the role of the Westerners, specifically one of the leading Westerners, the legal historian Konstantin Kavelin, from archetypical abstract thinker into political activist within the circumscribed parameters of autocracy in Imperial Russia. Kavelin and his allies, both within and without the bureaucracy, developed reform programs in the harsh years in Russia from 1848 until 1855 in the hope that a time more propitious for reform would come thereby enabling them to act in concert with the government. The Westerners played a vital role in providing the necessary intellectual underpinnings for the Great Reforms, in disseminating these ideas to the public, and in working closely with reformist bureaucrats in their specific preparations. Kavelin‘s efforts, primarily his proposed drafts and contacts, proved pivotal in facilitating the emancipation preparations that led to the legislation and implementation of the reform. This preparatory work of the late 1840s and 1850s bore fruit when the Russian state emancipated the serfs in 1861. The aspirations for a partnership with the government however failed to materialize.