bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A randomized, phase 2 clinical trial of lithium carbonate in Machado‐Joseph disease
Authors: Saute Jonas Alex Morales , de Castilhos Raphael Machado , Monte Thais Lampert , Schumacher‐Schuh Artur Francisco , Donis Karina Carvalho , D'Ávila Rui , Souza Gabriele Nunes , Russo Aline Dutra , Furtado Gabriel Vasata , Gheno Tailise Conte , de Souza Diogo Onofre Gomes , Portela Luis Valmor Cruz , Saraiva‐Pereira Maria‐Luiza , Camey Suzi Alvez , Torman Vanessa Bielefeld Leotti , de Mello Rieder Carlos Roberto , Jardim Laura Bannach
Published: January 2014

Background

Because lithium exerts neuroprotective effects in preclinical models of polyglutamine disorders, our objective was to assess the safety and efficacy of lithium carbonate (0.5‐0.8 milliequivalents per liter) in patients with Machado‐Joseph disease (spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 [MJD/SCA3]).

Methods

For this phase 2, single‐center, double‐blind, parallel, placebo‐controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01096082), 62 patients who had MJD/SCA3 with a disease duration ≤10 years and an independent gait were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either lithium or placebo.

Results

After 24 weeks, 169 adverse events were reported, including 50.3% in the lithium group (P = 1.00; primary safety outcome). Sixty patients (31 in the placebo group and 29 in the lithium group) were analyzed for efficacy (intention‐to‐treat analysis). Mean progression between groups did not differ according to scores on the Neurological Examination Score for the Assessment of Spinocerebellar Ataxia (NESSCA) after 48 weeks (−0.35; 95% confidence interval, −1.7 to 1.0; primary efficacy outcome). The lithium group exhibited minor progression on the PATA speech‐rate (P = 0.002), the nondominant Click Test (P = 0.023), the Spinocerebellar Ataxia Functional Index (P = 0.003), and the Composite Cerebellar Functional Score (P = 0.029).

Conclusions

Lithium was safe and well tolerated, but it had no effect on progression when measured using the NESSCA in patients with MJD/SCA3. This slowdown in secondary outcomes deserves further clarification. © 2014 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Ultrasound evaluation in transthyretin‐related amyloid neuropathy
Authors: Granata Giuseppe , Luigetti Marco , Coraci Daniele , Del Grande Alessandra , Romano Angela , Bisogni Giulia , Bramanti Placido , Rossini Paolo Maria , Sabatelli Mario , Padua Luca
Published: January 2014

Introduction: Familial amyloid polyneuropathy is a rare condition caused by mutations of the transthyretin gene (TTR). We assessed the pattern of nerve ultrasound (US) abnormalities in patients with TTR‐related neuropathy. Methods: Seven patients with TTR‐related neuropathy (TTR‐N) and 5 asymptomatic TTR‐mutation carriers (TTR‐C) underwent neurological examination, nerve conduction studies, and US evaluation. Results: Multifocal US abnormalities were identified in 6 of 7 TTR‐N patients. A single patient with only a mild sensory polyneuropathy had normal nerves on US evaluation. In the TTR‐C, we only detected an enlarged ulnar nerve at the elbow. Interestingly, disease severity correlated with number of nerves affected on US evaluation. Conclusions: No specific pattern of US abnormalities was identified in this cohort. However, in TTR‐related amyloid neuropathy, US may be a helpful tool in monitoring disease progression, and/or clinical response to pharmacological treatment. Muscle Nerve 50: 372–376, 2014
Optimal preview control: A review
Authors: Birla Nidhika , Swarup Akhilesh
Published: January 2014

The field of preview control has attracted many researchers for its applications in guidance of autonomous vehicles, robotics, and process control, as this field is well suited for use in design of systems that have reference signals known a priori. The paper presents the efforts of various researchers in the field of preview control. The literature available in this field, since 1966, is categorized based on formulation, method domain, solution approach, and objective. The preview control problem is formulated and solved using classical time‐domain optimal control design tools for under water vehicle model. The key observation obtained from the discussions shows the enormous scope of work available in the field of preview control. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Outcome of Ewing sarcoma in a multidisciplinary setting in Lebanon
Authors: Abou Ali Bilal , Nader Ralph , Tamim Hani , Eid Toufic , Boulos Fouad , Khoury Nabil , Akel Samir , Haidar Rachid , Saghieh Said , Abboud Miguel , Muwakkit Samar , El‐Solh Hassan , Saab Raya
Published: January 2014

Treatment of Ewing sarcoma (ES) necessitates coordinated multi‐disciplinary care. We analyzed outcome for 39 patients treated at a single institution in Lebanon, a developing country with available multidisciplinary treatment modalities, where financial barriers to care are overcome by a fundraising system. Median follow‐up was 58 months. Five‐year overall and event‐free survival were 76% and 58%, respectively, for localized disease, and 40% and 38%, respectively, for metastatic disease. We conclude that, in a country with emerging economy, by following international protocols and ensuring availability of needed resources, outcome of patients with ES is similar to that in developed countries. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2014; 61:1472–1475. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Synthesis, solution properties and scale‐inhibiting behaviour of a diallylammonium/sulfur dioxide cyclocopolymer bearing phospho‐ and sulfopropyl pendents
Authors: Ali Shaikh A , Haladu Shamsuddeen A
Published: January 2014

Zwitterion (Z) monomer 3‐[diallyl{3‐(diethoxyphosphoryl)propyl}ammonio]propane‐1‐sulfonate underwent cyclocopolymerization with sulfur dioxide to give a new alternating copolymer poly(Z‐alt‐SO2) in excellent yield (ca 90%). The polyzwitterion (±) (PZ) (i.e. poly(Z‐alt‐SO2), bearing a diethylphosphonate as well as a sulfonate functionality in each repeat unit, upon ester hydrolysis gave its corresponding pH‐responsive polyzwitterionic acid (±) (PZA). The pH‐induced equilibrations (+) cationic polyelectrolyte ⇌ (±) PZA ⇌ polyzwitterion/anion (± −) (PZAN) ⇌ polyzwitterion/dianion (± =) (PZDAN) permitted us to examine the effects of charge types and their densities on the interesting solubility and viscosity behaviours. The apparent protonation constants of the basic functionalities &tbond;N±PO32− in (± =) PZDAN and &tbond;N±PO3H1− in (± −) PZAN in salt‐free water and 0.1 mol L−1 NaCl were determined using potentiometric titrations. (±) PZA at a meagre concentration of 20 ppm was found to be an effective antiscalant to inhibit the precipitation of CaSO4 from its supersaturated solution: after 500 and 800 min, the respective scale inhibitions of 86 and 98% indicated its potential use as an effective antiscalant in reverse osmosis plant. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
Size control of gold nanoparticles synthesized in a DNA hydrogel
Authors: Miwa Yasuyuki , Zinchenko Anatoly , Lopatina Larisa I , Sergeyev Vladimir G , Murata Shizuaki
Published: January 2014

A DNA crosslinked hydrogel, which efficiently absorbs Au3+, was used as a ‘reactor’ for in‐gel synthesis of gold nanoparticles. Chemical reduction of Au3+ absorbed by the DNA hydrogel proceeds inside the hydrogel volume and yields well‐dispersed gold nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution. The average diameter of the nanoparticles varies from 1 to 2 to 5 nm on changing the pH during the reduction. The electrostatic properties of DNA hydrogels containing gold nanoparticles are discussed. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
Atom transfer radical polymerization as a powerful tool in the synthesis of molecular brushes
Authors: Hadasha Waled , Klumperman Bert
Published: January 2014

Macromolecules with complex architectures such as molecular brushes (MBs) have received much attention over the last two decades. This interest is largely due to their potential applications in many fields, such as drug delivery and electronics, among others. The synthesis of such complex macromolecules can only be achieved via the use of controlled polymerization techniques such as atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). This review highlights the use of ATRP in the synthesis of MBs. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
Safe and efficient Boc‐SPPS for the synthesis of glycopeptide‐α‐thioesters
Authors: Izumi Masayuki , Murakami Masumi , Okamoto Ryo , Kajihara Yasuhiro
Published: January 2014

Boc‐solid phase peptide synthesis is useful for the preparation of peptide‐‐thioesters. However, this strategy usually employs hydrogen fluoride for the final deprotection step. These strongly acidic conditions cannot be applied for the synthesis of acid‐labile glycopeptide‐‐thioesters. The protocol presented here is a modified in situ neutralization Boc‐solid phase peptide synthesis employing 10% sulfuric acid/dioxane conditions for intermediate Boc removal and TfOH for the final side‐chain deprotection step. These conditions were found to be applicable for the synthesis of acid‐labile glycopeptide‐‐thioesters. In this protocol, a glycopeptide is synthesized as thioester on a thiol linker, and the product glycopeptide‐‐thioester is released from the resin by thiolysis after side‐chain deprotection step with an acid cocktail containing TfOH instead of hydrogen fluoride. Copyright © 2014 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Is the coefficient of variation a valid measure for variability of stable isotope abundances in biological materials?
Authors: Brendel Oliver
Published: January 2014

RATIONALE

The isotopic compositions of low‐mass elements such as carbon are commonly expressed on theδscale, relative to the isotopic ratio of an international standard (RST). Carbon stable isotope measurements of plant material are interpreted with an apparently biological meaning as an estimator of water use efficiency, and this has been used widely in recent years to screen plant material for variation. To compare the observed variability with other traits, the coefficient of variation (CV) is often used as an intrinsic variability measure.

METHODS

Theoretical considerations as well as an example dataset were used to test the independence of the CV from theRSTon which the values of isotopic composition on theδscale are based.

RESULTS

It can be shown mathematically that the CV of a dataset ofδ13C values is directly dependent onRST. The exploration of the example dataset confirmed this but also showed that the conversion of absolute isotopic ratios into atom fraction does not change the resulting CV. Similarly, a discrimination calculated between twoδ13C values is independent ofRST, but depends on accurate knowledge of bothδ13C values. It was also shown that results of statistics (e.g. ANOVA) are robust among different units of isotopic composition.

CONCLUSIONS

As CVs estimated from isotopic compositions expressed on theδscale depend on the underlying standard, they should not be compared with those of other traits, and even comparisons of CVs among isotopic datasets should be interpreted with care. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An effective monitoring framework and user interface design
Authors: Chen Tseng‐Yi , Yeh Hsiu‐Lien , Wei Hsin‐Wen , Sun Mei‐ju , Hsu Tsan‐sheng , Shih Wei‐Kuan
Published: January 2014

A distributed environment requires a monitoring system to oversee the operation of various distributed nodes. A monitoring service is crucial because it ensures a high‐quality computing environment and a reliable service. The interface and framework determine the effectiveness of a monitoring system. This paper uses the concept of user‐adaptive visualization to design its interface and proposes a flexible modular framework. Designers can use the proposed modular framework to flexibly extend existing modules, design visual interfaces to satisfy user requirements, and improve system failover schemes. The implementation of such a monitoring system for monitoring data preservation nodes is also provided. The system including fault‐tolerance and notification functions supports full monitoring services for Storage Resource Broker (SRB) or integrated Rule‐Oriented Data System (iRODS) based systems. The experimental results show that the proposed framework is suitable for data preservation services and is robust and responsive when faced with system failures. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Calculation Model of Using Appropriate High Reactivity Coke in Blast Furnace
Authors: Wu Shengli , Sun Ying , Kou Mingyin , Shen Wei
Published: January 2014

The technology of using high reactivity coke in iron‐making process by blast furnace has been verified to promote the reduction of iron ore in the thermal reserve zone through theoretical analysis combined with experimental research. However, the absence of relative calculation model makes it difficult to determine the coke saving ability quantitatively and supply substantial guidance for industry. In present study, thermal reserve zone and high temperature zone are taken as investigation objects and a calculation model has been established to study the influences of high reactivity coke on reduction of iron oxide, shaft efficiency, and fuel rate. Combined with calculation model, the industrial practice is analyzed by concluding a new important index namely the proportion of high reactivity coke taking Boudouard reaction in the blast furnace (PCTBR for short). The results show that, introduction of high reactivity coke could reduce the temperature of the thermal reserve zone and promote the exothermic indirect reduction of FeO. The high reactivity coke reduces direct reduction, and decreases the heat consumption of high temperature zone by allocating the direct reduction region reasonably as well, which leads to a lower fuel rate. The fuel rate has been reduced by 16.84 kg tHM−1 when the high reactivity coke amount participating Boudouard reaction is 40 kg tHM−1. The PCTBR of WuJing coke and Ca‐rich coke is around 7.8%.
Nomic Necessity for Platonists
Authors: Tugby Matthew ,   Philosophy Documentation Center
Published: January 2014

After identifying some existing explanations offered by nomic necessitarians for the alleged necessary connections between natural properties and their dispositional or nomic features, I discuss a less explored necessitarian strategy. This strategy is available to Platonists who hold that properties exist necessarily, as most do.
The role of hydrogen in a global sustainable energy strategy
Authors: Andrews John , Shabani Bahman
Published: January 2014

This paper reviews the role envisaged for hydrogen energy within the context of global and national ‘sustainable’ energy strategies, that is, strategies seeking to address climate change imperatives and guarantee energy security. The focus is on studies conducted over the past 5 years. Reviews are provided in turn of the International Energy Agency's World Energy Outlook 2012; the 2012 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's special report on Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation; one of the first spatially disaggregated energy‐economic modeling studies of the role of hydrogen in a national economy using the MARKAL model; and a recent study into whether the world can rely just on energy efficiency and renewable energy alone. Some general guidelines for integrating hydrogen into sustainable energy futures are proposed. Key challenges facing hydrogen energy and technologies are identified and ways to overcome these barriers are suggested. Finally, some positive recent developments indicating that hydrogen energy might be on the verge of a comeback are described. WIREs Energy Environ 2014, 3:474–489. doi: 10.1002/wene.103

This article is categorized under:

Fuel Cells and Hydrogen > Economics and Policy

Fuel Cells and Hydrogen > Systems and Infrastructure

Fuel Cells and Hydrogen > Climate and Environment
Two Modifications of (TeO)(HAsO4) and its Dehydration Product (Te3O3)(AsO4)2 – Three more Examples of Tellurium(IV) with a Fivefold Oxygen Coordination
Authors: Weil Matthias
Published: January 2014

Two modifications of (TeO)(HAsO4) were obtained by reacting tellurium dioxide with arsenic acid under boiling conditions (modification I, acid concentration 80 wt‐%) or under hydrothermal conditions (modification II, acid concentration 50 wt‐%). The crystal structures of the two modifications were determined from single‐crystal X‐ray data [modification I: P21/c, Z = 4, a = 7.4076(10), b = 5.9596(7), c = 9.5523(11) Å, β = 102.589(8)°, 2893 structure factors, 68 parameters, R[F2 > 2σ(F2)] = 0.0247, wR2(F2 all) = 0.0530; modification II: P21/c, Z = 4, a = 6.2962(4), b = 4.7041(3), c = 13.9446(8) Å, β = 94.528(3)°, 2549 structure factors, 69 parameters, R[F2 > 2σ(F2)] = 0.0207, wR2(F2 all) = 0.0462)]. Dehydration of (TeO)(HAsO4)‐II at temperatures above 260 °C results in the formation of polycrystalline (Te3O3)(AsO4)2. Single crystals of the anhydrous product were grown either by heating stoichiometric amounts of the binary oxides TeO2 and As2O5 in closed silica glass ampoules or with higher concentrated arsenic acid (80 wt‐%) under hydrothermal conditions at 220 °C. The common features in the crystal structures of (Te3O3)(AsO4)2 [P$\bar{1}$, Z = 4, a = 6.5548(4), b = 7.6281(6), c = 15.0464(15) Å, α = 140.212(6), β = 102.418(9)°, γ = 77.346(5)°, 5718 structure factors, 146 parameters, R[F2 > 2σ(F2)] = 0.0351, wR2(F2 all) = 0. 1093] and in that of the two modifications of acidic (TeO)(HAsO4) are [TeO5] square‐pyramids and [AsO4] tetrahedra. In anhydrous (Te3O3)(AsO4)2 and in (TeO)(HAsO4)‐II, a layered arrangement of the building units is found, whereas in the (TeO)(HAsO4)‐I structure strands are formed. Different hydrogen bonding interactions are present in the two modifications of (TeO)(HAsO4).
A New Manganese(II) Coordination Polymer based on 1H‐benzimidazole‐5‐carboxylic Acid: Synthesis, Structure, and Magnetic Property
Authors: Li Xia , Li Jing , Li Ming‐Kai , Fei Zhou
Published: January 2014

A new MnII coordination polymer, namely [Mn3(Hbic)6]n (1) (H2bic = 1H‐benzimidazole‐5‐carboxylic acid), was obtained through the hydrothermal reaction of MnCl2 and H2bic. Single crystal X‐ray analysis reveals that compound 1 exhibits a 2D layer structure with 4‐connected sql topology by viewing trinuclear [Mn3(COO)6] subunits as nodes and Hbic ligands as linkers, and further packing of these 2D sheets by intermolecular hydrogen bonds leads to a 3D supramolecular framework. Variable‐temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal that there exists antiferromagnetic interaction between the MnII ions.
Iminophosphoranyl Dichlorophosphines R3PNPCl2
Authors: Eckart Andreas , Lux Karin , Karaghiosoff Konstantin
Published: January 2014

The iminophosphoranyl dichlorophosphines Ph3PNPCl2 (2a), pTol3PNPCl2 (2b), and Cy3PNPCl2 (2c) were synthesized by reaction of trimethylsilyliminophosphoranes R3PNSiMe3 (R = Ph, pTol, Cy) with an equimolar amount of PCl3. The compounds 2b and 2c were isolated in pure form for the first time and characterized by 31P, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. The molecular structures of the iminophosphoranyl dichlorophosphines 2a–c were determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. In all cases the P–Cl bonds are elongated due to the influence of the strong electron donating iminophosphoranyl group. Compounds 2a–c are the first iminophosphoranyl dichlorophosphines, which could be characterized by X‐ray diffraction studies.
The Structure of Social Exchange in Self‐help Support Groups: Development of a Measure
Authors: Brown Louis D. , Tang Xiaohui , Hollman Ruth L.
Published: January 2014

Self‐help support groups are indigenous community resources designed to help people manage a variety of personal challenges, from alcohol abuse to xeroderma pigmentosum. The social exchanges that occur during group meetings are central to understanding how people benefit from participation. This paper examines the different types of social exchange behaviors that occur during meetings, using two studies to develop empirically distinct scales that reliably measure theoretically important types of exchange. Resource theory informed the initial measurement development efforts. Exploratory factor analyses from the first study led to revisions in the factor structure of the social exchange scales. The revised measure captured the exchange of emotional support, experiential information, humor, unwanted behaviors, and exchanges outside meetings. Confirmatory factor analyses from a follow‐up study with a different sample of self‐help support groups provided good model fit, suggesting the revised structure accurately represented the data. Further, the scales demonstrated good convergent and discriminant validity with related constructs. Future research can use the scales to identify aspects of social exchange that are most important in improving health outcomes among self‐help support group participants. Groups can use the scales in practice to celebrate strengths and address weaknesses in their social exchange dynamics.
Insufficient Referral for Genetic Counseling in the Management of Hereditary Haemochromatosis in Portugal: A Study of Perceptions of Health Professionals Requesting HFE Genotyping
Authors: Leandro Bruna , Paneque Milena , Sequeiros Jorge , Porto Graça
Published: January 2014

There is a general consensus that HFE‐ related Hereditary Haemochromatosis (HFE‐HH) should be diagnosed at early stages in pre‐symptomatic individuals, in order to prevent the most severe consequences of iron overload. In Portugal, despite an increasing number of requests for genetic diagnosis of this rare disease, there is not a corresponding increase in requests for genetic counselling. The objective of the present study was to evaluate physicians’ main motivations for requesting HFE genotyping or genetic counselling for HFE‐HH. We assessed current medical practices regarding family testing and diagnosis and discuss whether these can be improved in order to increase the effectiveness of disease prevention. Our results show there is a general lack of knowledge about the selection of patient cases that should be sent for genetic counseling or for molecular testing of HFE‐HH by physicians (especially by general practitioners). The lack of family‐based screening may indirectly compromise the efficiency of disease prevention in terms of early diagnosis and treatment. We concluded it is necessary to circulate more information about Hereditary Haemochromatosis among health professionals in order to improve strategies for its early diagnosis.
Balancing Life with an Increased Risk of Cancer: Lived Experiences in Healthy Individuals with Lynch Syndrome
Authors: Petersen Helle Vendel , Nilbert Mef , Bernstein Inge , Carlsson Christina
Published: January 2014

Possibilities to undergo predictive genetic testing for cancer have expanded, which implies that an increasing number of healthy individuals will learn about cancer predisposition. Knowledge about how an increased risk of disease influences life in a long‐term perspective is largely unknown, which led us to explore lived experiences in healthy mutation carriers with Lynch syndrome. Individual interviews were subjected to descriptive phenomenological analysis. Four constitutions, namely, family context, interpretation and transformation, approach to risk and balancing life at risk were identified and formed the essence of the phenomenon “living with knowledge about risk.” Family context influences how experiences and knowledge are interpreted and transformed into thoughts and feelings, which relates to how risk is approached and handled. The constitutions influence each other in a dynamic relationship and create a balancing act between anxiety and worry and feelings of being safe and in control.
Points to Consider in the Clinical Use of NGS Panels for Mitochondrial Disease: An Analysis of Gene Inclusion and Consent Forms
Authors: Platt Julia , Cox Rachel , Enns Gregory M.
Published: January 2014

Mitochondrial next generation sequencing (NGS) panels offer single‐step analysis of the numerous nuclear genes involved in the structure, function, and maintenance of mitochondria. However, the complexities of mitochondrial biology and genetics raise points for consideration in clinical use of these tests. To understand the current status of mitochondrial genetic testing, we assessed the gene offerings and consent forms of mitochondrial NGS panels available from seven US‐based clinical laboratories. The NGS panels varied markedly in number of genes (101–1204 genes), and the proportion of genes causing “classic” mitochondrial diseases and their phenocopies ranged widely between labs (18 %–94 % of panel contents). All panels included genes not associated with classic mitochondrial diseases (6 %–28 % of panel contents), including genes causing adult‐onset neurodegenerative disorders, cancer predisposition, and other genetic syndromes or inborn errors of metabolism. Five of the panels included genes that are not listed in OMIM to be associated with a disease phenotype (5 %–49 % of panel contents). None of the consent documents reviewed had options for patient preference regarding receipt of incidental findings. These findings raise points of discussion applicable to mitochondrial diagnostics, but also to the larger arenas of exome and genome sequencing, including the need to consider the boundaries between clinical and research testing, the necessity of appropriate informed consent, and the responsibilities of clinical laboratories and clinicians. Based on these findings, we recommend careful evaluation by laboratories of the genes offered on NGS panels, clear communication of the predicted phenotypes, and revised consent forms to allow patients to make choices about receiving incidental findings. We hope that our analysis and recommendations will help to maximize the considerable clinical utility of NGS panels for the diagnosis of mitochondrial disease.
Types of Oilseed and Adipose Tissue Influence the Composition and Relationships of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Biohydrogenation Products in Steers Fed a Grass Hay Diet
Authors: Mapiye C. , Aalhus J. L. , Turner T. D. , Rolland D. C. , Basarab J. A. , Baron V. S. , McAllister T. A. , Block H. C. , Proctor S. D. , Dugan M. E. R.
Published: January 2014

The current study evaluated the composition and relationships of polyunsaturated fatty acid biohydrogenation products (PUFA‐BHP) from the perirenal (PRF) and subcutaneous fat (SCF) of yearling steers fed a 70 % grass hay diet with concentrates containing either sunflower‐seed (SS) or flaxseed (FS). Analysis of variance indicated several groups or families of structurally related FA, and individual FA within these were affected by a number of novel oilseed by fat depot interactions (P < 0.05). Feeding diets containing SS increased the proportions of non‐conjugated 18:2 BHP (i.e., atypical dienes, AD) and conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) with the first double bond from carbon 7 to 9, trans‐18:1 isomers with double bonds from carbon 6 to 12, and these PUFA‐BHP had greater proportions in SCF compared to PRF (P < 0.05). Enrichment of conjugated linolenic acids, AD and CLA isomers with the first double bond in position 11 or 12, and t‐18:1 isomers with double bonds from carbon 13 to 16 were achieved by feeding diets containing FS, with PRF having greater proportions than SCF (P < 0.05). Principal component analysis visually confirmed interaction effects on these groups/families of FA, and further confirmed or suggested a number of relationships between PUFA‐BHP. Feeding SS or FS in a grass hay diet and exploiting adipose tissue differences, therefore, present unique opportunities to differentially enrich a number of PUFA‐BHP which seem to have positive health potential in humans (i.e., t11‐18:1, c9,t11‐18:2 and c9,t11,c15‐18:3).
‘Cobrançosa’ Olive Oil and Drupe: Chemical Composition at Two Ripening Stages
Authors: Sousa Cláudia , Gouvinhas Irene , Barreira Diana , Carvalho Maria Teresa , Vilela Alice , Lopes João , Martins‐Lopes Paula , Barros Ana I.
Published: January 2014

The chemical composition and organoleptic characteristics of olive oils may be influenced by genotype and some agronomic factors like olive drupe harvesting date. The aim of this work was to study the influence of olive ripening stage on chemical parameters and the organoleptic profile of fruits and oils of one of the main olive Portuguese cultivars (Cobrançosa). Six different Cobrançosa clones, which were harvested at two different ripening stages in the same olive growing area, were analyzed to evaluate phenolic compounds, ortho‐diphenols, flavonoids and antioxidant activity and were characterized in terms of sensorial parameters. These clones have also been classified according to the yield of production. The lowest values in phenolic content, ortho‐diphenols, flavonoids and antioxidant activity occurred always in the same clone (110) in both ripening stages in olive fruits and olive oil. This clone has been previously identified as low yield. Also, the results revealed significant correlations between total phenolics and antioxidant activity (R2 = 0.932, P < 0.0001), between ortho‐diphenols and antioxidant activity (R2 = 0.9445, P < 0.0001) and between flavonoids and antioxidant activity (R2 = 0.9263, P < 0.0001) on olive oil samples. The sensorial parameters that have been affected in olive oils were herbaceous aroma and flavor, and bitter taste that increased with the ripening process.
Coresidence With Husband’s Parents, Labor Supply, and Duration to First Birth
Authors: Chu C. Y. Cyrus , Kim Seik , Tsay Wen-Jen
Published: January 2014

This article investigates the time to first birth, treating coresidence with husband’s parents and labor supply as endogenous and using representative data on Taiwanese married women born during 1933–1968. We use a full-information maximum likelihood estimator for a duration model with endogenous binary variables. Results controlling for endogeneity suggest that both coresidence and working are associated with a delay in childbearing, reversing the effect of coresidence on the timing of first birth but not that of working. Women in earlier cohorts tend to choose coresidency and not working, and an increasing number of women from later cohorts choose to do both or to work only.
Childbearing Across Partnerships in Australia, the United States, Norway, and Sweden
Authors: Thomson Elizabeth , Lappegård Trude , Carlson Marcia , Evans Ann , Gray Edith
Published: January 2014

This article compares mothers’ experience of having children with more than one partner in two liberal welfare regimes (the United States and Australia) and two social democratic regimes (Sweden and Norway). We use survey-based union and birth histories in Australia and the United States and data from national population registers in Norway and Sweden to estimate the likelihood of experiencing childbearing across partnerships at any point in the childbearing career. We find that births with new partners constitute a substantial proportion of all births in each country we study. Despite quite different arrangements for social welfare, the determinants of childbearing across partnerships are very similar. Women who had their first birth at a very young age or who are less well-educated are most likely to have children with different partners. The educational gradient in childbearing across partnerships is also consistently negative across countries, particularly in contrast to educational gradients in childbearing with the same partner. The risk of childbearing across partnerships increased dramatically in all countries from the 1980s to the 2000s, and educational differences also increased, again, in both liberal and social democratic welfare regimes.
Impact of transrectal prostate needle biopsy on erectile function: Results of power Doppler ultrasonography of the prostate
Authors: Tuncel Altug , Toprak Ugur , Balci Melih , Koseoglu Ersin , Aksoy Yagiz , Karademir Alp , Atan Ali
Published: January 2014

We evaluated the impact of transrectal prostate needle biopsy (TPNB) on erectile function and on the prostate and bilateral neurovascular bundles using power Doppler ultrasonography imaging of the prostate. The study consisted of 42 patients who had undergone TPNB. Erectile function was evaluated prior to the biopsy, and in the 3rd month after the biopsy using the first five‐item version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF‐5). Prior to and 3 months after the biopsy, the resistivity index of the prostate parenchyma and both neurovascular bundles was measured. The mean age of the men was 64.2 (47–78) years. Prior to TPNB, 10 (23.8%) patients did not have erectile dysfunction (ED) and 32 (76.2%) patients had ED. The mean IIEF‐5 score was 20.8 (range: 2–25) prior to the biopsies, and the mean IIEF‐5 score was 17.4 (range: 5–25; p < 0.001) after 3 months. For patients who were previously potent in the pre‐biopsy period, the ED rate was 40% (n = 4/10) at the 3rd month evaluation. In these patients, all the resistivity index values were significantly decreased. Our results showed that TPNB may lead to an increased risk of ED. The presence of ED in men after TPNB might have an organic basis.
Acute effects of raisin consumption on glucose and insulin reponses in healthy individuals
Authors: Esfahani Amin , Lam Joanne , Kendall Cyril W. C.
Published: January 2014

Raisins are popular snacks with a favourable nutrient profile, being high in dietary fibre, polyphenols and a number of vitamins and minerals, in addition to being rich in fructose. In light of evidence demonstrating improvements in glycaemic control with moderate fructose intake and low-glycaemic index (GI) fruits, our aim was to determine the GI, insulin index (II) and postprandial responses to raisins in an acute feeding setting. A total of ten healthy participants (four male and six female) consumed breakfast study meals on four occasions over a 2- to 8-week period: meal 1: white bread (WB) (108 g WB; 50 g available carbohydrate) served as the control and was consumed on two separate occasions; meal 2: raisins (R50) (69 g raisins; 50 g available carbohydrate); and meal 3: raisins (R20) (one serving, 28 g raisins; 20 g available carbohydrate). Postprandial glucose and insulin were measured over a 2 h period for the determination of GI, glycaemic load (GL) and II. The raisin meals, R50 and R20, resulted in significantly reduced postprandial glucose and insulin responses when compared with WB (P < 0·05). Furthermore, raisins were determined to be low-GI, -GL and -II foods. The favourable effect of raisins on postprandial glycaemic response, their insulin-sparing effect and low GI combined with their other metabolic benefits may indicate that raisins are a healthy choice not only for the general population but also for individuals with diabetes or insulin resistance.
Anticipating agoraphobic situations: the neural correlates of panic disorder with agoraphobia
Authors: Wittmann A. , Schlagenhauf F. , Guhn A. , Lueken U. , Gaehlsdorf C. , Stoy M. , Bermpohl F. , Fydrich T. , Pfleiderer B. , Bruhn H. , Gerlach A. L. , Kircher T. , Straube B. , Wittchen H.-U. , Arolt V. , Heinz A. , Ströhle A.
Published: January 2014

Background

Panic disorder with agoraphobia is characterized by panic attacks and anxiety in situations where escape might be difficult. However, neuroimaging studies specifically focusing on agoraphobia are rare. Here we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with disorder-specific stimuli to investigate the neural substrates of agoraphobia.

Method

We compared the neural activations of 72 patients suffering from panic disorder with agoraphobia with 72 matched healthy control subjects in a 3-T fMRI study. To isolate agoraphobia-specific alterations we tested the effects of the anticipation and perception of an agoraphobia-specific stimulus set. During fMRI, 48 agoraphobia-specific and 48 neutral pictures were randomly presented with and without anticipatory stimulus indicating the content of the subsequent pictures (Westphal paradigm).

Results

During the anticipation of agoraphobia-specific pictures, stronger activations were found in the bilateral ventral striatum and left insula in patients compared with controls. There were no group differences during the perception phase of agoraphobia-specific pictures.

Conclusions

This study revealed stronger region-specific activations in patients suffering from panic disorder with agoraphobia in anticipation of agoraphobia-specific stimuli. Patients seem to process these stimuli more intensively based on individual salience. Hyperactivation of the ventral striatum and insula when anticipating agoraphobia-specific situations might be a central neurofunctional correlate of agoraphobia. Knowledge about the neural correlates of anticipatory and perceptual processes regarding agoraphobic situations will help to optimize and evaluate treatments, such as exposure therapy, in patients with panic disorder and agoraphobia.
Beyond Aesthetics: Visibility and Invisibility in the Aftermath of Deindustrialization
Authors: High Steven
Published: January 2014

This special issue on “Crumbling Cultures,” the first to appear on deindustrialization in a labor history journal, confirms the historiographical trend away from displaced industrial workers themselves and the cultural meaning of job loss, to a wider reflection on the cultural consequences and representations of deindustrialization. The subject, here, is the cultural agency or resilience of working-class communities broadly defined. This shifting focus reflects the evolving baseline, as the political heat of the 1980s and 1990s cools and rates of unionization plummet. For the most part, the sense of cultural continuity, or working class persistence, so evident in this issue, is found in places where not much has filled the economic and cultural vacuum. As a result, nobody in this issue speaks to the deindustrialization of large metropolitan cities. There, the actions of the state, and middle-class gentrifiers, are weighed and measured as old mills and factories are demolished or converted into condominiums or art spaces. In effect, deindustrialization and the subsequent postindustrial transformation deliver a one-two punch against working-class neighbourhoods and the old culture of industrialism. The resulting break with the industrial past may therefore be greatest where the outward signs of industrial ruination are least visible. The rise of middle-class ruin-gazing within popular culture and the academy, and the global circulation and commodification of these images and experiences, nonetheless raises important questions about its underlying politics. As historian Jackie Clarke has noted elsewhere, what is rendered visible and invisible in a post-industrial era is highly significant.
Her Fight is Your Fight: “Guest Worker” Labor Activism in the Early 1970s West Germany
Authors: Miller Jennifer
Published: January 2014

When the postwar economic boom came to a crashing halt in early 1970s West Germany, foreign “guest workers,” often the first to be laid off, bore the brunt of high inflation, rising prices, declining growth rates, widespread unemployment, and social discontent. Following the economic downturn and the ensuing crisis of stagflation, workers' uprisings became increasingly common in West Germany. The summer of 1973 saw a sharp increase in workers' activism broadly, including a wave of “women's strikes.” However, historical attention to the role of foreign workers, especially of foreign female workers, within these strikes has been limited. This article presents a case study of wildcat strikes spearheaded by foreign, female workers in the early 1970s, focusing specifically on the strikes at the Pierburg Autoparts Factory in Neuss, West Germany. For these foreign women, activism in the early 1970s had a larger significance than just securing better working conditions. Indeed, striking foreign workers were no longer negotiating temporary problems; they were signaling that they were there to stay. Foreign workers' sustained and successful activism challenged the imposed category of “guest worker,” switching the emphasis fromguesttoworker.Ultimately, the Pierburg strikes' outcomes benefited all workers—foreign and German, male and female—and had grave implications for wage discrimination across West Germany as well.
From ‘Amaleh(Labor) toKargar(Worker): Recruitment, Work Discipline and Making of the Working Class in the Persian/Iranian Oil Industry
Authors: Atabaki Touraj
Published: January 2014

The extraction of oil in 1908 and the ensuing construction of an oil refinery, shipping docks and company towns in southwest Persia/Iran opened a new chapter in the nation's labor history. Enjoying absolute monopoly over the extraction, production and marketing of the oil, the Anglo-Persian/Iranian Oil Company (APOC, AIOC, now British Petroleum—BP) embarked on a massive labor recruitment campaign, drawing its recruits primarily from tribal and village-based laboring poor throughout a region. But, in a region where human needs were few and cheap, it was no easy task to persuade young men to leave their traditional mode of life in exchange for industrial milieu with radically different work patterns. Those who did join the oil industry's work force were then subjected to labor discipline of an advanced industrial economy, which eventually contributed to the formation of the early clusters of modern Iran's working class.
A Visual Geography of Chernobyl: Double Exposure
Authors: Davies Thom
Published: January 2014

This article investigates the memories and lived experiences of those who dwell in the deindustrial landscape of Chernobyl in north Ukraine. Taking a visual approach to an invisible issue, the article explores the use of photography as a research tool to examine the ‘hidden spaces of everyday life’ in the shadow of Chernobyl.1The article finds that many people have suffered a ‘double exposure’: once from radiation and then again from the failures of the Ukrainian state. While these communities are exposed as “bare life”2to the risk of nuclear pollution, they also contest official conceptions of radiation through local knowledge, shared memory, and informal activity. The article interrogates the complex ways people perceive, negotiate, and come to terms with the ever-present but unseen menace of radiation. Through these memories, images, and lived experiences of the marginalized, we can begin to make the invisible threat of radiation appear more tangible. Finally, the article provides a short discussion about the use of participant photography in researching the invisible.
Writing the Social History of Labor in the Iranian Oil Industry
Authors: Atabaki Touraj
Published: January 2014

Over the course of the twentieth century, Iran has experienced numerous dramatic events and has undergone radical transformations. The country participated in three major wars (1914–1918, 1941–1945, 1980–1988) that caused enormous human suffering and economic damage; two coup détats (1921, 1953) that altered power relations within the military and political elite; and two revolutions (1905–1909, 1978–1982) that led to fundamental changes in social, political, and cultural relations in Iran and beyond. But the event that, perhaps, has had the most significant impact on the history of twentieth-century Iran was the discovery of oil in 1908.
Heterogeneity of clinical and environmental isolates ofMycobacterium fortuitumusing repetitive element sequence-based PCR: municipal water an unlikely source of community-acquired infections
Authors: THOMSON R. M. , TOLSON C. E. , CARTER R. , HUYGENS F. , HARGREAVES M.
Published: January 2014

M. fortuitumis a rapidly growing mycobacterium associated with community-acquired and nosocomial wound, soft tissue, and pulmonary infections. It has been postulated that water has been the source of infection especially in the hospital setting. The aim of this study was to determine if municipal water may be the source of community-acquired or nosocomial infections in the Brisbane area. Between 2007 and 2009, 20 strains ofM. fortuitumwere recovered from municipal water and 53 patients’ isolates were submitted to the reference laboratory. A wide variation in strain types was identified using repetitive element sequence-based PCR, with 13 clusters of ⩾2 indistinguishable isolates, and 28 patterns consisting of individual isolates. The clusters could be grouped into seven similar groups (>95% similarity). Municipal water and clinical isolates collected during the same time period and from the same geographical area consisted of different strain types, making municipal water an unlikely source of sporadic human infection.
Regional variations and time trends of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in Brazil
Authors: PINTO V. L. , DE SOUSA A. I. , DE LEMOS E. R. S.
Published: January 2014

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a zoonosis and a public health concern in the Americas due to its high fatality rate. Since the first cases were identified in USA in 1993, HPS has been observed over a wide area of the American continents. Over 1600 HPS cases have been confirmed in Brazil since 1993, and different genotypes of hantavirus have been identified in several biomes in this country of continental dimensions. We performed a retrospective study of data from 2001 to 2011 that encompassed all notified cases of HPS in the National Disease Notification System (SINAN) of Brazil to determine the regional differences and temporal trends of the disease. During the study period, 1486 cases were reported, and analyses of the temporal trends of the disease revealed that the number of cases in Brazil increased over this period (P <  0·01). The frequency distributions of the cases stratified by region revealed different patterns of seasonality; however, these patterns were not statistically significant with the exception of the South region (P < 0·05). We found regional differences in the occurrence of the disease throughout the year and a trend towards an increasing number of cases. These findings reinforce the necessity of adjusting surveillance tools and control policies to respond effectively to this public health problem.
Screening for chronic hepatitis B and C in migrants from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, the former Soviet Republics, and Vietnam in the Arnhem region, The Netherlands
Authors: RICHTER C. , TER BEEST G. , GISOLF E. H. , VAN BENTUM P. , WAEGEMAEKERS C. , SWANINK C. , ROOVERS E.
Published: January 2014

Migrants born in hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) endemic countries are at increased risk of being infected with these viruses. The first symptoms may arise when liver damage has already occurred. The challenge is to identify these infections early, since effective treatment has become available. In 2011 we conducted a screening project in first-generation migrants (FGMs) born in Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, the former Soviet Republics, and Vietnam and living in Arnhem and Rheden. All participants were offered free blood screening for HBV and HCV. In total 959 participants were tested, with the country of origin known for 927, equating to 28·7% of all registered FGMs from the chosen countries. Nineteen percent (n = 176) had serological signs of past or chronic HBV infection and 2·2% (n = 21) had chronic HBV infection. The highest prevalence of chronic HBV infection was found in the Vietnamese population (9·5%, n = 12). Chronic HCV was found in two persons from the former Soviet Republics and one from Vietnam. Twenty-four percent (n = 5) of the newly identified patients with chronic HBV and one of the three patients with chronic HCV received treatment. Three of the patients, two with HCV and one with HBV, already had liver cirrhosis. The highest (9·5%) HBV prevalence was found in FGMs from Vietnam, indicating a high need for focusing on that particular immigrant population in order to identify more people with silent HBV infection. The fact that three patients already had liver cirrhosis underlines the necessity of early identification of HBV and HCV infection in risk groups.