bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Introduction Strategies Put to the Test: Local Adaptation versus Heterosis
Authors: VERGEER PHILIPPINE , SONDEREN ESTHER , OUBORG N. JOOP
Published: May 2004

Abstract: Plant biodiversity has declined seriously because of both habitat deterioration and habitat fragmentation. As a result, many species have been forced into small, fragmented, and isolated populations and are believed to suffer from higher extinction risks. Genetic reinforcement and the establishment of new populations are now widely used to prevent extinction. However, the genetic background of transplants may seriously affect the long‐term success of these populations because increased genetic variation may reduce the risk of inbreeding or lead to better performance by restored heterozygosity levels (heterosis). Introduced transplants, however, may be poorly adapted to the new local conditions. We tested the initial success of alternative introduction strategies. We evaluated the potential for inbreeding, heterosis, and/or local adaptation after introduction of artificial populations of Succisa pratensis. We introduced individuals from local and distant artificial populations that were created from either small or large populations. We created the artificial populations with the same census population size but varying effective population sizes by adjusting the relatedness of individuals. We analyzed the demographic consequences of inbreeding, heterosis, and/or local adaptation of these artificial populations. Reduced performance after selfing was manifested by a reduction in seed production, seed weight, germination, and flowering percentage. Seed production, seed weight, flowering percentage, and number of flowerheads were negatively affected by small population size. Local adaptation increased biomass and flowering percentage for local individuals. Seed weight and seed production exhibited significant heterosis. Our results demonstrate that threatened populations can benefit from introduction and genetic reinforcement of individuals from related populations. Significant differences among the artificial populations for several measured performance components suggest that introduction or reinforcement is best achieved through material from a local population or, when unavailable, from several large populations.
Pasture degradation in the central Amazon: linking changes in carbon and nutrient cycling with remote sensing
Authors: Asner Gregory P. , Townsend Alan R. , Bustamante Mercedes M. C. , Nardoto Gabriela B. , Olander Lydia P.
Published: May 2004

The majority of deforested land in the Amazon Basin has become cattle pasture, making forest‐to‐pasture conversion an important contributor to the carbon (C) and climate dynamics of the region. However, our understanding of biogeochemical dynamics in pasturelands remains poor, especially when attempting to scale up predictions of C cycle changes. A wide range of pasture ages, soil types, management strategies, and climates make remote sensing the only realistic means to regionalize our understanding of pasture biogeochemistry and C cycling over such an enormous geographic area. However, the use of remote sensing has been impeded by a lack of effective links between variables that can be observed from satellites (e.g. live and senescent biomass) and variables that cannot be observed, but which may drive key changes in C storage and trace gas fluxes (e.g. soil nutrient status). We studied patterns in canopy biophysical–biochemical properties and soil biogeochemical processes along pasture age gradients on two important soil types in the central Amazon. Our goals were to (1) improve our understanding of the plot‐scale biogeochemical dynamics of this land‐use change, (2) evaluate the effects of pasture development on two contrasting soil types (clayey Oxisols and sandy Entisols), and (3) attempt to use remotely sensed variables to scale up the site‐specific variability in biogeochemical conditions of pasturelands.

The biogeochemical analyses showed that (1) aboveground and soil C stocks decreased with pasture age on both clayey and sandy soils, (2) declines in plant biomass were well correlated with declines in soil C and with available phosphorus (P) and calcium (Ca), and (3) despite low initial values for total and available soil P, ecosystem P stocks declined further with pasture age, as did a number of other nutrients. Spectral mixture analysis of Landsat imagery provided estimates of photosynthetic vegetation (PV) and non‐photosynthetic vegetation (NPV) that were highly correlated with field measurements of these variables and plant biomass. In turn, the remotely sensed sum PV+NPV was well correlated with the changes in soil organic carbon and nitrogen, and available P and Ca. These results suggest that remote sensing can be an excellent indicator of not only pasture area, but of pasture condition and C storage, thereby greatly improving regional estimates of the environmental consequences of such land‐use change.
High‐density lipoprotein and homocysteine levels correlate inversely in preeclamptic women in northern Nigeria
Authors: Vanderjagt Dorothy J. , Patel Rina J. , El‐Nafaty Aliyu U. , Melah George S. , Crossey Michael J. , Glew Robert H.
Published: May 2004

Background.  Preeclampsia/eclampsia is one of the most common complications of pregnancy. It is a cause of high morbidity for both mother and fetus, especially in developing countries. In a recent survey conducted in Gombe, Nigeria, eclampsia was found to be a major cause of maternal mortality (24.2%), second only to obstetric hemorrhage (27.1%). Previous studies have produced contradictory findings regarding total homocysteine (tHcy) levels in women with preeclampsia/eclampsia and there is little information about the relationship between particular serum lipids and tHcy. The objective of this study in Gombe was to compare the levels of serum lipids and homocysteine in healthy pregnant women and women with preeclampsia/eclampsia in Nigeria.

Methods.  The experimental subjects included 43 women with preeclampsia/eclampsia and 130 healthy pregnant women served as controls. The criteria for preeclampsia/eclampsia included the following: hypertension (blood pressure > 140/90 mmHg), total protein (> 190 mg/g creatinine), and edema. Blood sera obtained from patients and controls attending the prenatal clinics at the Specialist Hospital and the Federal Medical Center in Gombe were analyzed for tHcy, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high‐density lipoprotein (HDL)‐cholesterol, low‐density lipoprotein (LDL)‐cholesterol, antioxidant capacity, folate, and vitamin B‐12.

Results.  The mean tHcy concentration for the preeclamptic/eclamptic women was greater than that of the controls (10.1 vs. 8.4 μmol/l, respectively, p = 0.01). The mean concentrations of LDL‐cholesterol and triacylglycerols were not different between the two groups. However, the mean HDL‐cholesterol level was higher in the healthy pregnant women compared with the preeclamptic/eclamptic women (1.64 vs. 1.42 mmol/l, respectively, p = 0.02). The HDL‐cholesterol concentration was correlated inversely with the tHcy concentration (p = 0.001, r = 0.51). Total homocysteine was not linked with either serum folate or vitamin B‐12.

Conclusions.  These results show that preeclampsia/eclampsia is associated with increased tHcy levels and that HDL levels are depressed in Nigerian women with this hypertensive, pregnancy associated disorder.
Etiology and outcome of fetuses with functional heart disease
Authors: Boldt Talvikki , Andersson Sture , Eronen Marianne
Published: May 2004

Background.  The aim of this study was to assess the etiology and outcome of fetuses with functional heart disease as detected by echocardiography.

Methods.  In total, 51 fetuses (median gestation age of 28.6 weeks) were included. The inclusion criteria were hydrops (n = 14), pericardial effusion (PE; n = 9), tricuspid valve regurgitation (TR; n = 8), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM; n = 7) and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM; n = 7). Antenatal management was performed for 17 of 51 fetuses (33%): two abortions, nine digoxin administrations, three thoracocenteses, one pericardial puncture, one blood transfusion and one ascites centesis.

Results.  The etiology of functional heart disease was twin pregnancy in 18, fetal lung lesions in five, maternal diabetes in five, fetal anemia in four, extracardiac or chromosomal abnormalities in three, infection in three, teratoma or arteriovenous malformation in four, indomethacin administration in two, endocardial fibroelastosis in two, maternal anaphylaxia in one, idiopathic arterial calcification of infancy (IACI) in one, pregnancy‐induced hypertension (PIH) in one, and unknown in two fetuses. There was no significant difference between fetuses with and without treatment (53% vs. 79%; p = 0.06). There were two stillbirths and 12 postnatal deaths (29%). Among 35 surviving infants, 85% were free of symptoms in the follow‐up (mean 3.9 years).

Conclusions.  These findings indicate that a functional heart disease in utero is associated with very varying etiology and high mortality. Improved understanding of the hemodynamic findings may lead to treatment that is more successful.
Vaginal hematoma during parturition: a population‐based study
Authors: Saleem Zeyad , Rydhström Håkan
Published: May 2004

Background.  Vaginal hematoma is a rare but painful complication during and after childbirth, with little information in the literature regarding risk factors and management.

Aim.  To study the risk factors in a national population‐based registry.

Setting.  All births in Sweden from 1987 to 2000 inclusive.

Methods.  Data were analyzed using the Mantel–Haenszel technique, with odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI), adjusting for maternal age, parity and birthweight.

Results.  Nulliparity was a strong risk factor (OR 3.63, 95% CI 3.25–4.08), as was maternal age over 29 years and a birthweight exceeding 4000 g. Irrespective of year of delivery the mother stayed an extra 1.3–1.7 days in hospital following this complication.

Conclusion.  Risk factors for vaginal hematoma during delivery include primiparity and a maternal age > 29 years.
Des coquillages… outillages des Ichtyophages? Mise en évidence d'industries sur Veneridae, du Néolithique à l’âge du Fer (Yémen, Oman, E.A.U.)
Authors: Charpentier Vincent , Méry Sophie , Phillips Carl
Published: May 2004

From Yemen to the Arabian/Persian Gulf the coastal societies of Arabia developed an industry utilising bivalve shells (Veneridae). From the Neolithic to the Iron Age these shells were transformed into knives or scrapers, the latter sometimes having a characteristic notch. The majority of these tools are manufactured from the left valve, probably selected by right‐handed people. The shell tools are very standardised and did not replace stone tools; they were probably intended for specific and complementary uses. In Arabia this industry constitutes a specific element of the material culture of the Ichthyophagi.
Out of anonymity—A central location for ‘peripheral’ places through people: the contributions made by Karen Frifelt and Beatrice de Cardi to an understanding of the archaeology of the United Arab Emirates
Authors: Blau Soren
Published: May 2004

This paper documents the contributions made by Karen Frifelt and Beatrice de Cardi to the history of archaeological research in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The events leading up to their study of the material culture from the UAE is reviewed and the effects of working in a Muslim, predominantly male society are discussed. ‘We are no longer obsessed with the facts of the evidence as some kind of solid factual bedrock beyond dispute, but we put more emphasis on the manner in which material culture is ‘‘read’’ by the archaeologist or appropriated in her or his discourse’ (1).
Notes on four miscellaneous shell and organic objects from Sharm
Authors: Barker Diane
Published: May 2004

Four miscellaneous artefacts, which do not correspond to the other major small finds groups, are also included in the Sharm assemblage. Whilst the gastropod shell is positively identified as Tonna luteostoma, the materials and function of the remaining objects are conjectural.
The impact of southeast Arabian intra‐regional trade on settlement location and organization during the Iron Age II period
Authors: Magee Peter
Published: May 2004

The impact of camel domestication on the location and organisation of settlements dating between 1000 and 600 BC in southeastern Arabia is discussed. It is argued that the ability to transport goods across regions that were hitherto inaccessible encouraged settlement growth in previously unsettled areas. Furthermore, access to elite goods such as painted ceramics, iron and incense provided the impetus for the emergence of new forms of political economy. This is highlighted by distributional and compositional analysis of imported materials from the Iron Age II site of Muweilah.
Excavations at Jujah, Shibam, Wadi Hadhramawt
Authors: Hansen Donald P. , Ochsenschlager Edward L. , Al‐Radi Selma
Published: May 2004

The Institute of Fine Arts of New York University excavated at Jujah in the Wadi Hadhramawt for two brief seasons in 1994 and 1995. This report deals with the architectural remains, the pottery and other dating materials. A report of the small finds will appear in a second article.
Eine unvollendete sabäische Urkunde
Authors: Al‐Said Said F. , Weninger Stefan
Published: May 2004

A certificate concerning a transaction in cereal, inscribed in wood, and in Sabaean language is discussed here. The text was never completed. At the beginning of the text at least two words are missing. The reason was probably a mistake in line 2. Of particular interest is the dating. An eponym is mentioned, who was a contemporary of Šā'irum Awtar. It can be assumed that the text was written in the early 3rd ct. A.D.
A new proposal for the lost beginning section of Qatabanic inscription CIAS 47.82/j 1
Authors: Mazzini Giovanni
Published: May 2004

The inscription CIAS 47.82/j 1 is a South Arabian legal document which comes from the ancient kingdom of Qataban. Since the beginning section of the inscription is missing, H×fner proposed a detailed reconstruction of it which however seems to be questionable (particularly the use of the verbal forms: Üry wâfÃ). On the contrary, we may postulate the presence of âgdd (a technical verb meaning to renew) in the missing incipit of the inscription without being able to reconstruct the exact sentence in its entirety. Accordingly, the key word gdyt, occurring in line 1, 6, 8, should be interpreted as $renewal% (in the technical sense of $renewal of edict%) and consequently the whole text might be viewed as a renewal enforced by the Qatabanian king Wrw£l Áyln Yhn¥m. Under this perspective a revaluation of the general content of the text might reveal new interesting results; as a first impression we are allowed to affirm that we are dealing with one more example of the articulated policy of alliance between the royal Qatabanian power and the tribal reality.
Die aramäisch/hebräisch‐sabäische Grabinschrift der Lea
Authors: Wilhelm Nebe G. , Sima Alexander
Published: May 2004

Im Frühjahrsheft von Leŝonenu 2003 hat J. Naveh (1) eine Grabinschrift (Fig. 1) publiziert, die für die Geschichte des Judentums im spätantiken Südarabien von einzigartiger Bedeutung ist. Es handelt sich um eine zweisprachige Inschrift, deren erster Text in Aramäisch und Hebräisch abgefaßt ist, der zweite aber in Sabäisch. Obwohl sich die Verstorbene namens Lea, Tochter des Yehuda, nicht explizit als Sabäerin zu erkennen gibt, kann die Verwendung des Sabäischen doch nur in diesem Sinne gedeutet werden. Es handelt sich bei diesem Fund nicht nur um die erste echte aram./hebr.‐sab. Bilingue (2) sondern zugleich auch um die erste Grabinschrift aus der spätsabäisch‐monotheistischen Periode überhaupt.

 Die Herkunft des Steins ist unbekannt, vermutlich stammt er aus Israel. Der paläographische Befund sowohl der aram./hebr. als auch der sab. Version deutet auf eine Datierung ins frühe 5. Jhd. n. Chr.

 Die Verfasser legen hiermit eine neue, kommentierte Bearbeitung vor, wobei G. Wilhelm Nebe den Abschnitt A verfaßt hat und Alexander Sima den Abschnitt B.
Early South Arabian‐Islamic bilingual inscription from Najran
Authors: Al‐Said Said
Published: May 2004

At the foot of a mountain locally known as ‘Upper Naṣla Mountain' in the centre of Riǧla quarter which lies on the southeastern part of Najran city, an Islamic inscription written in Arabic Kufic script and a reproduction of its contents in Musnad script were recently found. They are located about three metres apart. Beside the Kufic inscription there were two other Islamic inscriptions; one of them belongs to the same person mentioned in the bilingual inscription, whereas the other refers to a different person. These two inscriptions will be included in this paper because of their temporal and spatial link to the bilingual inscription and their historical significance in assisting its dating (1).
A coin in the name of Hawfi'amm Yuhan'im and the sequence of Qatabanian coinages
Authors: Huth Martin
Published: May 2004

The author presents the first known coins in the name of Qatabanian kings Hawfi'amm Yuhan'am and his son Shahr Yagul. While the first coin is a transitional issue linking earlier Qatabanian coins to the so‐called Royal HRB series, the second coin represents the first issue of the Royal HRB series. The numismatic dating of both coins is in agreement with dates provided by K.A.Kitchen for both kings.
The terracotta figurines from ed‐Dur (Umm al‐Qaiwain, U.A.E.): the human representations
Authors: Daems Aurelie
Published: May 2004

The present article proposes an examination of the human terracotta figurines found during the course of eight archaeological seasons carried out by a Belgian team at the coastal site of ed‐Dur in the Emirate of Umm‐al‐Qaiwain. Since most fragments lack a secure archaeological context, the figurines will be studied mainly in comparison with similar data occurring at other contemporary sites throughout the Gulf and Mesopotamia. We shall see that the ed‐Dur figurines appear mostly to be isolated cases coming from abroad instead of objects playing a prominent part in local religious or ritual beliefs.
The softstone vessels from Qarn Bint Sa'ud, Abu Dhabi (U.A.E.)
Authors: Zutterman Christophe
Published: May 2004

This paper draws attention to thirty unpublished Iron Age softstone vessels from Qarn Bint Sa'ud held in the Al Ain Museum. They are compared with softstone vessels from other Iron Age sites in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman and Mesopotamia, in order to study distribution patterns and exchange.
Miniature shell and bone ‘hilts’ or ‘pulleys’ from Sharm
Authors: Barker Diane
Published: May 2004

Thirteen unusual shell and bone objects of contentious function are amongst the small finds from tomb I at Sharm. An inventory of the objects is provided after a discussion of the potential use of the objects is presented.
Eine Sammlung von fragmentarischen altsüdarabischen Inschriften aus dem Jemen
Authors: Hayajneh Hani
Published: May 2004

Mit diesem Artikel folgt nun der vierte Beitrag über die altsüdarabischen Inschriften auf Fotoaufnahmen aus dem Nachlaß des verstorbenen Professors Maḥmūd al‐Ghul (1). Diese Fotos, die er anscheinend selbst während seiner Reisen im Jemen aufgenommen hat, tragen leider keinerlei Hinweise auf die Fundorte der darauf festgehaltenen Inschriften. Allerdings ist sicher, daß einige von ihnen aus der Gegend von al‐/ac>caronūba stammen, nämlich diejenigen, die in Zeichnung und Wortlaut identisch sind mit einigen bereits durch H. von Wissmann in seinem Werk Zur Archäologie und antiken Geographie von Südarabien (Abbildung 11) mit Handzeichnungen publizierten Inschriften (das sind Gl 1583, 1114, 1333, 1341, 1342+1344, 1343, 1345 und 1346 und) (2). Die Inschrift Gl 1111, die durch A. Grohmann als Handzeichnung publiziert wurde (3), wurde im vorliegenden Beitrag anhand von zwei Fotos behandelt. Weitere Inschriften aus der Gegend von al‐/ac>caronūba wurden bereits durch F. Bron aus demselben Nachlaß veröffentlicht (4). Der Rest der Inschriften in der vorliegenden Sammlung ist meines Wissens dem wissenschaftlichen Publikum erstmalig bekannt zu machen.
Responses of jawbone to pressure*
Authors: Carlsson Gunnar E.
Published: May 2004

Objective:  To provide a literature review of bone resorption of edentulous jaws focusing on responses to pressure.

Background:  After the extraction of all teeth in a jaw there is a continuous reduction of the residual ridge. The individual variation of bone resorption is great, and the aetiology is complex and not yet well understood.

Materials and methods:  A search of the literature published up to May 2003 on bone resorption and pressure was performed using PubMed/Medline.

Results:  Animal studies have demonstrated that excessive and constant pressure induces bone resorption. Recent experimental research has indicated that bone resorption is a pressure‐regulated phenomenon with a lower threshold for continuous than for intermittent pressure. Clinical studies have suggested that residual ridge resorption is due more to the effects of denture wearing than to disuse atrophy. However, the results of leaving out dentures at night are not conclusive. Nor does the literature offer any strong evidence for the so‐called combination syndrome, which has been described as a result of unfavourable loading. Clinical studies using multivariate analyses indicate that female gender and systemic factors may be of greater importance than oral and denture factors. Implant‐supported prostheses have a bone preserving effect rather than the continuing resorption under complete dentures.

Conclusions:  The best way to reduce bone resorption is to avoid total extraction, preserve a few teeth and fabricate overdentures. In edentulous jaws, placement of implant‐supported prostheses will lead to less bone loss and may even promote bone growth. To increase our knowledge of residual ridge resorption extended experimental, clinical and statistical methods will be needed, preferably including collaboration between dental and medical researchers.
Functional behaviour of bone around dental implants*
Authors: Stanford Clark M. , Schneider Galen B.
Published: May 2004

Achieving a long‐term stable implant interface is a significant clinical issue when there is insufficient cortical bone stabilisation at implant placement. Clinical outcomes studies suggest that the higher risk implants are those placed in compromised cortical bone (thin, porous, etc.) in anatomical sites with minimal existing trabecular bone (characterised as type IV bone). In establishing and maintaining an implant interface in such an environment, one needs to consider the impact of masticatory forces, the response of bone to these forces and the impact of age on the adaptive capacity of bone. These forces, in turn, have the potential to create localised changes in interfacial stiffness through viscoelastic changes at the interface. Changes in bone as a function of age (e.g. localised hypermineralised osteopetrosis and localised areas of osteopenia) will alter the communication between osteocytes and osteoblasts creating the potential for differences in response of osteoblastic cells in the older population. A key to understanding the biomechanical and functional behaviour of implants in the older population is to control the anticipated modelling and remodelling behaviour through implant design that takes into account how tissues respond to the mechanically active environment.
Oral mucosal and osseous disorders in frail elders*
Authors: MacEntee Michael I. , Nolan Anita , Thomason John M.
Published: May 2004

Objective:  This paper reviews the implications of frailty for oral health in old age due to the incidence of oral pathoses following on mucosal atrophy, tooth loss, trauma from dentures, polypharmacy, malnutrition, salivary disorders, degeneration of jawbone and cancer.

Background:  Frailty as a condition of old age occurs when elders have energy levels below a critical threshold, or when the social or cultural environment is limited.

Results:  Frail elders are particularly vulnerable to pathoses, but not simply because of old age per se. Oral diseases accompanying frailty are due to a complicated mixture of biopsychosocial changes that accompany old age.

Conclusions:  Management of oral mucosal and osseous disorders in frail elders requires an understanding of the changes that occur with advancing age.
Oral health and treatment needs of the long‐term hospitalised elderly
Authors: Peltola Petteri , Vehkalahti Miira M. , Wuolijoki‐Saaristo Kirsti
Published: May 2004

Objectives: To determine the oral health and treatment needs of the long‐term hospitalised elderly.

Setting: The Laakso long‐term hospital, Helsinki, Finland.

Design: A cross‐sectional study with clinical oral examinations.

Subjects: All long‐term patients (n = 260) aged 60 and older.

Main outcome measures: Edentulousness, presence and hygiene of dentures, mucosal findings, number of teeth, functioning teeth and tooth remnants, level of dental hygiene, and need for operative treatment.

Results: Subjects’ mean age was 83.3 years (SD = 8.1); 42% were edentulous, 45% of women and 33% of men (p = 0.12). With no gender difference, 41% had removable dentures, but one in four were considered to be in need of repair or replacement. Denture hygiene was good in 19%, moderate in 44%, and poor in 37%, and for men worse than for women (p = 0.02). Stomatitis was found in 25%, and angular cheilitis in 28% of the denture wearers. The dentate subjects had on average 12.4 (SD = 8.6) teeth with a clear difference by age (p = 0.03), but no difference by gender. Dental hygiene was considered poor. Of the dentate subjects, 37% were in need of restorations, 51% of periodontal therapy and 42% of extractions.

Conclusions: Oral cleanliness should be improved with regards to dentures and teeth. More attention should be focused on dental care of the long‐term hospitalised elderly.
Effects of functional training of dysphagia to prevent pneumonia for patients on tube feeding
Authors: Ueda Koichiro , Yamada Y. , Toyosato A. , Nomura S. , Saitho E.
Published: May 2004

Objective:  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of functional training on outbreak frequency of pneumonia for the elderly dysphagia patients who were being tube fed.

Methods:  Subjects were divided into two groups; one group (n = 10) received oral care (i.e. non‐training group) and the other group (n = 11) received functional training of dysphagia in addition to oral care (i.e. training group). The dental health team treated subjects once a week for 3 years (1999–2001). The frequency of pneumonia outbreaks and changes in activities of daily living scale (ADL) were evaluated for each year.

Result:  It was recognised that the frequency of pneumonia in the training group decreased year by year (p < 0.05). Cognitive items in ADL improved in two subjects of the training group. No statistical differences were recognised in the non‐training group.

Conclusion:  It was suggested that once‐a‐week functional training of dysphagia with professional oral care might be effective in preventing pneumonia for elderly people who were being tube fed.
Remineralisation study of artificial root caries lesions after fluoride treatment. An in vitro study using Electric Caries Monitor and Transversal Micro‐Radiography
Authors: Petersson Lars G. , Kambara Masaki
Published: May 2004

Aims:  To evaluate and compare remineralisation of root caries lesions after in vitro treatment with various fluoride (F) agents using an Electric Caries Monitor (ECM) and Transversal Micro‐Radiography (TMR).

Materials:  Permanent human teeth were extracted and root surface specimens were sectioned, prepared (n = 35), and randomly allocated into seven different experimental groups (groups 1–7).

Methods:  Root surfaces were demineralised in an acidified gel (pH = 5.0) for 3 weeks followed by various F treatments and stored in a standardised remineralising solution at 37°C for 6 weeks. The root surfaces were treated twice daily with different dentifrice slurries for 2 min, either with a neutral placebo dentifrice without F (group 5); or a neutral sodium fluoride (NaF) 1400 p.p.m. F dentifrice (group 1); or a neutral 1250 p.p.m. F dentifrice (group 6); or an acid dentifrice (pH 4.7) with 1400 p.p.m. F containing amine fluoride (AmF) (groups 3 and 4) or a 1250 p.p.m. (pH 4.7) AmF dentifrice (group 6). In groups 1, 2, 5, 6, and 7, the root surfaces were additionally rinsed for 2 min with a neutral non‐F placebo solution. In groups 3 and 4, rinsing were performed for 2 min with an acid (pH 4.7) 250 p.p.m. F solution, containing 125 p.p.m. F as AmF and 125 p.p.m. F as potassium fluoride (KF), once or twice per day respectively. ECM was used to measure electrical resistance on root surfaces at baseline and after 3 and 6 weeks respectively. TMR technique was used to measure and compare root surface lesion depths and mineral loss.

Results:  Six weeks daily treatment with a dentifrice slurry containing AmF followed by rinsing with a combination of equal amounts of AmF and KF solution twice a day showed a statistical significant higher ECM values compared with the other groups. TMR data measuring lesion depths and mineral loss reduction supported the results of the ECM findings.

Conclusions:  Daily application of a dentifrice slurry containing 1400 p.p.m. F as AmF combined with twice daily rinsing with a 250 p.p.m. F solution containing equal amount of AmF and KF significantly remineralise primary root caries lesions in vitro. ECM and TMR are valuable complementary methods in order to analyse the remineralisation processes.
Masticatory performance in 80‐year‐old individuals
Authors: Tatematsu Masashi , Mori Takashi , Kawaguchi Toyozo , Takeuchi Kazuo , Hattori Masami , Morita Ichizo , Nakagaki Haruo , Kato Kazuo , Murakami Taeko , Tuboi Shinji , Hayashizaki Junko , Murakami Hiroshi , Yamamoto Morimasa , Ito Yutaka
Published: May 2004

Objective:  To evaluate the masticatory performance of elderly people at the age of 80 years.

Subjects:  A total of 283 individuals of 80 years of age took part in a general and dental health survey.

Main outcome measures:  A dental examination including the number of remaining teeth, occlusion, prostheses, bite force recording, and a questionnaire regarding masticatory performance were recorded.

Setting:  Five municipalities (Okazaki city, Tokoname city, Tahara town, Atsumi town and Minami‐chita town) in Aichi prefecture, Japan.

Results:  There were 20 or more teeth in 7.4% subjects, and 44.5% were edentulous. Subjects with no occlusion accounted for 77.4% of the total. Subjects with prostheses accounted for 90.8%. Maximum bite force and masticatory ability score for patients with 20 or more teeth or not wearing prostheses were higher than other groups. The non‐wearing prostheses group had a low masticatory ability score.

Conclusion:  Most of the 80‐year‐old individuals recovered their masticatory ability with the assistance of prostheses. Several individuals with 20 or more remaining teeth or without removable dentures present in both jaws had a high score for bite forces and masticatory abilities.
Use of a mandibular advancement device in patients with congestive heart failure and sleep apnoea
Authors: Eskafi Mahmoud , Ekberg EwaCarin , Cline Charles , Israelsson Bo , Nilner Maria
Published: May 2004

Objective:  To evaluate the practical use of the mandibular advancement device (MAD) for treatment of sleep apnoea (SA) in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) over 1 year.

Subjects:  Twenty‐five patients aged 66 ± 8 years (mean ± SD) met the inclusion criteria and were included in the study.

Design:  In a prospective, clinical trial, the apnoea‐hypopnoea index (AHI), a measure of SA, was determined with a portable device. Failure to enter treatment and compliance, adverse events and signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) were examined before intervention and 4–6 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year after intervention.

Results:  Six patients had removable dentures of whom four had complete dentures. Before treatment, eight patients reported minor symptoms of TMD. The AHI fell from 19.3 ± 12.1 to 11.8 ± 9.5 (p = 0.004) with use of the device. In most patients, use of the MAD had no severe effects on the signs and symptoms of TMD. Adverse events such as pain in the temporomandibular joints, soreness in the teeth, and tiredness in the jaws were reported by 10 patients. Dental complications were observed in two patients. Sixty‐four per cent of the patients were still using the MAD at the 1‐year follow‐up.

Conclusions:  Both the general and oral health of CHF patients were important in treatment with a MAD. The MAD therapy had no severe effect on the masticatory system and edentulous patients could be treated.
Scale Errors Offer Evidence for a Perception-Action Dissociation Early in Life
Authors: DeLoache Judy S. , Uttal David H. , Rosengren Karl S.
Published: May 2004

We report a perception-action dissociation in the behavior of normally developing young children. In adults and older children, the perception of an object and the organization of actions on it are seamlessly integrated. However, as documented here, 18- to 30-month-old children sometimes fail to use information about object size and make serious attempts to perform impossible actions on miniature objects. They try, for example, to sit in a dollhouse chair or to get into a small toy car. We interpret scale errors as reflecting problems with inhibitory control and with the integration of visual information for perception and action.
Extra-Large-Pore Zeolites with Two-Dimensional Channels Formed by 14 and 12 Rings
Authors: Paillaud Jean-Louis , Harbuzaru Bogdan , Patarin Joël , Bats Nicolas
Published: May 2004

Stable zeolites that have larger pore apertures and a three-dimensional pore topology are of interest because they could be used to adsorb larger molecules, particularly for application in oil refining. Several large-pore zeolitic materials with channels formed by openings of more than 12 rings are known, but all of them have a one-dimensional channel system that limits their use in catalysis. We report the synthesis and some characterizations of IM-12, a thermally stable germanium-containing zeolite that contains the first two-dimensional channel system with extra-large pores formed by 14- and 12-ring channels.
STRUCTURAL INVESTIGATIONS OF THE MnO–Bi3O3–CdO GLASS SYSTEM BY IR AND RAMAN SPECTROSCOPIES
Authors: ARDELEAN I. , TODOR IOANA , PǍŞCUŢǍ P.
Published: May 2004

Homogeneous glasses are formed in the MnO – Bi 3 O 3– CdO system, up to 50 mol% MnO . For these glasses, IR and Raman spectral measurements are carried out in order to elucidate the local structure. We identify by IR spectroscopy both the structural units BiO 3 and BiO 6. The Raman investigation confirms the prevalence of BiO 6 groups in the glass network for all concentrations. The number of these structural groups progressively increases with MnO content.
AB INITIO CALCULATION OF THE ELECTRONIC AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF TRANSITION METALS AND THEIR NITRIDES
Authors: LI CHENG-BIN , LI MING-KAI , LIU FU-QING , FAN XIANG-JUN
Published: May 2004

The results of ab initio calculations of the bulk moduli (B0) and related structural and electronic properties of selected transition metals and their nitrides are presented. There is a correlation between B0 and valence charge density. B0 does not vary monotonically with the addition of d electrons. Charge density and density of states (DOS) plots enable us to explain it.
ESCAPE RATE TRANSITIONS IN THE Fe8 MOLECULAR MAGNET WITH FOURTH-ORDER TRANSVERSE ANISOTROPY
Authors: PARK CHANG-SOO
Published: May 2004

We study escape rate transitions in the Fe 8 molecular magnet with fourth-order transverse anisotropy in the presence of an external field perpendicular to the easy axis. Direct numerical diagonalization has been employed to investigate the transition type and the transition temperature T0. We find that the first-order transition as well as the second-order transition can exist when the field is applied along the hard axis, while only the second-order transition appears for the field along the medium axis. It is also observed that the transition temperature is increased due to fourth-order transverse anisotropy.
INEXACT GRAPH MATCHING USING EIGEN-SUBSPACE PROJECTION CLUSTERING
Authors: CAELLI TERRY , KOSINOV SERHIY
Published: May 2004

Graph eigenspaces have been used to encode many different properties of graphs. In this paper we explore how such methods can be used for solving inexact graph matching (the matching of sets of vertices in one graph to those in another) having the same or different numbers of vertices. In this case we explore eigen-subspace projections and vertex clustering (EPS) methods. The correspondence algorithm enables the EPC method to discover a range of correspondence relationships from one-to-one vertex matching to that of inexact (many-to-many) matching of structurally similar subgraphs based on the similarities of their vertex connectivities defined by their positions in the common subspace. Examples in shape recognition and random graphs are used to illustrate this method.
FROM IMAGE FEATURES TO SYMBOLS AND VICE VERSA — USING GRAPHS TO LOOP DATA- AND MODEL-DRIVEN PROCESSING IN VISUAL ASSEMBLY RECOGNITION
Authors: BAUCKHAGE CHRISTIAN , BRAUN ELKE , SAGERER GERHARD
Published: May 2004

Graphs and graph matching are powerful mechanisms for knowledge representation, pattern recognition and machine learning. Especially in computer vision their application is manifold. Graphs can characterize relations among image features like points or regions but they may also represent symbolic object knowledge. Hence, graph matching can accomplish recognition tasks on different levels of abstraction.

In this contribution, we demonstrate that graphs may also bridge the gap between different levels of knowledge representation. We present a system for visual assembly monitoring that integrates bottom-up and top-down strategies for recognition and automatically generates and learns graph models to recognize assembled objects. Data-driven processing is subdived into three stages: first, elementary objects are recognized from low-level image features. Then, clusters of elementary objects are analyzed syntactically; if an assembly structure is found, it is translated into a graph that uniquely models the assembly. Finally, symbolic models like this are stored in a database so that individual assemblies can be recognized by means of graph matching. At the same time, these graphs enable top-down knowledge propagation: they are transformed into graphs which represent relations between image features and thus describe the visual appearance of the recently found assembly. Therefore, due to model-driven knowledge propagation assemblies may subsequently be recognized from graph matching on a lower computational level and tedious bottom-up processing becomes superfluous.
GRAPH MATCHING VERSUS GRAPH PARSING IN GRAPHICS RECOGNITION — A COMBINED APPROACH
Authors: LLADÓS JOSEP , SÁNCHEZ GEMMA
Published: May 2004

Symbol recognition is a well-known challenge in the field of graphics recognition. Due to the representational power of graph structures, a number of graph-based approaches are used to answer whether a known symbol appears in a document and under which degree of confidence. In this paper, we review the particularities of graph structures representing technical drawings and we classify them in two categories, depending on whether the structure that they represent consists of prototype patterns or repetitive patterns. The recognition is then formulated in terms of graph matching or graph parsing, respectively. Since some symbols consist of two types of structures, the main contribution of this work is to propose a combined strategy. In addition, the combination of graph matching and graph parsing processes is based on a common graph structure that also involves a graph indexing mechanism. Graph nodes are classified in equivalence classes depending on their local configuration. Graph matching indexes in such equivalence classes using the information of model graph nodes as local descriptors, and then global consistency is checked using the graph edge attributes. On the other hand, representatives of equivalence classes are used as tokens of a graph grammar that guides a parsing process to recognize repetitive structures.
METRICS FOR ATTRIBUTED GRAPHS BASED ON THE MAXIMAL SIMILARITY COMMON SUBGRAPH
Authors: HIDOVIĆ DŽENA , PELILLO MARCELLO
Published: May 2004

Two distance measures for attributed graphs are presented that are based on the maximal similarity common subgraph of two graphs. They are generalizations of two existing distance measures based on the maximal common subgraph. The new measures are superior to the well-known measures based on elementary edit transformations in that no particular edit operations (together with their costs) need to be defined. Moreover, they can deal not only with structural distortions, but also with perturbations of attributes. It is shown that the new distance measures are metrics.
THIRTY YEARS OF GRAPH MATCHING IN PATTERN RECOGNITION
Authors: CONTE D. , FOGGIA P. , SANSONE C. , VENTO M.
Published: May 2004

A recent paper posed the question: "Graph Matching: What are we really talking about?". Far from providing a definite answer to that question, in this paper we will try to characterize the role that graphs play within the Pattern Recognition field. To this aim two taxonomies are presented and discussed. The first includes almost all the graph matching algorithms proposed from the late seventies, and describes the different classes of algorithms. The second taxonomy considers the types of common applications of graph-based techniques in the Pattern Recognition and Machine Vision field.
SIMILARITY MEASURES FOR HIERARCHICAL REPRESENTATIONS OF GRAPHS WITH UNIQUE NODE LABELS
Authors: DICKINSON P. J. , KRAETZL M. , BUNKE H. , NEUHAUS M. , DADEJ A.
Published: May 2004

A hierarchical abstraction scheme based on node contraction and two related similarity measures for graphs with unique node labels are proposed in this paper. The contraction scheme reduces the number of nodes in a graph and leads to a speed-up in the computation of graph similarity. Theoretical properties of the new graph similarity measures are derived and experimentally verified. A potential application of the proposed graph abstraction scheme in the domain of computer network monitoring is discussed.
CLASSIFICATION OF WEB DOCUMENTS USING GRAPH MATCHING
Authors: SCHENKER ADAM , LAST MARK , BUNKE HORST , KANDEL ABRAHAM
Published: May 2004

In this paper we describe a classification method that allows the use of graph-based representations of data instead of traditional vector-based representations. We compare the vector approach combined with the k-Nearest Neighbor (k-NN) algorithm to the graph-matching approach when classifying three different web document collections, using the leave-one-out approach for measuring classification accuracy. We also compare the performance of different graph distance measures as well as various document representations that utilize graphs. The results show the graph-based approach can outperform traditional vector-based methods in terms of accuracy, dimensionality and execution time.
SECOND-ORDER RANDOM GRAPHS FOR MODELING SETS OF ATTRIBUTED GRAPHS AND THEIR APPLICATION TO OBJECT LEARNING AND RECOGNITION
Authors: SANFELIU ALBERTO , SERRATOSA FRANCESC , ALQUÉZAR RENÉ
Published: May 2004

The aim of this article is to present a random graph representation, that is based on second-order relations between graph elements, for modeling sets of attributed graphs (AGs). We refer to these models as Second-Order Random Graphs (SORGs). The basic feature of SORGs is that they include both marginal probability functions of graph elements and second-order joint probability functions. This allows a more precise description of both the structural and semantic information contents in a set of AGs and, consequently, an expected improvement in graph matching and object recognition. The article presents a probabilistic formulation of SORGs that includes as particular cases the two previously proposed approaches based on random graphs, namely the First-Order Random Graphs (FORGs) and the Function-Described Graphs (FDGs). We then propose a distance measure derived from the probability of instantiating a SORG into an AG and an incremental procedure to synthesize SORGs from sequences of AGs. Finally, SORGs are shown to improve the performance of FORGs, FDGs and direct AG-to-AG matching in three experimental recognition tasks: one in which AGs are randomly generated and the other two in which AGs represent multiple views of 3D objects (either synthetic or real) that have been extracted from color images. In the last case, object learning is achieved through the synthesis of SORG models.
MATCHING SEGMENTATION HIERARCHIES
Authors: GLANTZ ROLAND , PELILLO MARCELLO , KROPATSCH WALTER G.
Published: May 2004

When matching regions from "similar" images, one typically has the problem of missing counterparts due to local or even global variations of segmentation fineness. Matching segmentation hierarchies, however, not only increases the chances of finding counterparts, but also allows us to exploit the manifold constraints coming from the topological relations between any two regions in a hierarchy. To define the topological relations we represent a plane image ℐ by a plane attributed graph G and derive a finite topology [Formula: see text] from G. In particular, segmenting ℐ corresponds to taking a topological minor of G which, in turn, is equivalent to coarsening [Formula: see text]. Moreover, each finite topology involved is a coarsening of the standard topology on ℝ2. Then, we construct a weighted association graph GA, the nodes of which represent potential matches and the edges of which indicate topological consistency with respect to [Formula: see text]. Specifically, a maximal weight clique of GAcorresponds to a topologically consistent mapping with maximal total similarity. To find "heavy" cliques, we extend a greedy pivoting-based heuristic to the weighted case. Experiments on pairs of stereo images, on a video sequence of a cluttered outdoor scene, and on a sequence of panoramic images demonstrate the effectiveness of our method.
STRING EDIT DISTANCE, RANDOM WALKS AND GRAPH MATCHING
Authors: ROBLES-KELLY ANTONIO , HANCOCK EDWIN R.
Published: May 2004

This paper shows how the eigenstructure of the adjacency matrix can be used for the purposes of robust graph matching. We commence from the observation that the leading eigenvector of a transition probability matrix is the steady state of the associated Markov chain. When the transition matrix is the normalized adjacency matrix of a graph, then the leading eigenvector gives the sequence of nodes of the steady state random walk on the graph. We use this property to convert the nodes in a graph into a string where the node-order is given by the sequence of nodes visited in the random walk. We match graphs represented in this way, by finding the sequence of string edit operations which minimize edit distance.