bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synergistic effects of nano‐Mn0.4Zn0.6Fe2O4 on intumescent flame‐retarded polypropylene
Authors: Wang Xinlong , Song Ye , Bao Jianchun
Published: July 2008

The melamine salt of 5,5‐dimethyl‐1,3,2‐dioxaphos‐phorinane‐2‐oxide‐2‐hydroxide (IFR100) was used as an intumescent flame retardant in flame‐retarded polypropylene (PP). As a synergistic agent, nano‐Mn0.4Zn0.6Fe2O4 was incorporated into the PP/IFR100 composite at different proportions. The synergistic effects of nano‐Mn0.4Zn0.6Fe2O4 were studied by the limiting oxygen index (LOI) test, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X‐ray diffraction (XRD). The synergistic effect of the nano‐Mn0.4Zn0.6Fe2O4 additive with IFR100 was clearly observed by LOI. The TGA results showed that nano‐Mn0.4Zn0.6Fe2O4 improved the thermal stability of the PP/IFR100 system above 400°C. On the basis of the FTIR and XRD results, it was evident that nano‐Mn0.4Zn0.6Fe2O4 efficiently promoted the formation of a charred layer containing phosphocarbonaceous structures. The SEM micrographs indicated that nano‐Mn0.4Zn0.6Fe2O4 strengthened the structure of the char layer remaining after combustion. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers
A small molecule‐directed approach to control protein localization and function
Authors: Geda Prasanthi , Patury Srikanth , Ma Jun , Bharucha Nike , Dobry Craig J. , Lawson Sarah K. , Gestwicki Jason E. , Kumar Anuj
Published: July 2008

Protein localization is tightly linked with function, such that the subcellular distribution of a protein serves as an important control point regulating activity. Exploiting this regulatory mechanism, we present here a general approach by which protein location, and hence function, may be controlled on demand in the budding yeast. In this system a small molecule, rapamycin, is used to temporarily recruit a strong cellular address signal to the target protein, placing subcellular localization under control of the selective chemical stimulus. The kinetics of this system are rapid: rapamycin‐directed nucleo‐cytoplasmic transport is evident 10–12 min post‐treatment and the process is reversible upon removal of rapamycin. Accordingly, we envision this platform as a promising approach for the systematic construction of conditional loss‐of‐function mutants. As proof of principle, we used this system to direct nuclear export of the essential heat shock transcription factor Hsf1p, thereby mimicking the cell‐cycle arrest phenotype of an hsf1 temperature‐sensitive mutant. Our drug‐induced localization platform also provides a method by which protein localization can be uncoupled from endogenous cell signalling events, addressing the necessity or sufficiency of a given localization shift for a particular cell process. To illustrate, we directed the nuclear import of the calcineurin‐dependent transcription factor Crz1p in the absence of native stimuli; this analysis directly substantiates that nuclear translocation of this protein is insufficient for its transcriptional activity. In total, this technology represents a powerful method for the generation of conditional alleles and directed mislocalization studies in yeast, with potential applicability on a genome‐wide scale. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Surgical Education and Training in Australia and New Zealand
Authors: Collins John P. , Civil Ian D. , Sugrue Michael , Balogh Zsolt , Chehade Mellick J.
Published: July 2008

Surgical education for medical students in Australia and New Zealand is provided by 19 universities in Australia and 2 in New Zealand. One surgical college is responsible for managing the education, training, assessment, and professional development programs for surgeons throughout both countries. The specialist surgical associations and societies act as agents of the college in the delivery of these programs, the extent of which varies among specialties. Historically, surgical training was divided into basic and specialist components with selection required for each part. In response to a number of factors, a new surgical education and training program has been developed. The new program incorporates a single merit‐based national selection directly into the candidate’s specialty of choice. The existing curriculum for each of the nine specialties has been remodeled to a competence‐based format in line with the competence required to undertake the essential roles of a surgeon. New standards and criteria have been produced for accreditation of health care facilities used for training. A new basic surgical skills education and training course has been developed, with simulation playing an increasing role in all courses. Trainees’ progress is assessed by workplace‐based assessment and formal examinations, including an exit examination. The sustained production of sufficient competent surgeons to meet societal needs encompasses many challenges including the recruitment of appropriate graduates and the availability of adequate educational and clinical resources to train them. Competence‐based training is an attractive educational philosophy, but its implementation has brought its own set of issues, many of which have yet to be resolved.
Pulmonary Resection for Metastases from Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Chen Fengshi , Sato Kiyoshi , Fujinaga Takuji , Sonobe Makoto , Shoji Tsuyoshi , Sakai Hiroaki , Miyahara Ryo , Bando Toru , Okubo Kenichi , Hirata Toshiki , Date Hiroshi
Published: July 2008

Background

Pulmonary metastasectomy has become the standard therapy for various metastatic malignancies to the lungs; however, few data have been available about lung metastasectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma. To confirm the role for resection of pulmonary metastases for such tumors, we reviewed our institutional experience.

Methods

Between 1993 and 2005, 12 patients with pulmonary metastases from hepatocellular carcinomas underwent complete pulmonary resection. All patients had undergone curative resection of their primary hepatocellular carcinomas and also had obtained or had obtainable locoregional control of their primaries. Various perioperative variables were investigated retrospectively to analyze the possible prognostic factors for overall survival and pulmonary metastases‐free survival after pulmonary metastasectomy.

Results

Nine patients were male and three were female (median age, 53 (range, 43‐80) years). Overall survival rate after metastasectomy was 80.8%, 57.7%, and 28.9% at 1, 2, and 5 years, respectively. Pulmonary metastases‐free survival rate was 64.2%, 32.1%, and 21.4% at 1, 2, and 5 years, respectively. Five patients presented recurrences in the remaining liver before pulmonary metastases, but hepatic recurrences at this interval did not affect an overall survival after pulmonary metastasectomies. Two patients had undergone living‐related liver transplantation. The maximum tumor size of the pulmonary metastasis < 3 cm was the only favorable prognostic factor for overall survival (P = 0.0006), whereas there was no significant prognostic factor for pulmonary metastases‐free survival.

Conclusions

Pulmonary metastasectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma in selected patients was well justified when the maximum tumor size was <3 cm.
Total Endoscopic Thyroidectomy with Bilateral Breast Areola and Ipsilateral Axillary (BBIA) Approach
Authors: Jeryong K. , Jinsun L. , Hyegyong K. , Eilsung C. , Jiyoung S. , Insang S. , Moonsang A. , Jiyeon K. , Jaeeun H.
Published: July 2008

Background

Endoscopic surgery for thyroid nodules is used by many endocrine surgeons. The present study reviews our experiences with endoscopic thyroidectomy using bilateral breast areola and ipsilateral axillary (BBIA) approach to evaluate its safety and feasibility.

Methods

From June 2003 through November 2007, the study group was comprised of 68 consecutive patients with benign thyroid nodules (66 women; mean age, 33.28 ± 10.3 (range, 15–72) years). A detailed description of the surgical technique is provided.

Results

The mean maximum diameter of the tumor was 3.14 ± 1.61 (range, 1–10.7) cm. Sixty‐five cases were successfully resected with an endoscopic procedure, but three cases were converted to a conventional open procedure due to bleeding. Endoscopic procedures were 61 lobectomies, 2 isthmectomies, and 2 near total thyroidectomies. The mean operating time was 89.93 ± 24.71 (range, 50–170) minutes, and the last 32 cases tended to take less time than the first 33 cases (P = 0.033). No CO2 gas‐related complications, such as subcutaneous emphysema or hypercapnia, were observed. There was no case of permanent recurrent laryngeal nerve injury or hypoparathyroidism. The mean length of the hospital stay was 5.37 ± 1.5 (range, 3–11) days.

Conclusions

Endoscopic thyroidectomy using BBIA approach is safe and feasible. The cosmetic results were considered excellent by all patients. The advantages of this approach are no cervical or chest wall scar, and no significant morbidity.
Inspection of Safety and Accuracy of D2 Lymph Node Dissection in Laparoscopy‐Assisted Distal Gastrectomy
Authors: Kawamura Hideki , Homma Shigenori , Yokota Ryoichi , Yokota Kentaro , Watarai Hiroshi , Hagiwara Masaru , Sato Masanori , Noguchi Keita , Ueki Shinya , Kondo Yukifumi
Published: July 2008

Background

There is a consensus on the indication of laparoscopy‐assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG) for early gastric cancer that needs D1 + α or D1 + β lymph node dissection. However, many gastrointestinal surgeons consider D2 lymph node dissection in LADG to be difficult, therefore, only a few medical institutions have performed D2 lymph node dissection in LADG. We examined the safety and accuracy of D2 dissection in LADG by comparing with open distal gastrectomy (ODG), as the first step to operate on advanced gastric cancer.

Methods

The study population comprised 53 and 67 patients who underwent D2 dissection in LADG or ODG, respectively; with the diagnosis of preoperative depth grade SM, between 2004 and 2006. In D2 lymph node dissection, difficult points are dissections of lymph node along the superior mesenteric vein (No. 14v), along the hepatic artery (No. 12a), and along the proximal splenic artery (No. 11p). We performed these lymph nodes dissection in a fixed process, which was achieved through all improvements.

Results

No significant difference was observed in age, sex, American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) classification, body mass index (BMI), and operative time between two groups. Bleeding volume was significantly lower in LADG (96.5 ± 126.3 ml) than in ODG (221.9 ± 174.8 ml). There was no significant difference in number of dissected lymph nodes between ODG (44.8 ± 15.6) and LADG (49.2 ± 16.1), with no significant difference in degree of pathological stage. The postoperative complication rate was 16.4% for ODG and 5.7% for LADG, and postoperative hospital stay was significantly shorter for LADG (16.7 ± 5.6 days) than for ODG (21 ± 11.4 days).

Conclusions

D2 dissection in LADG can be performed without problems with safety and accuracy, if the surgical team is skilled in the procedures of LADG.
Volar Dislocation of the Fourth and Fifth Carpometacarpal Joints: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Prokopis Peter M. , Weiland Andrew J.
Published: July 2008

We report the treatment of a volar dislocation to the fourth and fifth carpometacarpal (CMC) joints. Plain radiographs were used to evaluate this unusual injury before surgery. Open reduction and internal fixation using K-wires restored the normal anatomic relationships of the CMC joints. This very rare injury is often difficult to recognize. A careful neurologic assessment of the patient is a necessity, as well as obtaining proper radiographs of the hand. A review of the literature is presented.
Arterial–venous endothelial cell fate is related to vascular endothelial growth factor and Notch status during human bone mesenchymal stem cell differentiation
Authors: Zhang Gang , Zhou Jianye , Fan Quanxin , Zheng Zhe , Zhang Fusheng , Liu Xuebin , Hu Shengshou
Published: July 2008

Human bone mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) can differentiate into endothelial cells (ECs), so we aimed to investigate whether hMSCs could also differentiate into a specific arterial or venous ECs. hMSCs were induced to differentiate into ECs using vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Low VEGF concentration (50 ng/ml) upregulated the venous marker gene EphB4, however high concentration (100 ng/ml) upregulated the arterial marker genes ephrinB2, Dll4 and Notch4, and downregulated the venous marker genes EphB4 and COUP‐TFll. This VEGF dose‐dependent induction was largely blocked by inhibition of the Notch pathway in hMSCs treated with γ‐secretase inhibitor. Therefore, differentiation of hMSCs into arterial‐ or venous‐specific ECs depends on VEGF and is regulated by the Notch pathway.
Blueberry husks and multi-strain probiotics affect colonic fermentation in rats
Authors: Bränning C. , Håkansson Å. , Ahrné S. , Jeppsson B. , Molin G. , Nyman M.
Published: August 2008

The aim was to investigate how blueberry husks and/or mixtures of probiotic strains (Lactobacillus crispatusDSM16743,L. gasseriDSM16737 andL. plantarumDSM15313 (LABmix), orBifidobacterium infantisDSM15159 and DSM15161 (BIFmix)) affect colonic fermentation, caecal counts of lactobacilli, bifidobacteria andEnterobacteriaceae, body weight gain, and blood concentrations of carboxylic acids (CA) and ammonia in rats. Dietary fibres in blueberry husks were fermented to 61 % in colon, and the elevated faecal excretion of fibre and protein contributed to the high faecal bulking capacity (1·3). The caecal pool of CA was higher in rats fed blueberry husks than the fibre-free control (P < 0·05), and the propionic acid proportion was higher in the distal colon than in the control group (P < 0·05). Probiotics lowered the caecal amount of CA when added to blueberry husks (P < 0·001), while the propionic acid proportion was higher with LABmix (P < 0·01) than blueberry husks only. The propionic acid and butyric acid concentrations in blood were higher in rats fed blueberry husks and probiotics than those fed blueberry husks only (P < 0·01), implying that the absorption of these acids was facilitated by the bacteria. The caecal counts of lactobacilli, bifidobacteria andEnterobacteriaceaewere lower in rats fed blueberry husks than the control diet (P < 0·05). The body weight gain was partly influenced by the caecal tissue and contents weights, and BIFmix decreased the ammonia concentration in blood (P < 0·05). We conclude that colonic fermentation is differentially affected by dietary fibre and probiotics, which may be of importance when developing foods with certain health effects.
Tonsillectomy may cause altered tongue sensation in adult patients
Authors: Smithard A , Cullen C , Thirlwall A S , Aldren C
Published: July 2008

Objectives:

To determine the frequency of altered tongue sensation following tonsillectomy, and its relationship to different surgical techniques.

Design:

Case–control study.

Setting:

District general hospital.

Participants:

One hundred and four consecutive adults undergoing tonsillectomy, and 43 control patients.

Main outcome measures:

Altered tongue sensation.

Results:

Twenty-eight of 100 patients described altered tongue sensation post-tonsillectomy. No patients in the control group experienced altered tongue sensation. There was a difference in rates of altered sensation between tonsillectomy patient groups undergoing bipolar diathermy and ‘cold steel’ techniques (p < 0.019). Three months after surgery, 22/23 contactable patients reported complete recovery of tongue sensation. One patient experienced tongue paraesthesia persisting until one year post-tonsillectomy.

Conclusion:

Tonsillectomy resulted in altered tongue sensation in 28 per cent of our study group. Bipolar diathermy dissection was significantly more likely to cause altered sensation than cold steel dissection. Ninety-six per cent of these disturbances resolved by three months, all by one year. Possible alteration of tongue sensation should be discussed whilst obtaining consent for tonsillectomy.
Anxiety in middle adulthood: effects of age and time on the 14-year course of panic disorder, social phobia and generalized anxiety disorder
Authors: Ramsawh H. J. , Raffa S. D. , Edelen M. Orlando , Rende R. , Keller M. B.
Published: July 2008

Background

Much about the long-term course of anxiety disorders is unknown. The present study utilizes a naturalistic, longitudinal, short-interval follow-up design to elucidate the course of anxiety disorders over 14 years in a largely middle-aged adult sample recruited from out-patient psychiatry and primary care facilities.

Method

The sample consisted of 453 participants with a diagnosis of panic disorder (PD), social phobia (SP) and/or generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Anxiety symptom ratings were tracked using weekly psychiatric status ratings (PSRs). Controlling for demographic and clinical variables, the course of PD, GAD and SP were examined using longitudinal growth models, with the most severe PSR at each follow-up point as the main outcome variable.

Results

PSRs significantly decreased in severity over time in each of the three disorders. In the interaction effects models, age×time had a significant effect on course for PD and GAD, but not for SP, in that older age was associated with lower PSRs over time.

Conclusions

The present findings suggest that the severity of anxiety disorders declines over time, although this decline is modest and depends on the specific disorder being assessed. Older individuals with PD and GAD have a better prognosis than their younger counterparts, as their course is characterized by a steeper decline in severity. The present findings provide important information about the course of anxiety disorders in mid-life.
Cognitive impairment in unipolar depression is persistent and non-specific: further evidence for the final common pathway disorder hypothesis
Authors: Reppermund S. , Ising M. , Lucae S. , Zihl J.
Published: July 2008

Background

Cognitive performance is often impaired in depression, and these impairments can persist even after remission from psychopathological symptoms. However, it is still unclear whether cognitive dysfunction is associated with psychopathological symptoms or represents a genuine disorder. This study examined cognitive performance in acute depression, after remission, and 6 months after remission in order to determine the nature and specificity of cognitive dysfunction as well as its relevance for the further course of depression.

Method

Assessments of cognitive function and psychopathology were carried out on admission and prior to discharge in 53 in-patients with unipolar depression. Twenty patients were retested 6 months after discharge. To correct for practice effects, 13 healthy subjects were included and assessed twice with the same cognitive tests.

Results

In acute depression, we found impairments of information processing/attention, memory, and executive functions. Cognitive impairments remained in a high proportion of patients, even after remission of psychopathological symptoms. After correcting for practice effects, a significant improvement was observed only for some tests of executive functioning. Severity of depression was only weakly correlated with one single cognitive measure, indicating that psychopathological and neuropsychological symptoms are dissociable. Furthermore, we found no evidence for specific cognitive dysfunction.

Conclusions

Our results support the hypothesis that cognitive impairments in depression are neither selective nor specific; they have trait-like features and are, therefore, not merely an epiphenomenon of depression. Whether or not cognitive dysfunction is a prognostic marker for the course of depression remains still an open issue.
The Power of the International Court of Justice to Indicate Provisional Measures to Prevent the Aggravation of a Dispute
Authors: PALCHETTI PAOLO
Published: July 2008

The article aims at examining, in the light of the practice of the International Court of Justice, some issues concerning the power of the Court to indicate provisional measures to prevent the aggravation or extension of a dispute. While the existence of a power to indicate non-aggravation measures appears to be well established in the Court's case law, the scope of this power has proved to be a more controversial issue. This study argues that, by attaching relevance to the element of aggravation, the Court has been able to indicate measures that are not strictly needed to prevent a risk of irreparable harm but which at any rate contribute to a greater protection of the rights of the parties; at the same time, however, the Court has so far refrained from regarding the risk of aggravation as a circumstance which may justify a less stringent evaluation of the other conditions that normally need to be satisfied for the granting of interim protection under Article 41 of the ICJ Statute.
Resolution of International Disputes: The Role of the Permanent Court of Arbitration – Reflections on the Centenary of the 1907 Convention for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes
Authors: VAN DEN HOUT TJACO T.
Published: July 2008

The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) was established at the first Hague Peace Conference in 1899. During the past decade the PCA has progressed from a period of relative inactivity to a previously unsurpassed caseload. In this article the Secretary-General of the PCA reflects on the creation and early development of the PCA, before giving a detailed overview of recent arbitrations conducted under PCA auspices. The first part of this review, concerning treaty-based arbitration, analyses the role of the PCA in the resolution of disputes under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, illustrated by the arbitrations conducted in the Guyana/Suriname, Barbados/Trinidad, Malaysia/Singapore, and Ireland/United Kingdom (MOX Plant) disputes. The second part, which focuses on ad hoc arbitration, outlines the recently concluded arbitrations in the Iron Rhine (Belgium/Netherlands) and Eritrea/Yemen cases, as well as the work of the Eritrea–Ethiopia Boundary Commission and Claims Commission.
What Happens to the Acquitted?
Authors: HELLER KEVIN JON
Published: July 2008

According to the ICTR, Emmanuel Bagambiki is an innocent man. The trial chamber and the Appeals Chamber have each unanimously acquitted the former Prefect of Cyangugu of crimes relating to Rwanda's horrific 1994 genocide. And on 19 July 2007 Bagambiki was reunited with his wife in children in Belgium, having been granted asylum a few days earlier. It is tempting to conclude that justice has been done in Bagambiki's case. That conclusion, however, would be too facile: Bagambiki was acquitted in February 2006, nearly 18 months before his family reunion. In the interim he lived in a safe house in Arusha paid for by the United Nations, wanted by Rwanda for trial on related charges and unable to convince Belgium that he posed no danger to its peace and security. Bagambiki, moreover, is one of the lucky ones: the nightmare of being free but having nowhere to go continues for two of his acquitted roommates in the safe house, Andre Ntagerura and Andre Rwamakuba, Rwanda's Minister of Transport and former Minister of Education respectively. Bagambiki's ordeal and Rwamakuba and Ntagerura's ongoing plight illustrate one of the basic problems facing international criminal tribunals: what to do with the acquitted. An acquitted defendant normally has two options: return to his country of origin, or find a third country that will grant him asylum. Both options, however, have been problematic for defendants acquitted by the ICTR and are likely to prove equally problematic for defendants who may be acquitted in the future by the ICC. This short essay explains why – and identifies what the international community should do about it.
‘AmendedMost Serious Crimes’: A New Category of Core Crimes within the Jurisdiction but out of the Reach of the International Criminal Court?
Authors: CORACINI ASTRID REISINGER
Published: July 2008

Article 121(5) Rome Statute provides for a specific regime for amendments to Articles 5–8 of the Statute. Its final clause precludes the exercise of the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court over a crime covered by an amendment when committed by a national or on the territory of a state party which has not accepted the amendment. This provision has been understood as derogating from the Statute's general rules on jurisdiction. The present article argues that a stringent reading of the clause as well as a systematic and teleological approach warrant an alternative interpretation in conformity with the jurisdictional system of the Statute.
Exploring the social and political Are architects still relevant to architecture?
Authors: Berglund Eeva
Published: July 2008

‘Alternate Currents’, held in Sheffield's Showroom Cinema in late November, set out to politicise architectural practice. Part of an AHRC-funded project on alternative architectural practices, it was convened by the University of Sheffield's Tatjana Schneider and Jeremy Till (whose introduction follows this report). The event was an invitation to go beyond the normative, specifically by dealing with architecture's economic, political and social dimensions. Although it was mixed in all respects, for me, trained in social anthropology, two issues emerged as particularly interesting.
Architect of light and sound: interview with Juha Leiviskä
Authors: Mayow Nicholas
Published: July 2008

Juha Leiviskä, winner of the 2008 Antonio Feltrinelli International Prize for Architecture and Town planning, is widely recognised as Finland's leading architect. From the beginning of his career, his work has remained outside the mainstream of modern architecture, and it was already apparent in his competition entries in the 1960s that he was creating a characteristic language of form based on his own architectural values and experiences, and operating in a subtle interaction with the surroundings. Simo Paavilainen spoke to Juha Leiviskä at his home in Helsinki in spring 2004, and the interview appears here for the first time in translation.
Strategies for a better world
Authors: Gandolfi Emiliano
Published: July 2008

A different world is possible [1]. The work of an increasing number of architects reveals a renewed social interest and aspiration to define new instruments for coping with the issues of our cities. These architects do not subscribe to the agendas of bureaucrats, authorities and market players. Instead they listen to people's remarks, understand their problems and develop tools that stimulate people to think critically and actively about the built environment. For these activists, architecture goes beyond just designing buildings. It has to identify the needs of people and possible forms of aggregation, while stimulating processes that will enable us to live better. Groups like Team 10 and the movements of the '70s laid the bases of these practices, but unlike the past century, today every project becomes a sensitisation campaign that involves the community at the local level and that stimulates collective processes, spontaneous creativity and activism in order to incite a new political role for architecture.
A theory of making: methodology and process in architectural practice
Authors: Tozer William
Published: July 2008

This paper sets out to challenge assumptions about both normative practice and alternative practice. A historical case study of alternative practice is used to re-read the nature of architectural production since the modern period, and a contemporary mode of alternative practice is proposed which operates within the established profession but is informed by this alternative reading [1, 2]. This proposal seeks to remain fully engaged with the production of the built environment, using to its advantage rather than resisting the mechanisms of the profession.
Form-Trans-Inform: the ‘poetic’ resistance in architecture
Authors: Stratford Helen , Petrescu Doina , Petcou Constantin
Published: July 2008

In Nicolae Ceausescu's ‘Systematisation’ programme, implemented across Romania throughout the 1980s, power was played out in acts of building. The city of Bucharest provided a visible symbol of the centralisation of authority, manifest in the construction of the Boulevard of the Victory of Socialism and the House of the People. Beginning from this historical context, this paper revisits the work of one group of student architects in Romania, Form-Trans-Inform, who used spatial practices to question orthodoxies in architecture around them as protests against repressions under the monolithic Ceausescu regime.
Diabetes mellitus
Authors: Zeyfang Andrej
Published: July 2008

Diabetes mellitus ist mit einer Prävalenz von etwa 25% bei den 75 bis 80-Jährigen eine der größten Alterserkrankungen. Es besteht eine starke Wechselwirkung zwischen dem Vorliegen und der Einstellung eines Diabetes und der Ausprägung geriatrischer Syndrome. Dass ältere Menschen mit Diabetes stärker unter geriatrischen Syndromen leiden als Gleichaltrige ohne Diabetes ist eine Beobachtung, die zunehmend mit den Erkenntnissen der molekularen Basis von «Frailty» erklärt werden kann. So spielen die «advanced glycation end products» (AGEs), entzündliche Zytokine wie IL-6 oder TNF-α oder auch Proteinkatabolismus bei Insulinmangel eine wichtige Rolle. Möglicherweise lässt sich durch eine bessere Diabetesbehandlung, insbesondere durch die anabole Wirkung der Insulintherapie, Frailty aufhalten oder vermeiden.
Inkontinenz
Authors: Braun Anke K. , Pfisterer Mathias H.-D.
Published: July 2008

Die Harninkontinenz ist ein häufiges Problem und betrifft über 50% der in Altenpflegeinrichtungen lebenden älteren Menschen. Man unterscheidet verschiedene Formen, die Drang-, Stress- (Belastungs-), Überlauf- (Harnretention), und extraurethrale Inkontinenz. Die Pathogenese der Harninkontinenz betagter Menschen ist meist multifaktoriell. Häufig sind physiologische Altersveränderungen, psychische Faktoren, urologische, gynäkologische, neurologische und funktionelle Probleme in unterschiedlichem Ausmaß miteinander kombiniert. Diese Ursachen können in einem engen Zusammenhang mit Gebrechlichkeit gesehen werden. Da Inkontinenz einerseits wesentlich zur Dekompensation vorhandener gesundheitlicher Reserven beitragen kann und andererseits ein Indikator von Gebrechlichkeit ist, ist eine frühzeitige Diagnostik und entsprechende Behandlung von Bedeutung. Zur Basisdiagnostik der Inkontinenz gehören gezielte körperliche Untersuchung sowie Anamnese, das Führen eines Toilettentagebuches und die Restharnbestimmung. Bei der Diagnostik und Therapie gilt es vor allem reversible Ursachen zu erkennen und zu behandeln. Verhaltensinterventionen wie Toilettentraining können selbst bei funktionell schwer beeinträchtigten Betroffenen die Schwere der Harninkontinenz reduzieren. Gebrechliche und funktionell eingeschränkte ältere Menschen mit Dranginkontinenz sprechen häufig nicht gut auf eine medikamentöse Therapie an. Unabdingbar für eine sichere Versorgung inkontinenter Menschen ist jedoch die Anleitung der Betroffenen und – wo erforderlich – der sie Pflegenden in der Handhabung von Inkontinenz-Hilfsmitteln.
Moderne Intensivmedizin
Authors: Heppner Hans Jürgen , Schmitt Katrin , Esslinger Adelheid Susanne
Published: July 2008

Frailty als eigenständiges geriatrisches Syndrom lässt den betagten Patienten empfindlicher auf äußere Einflüsse und akute Erkrankungen reagieren und dies kann den Verlust von Funktionalität zur Folge haben. Im Rahmen der intensivmedizinischen Behandlung geriatrischer Patienten ist Frailty mit einem komplikativen Verlauf, einer erschwerten Rekonvaleszenz und nicht zuletzt mit einer höheren Mortalität assoziiert. Moderne Intensivmedizin fordert die Kenntnis geriatrischer Syndrome und das Wissen um die Physiologie des Alterns ein. Die Bedeutung von Frailty für die Intensivmedizin soll im Folgenden anhand von ausgewählten Krankheitszuständen beispielhaft dargestellt werden.
Observations and analyses of upper ocean responses to tropical storms and hurricanes in the vicinity of Bermuda
Authors: Black W. J. , Dickey T. D.
Published: August 2008

A circular region within a radius of 400 km of Bermuda has been struck by 188 tropical storms or hurricanes from 1851 through 2005 and by 20 since 1995. Here we describe new direct and remote sensing observations and analyses of recent events near the Bermuda Testbed Mooring including Hurricane Fabian (2003), Tropical Storm Harvey (2005) and Hurricane Nate (2005). The most impressive upper ocean response of the recent events was produced by Hurricane Fabian when SST cooling exceeded 3.5°C, vertical mixing occurred to a depth of greater than 130 m, and upper ocean currents reached 100 cm s−1. Fabian also triggered an ocean color event visible in SeaWiFS satellite images. Related implications include improved estimates of the roles of tropical cyclones in driving meridional overturning circulation (MOC) and testing of hypotheses concerning warming of the tropical oceans which could cause more intense tropical storms and hurricanes.
Modeling of sea salt in a regional climate model: Fluxes and radiative forcing
Authors: Zakey A. S. , Giorgi F. , Bi X.
Published: July 2008

The Regional Climate Model (RegCM) is used as the modeling framework for regional‐scale sea‐salt simulations. This is the first step toward the use of a regional climate model to study sea‐salt radiative effects on regional climate, and it is the first published attempt to include radiatively active sea‐salt aerosols within a regional climate modeling framework. A sea‐salt generation module including both fine and coarse particle modes is coupled and assessed within the RegCM system in terms of its ability to simulate sea salt at the regional scale. The model is tested for three prominent sea‐salt‐producing areas, the Mediterranean Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the northern Atlantic Ocean. In all these regions it shows a good performance in simulating sea‐salt fluxes and concentrations compared to available observations or other modeling systems. We also assess the simulation of sea‐salt radiative forcing by comparison with satellite observations of aerosol optical depth, showing that accumulation mode particles may have a dominant role in sea salt–radiation interactions.
Optical constants of ice from the ultraviolet to the microwave: A revised compilation
Authors: Warren Stephen G. , Brandt Richard E.
Published: July 2008

A compilation of the spectral absorption coefficient of ice Ih is presented for temperatures near the melting point, superseding the compilation of Warren (1984). Significant changes are made to nearly all spectral regions. The blue and near‐ultraviolet absorption is much weaker than the prior estimates, which were already very small. The near‐infrared absorption coefficient differs by as much as a factor of 2 from the prior compilation at some wavelengths. The midinfrared absorption coefficient is rather uncertain in the weakly absorbing regions near 9 and 20 μm. New far‐infrared measurements at low temperatures are extrapolated to higher temperatures, which shifts the peak positions. New microwave measurements find absorption much weaker than previously reported, by factors of 2–5. The real part of the index of refraction is computed using Kramers‐Kronig analysis; it differs from the prior compilation only in the far infrared. Tables of the revised optical constants are available on a website.
Response and dendroclimatic implications of δ13C in tree rings to increasing drought on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Liu Xiaohong , Shao Xuemei , Wang Lily , Liang Eryuan , Qin Dahe , Ren Jiawen
Published: July 2008

The stable carbon isotope composition (δ13C) of tree rings in a climate‐sensitive region can provide a retrospective view of changes in environment and climate. Here, we report on the development of the first annually resolved δ13C tree ring chronology obtained from natural forests on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. Climate data show a warming trend and more frequent droughts occurring in the research region since the 1970s. The isotope record of Qinghai spruce (Picea crassifolia) spans the period 1890–2002 with a general decreasing trend over the last century followed by an abrupt increase in δ13C over the last decade. The stable carbon discrimination against heavier atmospheric carbon (Δ13C) is negatively correlated to May temperature and positively correlated with June–July precipitation. The regional Palmer drought severity index (PDSI) correlated significantly with Δ13C series after 1960, whereas this relationship was not stable over the period 1933–1960. However, much stronger correlations were observed between the high‐frequency anomalies in annual Δ13C and PDSI in June and July during the period 1933–2002. The temporal stability analysis revealed trends in the response to drought stress affecting tree's Δ13C linked to climatic warming. Intrinsic water‐use efficiency increased by 7.7% in Qinghai spruce in response to increased severity of regional drought during the 1990s compared to the average of the previous decade. Our preliminary results suggest that carbon isotope in certain tree taxa growing on Tibetan Plateau may be an effective proxy for reconstructing regional drought.
Interpreting sea surface temperature from strontium/calcium ratios in Montastrea corals: Link with growth rate and implications for proxy reconstructions
Authors: Saenger Casey , Cohen Anne L. , Oppo Delia W. , Hubbard Dennis
Published: July 2008

We analyzed strontium/calcium ratios (Sr/Ca) in four colonies of the Atlantic coral genus Montastrea with growth rates ranging from 2.3 to 12.6 mm a−1. Derived Sr/Ca–sea surface temperature (SST) calibrations exhibit significant differences among the four colonies that cannot be explained by variations in SST or seawater Sr/Ca. For a single coral Sr/Ca ratio of 8.8 mmol mol−1, the four calibrations predict SSTs ranging from 24.0° to 30.9°C. We find that differences in the Sr/Ca–SST relationships are correlated systematically with the average annual extension rate (ext) of each colony such that Sr/Ca (mmol mol−1) = 11.82 (±0.13) – 0.058 (±0.004) × ext (mm a−1) – 0.092 (±0.005) × SST (°C). This observation is consistent with previous reports of a link between coral Sr/Ca and growth rate. Verification of our growth‐dependent Sr/Ca–SST calibration using a coral excluded from the calibration reconstructs the mean and seasonal amplitude of the actual recorded SST to within 0.3°C. Applying a traditional, nongrowth‐dependent Sr/Ca–SST calibration derived from a modern Montastrea to the Sr/Ca ratios of a conspecific coral that grew during the early Little Ice Age (LIA) (400 years B.P.) suggests that Caribbean SSTs were >5°C cooler than today. Conversely, application of our growth‐dependent Sr/Ca–SST calibration to Sr/Ca ratios derived from the LIA coral indicates that SSTs during the 5‐year period analyzed were within error (±1.4°C) of modern values.
Attached and suspended microbial communities in a pristine confined aquifer
Authors: Flynn Theodore M. , Sanford Robert A. , Bethke Craig M.
Published: July 2008

We compare the community of microbes attached to the sediments in a pristine confined aquifer to the free‐floating community suspended in the groundwater there. We sampled the attached microbial community at 19 wells completed in the glacial Mahomet aquifer in east central Illinois using in situ samplers, and we sampled the suspended community by filtering microbes from groundwater. At each well, we profiled the two communities using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism and compared the profiles we obtained with multivariate statistical analyses. Some populations at a well are detected both in the attached and suspended communities, but the shared populations represent, on average, only one third of each community; the remaining populations are detected exclusively in one community or the other. Clones closely related to the iron‐reducing bacteria Geobacter and Geothrix represent more than 20% of the total attached community detected at many wells, but at no well do they make up more than 1% of the suspended community. To fully characterize the microbial community in an aquifer, it may be necessary to sample the attached as well as suspended communities.
Petrography of the dike‐gabbro transition at IODP Site 1256 (equatorial Pacific): The evolution of the granoblastic dikes
Authors: Koepke J. , Christie D. M. , Dziony W. , Holtz F. , Lattard D. , Maclennan J. , Park S. , Scheibner B. , Yamasaki T. , Yamazaki S.
Published: July 2008

The Ocean Drilling Program (ODP)/Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) three‐leg campaign at Site 1256 (Leg 206, Expeditions 309 and 312) provides the first continuous in situ sampling of fast spread ocean crust from the extrusive lavas, through the sheeted dikes, and down into the uppermost gabbros (Cocos plate; East Pacific Rise; eastern equatorial Pacific). The lowest ∼60 m of the dikes above the gabbros were transformed to “granoblastic dikes” through a metamorphic overprint characterized by two‐pyroxene domains formed under granulite‐facies conditions. Equilibrium temperatures estimated by the two‐pyroxene thermometer range between 930°C and 1050°C, implying that conditions within the granoblastic zone were appropriate for hydrous anatexis, with the potential to generate partial melts of trondhjemitic composition. The downhole evolution of the granoblastic overprint is expressed by systematic changes in texture, phase composition, and calculated equilibrium temperature, consistent with thermal metamorphism by a deeper heat source. Thermal modeling implies a long‐lasting heat source located beneath the granoblastic dikes, providing thermal energy over several thousands of years. The most likely such source is a steady state, high‐level axial magma chamber (AMC) located at the base of the sheeted dike section. We interpret the interval of granoblastic dikes as part of a dynamic conductive boundary overlying the AMC.
Radar polarimetric signatures of fire plumes in Oklahoma
Authors: Melnikov V. M. , Zrnic D. S. , Rabin R. M. , Zhang P.
Published: July 2008

Radar observations of wild fire plumes in Oklahoma carried out with the prototype of dual polarization S‐band WSR‐88D weather radar are presented. The observations show that the copolar correlation coefficients between horizontally and vertically polarized returns in the plumes are mostly less than 0.4 and this can be used in identification of plumes.
Plasma sheath structures around a radio frequency antenna
Authors: Tu Jiannan , Song Paul , Reinisch Bodo W.
Published: July 2008

A one‐dimensional particle‐in‐cell (PIC) simulation code is developed to investigate plasma sheath structures around a high‐voltage transmitting antenna in the inner magnetosphere. We consider an electrically short dipole antenna assumed to be bare and perfectly conducting. The oscillation frequency of the antenna current is chosen to be well below the electron plasma frequency but higher than the ion plasma frequency. The magnetic field effects are neglected in the present simulations. Simulations are conducted for the cases without and with ion dynamics. In both cases, there is an initial period, about one‐fourth of an oscillation cycle, of antenna charging because of attraction of electrons to the antenna and the formation of an ion plasma sheath around the antenna. With the ion dynamics neglected, the antenna is charged completely negatively so that no more electrons in the plasma can reach the antenna after the formation of the sheath. When the ion dynamics are included, the electrons impulsively impinge upon the antenna while the ions reach the antenna in a continuous manner. In such a case, the antenna charge density and electric field have a brief excursion of slightly positive values during which there is an electron sheath. The electron and ion currents collected by the antenna are weak and balance each other over each oscillation cycle. The sheath–plasma boundary is a transition layer with fine structures in electron density, charge density, and electric field distributions. The sheath radius oscillates at the antenna current frequency. The calculated antenna reactance is improved from the theoretical value by 10%, demonstrating the advantage of including the plasma sheath effects self‐consistently using the PIC simulations. The sheath tends to shield the electric field from penetrating into the plasma. There is, however, leakage of an electric field component with significant amplitude into the plasma, implying the applicability of the high‐voltage antennas in whistler wave transmission in the inner magnetosphere.
Osteoclast differentiation and function in aquaglyceroporin AQP9‐null mice
Authors: Liu Yangjian , Song Linhua , Wang Yiding , Rojek Aleksandra , Nielsen Søren , Agre Peter , Carbrey Jennifer M.
Published: July 2008

Background information. Osteoclasts are cells specialized for bone resorption and play important roles in bone growth and calcium homoeostasis. Differentiation of osteoclasts involves fusion of bone marrow macrophage mononuclear precursors in response to extracellular signals. A dramatic increase in osteoclast cell volume occurs during osteoclast biogenesis and is believed to be mediated by AQP9 (aquaporin 9), a membrane protein that can rapidly transport water and other small neutral solutes across cell membranes.

Results. In the present study we report an increase in expression of AQP9 during differentiation of a mouse macrophage cell line into osteoclasts. Bone marrow macrophages from wild‐type and AQP9‐null mice differentiate into osteoclasts that have similar morphology, contain comparable numbers of nuclei, and digest synthetic bone to the same extent. Bones from wild‐type and AQP9‐null mice contain similar numbers of osteoclasts and have comparable density and structure as measured by X‐ray absorptiometry and microcomputed tomography.

Conclusions. Our results confirm that AQP9 expression rises during osteoclast biogenesis, but indicate that AQP9 is not essential for osteoclast function or differentiation under normal physiological conditions.
Functional Dysphonia During Mental Imagery: Testing the Trait Theory of Voice Disorders
Authors: van Mersbergen Miriam , Patrick Christopher , Glaze Leslie
Published: July 2008

Purpose

Previous research has proposed that persons with functional dysphonia (FD) present with temperamental traits that predispose them to their voice disorder. We investigated this theory in a controlled experiment and compared them with social anxiety (SA) and healthy control (HC) groups.

Method

Twelve participants with FD, 19 participants with SA, and 23 HC participants were studied before, during, and after mental imagery of positive, neutral, and aversive scripts in a within-subject reversal paradigm with multiple experimental conditions using psychometric, self-report, and psychophysiological measures.

Results

In psychometric tests, those with FD demonstrated increased fear in social situations but not increased avoidance. On measures of mood, all groups responded with predicted increases in pleasant mood for positive scripts and unpleasant mood for aversive scripts; on vocal effort ratings, those with FD reported greater effort for all scripts following imagery. Under experimentally controlled conditions, the SA and HC groups demonstrated predicted activation of EMG measures of mood, whereas the FD group demonstrated overall reduced activation of EMG measures.

Conclusion

Results may suggest that those with FD respond to emotional stimuli with reduced behavioral expression, compared with SA and HC groups, consistent with the temperamental trait of behavioral constraint.