bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Self-Administration of Medications Program to Identify and Address Potential Barriers to Adherence in Elderly Patients
Authors: Tran Tim , Elliott Rohan A , Taylor Simone E , Woodward Michael C
Published: January 2011

BACKGROUND:

Inpatient self-administration of medications programs (SAMPs) improve the medication knowledge and adherence of elderly patients after their discharge from the hospital. They may also identify patients who will have difficulties managing their medications after discharge; however, no previous study has evaluated the value of a SAMP for detecting and addressing barriers to adherence.

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate the usefulness of a SAMP for detecting and addressing barriers to adherence in functionally impaired elderly hospital inpatients, and to identify predictors of patient performance in a SAMP.

METHODS:

A prospective cohort study was conducted on 2 subacute aged-care wards. Patients who were intending to independently manage their medications after discharge were recruited. Medications were dispensed and labeled with full directions, and the patients were educated about their medications. Each patient was required to request the medications from nursing staff when due, then select and administer them under supervision. Patient performance was documented. Barriers to adherence and interventions used to address these barriers were recorded. Analyses were performed to identify factors associated with failing the SAMP.

RESULTS:

Of 62 patients who were recruited, 43 (69.4%) passed the program without requiring interventions to address adherence barriers, 7 (11.3%) passed with an intervention implemented to enable them to remain independent with medication management after discharge, and 12 (19.4%) failed and required full assistance with medication management after discharge. Overall, barriers to medication adherence (eg, inability to open containers, inability to request medications without prompting) were identified for 30.6% of patients. Mini-Mental State Examination scores and patient age were independent predictors of whether a patient would fail the SAMP.

CONCLUSIONS:

An inpatient SAMP effectively detected barriers to medication adherence that otherwise may not have been detected and addressed prior to a patient's discharge from the hospital.
If you speak fashion you speak Italian: Notes on present day Italian fashion identity
Authors: Reinach Simona Segre
Published: January 2011

What is the meaning of national fashion in a globalized world Having or not having a national fashion upon which to rely seems to matter more and more for the success of brands operating in the contemporary market. This is so despite and perhaps because of production being increasingly
transnational. The following article investigates how the project of a distinctive Italian fashion identity (made in Italy) is produced through discursive formulations and industrial practices in China and in Italy. It explores the meaning of made in Italy based on the perceived reproduction
of historical or imagined traditions.
Exhibition Review
Authors: Bastardes Teresa , Ventosa Slvia
Published: January 2011

The return of the absent body in the fashion museum: Dressing the body exhibition DHUB Museu Txtil i d'Indumentria, Barcelona, permanent exhibition
The battle for Galt's Gulch: Bioshock as critique of Objectivism
Authors: Packer Joseph
Published: January 2011

This article argues that the first-person shooterBioshockuses the video game medium to provide a powerful critique of Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism. The city of Rapture, collapsing into chaos and violence, provides a dystopian vision of what the game suggests are the inevitable results of the laissez faire politics of Rand.Bioshocknot only tells a compelling story about the dangers of Objectivism, but also encodes anti-Objectivist messages into the very mechanics of the game. I examine the game's visual, narrative and procedural rhetoric, and the ways that it counters the fiction that has acted as the conduit to spread Objectivist thought.
Changing places: warping between perspectives
Authors: Gazzard Alison
Published: January 2011

The warp device is commonly applied as a design feature within videogames. It allows the player's avatar to be transported through the gameworld changing the relationship with the gamespace. Moving the avatar through the gameworld can be seen as a response to the player's actions and its location acts as a way of working through and understanding relationships within game spaces. This article analyses how warps and portals function and how they can affect the position of the avatar in the gameworld. The space of the videogame is defined through the notion of paths and tracks to understand how players can swap between roles of interaction and observation as they make their way through various levels and scenarios of gameplay. Warps and portals are categorized as to their use within game design in first-person and third-person games and how this impacts on the player's experience of the avatar.
Scale and the construction of real-world models in Second Life
Authors: Roberts Jonathan C , Gittins Robert , Thomas Rhys
Published: January 2011

Virtual environments are often used for training. In particular, virtual worlds can be used for situation-awareness. Such models allow users to gain an understanding of a real-world location or walk-through scenarios that may incorporate many participants and achieve training to develop
skills and competencies. One of the main challenges for the developer is to create virtual models that are appropriately sized in comparison with the avatars. In-world measurements are different to those in the real-world. In-world models have exaggerated avatar heights and often use third-person
viewing projections. This article describes our experience with developing a scale model. We have used Second Life to provide a case study for understanding virtual design issues and challenges of scale in development. We discuss these challenges and describe our experiences of developing
real-world models in virtual environments.
Machinima Reviews
Authors: Johnson Phylis , Antfarm Larkworthy , Bravin Persia , Johnson Phylis
Published: January 2011

Introducing Machinima Reviews toJGVW

Dagon: A Virtual Nightmare

Across the Universe

Victim of Society
Highlight: Membrane transport in light of structure, function, and evolution
Authors: Tampé Robert , Schleiff Enrico
Published: January 2011

No abstract available
Hypothetical and Real Choice Differentially Activate Common Valuation Areas
Authors: Kang Min Jeong , Rangel Antonio , Camus Mickael , Camerer Colin F.
Published: January 2011

Hypothetical reports of intended behavior are commonly used to draw conclusions about real choices. A fundamental question in decision neuroscience is whether the same type of valuation and choice computations are performed in hypothetical and real decisions. We investigated this question using functional magnetic resonance imaging while human subjects made real and hypothetical choices about purchases of consumer goods. We found that activity in common areas of the orbitofrontal cortex and the ventral striatum correlated with behavioral measures of the stimulus value of the goods in both types of decision. Furthermore, we found that activity in these regions was stronger in response to the stimulus value signals in the real choice condition. The findings suggest that the difference between real and hypothetical choice is primarily attributable to variations in the value computations of the medial orbitofrontal cortex and the ventral striatum, and not attributable to the use of different valuation systems, or to the computation of stronger stimulus value signals in the hypothetical condition.
Hypothalamic Dysregulation and Infertility in Mice Lacking the Homeodomain Protein Six6
Authors: Larder Rachel , Clark Daniel D. , Miller Nichol L. G. , Mellon Pamela L.
Published: January 2011

The hypothalamus, pituitary, and gonads coordinate to direct the development and regulation of reproductive function in mammals. Control of the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis is dependent on correct migration of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons from the nasal placode to the hypothalamus, followed by proper synthesis and pulsatile secretion of GnRH, functions absent in patients with hypogonadal hypogonadism. In this study, we identify sine oculis-related homeobox 6 (Six6) as a novel factor necessary for proper targeting of GnRH expression to the limited population of GnRH neurons within the adult mouse hypothalamus and demonstrate that it is required for proper reproductive function in both male and female mice. Female Six6-null mice exhibit a striking decrease in fertility, failing to progress through the estrous cycle normally, show any signs of successful ovulation, or produce litters. Although basal gonadotropin production in these mice is relatively normal, analysis of GnRH expression reveals a dramatic decrease in total GnRH neuron numbers. We show that expression of Six6 is dramatically increased during GnRH neuronal maturation and that overexpression of Six6 induces GnRH transcription in neuronal cells. Finally, we demonstrate that this induction in GnRH expression is mediated via binding of Six6 to evolutionarily conserved ATTA sites located within the GnRH proximal promoter. Together, these data indicate that Six6 plays an important role in the regulation of GnRH expression and hypothalamic control of fertility.
Spontaneous Activity Signatures of Morphologically Identified Interneurons in the Vestibulocerebellum
Authors: Ruigrok Tom J. H. , Hensbroek Robert A. , Simpson John I.
Published: January 2011

Cerebellar cortical interneurons such as Golgi cells, basket cells, stellate cells, unipolar brush cells, and granule cells play an essential role in the operations of the cerebellum. However, detailed functional studies of the activity of these cells in both anesthetized and behaving animals have been hampered by problems in recognizing their physiological signatures. We have extracellularly recorded the spontaneous activity of vestibulocerebellar interneurons in ketamine/xylazine-anesthetized rats and subsequently labeled them with Neurobiotin using the juxtacellular technique. After recovery and morphological identification of these cells, they were related to statistical measures of their spontaneous activity. Golgi cells display a somewhat irregular firing pattern with relatively low average frequencies. Unipolar brush cells are characterized by more regular firing at higher rates. Basket and stellate cells are alike in their firing characteristics, which mainly stand out by their irregularity; some of them are set apart by their very slow average rate. The spontaneous activity of interneurons examined in the ketamine/xylazine rabbit fit within this general pattern. In the rabbit, granule cells were identified by the spontaneous occurrence of extremely high-frequency bursts of action potentials, which were also recognized in the rat. On the basis of these observations, we devised an algorithm that reliably determined the identity of 75% of the cells with only 2% incorrect classifications. The remaining cells were placed into border categories within which no classification was attempted. We propose that this algorithm can be used to help classify vestibulocerebellar interneurons recorded in awake, behaving animals.
Early Growth Response 4 Mediates BDNF Induction of Potassium Chloride Cotransporter 2 Transcription
Authors: Ludwig Anastasia , Uvarov Pavel , Soni Shetal , Thomas-Crusells Judith , Airaksinen Matti S. , Rivera Claudio
Published: January 2011

A major event in the maturation of CNS GABAergic transmission is the qualitative change in GABAA-mediated responses from depolarizing to hyperpolarizing. In cortical regions, this is attributed to the increased expression of potassium chloride cotransporter 2b (KCC2b), the main isoform of the neuron-specific K-Cl cotransporter KCC2. We have previously shown that transcription factor early growth response 4 (Egr4) can activate the KCC2b promoter. Here we demonstrate that in immature hippocampal neurons BDNF robustly induces ERK1/2 (extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2)-dependent Egr4 expression and rapid Egr4-dependent activation of the KCC2b promoter. The subsequent increase in KCC2b mRNA contributes to the expression of total KCC2 protein levels. These results indicate that Egr4 is an important component in the mechanism of BDNF-dependent KCC2 gene regulation via the ERK1/2 pathway in immature neurons.
Deep and Superficial Amygdala Nuclei Projections RevealedIn Vivoby Probabilistic Tractography
Authors: Bach Dominik R. , Behrens Timothy E. , Garrido Lúcia , Weiskopf Nikolaus , Dolan Raymond J.
Published: January 2011

Despite a homogenous macroscopic appearance on magnetic resonance images, subregions of the amygdala express distinct functional profiles as well as corresponding differences in connectivity. In particular, histological analysis shows stronger connections for superficial (i.e., centromedial and cortical), compared with deep (i.e., basolateral and other), amygdala nuclei to lateral orbitofrontal cortex and stronger connections of deep compared with superficial, nuclei to polymodal areas in the temporal pole. Here, we use diffusion weighted imaging with probabilistic tractography to investigate these connections in humans. We use a data-driven approach to segment the amygdala into two subregions usingk-means clustering. The identified subregions are spatially contiguous and their location corresponds to deep and superficial nuclear groups. Quantification of the connection strength between these amygdala clusters and individual target regions corresponds to qualitative histological findings in non-human primates, indicating such findings can be extrapolated to humans. We propose that connectivity profiles provide a potentially powerful approach forin vivoamygdala parcellation and can serve as a guide in studies that exploit functional and anatomical neuroimaging.
Phase Advancement and Nucleus-Specific Timing of Thalamocortical Activity during Slow Cortical Oscillation
Authors: Slézia Andrea , Hangya Balázs , Ulbert István , Acsády László
Published: January 2011

The exact timing of cortical afferent activity is instrumental for the correct coding and retrieval of internal and external stimuli. Thalamocortical inputs represent the most significant subcortical pathway to the cortex, but the precise timing and temporal variability of thalamocortical activity is not known. To examine this question, we studied the phase of thalamic action potentials relative to cortical oscillations and established correlations among phase, the nuclear location of the thalamocortical neurons, and the frequency of cortical activity.

The phase of thalamic action potentials depended on the exact frequency of the slow cortical oscillation both on long (minutes) and short (single wave) time scales. Faster waves were accompanied by phase advancement in both cases. Thalamocortical neurons located in different nuclei fired at significantly different phases of the slow waves but were active at a similar phase of spindle oscillations. Different thalamic nuclei displayed distinct burst patterns. Bursts with a higher number of action potentials displayed progressive phase advancement in a nucleus-specific manner. Thalamic neurons located along nuclear borders were characterized by mixed burst and phase properties.

Our data demonstrate that the temporal relationship between cortical and thalamic activity is not fixed but displays dynamic changes during oscillatory activity. The timing depends on the precise location and exact activity of thalamocortical cells and the ongoing cortical network pattern. This variability of thalamic output and its coupling to cortical activity can enable thalamocortical neurons to actively participate in the coding and retrieval of cortical signals.
Predicting Individual Differences in Placebo Analgesia: Contributions of Brain Activity during Anticipation and Pain Experience
Authors: Wager Tor D. , Atlas Lauren Y. , Leotti Lauren A. , Rilling James K.
Published: January 2011

Recent studies have identified brain correlates of placebo analgesia, but none have assessed how accurately patterns of brain activity can predict individual differences in placebo responses. We reanalyzed data from two fMRI studies of placebo analgesia (N= 47), using patterns of fMRI activity during the anticipation and experience of pain to predict new subjects' scores on placebo analgesia and placebo-induced changes in pain processing. We used a cross-validated regression procedure, LASSO-PCR, which provided both unbiased estimates of predictive accuracy and interpretable maps of which regions are most important for prediction. Increased anticipatory activity in a frontoparietal network and decreases in a posterior insular/temporal network predicted placebo analgesia. Patterns of anticipatory activity across the cortex predicted a moderate amount of variance in the placebo response (∼12% overall, ∼40% for study 2 alone), which is substantial considering the multiple likely contributing factors. The most predictive regions were those associated with emotional appraisal, rather than cognitive control or pain processing. During pain, decreases in limbic and paralimbic regions most strongly predicted placebo analgesia. Responses within canonical pain-processing regions explained significant variance in placebo analgesia, but the pattern of effects was inconsistent with widespread decreases in nociceptive processing. Together, the findings suggest that engagement of emotional appraisal circuits drives individual variation in placebo analgesia, rather than early suppression of nociceptive processing. This approach provides a framework that will allow prediction accuracy to increase as new studies provide more precise information for future predictive models.
Regulation of Oligodendrocyte Development and Myelination by Glucose and Lactate
Authors: Rinholm Johanne E. , Hamilton Nicola B. , Kessaris Nicoletta , Richardson William D. , Bergersen Linda H. , Attwell David
Published: January 2011

In the gray matter of the brain, astrocytes have been suggested to export lactate (derived from glucose or glycogen) to neurons to power their mitochondria. In the white matter, lactate can support axon function in conditions of energy deprivation, but it is not known whether lactate acts by preserving energy levels in axons or in oligodendrocytes, the myelinating processes of which are damaged rapidly in low energy conditions. Studies of cultured cells suggest that oligodendrocytes are the cell type in the brain that consumes lactate at the highest rate, in part to produce membrane lipids presumably for myelin. Here, we use pH imaging to show that oligodendrocytes in the white matter of the rat cerebellum and corpus callosum take up lactate via monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs), which we identify as MCT1 by confocal immunofluorescence and electron microscopy. Using cultured slices of developing cerebral cortex from mice in which oligodendrocyte lineage cells express GFP (green fluorescent protein) under the control of the Sox10 promoter, we show that a low glucose concentration reduces the number of oligodendrocyte lineage cells and myelination. Myelination is rescued when exogenousl-lactate is supplied. Thus, lactate can support oligodendrocyte development and myelination. In CNS diseases involving energy deprivation at times of myelination or remyelination, such as periventricular leukomalacia leading to cerebral palsy, stroke, and secondary ischemia after spinal cord injury, lactate transporters in oligodendrocytes may play an important role in minimizing the inhibition of myelination that occurs.
Activation of Dorsal Raphe Serotonin Neurons Underlies Waiting for Delayed Rewards
Authors: Miyazaki Katsuhiko , Miyazaki Kayoko W. , Doya Kenji
Published: January 2011

The serotonergic system plays a key role in the control of impulsive behaviors. Forebrain serotonin depletion leads to premature actions and steepens discounting of delayed rewards. However, there has been no direct evidence for serotonin neuron activity in relation to actions for delayed rewards. Here we show that serotonin neurons increase their tonic firing while rats wait for food and water rewards and conditioned reinforcement tones. The rate of tonic firing during the delay period was significantly higher for rewards than for tones, for which rats could not wait as long. When the delay was extended, tonic firing persisted until reward or tone delivery. When rats gave up waiting because of extended delay or reward omission, serotonin neuron firing dropped preceding the exit from reward sites. Serotonin neurons did not show significant response when an expected reward was omitted, which was predicted by the theory that serotonin signals negative reward prediction errors. These results suggest that increased serotonin neuron firing facilitates a rat's waiting behavior in prospect of forthcoming rewards and that higher serotonin activation enables longer waiting.
Interactions of Top-Down and Bottom-Up Mechanisms in Human Visual Cortex
Authors: McMains Stephanie , Kastner Sabine
Published: January 2011

Multiple stimuli present in the visual field at the same time compete for neural representation by mutually suppressing their evoked activity throughout visual cortex, providing a neural correlate for the limited processing capacity of the visual system. Competitive interactions among stimuli can be counteracted by top-down, goal-directed mechanisms such as attention, and by bottom-up, stimulus-driven mechanisms. Because these two processes cooperate in everyday life to bias processing toward behaviorally relevant or particularly salient stimuli, it has proven difficult to study interactions between top-down and bottom-up mechanisms. Here, we used an experimental paradigm in which we first isolated the effects of a bottom-up influence on neural competition by parametrically varying the degree of perceptual grouping in displays that were not attended. Second, we probed the effects of directed attention on the competitive interactions induced with the parametric design. We found that the amount of attentional modulation varied linearly with the degree of competition left unresolved by bottom-up processes, such that attentional modulation was greatest when neural competition was little influenced by bottom-up mechanisms and smallest when competition was strongly influenced by bottom-up mechanisms. These findings suggest that the strength of attentional modulation in the visual system is constrained by the degree to which competitive interactions have been resolved by bottom-up processes related to the segmentation of scenes into candidate objects.
Axonal GABAAReceptors Increase Cerebellar Granule Cell Excitability and Synaptic Activity
Authors: Pugh Jason R. , Jahr Craig E.
Published: January 2011

We report that activation of GABAAreceptors on cerebellar granule cell axons modulates both transmitter release and the excitability of the axon and soma. Axonal GABAAreceptors depolarize the axon, increasing its excitability and causing calcium influx at axonal varicosities. GABA-mediated subthreshold depolarizations in the axon spread electrotonically to the soma, promoting orthodromic action potential initiation. When chloride concentrations are unperturbed, GABA iontophoresis elicits spikes and increases excitability of parallel fibers, indicating that GABAAreceptor-mediated responses are normally depolarizing. GABA release from molecular layer interneurons activates parallel fiber GABAAreceptors, and this, in turn, increases release probability at synapses between parallel fibers and molecular layer interneurons. These results describe a positive feedback mechanism whereby transmission from granule cells to Purkinje cells and molecular layer interneurons will be strengthened during granule cell spike bursts evoked by sensory stimulation.
Genetic Variant of BDNF (Val66Met) Polymorphism Attenuates Stroke-Induced Angiogenic Responses by Enhancing Anti-Angiogenic Mediator CD36 Expression
Authors: Qin Luye , Kim Eunhee , Ratan Rajiv , Lee Francis S. , Cho Sunghee
Published: January 2011

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been shown to be necessary and sufficient for post-stroke recovery in rodents. From these observations, we and others have hypothesized that a common single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the pro-domain ofbdnfthat leads to a methionine (Met) substitution for valine (Val) at codon 66 (Val66Met) will affect stroke outcome. Here we investigate the effect of the BDNF genetic variant on ischemic outcome by using mice with a genetic knock-in of the human BDNF variant in both alleles (BDNFMet/Met). Compared with wild-type mice,BDNFMet/Metmice exhibited reduced CNS BDNF levels without a discernable effect on infarct size. Diminished BDNF levels inBDNFMet/Metmice were associated with greater deficits in post-stroke locomotor functions. Additionally, theBDNFMet/Metmice showed reduced angiogenesis and elevated expression of thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) and its receptor CD36, anti-angiogenic factors. To assess the functional role of CD36 in antagonizing angiogenic response in Met homozygosity at the BDNF locus, we crossedBDNFMet/Metmice with CD36 knock-out mice. The double-mutant mice rescued the angiogenic deficit associated with theBDNFMet/Metmice without alterations in BDNF levels, indicating that the behavioral deficit inBDNFMet/Metmice after stroke is partly related to an unfavorable balance in pro-angiogenic BDNF and anti-angiogenic TSP-1/CD36. The results suggest that CD36 inhibition may be a viable strategy to enhance angiogenesis and possible recovery in human stroke victims who are Met homozygotes at codon 66 of the BDNF locus.
Stimulus-Dependent Modulation of Suppressive Influences in MT
Authors: Hunter J. Nicholas , Born Richard T.
Published: January 2011

Surround suppression contributes to important functions in visual processing, such as figure-ground segregation; however, this benefit comes at the cost of decreased neuronal sensitivity. Studies of receptive fields at several levels of the visual hierarchy have demonstrated that surround suppression is reduced for low contrast stimuli, thereby improving neuronal sensitivity. We investigated whether this reduction of surround suppression reflects a general processing strategy to boost sensitivity for weak signals by summing them over a larger region of the visual field (spatial integration) or if the reduction is limited to specialized stimulus conditions. To do this, we used stochastic motion stimuli to measure surround suppression in area MT of alert macaque monkeys. While varying stimulus size we also varied the strength of two other critical stimulus features: contrast and coherence (i.e., the proportion of dots moving in the preferred direction of the neuron). We found that reducing stimulus contrast weakened surround suppression, but reducing stimulus coherence had the opposite effect, indicating that diminished surround suppression is not a universal response to stimuli of low signal-to-noise. This can be partially explained by our other finding, which is that surrounds in MT are very broadly direction tuned. Instead of producing a reduction of surround suppression that would improve the ability of the neuron to integrate preferred direction motion, low coherence stimuli activated the broadly tuned surrounds relatively better than the centers, which are generally more direction selective. Our results are consistent with a normalization mechanism of surround suppression that pools broadly across multiple stimulus dimensions.
Long-TermIn VivoImaging of β-Amyloid Plaque Appearance and Growth in a Mouse Model of Cerebral β-Amyloidosis
Authors: Hefendehl Jasmin K. , Wegenast-Braun Bettina M. , Liebig Christian , Eicke Daniel , Milford David , Calhoun Michael E. , Kohsaka Shinichi , Eichner Martin , Jucker Mathias
Published: January 2011

Extracellular deposition of the amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) in the brain parenchyma is a hallmark lesion of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and a predictive marker for the progression of preclinical to symptomatic AD. Here, we used multiphotonin vivoimaging to study Aβ plaque formation in the brains of 3- to 4-month-old APPPS1 transgenic mice over a period of 6 months. A novel head fixation system provided robust and efficient long-term tracking of single plaques over time. Results revealed an estimated rate of 35 newly formed plaques per cubic millimeter of neocortical volume per week at 4–5 months of age. At later time points (i.e., in the presence of increasing cerebral β-amyloidosis), the number of newly formed plaques decreased. On average, both newly formed and existing plaques grew at a similar growth rate of 0.3 μm (radius) per week. A solid knowledge of the dynamics of cerebral β-amyloidosis in mouse models provides a powerful tool to monitor preclinical Aβ targeting therapeutic strategies and eases the interpretation of diagnostic amyloid imaging in humans.
An integrated study of uranyl mineral dissolution processes: etch pit formation, effects of cations in solution, and secondary precipitation
Authors: Schindler M. , Hawthorne Frank C. , Mandaliev P. , Burns Peter C. , Maurice P. A.
Published: January 2011

Understanding the mechanism(s) of uranium-mineral dissolution is crucial for predictive modeling of U mobility in the subsurface. In order to understand how pH and type of cation in solution may affect dissolution, experiments were performed on mainly single crystals of curite, Pb2+
3(H2O)2[(UO2)4O4(OH)3]2, becquerelite, Ca(H2O)8[(UO2)6O4(OH)6], billietite, Ba(H2O)7[(UO2)6O4(OH)6], fourmarierite Pb2+
1−x(H2O)4[(UO2)4O3−2x(OH)4+2x] (x= 0.00–0.50), uranophane, Ca(H2O)5[(UO2)(SiO3OH)]2, zippeite, K3(H2O)3[(UO2)4(SO4)2O3(OH)], and Na-substituted metaschoepite, Na1−x[(UO2)4O2−x(OH)5+x] (H2O)n. Solutions included: deionized water; aqueous HCl solutions at pH 3.5 and 2; 0.5 mol L−1 Pb(II)-, Ba-, Sr-, Ca-, Mg-, HCl solutions at pH 2; 1.0 mol L−1 Na- and K-HCl solutions at pH 2; and a 0.1 mol L−1 Na2CO3 solution at pH 10.5. Uranyl mineral basal surface microtopography, micromorphology, and composition were examined prior to, and after dissolution experiments on micrometer scale specimens using atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Evolution of etch pit depth at different pH values and experimental durations can be explained using a stepwave dissolution model. Effects of the cation in solution on etch pit symmetry and morphology can be explained using an adsorption model involving specific surface sites. Surface precipitation of the following phases was observed: (a) a highly-hydrated uranyl-hydroxy-hydrate in ultrapure water (on all minerals), (b) a Na-uranyl-hydroxy-hydrate in Na2CO3 solution of pH 10.5 (on uranyl-hydroxy-hydrate minerals), (c) a Na-uranyl-carbonate on zippeite, (d) Ba- and Pb-uranyl-hydroxy-hydrates in Ba-HCl and Pb-HCl solutions of pH 2 (on uranophane), (e) a (SiOx(OH)4−2x) phase in solutions of pH 2 (uranophane), and (f) sulfate-bearing phases in solutions of pH 2 and 3.5 (on zippeite).
Small scale production of high purity 193mPt by the 192Os(α,ߙ3n)-process
Authors: Uddin M.S. , Hermanne A. , Scholten B. , Spellerberg S. , Coenen Heinz H. , Qaim Syed M.
Published: January 2011

Some production aspects of the Auger electron emitter 193mPt (T
1/2=4.33 d) through the 192Os(α,ߙ3n)-process were investigated. Relatively thick targets of 99.65% enriched 192Os, prepared by pressing or electrolytic deposition, were irradiated with 40 MeV α-particles for 3 h at a nominal beam current of 1.6 μA. The radioplatinum formed was chemically separated with a yield of 90% and the expensive target material was recovered with a yield of 85%. The radioactivity of 193mPt was determined by high resolution X-ray spectrometry. The radionuclidic purity of 193mPt amounted to 99%, the level of 195mPt and 191Pt impurities being each 0.5%. The batch yield of 193mPt achieved was about 10 MBq with a specific activity of 1 GBq/μg Pt. Both the batch yield and the specific activity could be appreciably increased through improved targetry. A comparison of the cyclotron and reactor production routes of 193mPt shows that the (n,ߙγ) reaction leads to high production yields but the α-particle induced reaction results in a product of higher radionuclidic purity and four orders of magnitude higher specific activity of 193mPt.
Circulating proinflammatory peptides related to abdominal adiposity and cardiometabolic risk factors in healthy prepubertal children
Authors: Galcheva Sonya V , Iotova Violeta M , Yotov Yoto T , Bernasconi Sergio , Street Maria E
Published: January 2011

Objectives

To analyze the circulating levels of proinflammatory peptides in healthy prepubertal children in relation to abdominal obesity, measured by waist circumference (WC), and to investigate their interactions with cardiometabolic risk factors.

Design and methods

A cross-sectional study of 137 healthy prepubertal children with a mean age of 8.0±0.1 years divided into three groups according to their WC as a measure of abdominal obesity: ‘normal-WC’ children (25th–75th percentile, n=48), ‘children at risk’ (75th–90th percentile, n=39), and ‘abdominally obese’ (≥90th percentile, n=50) children. Auxological measurements and blood pressure (BP) were taken. Fasting levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), interleukin 6 (IL6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), glucose, insulin, and lipid profile were measured. Insulin resistance (IR) was assessed by homeostasis model assessment of IR (HOMA-IR).

Results

Abdominally obese children had significantly higher BP, insulin, HOMA-IR, total cholesterol and triglycerides (TG) compared with their normal-WC counterparts (P<0.05). HsCRP concentrations increased proportionally with the degree of abdominal obesity (r=0.443, P<0.0001), whereas IL6 and TNF-α were not significantly associated with any of the adiposity variables. After controlling for adiposity, hsCRP was significantly correlated with systolic BP (r=0.257, P=0.004), TNF-α levels were related to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C; r=−0.216, P=0.016) and TG (r=0.196, P=0.029), whereas the relationship between IL6 and HDL-C reduced its magnitude to an insignificant level (r=−0.173, P=0.055).

Conclusions

Healthy prepubertal children with abdominal obesity have associated inflammatory and cardiometabolic alterations, interacting with each other.
Psychotic patient: the most helpless traveller
Authors: Felkai Péter , Kurimay Tamás , Fülöp Emőke
Published: January 2011

Authors analyse questions of medical evacuation of the psychotic patient from abroad to homeland. This task can be considered the most difficult problem for the attending physician and the escorting medical team as well. The main challenge is to recognise the psychotic patient in a foreign country with a different health-care system and to overcome the language barrier and the different cultural background. The second issue is to prepare the patients – who are usually in a poor condition – for the medical evacuation by commercial aircraft. Another important issue is to take the patient through the strict security control. All of these (partially unsolved) problems make the mentally ill patient defenceless. Although the repatriation of a mentally ill patient is vital and urgent, travel insurance policy mostly excludes to cover the cost of treatment and repatriation. The high cost of treatment and repatriation of the patient should be paid by the patient or the family, who are often in the position of insolvency. In this paper authors present the history of a patient and give a brief review on travel-related mental disorders, the epidemiology of mental alterations during travel as well as the problems of appropriate evacuation. Authors conclude that there is a need for a better approach of the airport authorities and insurance decision makers to the mentally ill patient travelling abroad. Orv. Hetil., 2011, 152, 131–138.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing among injecting drug users
Authors: Gyarmathy V. Anna , Rácz József
Published: January 2011

In Hungary, there is a need for widely accessible HIV and HCV testing and counseling for injecting drug users. Theoretically, free and confidential rapid HIV and HCV testing would be the most suitable for this purpose. Low threshold agencies, such as needle and syringe programs, would provide ideal premises for such a testing system, Here, participants would be able to undergo regular testing every six months. Making rapid testing widely available raises the following three main issues: 1. validity of the testing results (or: the verification of positive rapid test results), 2. circumstances of taking blood (or: legislation regarding drawing blood), and 3. cost effectiveness (or: how important is it to prevent an HIV epidemic). The authors propose the establishment of a system that offers screening using rapid tests and which would be an expansion of a currently existing system of HIV and HCV testing based on finger prick blood. The current system would thus serve as a means to verify the results of the rapid tests. At the same time, there is a need to obtain permission from a public health body to enable in needle and syringe programs the provision of rapid testing and testing of blood using finger pricks. In many countries, test results are given to injecting drug users not by doctors but by trained social workers – such a system could also be established in Hungary. If preventing an HIV epidemic in Hungary is a priority, then wide access to rapid HIV testing is justified. Widely accessible free and confidential rapid HIV and HCV testing and counseling – combined with screening and verification using finger prick blood – may function not only as a testing and counseling service but also as a good quality public health monitoring system. Such a system, however, requires regular financial support from the government. Orv. Hetil., 2011, 152, 124–130.
Bilateral Vertical Ridge Augmentation With Block Grafts and Guided Bone Regeneration in the Posterior Mandible: A Case Report
Authors: Peñarrocha Maria A. , Vina Jose A. , Maestre Laura , Peñarrocha-Oltra David
Published: January 2011

The aim is to describe bilateral vertical ridge augmentation with intraoral block grafts and guided bone regeneration in the posterior mandible in preparation for implant placement. A 61-year-old woman, edentulous in the posterior mandible, presented for implant rehabilitation. The radiographic study showed 3 to 6 mm of bone height from the ridge to the mandibular canal. Autogenous bone block grafts from the chin and the mandibular ramus, harvested with ultrasonics, were used to augment the alveolar ridge. To reduce resorption, the grafts were covered with particulate alloplastic material and a collagen membrane. Delayed implants were placed 6 months after vertical augmentation, and 3 months later implants were loaded with a fixed prosthesis. A temporary sensory complication occurred, but 12 months after implant loading, there were no failures. In this case report block bone grafting was a feasible option to vertically augment the alveolar ridge in the posterior mandible.
Probabilistic Approaches to Setting Acceptable Biological Catch and Annual Catch Targets for Multiple Years: Reconciling Methodology with National Standards Guidelines
Authors: Shertzer Kyle W. , Prager Michael H. , Williams Erik H.
Published: January 2011

In U.S. federal fishery management, acceptable biological catch (ABC) is set below (or equal to) the overfishing limit to account for scientific uncertainty, and annual catch targets (ACTs) are set below (or equal to) the ABC to account for implementation uncertainty (i.e., imperfect management control). In previous papers, we discussed probabilistic approaches to setting target and limit reference points for fishery management. Here, we explain how those approaches can be adapted to provide ABCs and ACTs over multiple years and otherwise made consist with recent revisions to the National Standards Guidelines, a part of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations that describes implementation of the Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorization Act. Although described in terms of U.S. fishery management, our methods are sufficiently general for use by researchers in U.S. state agencies or elsewhere in the world. We demonstrate them via an example application to vermilion snapper Rhomboplites aurorubens in U.S. Atlantic waters.
State High-Risk Pools: An Update on the Minnesota Comprehensive Health Association
Authors: Blewett Lynn A. , Spencer Donna , Burke Courtney E.
Published: January 2011

State health insurance high-risk pools are a key component of the US health care system's safety net, because they provide health insurance to the “uninsurable.”

In 2007, 34 states had individual high-risk pools, which covered more than 200 000 people at a total cost of $1.8 billion.

We examine the experience of the largest and oldest pool in the nation, the Minnesota Comprehensive Health Association, to document key issues facing state high-risk pools in enrollment and financing. We also considered the role and future of high-risk pools in light of national health care finance reform.
The New Left and Public Health The Health Policy Advisory Center, Community Organizing, and the Big Business of Health, 1967–1975
Authors: Chowkwanyun Merlin
Published: January 2011

Soon after its founding in the politically tumultuous late 1960s, the Health Policy Advisory Center (Health/PAC) and its Health/PAC Bulletin became the strategic hub of an intense urban social movement around health care equality in New York City. I discuss its early formation, its intellectual influences, and the analytical framework that it devised to interpret power relations in municipal health care. I also describe Health/PAC's interpretation of health activism, focusing in particular on a protracted struggle regarding Lincoln Hospital in the South Bronx. Over the years, the organization's stance toward community-oriented health politics evolved considerably, from enthusiastically promoting its potential to later confronting its limits. I conclude with a discussion of Health/PAC's major theoretical contributions, often taken for granted today, and its book American Health Empire.
Water and Energy Footprints of the Cities of the Future
Authors: Novotny Vladimir
Published: January 2011

The framework for sustainability of urban areas is tied to the patterns of urban metabolism in which resources (water, food, energy, materials and chemicals) are delivered to an urban area, metabolized and changed to outputs. Under the current linear concept water, energy and other inputs generate waste and pollution. Furthermore, lack of conservation and waste within the city leads to shortages and, in the near future, to exhaustion of resources. There is a need to change the current linear urban metabolism to one that would reuse and recycle and in which used water and solids would become a resource. This would be a paradigm change of building and retrofitting the cities.

The footprints are quantitative measures of sustainability and metabolism. Footprints covered in this article are water, energy/greenhouse emissions, and ecology. When the footprints are defined, development of sustainability criteria should follow. The footprints may be global, regional or local and can be hierarchically interconnected.
Leading the City of Baltimore into the 21st Century: Flexible Treatment Solutions and Integrated Raw Water Management
Authors: Manuszak J. L. , MacPhee M. , Liskovich S. , Feldsher L.
Published: January 2011

The City of Baltimore, Maryland is one of many US cities faced with challenges related to increasing potable water demands, diminishing fresh water supplies, and aging infrastructure. To address these challenges, the City recently undertook a $7M study to evaluate water supply and treatment alternatives and develop the conceptual design for a new 120 million gallon per day (MGD) water treatment plant. As part of this study, an innovative raw water management tool was constructed to help model source water availability and predicted water quality based on integration of a new and more challenging surface water supply. A rigorous decision-making approach was then used to screen and select appropriate treatment processes. Short-listed treatment strategies were demonstrated through a year-long pilot study, and process design criteria were collected in order to assess capital and operational costs for the full-scale plant. Ultimately the City chose a treatment scheme that includes low-pressure membrane filtration and post-filter GAC adsorption, allowing for consistent finished water quality irrespective of which raw water supply is being used. The conceptual design includes several progressive concepts, which will: 1) alleviate treatment limitations at the City's existing plants by providing additional pre-clarification facilities at the new plant; and 2) take advantage of site conditions to design and operate the submerged membrane system by gravity-induced siphon, saving the City significant capital and operations and maintenance (O&M) costs. Once completed, the new Fullerton Water Filtration Plant (WFP) will be the largest low-pressure membrane plant in North America, and the largest gravity-siphon design in the world.
Customer Consultation in Water Project Planning and Delivery: Lessons from Case Studies
Authors: Croke G. , Williams James
Published: January 2011

The perceived need for participation of customers in planning of large projects has spawned an extensive literature on the subject and, at least in Western countries, many specialists offering consultation as a service. This paper puts the view that for consultation to be more effective it must provide true participation by customers, including the possibility that the subject project might not proceed in the form its proponents expect. Three water project case studies are described: one where there was deep engagement with customers, another where a more superficial approach was used, and a third which applies consultation concepts to what is probably the world's most pressing issue in water resource management.
Formation of NDMA by Chloramination of Nitrogenous Pharmaceuticals
Authors: Roux J. Le , Gallard H. , Croué J.P.
Published: January 2011

Many disinfection by-products (DBPs) are formed during water chlorination, including trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs). Disinfection with chloramines is often used to reduce the production of regulated DBPs. However, chloramination can lead to the formation of N–nitrosamines, including N–nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a probable human carcinogen. The formation mechanisms of NDMA are not fully understood. Proposed mechanisms used dimethylamine (DMA) as a model precursor, but results show that certain widely used tertiary dimethylamines (e.g. the pharmaceutical ranitidine) show much higher conversion rates to NDMA than DMA. These amounts of NDMA cannot be explained by current proposed mechanisms. New formation mechanisms have to be proposed to explain the importance of structural characteristics of tertiary amines for NDMA formation.
Energy Reduction and Optimisation in Membrane Bioreactor Systems
Authors: Tao Guihe , Kekre Kiran , Oo Maung Htun , Viswanath Bala , Yusof Aliman MD , Seah Harry
Published: January 2011

One of the major components of MBR operating expenditure is energy consumption. This paper presents our six-year journey of energy reduction and optimization in MBR systems through various pilot and demonstration studies. Through comprehensive and systematic MBR optimisation studies, the specific energy consumption was reduced from 1.3 kWh m−3 to less than 0.8 kWh m−3 by increasing membrane flux and reducing aeration at 300 m3 per day pilot scale plants. Through energy audit, the key energy consumption components including process aeration, membrane scouring rate, SRT, MLSS level, MLSS recirculation, and energy efficient equipment selection were identified, and these were optimised one by one at 23,000 m3 per day municipal scale MBR demonstration plant after the baseline had been set up. The specific energy consumption was further reduced to 0.37 kWh m−3.