bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reported Racial Discrimination, Trust in Physicians, and Medication Adherence Among Inner-City African Americans With Hypertension
Authors: Cuffee Yendelela L. , Hargraves J. Lee , Rosal Milagros , Briesacher Becky A. , Schoenthaler Antoinette , Person Sharina , Hullett Sandral , Allison Jeroan
Published: September 2013

Objectives. We sought to determine if reported racial discrimination was associated with medication nonadherence among African Americans with hypertension and if distrust of physicians was a contributing factor.

Methods. Data were obtained from the TRUST project conducted in Birmingham, Alabama, 2006 to 2008. All participants were African Americans diagnosed with hypertension and receiving care at an inner city, safety net setting. Three categories of increasing adherence were defined based on the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale. Trust in physicians was measured with the Hall General Trust Scale, and discrimination was measured with the Experiences of Discrimination Scale. Associations were quantified by ordinal logistic regression, adjusting for gender, age, education, and income.

Results. The analytic sample consisted of 227 African American men and 553 African American women, with a mean age of 53.7 ±9.9 years. Mean discrimination scores decreased monotonically across increasing category of medication adherence (4.1, 3.6, 2.9; P = .025), though the opposite was found for trust scores (36.5, 38.5, 40.8; P < .001). Trust mediated 39% (95% confidence interval = 17%, 100%) of the association between discrimination and medication adherence.

Conclusions. Within our sample of inner city African Americans with hypertension, racial discrimination was associated with lower medication adherence, and this association was partially mediated by trust in physicians. Patient, physician and system approaches to increase “earned” trust may enhance existing interventions for promoting medication adherence.
Differences in the Management of Type 1 Diabetes Among Adults Under Excellent Control Compared With Those Under Poor Control in the T1D Exchange Clinic Registry
Authors: Simmons Jill H. , Chen Vincent , Miller Kellee M. , McGill Janet B. , Bergenstal Richard M. , Goland Robin S. , Harlan David M. , Largay Joseph F. , Massaro Elaine M. , Beck Roy W. ,   for the T1D Exchange Clinic Network
Published: September 2013

OBJECTIVE

Optimizing glycemic control in type 1 diabetes is important to minimize the risk of complications. We used the large T1D Exchange clinic registry database to identify characteristics and diabetes management techniques in adults with type 1 diabetes, differentiating those under excellent glycemic control from those with poorer control.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

The cross-sectional analysis included 627 participants with HbA1c <6.5% (excellent control) and 1,267 with HbA1c ≥8.5% (fair/poor control) at enrollment who were ≥26 years of age (mean ± SD 45.9 ± 13.2 years), were not using continuous glucose monitoring, and had type 1 diabetes for ≥2 years (22.8 ± 13.0 years).

RESULTS

Compared with the fair/poor control group, participants in the excellent control group had higher socioeconomic status, were more likely to be older and married, were less likely to be overweight, were more likely to exercise frequently, and had lower total daily insulin dose per kilogram (P < 0.0001 for each). Excellent control was associated with more frequent self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG), giving mealtime boluses before a meal rather than at the time of or after a meal, performing SMBG before giving a bolus, and missing an insulin dose less frequently (P < 0.0001 for each). Frequency of severe hypoglycemia was similar between groups, whereas diabetic ketoacidosis was more common in the fair/poor control group.

CONCLUSIONS

Diabetes self-management related to insulin delivery, glucose monitoring, and lifestyle tends to differ among adults with type 1 diabetes under excellent control compared with those under poorer control. Future studies should focus on modifying diabetes management skills in adult type 1 diabetes patients with suboptimal glycemic control.
Diabetic Autonomic Neuropathy Affects Symptom Generation and Brain-Gut Axis
Authors: Brock Christina , Søfteland Eirik , Gunterberg Veronica , Frøkjær Jens Brøndum , Lelic Dina , Brock Birgitte , Dimcevski Georg , Gregersen Hans , Simrén Magnus , Drewes Asbjørn Mohr
Published: September 2013

OBJECTIVE

Long-term diabetes leads to severe peripheral, autonomous, and central neuropathy in combination with clinical gastrointestinal symptoms. The brain-gut axis thus expresses a neurophysiological profile, and heart rate variability (HRV) can be correlated with clinical gastrointestinal symptoms.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Fifteen healthy volunteers and 15 diabetic patients (12 with type 1 diabetes) with severe gastrointestinal symptoms and clinical suspicion of autonomic neuropathy were included. Psychophysics and evoked brain potentials were assessed after painful rectosigmoid electrostimulations, and brain activity was modeled by brain electrical source analysis. Self-reported gastrointestinal symptoms (per the Patient Assessment of Upper Gastrointestinal Disorder Severity Symptom Index) and quality of life (SF-36 Short Form Survey) were collected.

RESULTS

Diabetic patients had autonomous neuropathy, evidenced by decreased electrocardiographic R-R interval (P = 0.03) and lower HRV (P = 0.008). Patients were less sensitive to painful stimulation (P = 0.007), had prolonged latencies of evoked potentials (P ≤ 0.001), and showed diminished amplitude of the N2–P2 component in evoked potentials (P = 0.01). There was a caudoanterior shift of the insular brain source (P = 0.01) and an anterior shift of the cingulate generator (P = 0.01). Insular source location was associated with HRV assessments (all P < 0.02), and the shift (expressed in mm) correlated negatively with physical health (P < 0.001) and positively with nausea (P = 0.03) and postprandial fullness (P = 0.03). Cingulate source shift was correlated negatively with physical health (P = 0.005) and positively with postprandial fullness (P ≤ 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides evidence for interaction between autonomic neuropathy and peripheral nervous degeneration, as well as changes in dipole sources in diabetic patients with gastrointestinal symptoms. The findings may lead to improved treatment modalities targeting pharmacological neuroprotection or neuromodulation.
Association Between Sleep Duration and Diabetes in Black and White Adults
Authors: Jackson Chandra L. , Redline Susan , Kawachi Ichiro , Hu Frank B.
Published: September 2013

OBJECTIVE

To examine racial differences in sleep duration and its relationship with diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We used data from a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults (n = 130,943) participating in the National Health Interview Survey from 2004 to 2011. Usual sleep duration was self-reported and categorized as <7 h (short), 7 h (optimal), and >7 h (long). Diabetes status was based on self-reported diagnosis from a health professional.

RESULTS

Participants’ mean age was 50.6 years, 49% were men, and 13% were black. Compared with whites, blacks were more likely to report short sleep (37 vs. 28%) and less likely to get 7 h of sleep (24 vs. 33%). Diabetes (9,643 cases [9%] in whites and 3,612 cases [15%] in blacks) had a U-shaped distribution with sleep in whites (10, 7, and 9%, for short, optimal, and long sleep, respectively) and blacks (16, 13, and 15%). Suboptimal sleep duration was more strongly associated with diabetes in whites than in blacks among short (prevalence ratio 1.49 [95% CI 1.40–1.58] vs. 1.21 [1.09–1.34]) and long (1.32 [1.25–1.40] vs. 1.11 [1.00–1.23]) sleepers on the relative scale. Adjustment for socioeconomic status (SES) attenuated the short sleep–diabetes association in blacks (1.15 [1.02–1.29]), and the racial/ethnic difference in the short sleep–diabetes association became nonsignificant after SES adjustments.

CONCLUSIONS

Suboptimal sleep duration was positively associated with diabetes in blacks and whites, although diabetes prevalence was higher at any level of sleep in blacks. Socioeconomic factors appear to partly explain the association for short sleep in blacks as well as disparity between racial groups.
Methylmercury Exposure and Incident Diabetes in U.S. Men and Women in Two Prospective Cohorts
Authors: Mozaffarian Dariush , Shi Peilin , Morris J. Steven , Grandjean Philippe , Siscovick David S. , Spiegelman Donna , Hu Frank B.
Published: September 2013

OBJECTIVE

Emerging in vitro and animal evidence suggests that methylmercury could increase type 2 diabetes, but little evidence exists in humans. We aimed to prospectively determine associations of mercury exposure, as assessed by biomarker measurement, with incident diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We used neutron activation analysis to measure toenail mercury, an objective biomarker of methylmercury exposure, in 9,267 adults free of diabetes at baseline in two separate U.S. prospective cohorts. Incident diabetes was identified from biennial questionnaires and confirmed by validated supplementary questionnaire using symptoms, diagnostic tests, and medical therapy. Associations of mercury exposure with incident diabetes were assessed using Cox proportional hazards.

RESULTS

During mean ± SD follow-up of 19.7 ± 7.0 years, 1,010 new cases of diabetes were diagnosed. The 95th percentile of toenail mercury was 1.32 μg/g in men and 0.76 μg/g in women, corresponding to exposures ∼3.5-fold and 2-fold higher than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reference dose. In multivariable analyses, toenail mercury concentrations were not associated with higher incidence of diabetes in women, men, or both cohorts combined. Comparing the highest to lowest quintile of exposure, the hazard ratio (95% CI) for incident diabetes was 0.86 (0.66–1.11) in women, 0.69 (0.42–1.15) in men, and 0.77 (0.61–0.98) in the combined cohorts. Findings were similar when more extreme categories (deciles) of mercury were compared, and in analyses stratified by fish or omega-3 consumption, BMI, and age.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings from two separate large prospective cohorts do not support adverse effects of methylmercury on development of diabetes in men or women at usual levels of exposure seen in these populations.
Dairy Consumption, Type 2 Diabetes, and Changes in Cardiometabolic Traits: A Prospective Cohort Study of Middle-Aged and Older Chinese in Beijing and Shanghai
Authors: Zong Geng , Sun Qi , Yu Danxia , Zhu Jingwen , Sun Liang , Ye Xingwang , Li Huaixing , Jin Qianlu , Zheng He , Hu Frank B. , Lin Xu
Published: September 2013

OBJECTIVE

To prospectively investigate associations of dairy consumption with risk of type 2 diabetes and changes of cardiometabolic traits.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

In 2005, 2,091 middle-aged and older Chinese men and women were recruited and followed for 6 years. Baseline dairy consumption was assessed by a 74-item food frequency questionnaire. Erythrocyte fatty acids were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with flame ion detector. Cardiometabolic traits were measured at both baseline and follow-up visits.

RESULTS

Only 1,202 (57.5%) participants reported any dairy consumption, with a median intake of 0.89 (interquartile range 0.19–1.03) serving/day. Compared with nonconsumers, the relative risks (RRs) of type 2 diabetes among those having 0.5–1 serving/day and >1 serving/day were 0.70 (95% CI 0.55–0.88) and 0.65 (0.49–0.85), respectively, after multivariate adjustment (Ptrend < 0.001), which were attenuated by further adjusting for changes in glucose during follow-up (Ptrend = 0.07). Total dairy consumption was associated with favorable changes in glucose, waist circumference, BMI, diastolic blood pressure (all Ptrend < 0.05), and systolic blood pressure (Ptrend = 0.05) after multivariate adjustment, including baseline values of dependent variables. Erythrocyte trans-18:1 isomers were significantly correlated with total dairy consumption (rs = 0.37, Ptrend < 0.001), and these dairy food biomarkers were associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. The RR of type 2 diabetes comparing extreme quartiles of trans-18:1 isomers was 0.82 (0.65–1.04, Ptrend = 0.02), which was attenuated after adjustment for dairy consumption (Ptrend = 0.15).

CONCLUSIONS

Dairy consumption was associated with a significantly lower risk of type 2 diabetes and favorable changes of cardiometabolic traits in Chinese.
Pulmonary Function Reduction in Diabetes With and Without Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Authors: Kinney Gregory L. , Black-Shinn Jennifer L. , Wan Emily S. , Make Barry , Regan Elizabeth , Lutz Sharon , Soler Xavier , Silverman Edwin K. , Crapo James , Hokanson John E. ,   the COPDGene Investigators
Published: September 2013

OBJECTIVE

Diabetes damages major organ systems through disrupted glycemic control and increased inflammation. The effects of diabetes on the lung have been of interest for decades, but the modest reduction in pulmonary function and its nonprogressive nature have limited its investigation. A recent systematic review found that diabetes was associated with reductions in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide of the lung and increased FEV1/FVC. They reported pooled results including few smokers. This study will examine measures of pulmonary function in participants with extensive smoking exposure.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We examined pulmonary function in participants with a >10–pack-year history of smoking with and without diabetes with and without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We measured pulmonary function, exercise capacity, and pulmonary-related quality of life in 10,129 participants in the Genetic Epidemiology of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPDGene) Study.

RESULTS

Participants with diabetes were observed to have reduced pulmonary function after controlling for known risk factors and also significant reductions in exercise capacity and quality of life across functional stages of COPD.

CONCLUSIONS

Pulmonary function in patients with ≥10 pack-years of smoking and diabetes is reduced, and this decrease is associated with significant reductions in activity-related quality of life and exercise capacity.
Foreign Direct Investment Between Asian Developing Countries and the EU Member States: The Role of Integration Processes
Authors: Witkowska Janina
Published: September 2013

This article discusses the conditions surrounding the flow of foreign direct investment (FDI) between the developing countries of Asia (East Asia, South-East Asia, Southern Asia, and Western Asia) and the countries with membership in the European Union (EU), including the so-called ‘new’ Member States (EU12). At the intra-regional and inter-regional levels, the flow is especially affected by the world economic crisis, which has effected changes in the positions of the analyzed countries on a global scale. The integration processes taking place in the EU also significantly affect the intensity of FDI flow within the group, while the processes taking place in the developing countries of Asia are not yet sufficiently enough advanced to significantly affect the flow of FDI. Inter-regional FDI flows take place between the subject regions and sub-regions. The observed phenomenon of emerging Asian net exporters of capital in the form of FDI to the European Union may be strengthened by the process of Asian integration. For the new EU Member States the developing Asian countries may constitute an alternative source of capital in the crisis conditions.
Global sea level trends in the presence of variable sea level velocities, and variable accelerations
Authors: Bâki Iz H. , Ding X.L. , Shum C.K.
Published: September 2013

This study investigates, using a new variable-acceleration model, the validity of the implicit assertion in previous studies regarding global constant sea level rise accelerations. Thirteen out of twenty seven globally distributed tide gauge stations, with records longer than 80 years, exhibit statistically significant quartic coefficients (p < 0.05) revealing the presence of variable sea level accelerations though not as a global phenomenon. Most of these stations initially exhibit decreasing negative velocities until early 20th century and increasing positive velocities after 1970’s following a period of constant velocities. It is shown that, for those locations experiencing statistically significant variable sea level accelerations, the estimates based on the conventional linear representation of linear sea level trends are not appropriate, and are notably biased for a number of stations. All solutions account for serial correlations, which otherwise induce biases in solution statistics. It is also demonstrated that the omission of non-linearities in sea level changes will bias the sea level trends for short records, such as those from satellite altimetry, as large as 3 mm/yr.
The brake within: Mechanisms of intrinsic regulation of axon growth featuring the Cdh1-APC pathway
Authors: Stegmüller Judith
Published: September 2013

Neurons of the central nervous system (CNS) form a magnificent network destined to control bodily functions and human behavior for a lifetime. During development of the CNS, neurons extend axons that establish connections to other neurons. Axon growth is guided by extrinsic cues and guidance molecules. In addition to environmental signals, intrinsic programs including transcription and the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) have been implicated in axon growth regulation. Over the past few years it has become evident that the E3 ubiquitin ligase Cdh1-APC together with its associated pathway plays a central role in axon growth suppression. By elucidating the intricate interplay of extrinsic and intrinsic mechanisms, we can enhance our understanding of why axonal regeneration in the CNS fails and obtain further insight into how to stimulate successful regeneration after injury.
Glioma cell migration and invasion as potential target for novel treatment strategies
Authors: Naumann Ulrike , Harter Patrick , Rubel Jennifer , Ilina Elena , Blank Anna-Eva , Esteban Hugo , Mittelbronn Michel
Published: September 2013

Diffuse human gliomas constitute a group of most treatment-refractory tumors even if maximum treatment strategies including neurosurgical resection followed by combined radio-/chemotherapy are applied. In contrast to most other neoplasms, diffusely infiltrating gliomas invade the brain along pre-existing structures such as axonal tracts and perivascular spaces. Even in cases of early diagnosis single or small clusters of glioma cells are already encountered far away from the main tumor bulk. Complex interactions between glioma cells and the surrounding extracellular matrix and considerable changes in the cytoskeletal apparatus are prerequisites for the cellular movement of glioma cells through the brain thereby escaping from most current treatments. This review provides an overview about classical and current concepts of glioma cell migration/invasion and promising preclinical treatment approaches.
Anatomical location of transcallosal sensorimotor fibers in the human brain: Diffusion tensor tractography study
Authors: Seo Jung , Jang Sung
Published: September 2013

Many diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) studies have reported on the topography of transcallosal fibers (TCF). However, little detailed anatomical information on TCF that can be easily applied for clinical purposes is known. Using probabilistic DTT, we attempted to determine the anatomical location of the TCF for motor and sensory function in the human brain. A total of 51 healthy subjects were recruited for this study. Diffusion tensor images (DTIs) were obtained at 1.5 T, and four TCF for the premotor cortex (PMC), the primary motor cortex (M1) for hand and leg, and the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) were obtained using FMRIB software. Locations of the TCF were defined as the highest probabilistic location on the midsagittal slice of the corpus callosum. We measured distances between the most anterior and posterior points of the corpus callosum. The relative mean distances of the highest probabilistic location for the precentral knob PMC (Brodmann area 6 anterior to the precentral knob), hand M1, leg M1, and precentral knob S1 (postcentral gyrus posterior to the precentral knob) TCF were 48.99%, 59.78%, 67.93%, and 73,48% from the most anterior point of the CC, respectively. According to our findings, the precentral knob PMC, hand M1, leg M1, and precentral knob S1 TCF were located at the anterior body, posterior body, posterior body, and isthmus according to Witelson’s classification, respectively.
Breath-hold diving as a brain survival response
Authors: Dujic Zeljko , Breskovic Toni , Bakovic Darija
Published: September 2013

Elite breath-hold divers are unique athletes challenged with compression induced by hydrostatic pressure and extreme hypoxia/hypercapnia during maximal field dives. The current world records for men are 214 meters for depth (Herbert Nitsch, No-Limits Apnea discipline), 11:35 minutes for duration (Stephane Mifsud, Static Apnea discipline), and 281 meters for distance (Goran Čolak, Dynamic Apnea with Fins discipline). The major physiological adaptations that allow breath-hold divers to achieve such depths and duration are called the “diving response” that is comprised of peripheral vasoconstriction and increased blood pressure, bradycardia, decreased cardiac output, increased cerebral and myocardial blood flow, splenic contraction, and preserved O2 delivery to the brain and heart. This complex of physiological adaptations is not unique to humans, but can be found in all diving mammals. Despite these profound physiological adaptations, divers may frequently show hypoxic loss of consciousness. The breath-hold starts with an easy-going phase in which respiratory muscles are inactive, whereas during the second so-called “struggle” phase, involuntary breathing movements start. These contractions increase cerebral blood flow by facilitating left stroke volume, cardiac output, and arterial pressure. The analysis of the compensatory mechanisms involved in maximal breath-holds can improve brain survival during conditions involving profound brain hypoperfusion and deoxygenation.
Multisensory integration and neuroplasticity in the human cerebral cortex
Authors: Paraskevopoulos Evangelos , Herholz Sibylle
Published: September 2013

There is a strong interaction between multisensory processing and the neuroplasticity of the human brain. On one hand, recent research demonstrates that experience and training in various domains modifies how information from the different senses is integrated; and, on the other hand multisensory training paradigms seem to be particularly effective in driving functional and structural plasticity. Multisensory training affects early sensory processing within separate sensory domains, as well as the functional and structural connectivity between uni- and multisensory brain regions. In this review, we discuss the evidence for interactions of multisensory processes and brain plasticity and give an outlook on promising clinical applications and open questions.
Solubility of nitrogen in ferrite; the Fe–N phase diagram
Authors: Stein Jendrik , Schacherl Ralf Erich , Jung Minsu , Meka Sairamudu , Rheingans Bastian , Mittemeijer Eric Jan
Published: September 2013

To accurately define important phase boundaries in the iron–nitrogen (temperature–composition) phase diagram as well as the (temperature–potential) Lehrer diagram, the solubility of nitrogen in ferrite was determined as a function of the nitriding potential (which defines the chemical potential of nitrogen) and the temperature. To this end, thin iron foils were homogeneously nitrided in flowing gas mixtures composed of ammonia and hydrogen. Phase identification was performed by means of X-ray diffraction analysis. Further, from the data obtained, the absorption function and the enthalpy for dissolution of nitrogen into ferrite and the enthalpy of the reaction occurring at the α/(α + γ′)-phase boundary were determined. The data obtained were corrected for the occurrence of a stationary state instead of a local equilibrium at the surface of the specimens. It followed that parts of the phase boundaries in the Lehrer diagram do not represent equilibrium states but rather stationary states.
Application of Photocatalysts and LED Light Sources in Drinking Water Treatment
Authors: Izadifard Maryam , Achari Gopal , Langford Cooper
Published: September 2013

This study investigates a cross-section of TiO2 compositions for which existing evidence suggests the prospect of improved performance compared to standard Degussa P25. In the context of a program aimed toward a 365 nm LED based photo-reactor, the question is whether a distinctly superior photocatalyst composition for drinking water treatment is now available that would shape design choices. An answer was sought by synthesizing several photocatalysts with reported high reactivity in some context in the literature, and by performing photocatalysts reactivity tests using common pollutants of water system including Natural Organic Matter (NOM) and Emerging Contaminants (ECs) from the pesticide and pharmaceutical classes. 365 nm Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) were used as the irradiation source. Since LEDs are now available in the UV, we did not examine the TiO2 modifications that bring band gap excitation into the region beyond 400 nm. The results suggest that the choice of the photocatalyst should be best made to fit the reactor design and photocatalyst mounting constraints such as mass transport, reactive surface, and light field. No photocatalyst composition overall, superior for all classes emerged.
Phase Composition of a CrMo0.5NbTa0.5TiZr High Entropy Alloy: Comparison of Experimental and Simulated Data
Authors: Senkov Oleg , Zhang Fan , Miller Jonathan
Published: September 2013

Microstructure and phase composition of a CrMo0.5NbTa0.5TiZr high entropy alloy were studied in the as-solidified and heat treated conditions. In the as-solidified condition, the alloy consisted of two disordered BCC phases and an ordered cubic Laves phase. The BCC1 phase solidified in the form of dendrites enriched with Mo, Ta and Nb, and its volume fraction was 42%. The BCC2 and Laves phases solidified by the eutectic-type reaction, and their volume fractions were 27% and 31%, respectively. The BCC2 phase was enriched with Ti and Zr and the Laves phase was heavily enriched with Cr. After hot isostatic pressing at 1450 °C for 3 h, the BCC1 dendrites coagulated into round-shaped particles and their volume fraction increased to 67%. The volume fractions of the BCC2 and Laves phases decreased to 16% and 17%, respectively. After subsequent annealing at 1000 °C for 100 h, submicron-sized Laves particles precipitated inside the BCC1 phase, and the alloy consisted of 52% BCC1, 16% BCC2 and 32% Laves phases. Solidification and phase equilibrium simulations were conducted for the CrMo0.5NbTa0.5TiZr alloy using a thermodynamic database developed by CompuTherm LLC. Some discrepancies were found between the calculated and experimental results and the reasons for these discrepancies were discussed.
Effects of Apple Juice Concentrate, Blackcurrant Concentrate and Pectin Levels on Selected Qualities of Apple-Blackcurrant Fruit Leather
Authors: Diamante Lemuel , Li Siwei , Xu Qianqian , Busch Janette
Published: September 2013

A study was conducted to determine the effects of different levels of apple juice concentrate (AJC), blackcurrant concentrate (BCC) and pectin on the moisture content, water activity, color, texture and ascorbic acid content of apple-blackcurrant fruit leather using the response surface methodology. The results showed the moisture content increased with increasing pectin level and with greater increases at higher AJC and BCC levels while the water activity increased with increasing pectin level and with increasing AJC level, at low pectin levels, but with decreasing AJC, at high pectin levels. The chroma decreased with increasing pectin level and with lower values at the middle AJC level. The puncturing force decreased with increasing AJC level but with a lower value at the middle pectin level. Lastly, the ascorbic acid content increased with increasing BCC level regardless of AJC and pectin levels. There is a need to reduce the drying temperature or time of apple-blackcurrant fruit leather just enough to bring the water activity closer to 0.60, thereby increasing the moisture content resulting in higher product yield.
Epigenetic Findings in Autism: New Perspectives for Therapy
Authors: Siniscalco Dario , Cirillo Alessandra , Bradstreet James , Antonucci Nicola
Published: September 2013

Autism and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are complex neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by dysfunctions in social interactions, communications, restricted interests, and repetitive stereotypic behaviors. Despite extensive genetic and biological research, significant controversy surrounds our understanding of the specific mechanisms of their pathogenesis. However, accumulating evidence points to the involvement of epigenetic modifications as foundational in creating ASD pathophysiology. Epigenetic modifications or the alteration of DNA transcription via variations in DNA methylation and histone modifications but without alterations in the DNA sequence, affect gene regulation. These alterations in gene expression, obtained through DNA methylation and/or histone modifications, result from transcriptional regulatory influences of environmental factors, such as nutritional deficiencies, various toxicants, immunological effects, and pharmaceuticals. As such these effects are epigenetic regulators which determine the final biochemistry and physiology of the individual. In contrast to psychopharmacological interventions, bettering our understanding of how these gene-environmental interactions create autistic symptoms should facilitate the development of therapeutic targeting of gene expression for ASD biomedical care.
Strategies to Minimize Antibiotic Resistance
Authors: Lee Chang-Ro , Cho Ill , Jeong Byeong , Lee Sang
Published: September 2013

Antibiotic resistance can be reduced by using antibiotics prudently based on guidelines of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) and various data such as pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) properties of antibiotics, diagnostic testing, antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST), clinical response, and effects on the microbiota, as well as by new antibiotic developments. The controlled use of antibiotics in food animals is another cornerstone among efforts to reduce antibiotic resistance. All major resistance-control strategies recommend education for patients, children (e.g., through schools and day care), the public, and relevant healthcare professionals (e.g., primary-care physicians, pharmacists, and medical students) regarding unique features of bacterial infections and antibiotics, prudent antibiotic prescribing as a positive construct, and personal hygiene (e.g., handwashing). The problem of antibiotic resistance can be minimized only by concerted efforts of all members of society for ensuring the continued efficiency of antibiotics.
Synthesis of a-O- and a-S-Glycosphingolipids Related to Sphingomonous cell Wall Antigens Using Anomerisation
Authors: Pilgrim Wayne , O'Reilly Ciaran , Murphy Paul
Published: September 2013

Analogues of glycolipids from Spingomonadacaece with O- and S- and SO2-linkages have been prepared using chelation induced anomerisation promoted by TiCl4. Included are examples of the anomerisation of intermediates with O- and S-glycosidic linkages as well as isomerisation of β-thioglycuronic acids (β-glycosyl thiols). The β-O-glucuronide and β-O-galacturonide precursors were efficiently prepared using benzoylated trichloroacetimidates. β-Glycosyl thiols were precursors to β-S-derivatives. Triazole containing mimics of the natural glycolipids were prepared using CuI promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition reactions in THF. The glycolipid antigens are being evaluated currently for their effects on iNKT cells.
Thymoquinone Induces Mitochondria-Mediated Apoptosis in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in Vitro
Authors: Salim Landa , Mohan Syam , Othman Rozana , Abdelwahab Siddig , Kamalidehghan Behnam , Sheikh Bassem , Ibrahim Mohamed
Published: September 2013

There has been a growing interest in naturally occurring compounds from traditional medicine with anti-cancer potential. Nigella sativa (black seed) is one of the most widely studied plants. This annual herb grows in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea and India. Thymoquinone (TQ) is an active ingredient isolated from Nigella sativa. The anti-cancer effect of TQ, via the induction of apoptosis resulting from mitochondrial dysfunction, was assessed in an acute lymphocyte leukemic cell line (CEMss) with an IC50 of 1.5 µg/mL. A significant increase in chromatin condensation in the cell nucleus was observed using fluorescence analysis. The apoptosis was then confirmed by Annexin V and an increased number of cellular DNA breaks in treated cells were observed as a DNA ladder. Treatment of CEMss cells with TQ encouraged apoptosis with cell death-transducing signals by a down-regulation of Bcl-2 and up-regulation of Bax. Moreover, the significant generation of cellular ROS, HSP70 and activation of caspases 3 and 8 were also observed in the treated cells. The mitochondrial apoptosis was clearly associated with the S phase cell cycle arrest. In conclusion, the results from the current study indicated that TQ could be a promising agent for the treatment of leukemia.
Optimal Sensor Arrangements in Angle of Arrival (AoA) and Range Based Localization with Linear Sensor Arrays
Authors: Herath Sanvidha , Pathirana Pubudu
Published: September 2013

This paper investigates the linear separation requirements for Angle-of-Arrival (AoA) and range sensors, in order to achieve the optimal performance in estimating the position of a target from multiple and typically noisy sensor measurements. We analyse the sensor-target geometry in terms of the Cramer–Rao inequality and the corresponding Fisher information matrix, in order to characterize localization performance with respect to the linear spatial distribution of sensors. Here in this paper, we consider both fixed and adjustable linear sensor arrays.
Regard sur la politique du logement en faveur des défavorisés
Authors: Ballain René
Published: September 2013

Avec la persistance de la crise de l’emploi, le logement devient un secteur à la fois central et problématique dans les politiques de lutte contre la pauvreté et l’exclusion. Cet article dresse un panorama et un bilan des dispositifs d’aide au logement des plus défavorisés. Il part d’un constat: les politiques générales de logement sont inefficaces à répondre aux besoins des plus démunis. Pour y remédier, de nouvelles pratiques se développent et des opérateurs associatifs apparaissent à côté des acteurs traditionnels du logement social. Une politique de logement en faveur des plus pauvres se met donc en place et essaie de compenser les imperfections et les lacunes des dispositifs existants au risque de les complexifier et de transformer la politique de droit au logement en une politique d’assistance.
Le développement du langage et de la communication [L'influence du mode d'accueil chez les enfants de deux à trois ans]
Authors: Marcos Haydée , Salazar Orvig Anne , Bernicot Josie , Guidetti Michèle , Hudelot Christian , Préneron Christiane
Published: September 2013

Cet article présente une recherche sur le développement du langage chez les enfants de deux ans en fonction du mode de garde. On compare les conduites langagières de trois groupes d’enfants: le premier, formé d’enfants fréquentant des crèches; le deuxième, d’enfants gardés par une assistante maternelle; et le troisième, d’enfants élevés principalement par leur mère. On considère plusieurs aspects structuraux et fonctionnels du langage. Parmi les premiers, la richesse du vocabulaire et la syntaxe; parmi les seconds, les capacités à participer de manière active à un dialogue et de maintenir de manière cohérente le thème de la conversation. Les principaux résultats indiquent que, lorsque des différences existent entre les groupes, elles sont en faveur des enfants en accueil extrafamilial.
L’action sociale familiale des CAF : de la libre initiative aux missions de service public
Authors: Ancelin Jacqueline
Published: September 2013

L’auteur retrace la constitution et les orientations de l’action sociale des caisses de compensation puis des caisses d’Allocations familiales en Métropole et dans les départements d’Outre-mer. Initiée par des patrons soucieux d’aider leurs salariés en charge de famille, les interventions sociales se sont d’abord librement développées. Valorisée lorsque les prestations sociales ont été rendues obligatoires en 1932, l’action sociale a été officiellement reconnue en 1945 par les ordonnances qui créent la Sécurité sociale. Partie intégrante de l’activité des CAF, cette action sociale se construit en parallèle du système des prestations légales. Elle accompagne et prend en compte les évolutions des familles et de la société en maintenant, cependant, le fil directeur de la prise en compte des enfants. Soucieuse, pendant une longue période, du bon état sanitaire des familles et de leurs enfants, l’action sociale évolue pour accompagner les familles, et notamment les femmes, dans leur conciliation entre vie familiale et vie professionnelle en promouvant une politique active d’accueil des jeunes enfants.
Rétrospective et prospective de la branche Famille [Points de vue de membres du comité éditorial de Recherches et Prévisions]
Authors: Chauvière Michel , Borgetto Michel , Lafore Robert , Messu Michel , Mayer Nonna , Martin Claude , Murard Numa , Pitrou Agnès , Singly François de , Weller Jean-Marc
Published: September 2013

Dans le cadre de cette livraison de Recherches et Prévisions, il a été demandé aux membres du comité éditorial de la revue de répondre brièvement (six à huit mille signes…) à deux questions, volontairement larges dans leur ambition et imprécises dans leur formulation, concernant les caisses d’Allocataires familiales et leur environnement. L’idée était de recueillir une série de points de vue sur et autour de la branche Famille de la Sécurité sociale: Quelles sont, sur les dix dernières années, les grandes évolutions juridiques, sociales, économiques, politiques… qui ont marqué l’environnement des caisses d’Allocations familiales? Comment voyez-vous, dans dix ans, un service public tel que celui des caisses d’Allocations familiales? On remercie ici les membres du comité éditorial qui ont accepté de participer à cet exercice particulier. Ils livrent, dans la diversité des disciplines, des thèmes abordés, des tons et des regards, un ensemble d’analyses, avec leurs convergences et leurs divergences, sur le passé récent et sur les futurs (possibles, probables ou souhaitables) des politiques familiales et sociales.
Les CAF et la médiation familiale : quelles réalités, quels enjeux ? [Une enquête menée dans trois caisses d’Allocation familiales ]
Authors: Jeannot Gilles
Published: September 2013

A partir d’une enquête de terrain réalisée dans trois caisses d’Allocations familiales, Gilles Jeannot analyse la manière dont elles ont intégré la médiation familiale dans leur activité. De l’action militante de certains travailleurs sociaux à une conjoncture politique favorable liée au déconventionnement de l’action sociale ou au « démarchage » entrepris par certaines associations, l’auteur passe en revue et analyse les raisons d’une implantation et la manière dont la médiation familiale est prise en compte. Dépassant la seule approche monographique, G. Jeannot livre des éléments d’évaluation sur cette pratique et s’interroge sur les implications politiques et sociales qu’elle recouvre.
La céramique du site de "La Vallée de Neuville" à Neuville-Saint-Amand (Aisne)
Authors: Corsiez Amélie
Published: September 2013

The publication of the pottery from the excavation at Neuville-Saint-Amand follows up the previous paper dealing with the excavation as a whole. The items studied, that is 6 889 sherds, come from two distinct chronological phases : Iron Age (early La Tène -late La Tène) and Antiquity (1st to 4th century AD). The Iron Age pottery mentioned in Part 1 of the paper belongs to the local La Tène facies. The Roman pottery, more plentiful, fell readily into 4 categories according to chronological phases. It belongs, too, to the local context, and more precisely to the civitas of the Viromandui, as most of the pottery comes from workshops attached to this civitas : Noyon, Saint-Quentin, Vermand. Most of the remaining ware comes from the neighbouring civitates of the Suessiones, Atrebates, Nervii and Remi. A small proportion, that is the Samian ware, and the coated and metallized wares, comes from more distant areas, connected to a dynamic trading network covering the whole of Gaul. This paper presents these trading practices as attested by typology and paste analysis.
Knowledge Management and Semantic Web Services
Authors: Alsmadi Izzat , Alda Sascha
Published: September 2013

Information reliability and automatic computation are two important aspects that are continuously pushing the Web to be more semantic. Information uploaded to the Web should be reusable and extractable automatically to other applications, platforms, etc. Several tools exist to explicitly markup Web content. The Web services may also have a positive role on the automatic processing of Web contents, especially when they act as flexible and agile agents. However, Web services themselves should be developed with semantics in mind. They should include and provide structured information to facilitate their use, reuse, composition, query, etc. In this chapter, the authors focus on evaluating state-of-the-art semantic aspects and approaches in Web services. Ultimately, this contributes to the goal of Web knowledge management, execution, and transfer.
Using Knowledge Management and Aggregation Techniques to Improve Web Effort Estimation
Authors: Mendes Emilia , Baker Simon
Published: September 2013

Effort estimation is one of the main pillars of sound project management as its accuracy can affect significantly whether projects will be delivered on time and within budget. However, due to being a complex domain, there are countless examples of companies that underestimate effort, and such estimation error can be of 30%-40% on average, thus leading to serious project management problems (Jørgensen & Grimstad, 2009). The contribution of this chapter is twofold: 1) to explain the knowledge management methodology employed to build industrial expert-based Web effort estimation models, such that other companies willing to develop such models can do so and 2) to provide a wider understanding on the fundamental factors affecting Web effort estimation and their relationships via a mechanism that partially aggregates the expert-based Web effort estimation models built.
Feature Extraction through Information Sharing in Swarm Intelligence Techniques
Authors: Goel Lavika , Panchal V. K.
Published: September 2013

Swarm Intelligence (SI) refers to a kind of problem-solving ability that emerges by the interaction of simple information-processing units. The overall behaviour of the system results from the interactions of individuals through information sharing with each other and with their environment, i.e., the self-organized group behaviour. The chapter details the theoretical aspects and the mathematical framework of the concept of information sharing in each of the swarm intelligence techniques of Biogeography-Based Optimization (BBO), Ant Colony Optimization (ACO), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), and Bee Colony Optimization (BCO), which are the major constituents of the SI techniques that have been used for land cover feature extraction of multi-spectral satellite images. The authors then demonstrate the results of classification after applying each of the above SI techniques presented in the chapter and calculate the classification accuracy for each in terms of the kappa coefficient generated from the error matrix obtained. For verification, they test their results on two datasets and also calculate the producer’s and the user’s accuracy separately for each land cover feature in order to explore the performance of the technique on different features of the satellite image. From the results, they conclude that the concepts of information sharing can be successfully adapted for the design of efficient algorithms that can be successfully applied for feature extraction of satellite images.
Development of Mono and Multihull Resistance Sustainable Marine Technology Development and Green Innovation
Authors: Utama I. Ketut Aria Pria , Jamaluddin Andi
Published: September 2013

During the last decade, multihull ships have rapidly evolved into a dominant mode of sea transportation. Their particular area of proliferation is in short sea shipping where they show considerable superiority over competitive designs in attributes such as power requirements, economy, space availability, and sea keeping quality. The rapid growth of the market has led to the need for an expanded range of multihull designs in terms of size, speed, and payload diversity (passengers, vehicles, containers). However, even now there is a scarcity of publicly available preliminary design tools for multihull vessels. This fact hinders the ship owner and naval architect from being able to quickly assess the relative merit of alternative potential designs without having to resort to expensive expert consultancy solutions.
Modeling of Offshore Aquaculture Floating Structure for Macro Algae Oceanic Cultivation
Authors: Olanrewaju Oladokun Sulaiman , Magee Allan
Published: September 2013

Seaweed farming has become one of the economically important natural resources. The existing cultivation system for seaweed is not suitable for deployment in deep and open water areas. Moreover, the current cultivation system is not environmentally sustainable and is economically unstable. This chapter describes the design of the offshore floating structures scientifically based on improvement of the Long Line System for commercialized scale seaweed farming. Some key factors in the design, prototype, and testing of floating offshore structures considered in the development of ocean farming technology systems are discussed.
River Transportation Master Plan Study for Environmental Enhancement
Authors: Kader Ab Saman Ab , Olanrewaju Oladokun Sulaiman
Published: September 2013

Inland waterways have long been utilized for various purposes including transportation. Since the development of road and rail took place, the use of inland waterways through rivers or canals has been neglected to give way for other modes of transport resulting in environmental degradation. In most developed countries, a revived plan has been formulated in implementing the optimum use of the inland waterways system for transportation purposes including USA, UK, European countries, etc. Malaysia too, owing to a substantial growth in population as well as economy, is experiencing something similar to what developed nations have gone through. With vast river network system in the country, Malaysia would surely wish to put the experiences into practice. A comprehensive master plan study should be undertaken to determine the potential rivers for development as well as to determine the level of development. The chapter highlights some considerations in ensuring the successful implementation of the environmental protection programme by developing and utilizing an environmentally friendly mode of inland water transport in Malaysia.