bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ELIMINATION OF BACTERIAL ISOLATES FROM JOLLOF RICE MEAL BY IRRADIATION AND CHILLED STORAGE
Authors: ADU‐GYAMFI ABRAHAM , NKETSIA‐TABIRI JOSEPHINE
Published: April 2008

The radiation sensitivity of three bacterial isolates (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella parathyphi B) on jollof rice meal (JRM) was determined. Based on the calculated D10 values, challenge testing of the isolates with irradiation (0, 2 and 3 kGy) was conducted on JRM followed by chilled (3–5C) storage (0, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days). Calculated D10 values of E. coli, S. aureus and S. parathyphi B were 0.173, 0.260 and 0.285 kGy, respectively. Linear correlation coefficients of the regression lines were all >0.910 and highly significant (P < 0.01). A dose of 2 kGy reduced the population of E. coli by 6 log cycles and those of S. aureus and S. parathyphi B by 4 log cycles. A dose of 3 kGy eliminated all the isolates from the JRM during the 28‐day storage period and is therefore adequate to eliminate pathogens from JRM to enhance microbiological quality.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Ready meals are easily available and convenient. However, they have the major limitations of easy contamination with foodborne pathogens and a relatively short shelf life. Additionally in the tropics, high temperatures and poor access to refrigeration facilities promote rapid microbial proliferation in such foods. The potential of low dose radiation to improve microbiological safety and extend shelf life of some cook‐chill and other ready meals have been established and the technology is in use in most developed countries. However, in developing countries where the incidence of foodborne illness is relatively high, there is lack of awareness about the potential benefits of food irradiation. This study demonstrates the potential of irradiation to enhance microbiological safety and extend the shelf life of ready meals in developing countries, especially those which are popular and those of indigenous origin.
Diagnosis of hyperthyroidism in cats with mild chronic kidney disease
Authors: Wakeling J. , Moore K. , Elliott J. , Syme H.
Published: April 2008

Objectives:In cats with concurrent hyperthyroidism and non‐thyroidal illnesses such as chronic kidney disease, total thyroxine concentrations are often within the laboratory reference range (19 to 55 nmol/l). The objective of the study was to determine total thyroxine, free thyroxine and/or thyroid‐stimulating hormone concentrations in cats with mild chronic kidney disease.

Methods:Total thyroxine, free thyroxine and thyroid‐stimulating hormone were measured in three groups. The hyperthyroidism‐chronic kidney disease group (n=16) had chronic kidney disease and clinical signs compatible with hyperthyroidism but a plasma total thyroxine concentration within the reference range. These cats were subsequently confirmed to be hyperthyroid at a later date. The chronic kidney disease‐only group (n=20) had chronic kidney disease but no signs of hyperthyroidism. The normal group (n=20) comprised clinically healthy senior (>8 years) cats.

Results:In 4 of 20 euthyroid chronic kidney disease cats, free thyroxine concentrations were borderline or high (≥40 pmol/l). In the hyperthyroidism‐chronic kidney disease group, free thyroxine was high in 15 of 16 cats, while thyroid‐stimulating hormone was low in 16 of 16 cats. Most hyperthyroidism‐chronic kidney disease cats (14 of 16) had total thyroxine greater than 30 nmol/l, whereas all the chronic kidney disease‐only cats had total thyroxine less than 30 nmol/l.

ClinicalSignificance:The combined measurement of free thyroxine with total thyroxine or thyroid‐stimulating hormone may be of merit in the diagnosis of hyperthyroidism in cats with chronic kidney disease.
Rodents as reservoirs of parasites in India
Authors: SINGLA Lachhman D. , SINGLA Neena , PARSHAD Vir R. , JUYAL Prayag D. , SOOD Naresh K.
Published: April 2008

We monitored the prevalence of endoparasitic infections of rodents in Punjab State, India, between January 2004 and December 2005. Three species of wild rodents, namely the house rat, Rattus rattus (n= 42), the lesser bandicoot rat, Bandicota bengalensis (n= 34) and the Indian gerbil, Tatera indica (n= 15), were live‐captured from houses and crop fields. Examination of various organs revealed that the highest rates of endoparasitic infection occurred in R. rattus (40.5%), followed by B. bengalensis (35.3 %) and then T. indica (20.0%), with an overall infection rate of 35.2%. All three rodent species were found naturally infected with one or more species of helminths. Metacestodes (1–6) of Cysticercus fasciolaris (larvae of Taenia taeniaeformis) were found in all three rodent species (in the liver). In one male T. indica, numerous robust T. taeniaeformis metacestodes were found in oval sacs attached to the mesentery and the abdominal wall, an unusual site. The cauda epididymal fluid of the same gerbil was also found to be infected with a very rare species of strongylid nematode, which could not be identified to genus or species level. It is possible that this nematode is transmitted sexually and thus may affect the reproductive potential of gerbils. This appears to be the first report of this phenomenon. In one B. bengalensis individual, the intestine was found to be obstructed with an acanthocephalan, Moniliformis moniliformis, with concurrent infection with C. fasciolaris in the form of multiple cysts in the liver. Although no natural protozoan infection was found in these field rodents, experimental Trypanosoma evansi infection has been established in all three species with high pathogenicity, and the possibility of sexual transmission was supported by the presence of T. evansi in the cauda epididymal fluid of male rats.
Demography, reproductive biology and diet of the bushveld gerbil Tatera leucogaster (Rodentia: Gerbillinae) in the Lake Rukwa valley, south‐western Tanzania
Authors: ODHIAMBO Richard O. , MAKUNDI Rhodes H. , LEIRS Herwig , VERHAGEN Ron
Published: April 2008

Seasonal abundance, reproductive biology and feeding ecology of the bushveld gerbil Tatera leucogaster (Peters, 1852) were investigated in small‐scale maize field‐fallow land mosaics in south‐western Tanzania. The gerbils were collected over a 2‐year period using Sherman live and Victor hold‐fast snap traps in permanent 4.5‐ha grids. A total of 664 individuals were captured over 13 650 trap nights, giving an overall trap success rate of 4.9%. Trap success varied between seasons with and without crops in the field but not between habitat types. At this site, the breeding activity of this species is seasonal. All individuals whose stomachs were analyzed ate a wide range of items, indicating omnivory in this species at this site; however, seeds were the most preferred diet category, with a mean contribution of 50.4%, followed by arthropods, with a mean contribution of 25.7%. Other plant materials became important during the very dry periods.
Response of small rodents to manipulations of vegetation height in agro‐ecosystems
Authors: JACOB Jens
Published: April 2008

Some small mammal populations require human interference to conserve rare or threatened species or to minimize adverse effects in plant production. Without a thorough understanding about how small rodents behave in their environment and consideration of how they react to management efforts, management will not be optimal. Social behavior, spatial and temporal activity patterns, predator avoidance and other behavioral responses can affect pest rodent management. Some of these behavioral patterns and their causes have been well studied. However, their impact on pest rodent management, especially for novel management approaches, is not always clear. Habitat manipulation occurs necessarily through land use and intentionally to reduce shelter and food availability and to increase predation pressure on rodents. Rodents often respond to decreased vegetation height with reduced movements and increased risk sensitivity in their feeding behavior. This seems to result mainly from an elevated perceived predation risk. Behavioral responses may lessen the efficacy of the management because the desired effects of predators might be mediated. It remains largely unknown to what extent such responses can compensate at the population level for the expected consequences of habitat manipulation and how population size and crop damage are affected. It is advantageous to understand how target and non‐target species react to habitat manipulation to maximize the management effects by appropriate techniques, timing and spatial scale without causing unwanted effects at the system level.
Sustainable Development and Environmental Justice in African Cities
Authors: Myers Garth Andrew
Published: April 2008

The rhetoric of sustainable development has substantive impacts in African cities, through programs like the United Nations Sustainable Cities Program. Discussions of urban environmental justice are comparatively rare in African cities, with notable exceptions in South African policy and research. I examine the sustainable development and environmental justice literatures in African urban studies, largely around South African and Tanzanian cases. My goals are to understand the out‐sized presence of sustainable development rhetoric and the general absence of environmental justice debates in sub‐Saharan African urban studies, and to speculate on possibilities for regional cross‐fertilization in research and movements for urban environmental justice.
The Region in Political Economy
Authors: Harrison John
Published: April 2008

A decade ago, regions were the hot topic in political economy. Convinced by accounts of how regions were competitive economic territoriesper excellenceand crucial sites for promoting a plural society, the ‘new regionalism’ ascended to a position of orthodoxy in political economy. Today, the memory of these halcyon days is but a distant one with the past decade seeing regions be the site for a number of topical debates that appear, at first sight, to challenge the regional concept: the collapse of the new regionalist orthodoxy; the theoretical ascendancy of relational approaches to conceptualising spatiality; and the political ascendancy of the ‘city‐region’ concept. All of which suggests that the regional concept may be under threat in contemporary political economy. But it also prompts the need to confront searching questions as to whether we are in fact witnessing the awakening of a new geography of the region. This article emphasises the latter, arguing that what we are witnessing is the emergence of a new era of ‘relational regionalism’ in political economy.
Youth, AIDS and Rural Livelihoods in Southern Africa
Authors: Van Blerk Lorraine , Ansell Nicola , Robson Elsbeth , Hadju Flora , Chipeta Lucy
Published: April 2008

AIDS, in interaction with other factors, is impacting on the livelihood activities, opportunities and choices of young people in southern Africa. This article explores these linkages firstly by reviewing what is known about the impacts of AIDS on young people, before looking more specifically at how this impinges on their future ability to secure livelihoods. Within the home and family, AIDS often results in youth taking on a heavy burden of responsibilities. This can include caring for sick relatives, helping with chores and taking on paid employment. This burden of care and work can have further impacts on young people's future livelihoods as they find they have reduced access to schooling, potential loss of inheritance and a breakdown in the intergenerational transfer of knowledge, which is especially important for sustained agricultural production. The article ends by suggesting that the sustainable livelihoods approach can be useful for understanding the complexity of the issues surrounding the impacts of AIDS on young people's livelihoods and calls for further research to explore how their access to future sustainable livelihoods in rural southern Africa might be supported.
Heparan Sulfate Accumulation with Aβ Deposits in Alzheimer's Disease and Tg2576 Mice is Contributed by Glial Cells
Authors: O'Callaghan Paul , Sandwall Elina , Li Jin‐Ping , Yu Hong , Ravid Rivka , Guan Zhi‐Zhong , Van Kuppevelt Toin H. , Nilsson Lars N. G. , Ingelsson Martin , Hyman Bradley T. , Kalimo Hannu , Lindahl Ulf , Lannfelt Lars , Zhang Xiao
Published: April 2008

Amyloid β‐peptide (Aβ) plaques, one of the major neuropathological lesions in Alzheimer's disease (AD), can be broadly subdivided into two morphological categories: neuritic and diffuse. Heparan sulfate (HS) and HS proteoglycans (HSPGs) are codeposits of multiple amyloidoses, including AD. Although HS has been considered a limiting factor in the initiation of amyloid deposition, the pathological implications of HS in Aβ deposits of AD remain unclear. In this study, immunohistochemistry combined with fluorescence and confocal microscopy was employed to gain deeper insight into the accumulation of HS with Aβ plaques in sporadic and familial AD. Here we demonstrate that HS preferentially accumulated around the Aβ40 dense cores of neuritic plaques, but was largely absent from diffuse Aβ42 plaques, suggesting that Aβ42 deposition may occur independently of HS. A codeposition pattern of HS with Aβ deposits in Tg2576 mice was also examined. We identified the membrane‐bound HSPGs, glypican‐1 (GPC1) and syndecan‐3 (SDC3), in glial cells associated with Aβ deposits, proximal to sites of HS accumulation. In mouse primary glial cultures, we observed increased levels of GPC1 and SDC3 following Aβ stimulation. These results suggest that HS codeposits with Aβ40 in neuritic plaques and is mainly derived from glial cells.
Adult Onset Leukodystrophy with Neuroaxonal Spheroids: Clinical, Neuroimaging and Neuropathologic Observations
Authors: Freeman Stefanie H. , Hyman Bradley T. , Sims Katherine B. , Hedley‐Whyte E. T. , Vossough Arastoo , Frosch Matthew P. , Schmahmann Jeremy D.
Published: April 2008

Pigmented orthochromatic leukodystrophy and hereditary diffuse leukoencephalopathy with spheroids are two adult onset leukodystrophies with neuroaxonal spheroids presenting with prominent neurobehavioral, cognitive and motor symptoms. These are familial or sporadic disorders characterized by cerebral white matter degeneration including myelin and axonal loss, gliosis, macrophages and axonal spheroids. We report clinical, neuroimaging and pathological correlations of four women ages 34–50 years with adult onset leukodystrophy. Their disease course ranged from 1.5–8 years. Three patients had progressive cognitive and behavioral changes; however, one had acute onset. Neuroimaging revealed white matter abnormalities characterized by symmetric, bilateral, T2 hyperintense and T1 hypointense Magnetic Resonance Imaging signal involving frontal lobe white matter in all patients. Extensive laboratory investigations were negative apart from abnormalities in some mitochondrial enzymes and immunologic parameters. Autopsies demonstrated severe leukodystrophy with myelin and axonal loss, axonal spheroids and macrophages with early and severe frontal white matter involvement. The extent and degree of changes outside the frontal lobe appeared to correlate with disease duration. The prominent neurobehavioral deficits and frontal white matter disease provide clinical‐pathologic support for association pathways linking distributed neural circuits sub‐serving cognition. These observations lend further support to the notion that white matter disease alone can account for dementia.
Evaluating A Multiple‐Family Group Access Intervention for Refugees with PTSD
Authors: Weine Stevan , Kulauzovic Yasmina , Klebic Alma , Besic Sanela , Mujagic Aida , Muzurovic Jasmina , Spahovic Dzemila , Sclove Stanley , Pavkovic Ivan , Feetham Suzanne , Rolland John
Published: April 2008

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of a multiple‐family group in increasing access to mental health services for refugees with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study investigated a nine‐session multiple‐family group called Coffee and Families Education and Support with refugee families from Bosnia‐Herzegovina in Chicago. Adults with PTSD (n = 197) and their families were randomly assigned to receive either the intervention or a control condition. The results indicated that a multiple‐family group was effective in increasing access to mental health services and that depression and family comfort with discussing trauma mediated the intervention effect. Further well‐designed studies of family interventions are needed for developing evidence‐based interventions for refugee families.
A Systematic Review of the Research Base on Sexual Reorientation Therapies
Authors: Serovich Julianne M. , Craft Shonda M. , Toviessi Paula , Gangamma Rashmi , McDowell Tiffany , Grafsky Erika L.
Published: April 2008

In the past few years, members of the AAMFT, like members of other professional groups, have engaged in a discourse as to the necessity and effectiveness of sexual reorientation therapies. The purpose of this article is to review, critique, and synthesize the scientific rigor of the literature base underpinning sexual reorientation therapy research. Using a systematic narrative analysis approach, 28 empirically based, peer‐reviewed articles meeting eligibility criteria were coded for sample characteristics and demographics as well as numerous methodology descriptors. Results indicate the literature base is full of omissions which threaten the validity of interpreting available data.
Environmental Costing in Capital Investment Decisions: Electricity Distributors and the Choice of Power Poles
Authors: Deegan Craig
Published: April 2008

Australian electricity distribution businesses use a vast number of poles in their networks. In making their purchase decisions, they can choose between types of pole. It might come from an old‐growth forest or a plantation, or be made from cement, steel or fibreglass. This paper discusses how Australian electricity distribution businesses currently account (or fail to account) for the social and environmental implications of the production and use of power poles. The discussion highlights the many factors to be considered in a life‐cycle costing exercise. The paper provides suggestions for future practice which have implications not only for electricity distribution businesses, but for industry generally.
The Rise and Demise of Abnormal Items
Authors: Cameron Robyn , Gallery Natalie
Published: April 2008

Before 2001, Australian companies reported abnormal items on the face of the income statement or by way of note. In response to perceived abuses in classifying items as abnormal, AASB 1018 was reissued in October 1999 with the reference to abnormal items removed. We analyse the implications of the changes to accounting standard requirements relating to abnormal items, and examine whether there is empirical evidence of opportunistic classification of operating profit items as abnormal. Our results suggest that some companies may have opportunistically classified large expense items as ‘abnormal’ to boost their reported ‘normal’ earnings number.
Solvency Solecisms: Corporate Officers' Problematic Perceptions
Authors: Dean Graeme , Clarke Frank , Margret Julie
Published: April 2008

This examination of corporate officers' perceptions provides insights into their confused understanding of solvency. Questionnaire and interview evidence exposes officers' equivocations on whether a separate legal entity or group enterprise perspective should be adopted in assessing solvency. The serviceability of consolidated (economic entity or closed group) accounting data is demonstrated here to be equally problematic for officers making those solvency assessments in respect of an economic group and any related closed group. These outcomes have implications for agencies such as APRA and ASIC in developing regulatory policy.
Surface Effects on the Near-Tip Stresses for Mode-I and Mode-III Cracks
Authors: Wang Gang-Feng , Feng Xi-Qiao , Wang Tie-Jun , Gao Wei
Published: April 2008

Based on the surface elasticity theory and using a local asymptotic approach, we analyzed the influences of surface energy on the stress distributions near a blunt crack tip. The dependence relationship of the crack-tip stresses on surface elastic parameters is obtained for both mode-I and mode-III cracks. It is found that when the curvature radius of a crack front decreases to nanometers, surface energy significantly affects the stress intensities near the crack tip. Using a kind of surface elements, we also performed finite element simulations to examine the surface effects on the near-tip stresses. The obtained analytical solution agrees well with the numerical results.
Constitutive Modeling of the Stress-Stretch Behavior of Two-Dimensional Triangulated Macromolecular Networks Containing Folded Domains
Authors: Arslan M. , Boyce M. C. , Qi H. J. , Ortiz C.
Published: April 2008

The mechanical behavior of the red blood cell membrane is governed by the lipid bilayer which resists changes in surface area and the underlying spectrin network which resists changes in shape. The constituent spectrin chains of the network consist of a series of domains along the chain, which exhibit noncovalent interactions. Upon sufficient extension of a chain, each folded domain undergoes mechanically-induced unfolding after reaching a chain force between 10 and 35pN. Individual spectrin chains within the network experience their first unfolding event at different levels of macroscopic strain depending on the macroscopic loading conditions and the orientation of each constituent chain with respect to the macroscopic loading. A microstructurally-informed continuum level constitutive model is developed which tracks individual chain deformation behavior as well as the overall macroscopic network stress-strain behavior. Using the introduced continuum approach and statistical mechanics based models of the chain force-extension behavior together with a transition state model of domain unfolding; a constitutive model for the membrane stress-stretch behavior is constructed. Uniaxial tension and simple shear behaviors of the membrane are simulated incorporating the unfolding of the individual chains. A Taylor averaging approach is used as a first approximation to account for the irregularities in the spectrin network which result in a near plateau-like force behavior with increasing stretch.
A General Reduced Representation of One-Dimensional Frictional Interfaces
Authors: Guthrie Michael , Kammer Daniel
Published: April 2008

A physically-motivated, reduced representation of a general one-dimensional frictional interface is developed. Friction is introduced into the system as a state variable and is modeled by nonlinear springs of large but finite stiffness. The set of equations for the interface is reduced in a procedure similar to Guyan reduction by assuming that the system must deform in its quasistatic displacement shapes. The result of this reduction is that the degrees of freedom internal to the interface are removed from the analysis and only the boundary degrees of freedom are retained. The reduced system is then specialized to the case of a bar on a frictional surface. For this problem, a second reduction is made by noting that the time derivative of the friction force on the stuck block nearest the slip zone is much greater than the time derivatives of the friction forces elsewhere. Therefore only the friction force on the stuck block nearest the slip zone needs to be updated at each time step. The reduced representation developed in this paper is compared with a formulation from the literature and it is seen that the two match very closely and that the reduced representation is far less computationally intensive.
Dynamic Viscoelastic Rod Stability Modeling by Fractional Differential Operator
Authors: Ingman D. , Suzdalnitsky J.
Published: April 2008

The need to take into account the oscillation of a system is a special feature in the linear problem of the stability of a cantilevered rod under a follower force. Involvement of viscoelastic materials leads to damping of the oscillation hence to overestimation of critical loads. This new problem is solved here by means of an additional term introduced into the constitutive equation and proportional to the fractional time derivative with complex order—besides the inertial one. The effects contributed by the damping ratio, the real part of the order and the corrective role of its imaginary part on the shape of the bifurcation line, on its maximum and on the disposition of the inflection and maximal deflection points on the centerline of the deformed rod during the secondary loss of stability, are discussed.
A Device for Mechanically Folding Yarns and Woven Fabrics of Ballistic Fibers
Authors: Kim J. H. , Brandenburg N. , McDonough W. , Blair W. , Holmes G. A.
Published: April 2008

A device was designed and built that attaches to servohydraulic machines that typically perform material fatigue testing. The device was designed to systematically fold woven fabric and yarns of ballistic fibers to assess the impact of mechanical folding, such as may occur during use, on ballistic fiber properties. Initial tests indicate that the device repeatedly folds a piece of woven fabric at the same location. However, when the device is in the open position, a consistent 1cm movement of the fabric was observed. A slight modification of the device is required to eliminate this movement. After cycling a piece of woven poly(benzoxazole) (PBO) fabric for 5500 cycles, an 18% reduction in the ultimate tensile strength and strain to failure of the PBO fibers was observed. Research is continuing to determine a relevant and optimized testing protocol.
Fast Fourier Transform Based Numerical Methods for Elasto-Plastic Contacts of Nominally Flat Surfaces
Authors: Chen W. Wayne , Liu Shuangbiao , Wang Q. Jane
Published: April 2008

This paper presents a three-dimensional numerical elasto-plastic model for the contact of nominally flat surfaces based on the periodic expandability of surface topography. This model is built on two algorithms: the continuous convolution and Fourier transform (CC-FT) and discrete convolution and fast Fourier transform (DC-FFT), modified with duplicated padding. This model considers the effect of asperity interactions and gives a detailed description of subsurface stress and strain fields caused by the contact of elasto-plastic solids with rough surfaces. Formulas of the frequency response functions (FRF) for elastic/plastic stresses and residual displacement are given in this paper. The model is verified by comparing the numerical results to several analytical solutions. The model is utilized to simulate the contacts involving a two-dimensional wavy surface and an engineering rough surface in order to examine its capability of evaluating the elasto-plastic contact behaviors of nominally flat surfaces.
Quasi-Particle Properties from Tunneling in the
v
= 5/2 Fractional Quantum Hall State
Authors: Radu Iuliana P. , Miller J. B. , Marcus C. M. , Kastner M. A. , Pfeiffer L. N. , West K. W.
Published: April 2008

Quasi-particles with fractional charge and statistics, as well as modified Coulomb interactions, exist in a two-dimensional electron system in the fractional quantum Hall (FQH) regime. Theoretical models of the FQH state at filling fraction

\batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \(v={^{5}}/{_{2}}\) \end{document}

make the further prediction that the wave function can encode the interchange of two quasi-particles, making this state relevant for topological quantum computing. We show that bias-dependent tunneling across a narrow constriction at

\batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \(v={^{5}}/{_{2}}\) \end{document}

exhibits temperature scaling and, from fits to the theoretical scaling form, extract values for the effective charge and the interaction parameter of the quasi-particles. Ranges of values obtained are consistent with those predicted by certain models of the

\batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \({^{5}}/{_{2}}\) \end{document}

state.
Hormonal responses to a single session of wholebody vibration exercise in older individuals
Authors: Cardinale M , Soiza R L , Leiper J B , Gibson A , Primrose W R
Published: April 2008

Objective

Whole-body vibration (WBV) has been recently suggested as an alternative form of exercise. In this study, the acute effects of a single session of WBV exercise on anabolic hormones in aged individuals were analysed.

Design

A randomised cross-over trial design was used.

Settings

Geriatrics Department, Woodend Hospital.

Participants

20 individuals (9 men and 11 women; median age 70 years (range 66 to 85 years) volunteered in the experiment.

Interventions

Isometric squat on a platform with vibration or no vibration (control) conditions.

Main outcome measurements

Plasma cortisol, testosterone, growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) were measured before, immediately after, and 1 and 2 h after the interventions.

Reports

A significant difference between treatments (p<0.001) and a time6treatment interaction (p<0.05) was found in IGF-1 levels. Cortisol levels were shown not to be significantly different between treatments (p = 0.43), but a difference over time (p<0.001) and a time6 treatment interaction (p<0.05) were identified. No significant differences were identified in GH and testosterone levels.

Conclusions

As shown by the results of the study, 5 min of WBV exercise characterised by static squat with a frequency of 30 Hz can be performed by older individuals without apparent signs of stress and/or fatigue. Furthermore, WBV produced an acute increase in the circulating levels IGF-1 and cortisol greater than that observed following the same exercise protocol conducted without vibration.
Polar Activity Watch 200: a new device to accurately assess energy expenditure
Authors: Brugniaux J V , Niva A , Pulkkinen I , Laukkanen R M T , Richalet J-P , Pichon A P
Published: April 2008

Objectives

Energy expenditure (EE) based on movement detection is calculated by a new device, the Activity Watch 200 (AW200). The aim of this study was to validate EE measured by this device against indirect calorimetry (IC) and to assess the reproducibility of AW200 measurements.

Design

EE was assessed during a 9.7 km hike. 10 men and 10 women in the age range 35–45 years, and 5 men and 6 women in the age range 50–55 years were tested. One in five participants of each age- and sex-matched group was equipped with a portable metabograph (Oxycon Mobil) for IC measurements. Data were collected every 30 min during the hike, and IC was extrapolated for the remaining four other participants of the group.

Results

During the total hike, there was a high correlation between EE obtained from the AW200 and the IC calculation (r = 0.987, p<0.001). Identical values of EE were calculated by both methods during the first 90 min of the hike. However, EE calculated by the AW200 at 120 min and at the end of the hike was lower (p<0.05). Bland–Altman analysis showed limits of agreements between 105 and 279 kJ after 30 and 120 min, respectively. EE measured by the AW200 was well correlated with IC measurements, and limits of agreement between devices were below 10% of the measured values for hike durations longer than 60 min.

Conclusion

The AW200 appears to be a very useful and accurate device for measuring EE during exercise in recreational hikers and provides a useful tool for keeping track of personal EE.
Current and future management of chronic hepatitis C infection
Authors: Cross T J S , Antoniades C G , Harrison P M
Published: April 2008

Current treatment for patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection consists of the combination of pegylated interferon and ribavirin. This treatment regimen achieves a sustained virological response, defined as undetectable HCV RNA 6 months after treatment cessation, in 50% of patients overall. There is therefore a need for new treatments to improve the sustained virological response rate and reduce the number of adverse effects associated with pegylated interferon and ribavirin. This review examines the current management of chronic HCV infection, including who is eligible for treatment, the optimum duration of treatment, and management of side effects. New drugs in development, such as HCV-specific protease inhibitors, polymerase inhibitors, immune modulators and ribavirin analogues, are outlined, and their role in the treatment armamentarium is discussed, whether used alone or in combination with existing treatments.
Evaluating the influence of environmental and spatial variables on diatom species distributions from Melville Island (Canadian High Arctic)
Authors: Keatley Bronwyn E. , Douglas Marianne S.V. , Smol John P.
Published: April 2008

Diatom species assemblages were identified and enumerated from the surface sediments of 45 lakes and ponds across a wide spectrum of spatial and environmental gradients on Melville Island, Nunavut/N.W.T, Arctic Canada. Whereas the most common taxa were similar to those recorded elsewhere in the Canadian High Arctic, significant differences in assemblages existed between sites located in the different bioclimatic zones of Melville Island. For example, taxa recorded in the most lushly vegetated bioclimatic zone were similar to those found in lushly vegetated regions elsewhere in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, and generally different from diatoms in the poorly vegetated regions on Melville Island. Of the measured environmental variables, pH, specific conductivity, surface area, elevation, and chlorophyll a explained significant portions of the variance in diatom assemblage composition at the scale of the entire island. However, only total dissolved nitrogen was an important explanatory variable within the most lushly vegetated bioclimatic zone. The strongest ecological relationship was between diatoms and pH, and regression and calibration by weighted averaging produced predictive models with r2bootof 0.432 to 0.746 and RMSEP of 0.341 to 0.242. Spatial factors were of little importance, confirming that diatoms are not likely to be dispersal limited, at least at the landscape scale explored in this study.
The distribution of Vallisneria americana seeds and seedling light requirements in the Upper Mississippi River
Authors: Kimber Anne , Valk Arnold G. van der , Korschgen Carl E.
Published: April 2008

Vallisneria americana declined in backwaters of the Upper Mississippi River, U.S.A., after a drought in 1988. To determine whether viable seeds of V. americana occurred in the seed bank of navigation pool 7, Lake Onalaska, the upper 5 cm of sediment was collected from 103 sites in May 1990. These sediment samples were kept in pots at a depth of 0.4, 0.8, and 1.2 m in an outdoor pond for 12 weeks. Vallisneria americana seeds germinated from sites throughout the lake, and some seedlings produced overwintering buds by the end of the study. Seeds, spores, or fragments of 12 other species of aquatic plants also germinated. Seed germination trials with fresh and stored seeds in both greenhouse and ponds in which light availability was reduced with shade cloths indicated that seed germination was insensitive to light level. To determine the light requirements for seedling survival and bud production, sediment from Lake Onalaska was incubated in ponds under neutral density shade screens reducing light to 2, 5, 9, and 25% of full sun. Seeds germinated under all shade treatments but survival was significantly higher in the 9 and 25% light treatments, and bud production was restricted to these light levels. Key words: aquatic macrophytes, seeds, germination, light response.
Étude synthétique des réactions induites par les nématodes phytoparasites sur le bananier Musa acuminata (groupe AAA) : hiérarchisation des paramètres adaptés à la sélection variétale
Authors: Mateille Thierry , Gautier Nicole , Debouzie Domitien , Cadet Patrice
Published: April 2008

The susceptibility of bananas to phytoparasitic nematodes, the damages caused by nematodes, and the plant defense reactions can be evaluated respectively by the multiplication rate of parasites, the plant growth and metabolism, and the modifications of the secondary metabolism. The comparison, through multivariate analyses, of these four groups of parameters between two banana cultivars (Poyo and Gros Michel), differently susceptible to nematodes, helps to hierarchize the importance of these groups. So, the variables associated with shoot and root growth and the variables associated with plant physiology (photosynthesis, carbon metabolism, nitrogen and mineral absorption) are quite bad parameters because they evolve anarchically with the initial nematode population pressure. On the opposite, the final nematode population pressure and the variables associated with host defense reactions (secondary metabolism) are more reliable because they give more homogeneous results. It is then possible to assess the usefulness of the parameters describing banana susceptibility to nematodes and to give reliable criteria to geneticians for nematode resistance breeding programs. Key words: banana, defense reactions, phytoparasitic nematodes, resistance, tolerance, cultivar behaviour. [Traduit par la rédaction]
Salvia miltiorrhiza treatment during early reperfusion reduced postischemic myocardial injury in the rat
Authors: Nie Ruqiong , Xia Rui , Zhong Xingwu , Xia Zhengyuan
Published: April 2008

Oxidative stress may play a causative role in myocardial ischemia–reperfusion injury. However, it is a relatively understudied aspect regarding an optimal timing of antioxidant intervention during ischemia–reperfusion. The present study investigates the effect of different treatment regimens of Salvia miltiorrhiza (SM) herb extracts containing phenolic compounds that possess potent antioxidant properties on postischemic myocardial functional recovery in the setting of global myocardial ischemia and reperfusion. Langendorff-perfused rat hearts were subjected to 40 min of global ischemia at 37 °C followed by 60 min of reperfusion, and were randomly assigned into the untreated control and 2 SM-treated groups (n = 7 per group). In treatment 1 (SM1), 3 mg/mL of water soluble extract of SM was given for 10 min before ischemia and continued during ischemia through the aorta at a reduced flow rate of 60 μL/min, but not during reperfusion. In treatment 2 (SM2), SM (3 mg/mL) was given during the first 15 min of reperfusion. During ischemia, hearts in the control and SM2 groups were given physiological saline at 60 μL/min. The SM1 treatment reduced the production of 15-F2t-isoprostane, a specific index of oxidative stress-induced lipid peroxidation, during ischemia (94 ± 20, 43 ± 6, and 95 ± 15 pg/mL in the coronary effluent in control, SM1, and SM2 groups, respectively; p < 0.05, SM1 vs. control or SM2) and postponed the onset of ischemic contracture. However, SM2, but not the SM1 regimen, significantly reduced 15-F2t-isoprostane production during early reperfusion and led to optimal postischemic myocardial functional recovery (left ventricular developed pressure 51 ± 4, 46 ± 4, and 60 ± 6 mmHg in the control, SM1, and SM2 groups, respectively, at 60 min of reperfusion; p < 0.05, SM2 vs. control or SM1) and reduced myocardial infarct size as measured by triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining (26% ± 2%, 22% ± 2%, and 20% ± 2% of the total area in the control, SM1, and SM2 groups, respectively, p < 0.05, SM2 vs. control). It is concluded that S. miltiorrhiza could be beneficial in the treatment of myocardial ischemic injury and the timing of administration seems important.
Antiplatelet therapy mitigates cardiac remodeling and dysfunction in congestive heart failure due to myocardial infarctionThis article is one of a selection of papers published in the special issue Bridging the Gap: Where Progress in Cardiovascular and Neurophysiologic Research Meet.
Authors: Sanganalmath Santosh K. , Barta Judit , Takeda Nobuakira , Kumamoto Hideo , Dhalla Naranjan S.
Published: April 2008

Antiplatelet agents such as sarpogrelate (SAR), a 5-hydroxytryptamine antagonist, and cilostazol (CIL), a phosphodiesterase-III inhibitor, are used in the management of peripheral vascular disease. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that both SAR and CIL prevent cardiac remodeling and improve cardiac function in congestive heart failure (CHF) due to myocardial infarction (MI). Post-MI rats (3 weeks after the occlusion of coronary artery) received either vehicle (MI+V, n = 36), SAR (MI+SAR; 5 mg·kg–1·day–1, n = 35) or CIL (MI+CIL; 5 mg·kg–1·day–1, n = 34) from day 21 to day 56. Sham-operated rats (n = 29) served as controls. Electrocardiographic, echocardiographic, and hemodynamic parameters were measured on day 56. Treatment of infarcted animals with SAR or CIL significantly improved the left ventricular (LV) dimensions, LV fractional shortening, cardiac output, stroke volume, mean arterial pressure, LV diastolic function, and LV systolic pressure, as well as rates of LV pressure development and pressure decay. Although cardiac hypertrophy was reduced, both SAR and CIL had no effect on infarct size or MI-associated QTc prolongation. However, SAR decreased whereas CIL increased the incidence of ventricular arrhythmias and the mean number of episodes in infarcted animals. Mortality during the treatment period was decreased by 17% with SAR and increased by 10% with CIL, but these changes were not significant statistically. The data in this study suggest that both SAR and CIL prevent cardiac remodeling and improve cardiac function in MI-induced CHF; however, CIL unlike SAR increased the incidence of arrhythmias and adversely affected patient mortality.
Genetic possibilities for altering sunflower oil quality to obtain novel oilsThis article is one of a selection of papers published in the special issue Bridging the Gap: Where Progress in Cardiovascular and Neurophysiologic Research Meet.
Authors: Škorić Dragan , Jocić Siniša , Sakač Zvonimir , Lečić Nada
Published: April 2008

The sunflower is one of the four most important oilseed crops in the world, and the nutritional quality of its edible oil ranks among the best vegetable oils in cultivation. Typically up to 90% of the fatty acids in conventional sunflower oil are unsaturated, namely oleic (C 18:1, 16%–19%) and linoleic (C 18:2, 68%–72%) fatty acids. Palmitic (C 16:0, 6%), stearic (C 18:0, 5%), and minor amounts of myristic (C 14:0), myristoleic (C 14:1), palmitoleic (C 16:1), arachidic (C 20:0), behenic (C 22:0), and other fatty acids account for the remaining 10%. Advances in modern genetics, most importantly induced mutations, have altered the fatty acid composition of sunflower oil to a significant extent. Treating sunflower seeds with γ- and X-rays has produced mutants with 25%–30% palmitic acid. Sunflower seed treatment with X-rays has also resulted in mutants having 30% palmitoleic acid, while treatments with mutagenic sodium azide have produced seeds containing 35% stearic acid. The most important mutations have been obtained by treatment with dimethyl sulfate, which produced genotypes with more than 90% oleic acid. Mutants have also been obtained that have a high linoleic acid content (>80%) by treating seeds with X-rays and ethyl methanesulfonate. Of the vitamin E family of compounds, sunflower oil is known to predominantly contain α-tocopherol (>90%). Spontaneous mutations controlled by recessive genes have been discovered that significantly alter tocopherol forms and levels. The genes in question are tph1 (50% α- and 50% β-tocopherol), tph2 (0%–5% α- and 95%–100% γ-tocopherol), and tph1tph2 (8%–40% α-, 0%–25% β-, 25%–84% γ-, and 8%–50% δ-tocopherol). The existence of (mutant) genes for increased levels of individual fatty acids and for different forms and levels of tocopherol enables the development of sunflower hybrids with different oil quality. The greatest progress has been made in developing high-oleic hybrids (>90% oleic acid). There has been considerable work done recently on the development of high-oleic hybrids with altered tocopherol levels, the oil of which will have 10–20 times greater oxidative stability than that of conventional sunflower oil. While sunflower breeders work on developing hybrids with altered oil quality, medical scientists in general and nutritionists in particular will determine the parameters for the use of these novel types of oil that can improve human nutrition and be used in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
Dose-dependent anticonvulsive effect of ethanol on lindane-induced seizures in ratsThis article is one of a selection of papers published in the special issue Bridging the Gap: Where Progress in Cardiovascular and Neurophysiologic Research Meet.
Authors: Mladenović Dušan , Hrnčić Dragan , Radosavljević Tatjana , Vučević Danijela , Djurić Dragan , Rašić-Marković Aleksandra , Macut Djuro , Šušić Veselinka , Šćepanović Ljiljana , Stanojlović Olivera
Published: April 2008

Chronic ethanol consumption is a major risk factor for epilepsy, and seizures frequently occur during the withdrawal period. The aim of our study was to investigate effects of ethanol on lindane-induced seizures in rats. Male Wistar rats were injected i.p. with one of the following 5 treatments: (i) saline, (ii) dimethylsulfoxide, (iii) lindane (8 mg/kg) (L), (iv) ethanol in doses of 0.5 g/kg (E0.5), 1 g/kg (E1), and 2 g/kg (E2), and (v) groups that received ethanol 30 min before lindane (LE0.5, LE1, and LE2). Behavioral changes were described by using a descriptive scale as follows: 0, no response; 1, head nodding, lower jaw twitching; 2, myoclonic body jerks, bilateral forelimb clonus; 3, generalized tonic–clonic convulsions; 4, status epilepticus. The incidence of convulsions in the LE2 group was significantly lower than the incidence in the L (p < 0.01) and LE0.5 groups (p < 0.05). The median grade of convulsive behavior was significantly lower in the LE2 (p < 0.01) and LE1 groups (p < 0.05) compared with the L group. Latencies to the first seizure response were not significantly different among groups. ED50 of ethanol was 1.40 (1.19–1.65). Our findings suggest that ethanol decreased severity and incidence of lindane-induced seizures in a dose-dependent manner.