bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role ofTc-Sulesomab Immunoscintigraphy in the Management of Infection following Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery
Authors: Real Raquel , Linhares Paulo , Fernandes Hélder , Rosas Maria José , Gago Miguel F. , Pereira Jorge , Vaz Rui
Published: October 2011

Infection constitutes a serious adverse event in patients submitted to deep brain stimulation, often leading to removal of the device. We set to evaluate the potential role of immunoscintigraphy withTc-labelled antigranulocyte antibody fragments (Tc-sulesomab) in the management of infection following DBS.Tc-sulesomab immunoscintigraphy seems to correlate well with the presence and extent of infection, thus contributing to differentiate between patients who should remove the hardware entirely at presentation and those who could undergo a more conservative approach. Also,Tc-sulesomab immunoscintigraphy has a role in determining the most appropriate timing for reimplantation. Finally, we propose an algorithm for the management of infection following DBS surgery, based on the results of theTc-sulesomab immunoscintigraphy.
Exploring Many-Core Design Templates for FPGAs and ASICs
Authors: Lebedev Ilia , Fletcher Christopher , Cheng Shaoyi , Martin James , Doupnik Austin , Burke Daniel , Lin Mingjie , Wawrzynek John
Published: October 2011

We present a highly productive approach to hardware design based on a many-core microarchitectural template used to implement compute-bound applications expressed in a high-level data-parallel language such as OpenCL. The template is customized on a per-application basis via a range of high-level parameters such as the interconnect topology or processing element architecture. The key benefits of this approach are that it (i) allows programmers to express parallelism through an API defined in a high-level programming language, (ii) supports coarse-grained multithreading and fine-grained threading while permitting bit-level resource control, and (iii) reduces the effort required to repurpose the system for different algorithms or different applications. We compare template-driven design to both full-custom and programmable approaches by studying implementations of a compute-bound data-parallel Bayesian graph inference algorithm across several candidate platforms. Specifically, we examine a range of template-based implementations on both FPGA and ASIC platforms and compare each against full custom designs. Throughout this study, we use a general-purpose graphics processing unit (GPGPU) implementation as a performance and area baseline. We show that our approach, similar in productivity to programmable approaches such as GPGPU applications, yields implementations with performance approaching that of full-custom designs on both FPGA and ASIC platforms.
A Study on Scalable Representations for Evolutionary Optimization of Ground Structures
Authors: Devert Alexandre , Weise Thomas , Tang Ke
Published: October 2011

This paper presents a comparative study of two indirect solution representations, a generative and an ontogenic one, on a set of well-known 2D truss design problems. The generative representation encodes the parameters of a trusses design as a mapping from a 2D space. The ontogenic representation encodes truss design parameters as a local truss transformation iterated several times, starting from a trivial initial truss. Both representations are tested with a naive evolution strategy based optimization scheme, as well as the state of the art HyperNEAT approach. We focus both on the best objective value obtained and the computational cost to reach a given level of optimality. The study shows that the two solution representations behave very differently. For experimental settings with equal complexity, with the same optimization scheme and settings, the generative representation provides results which are far from optimal, whereas the ontogenic representation delivers near-optimal solutions. The ontogenic representation is also much less computationally expensive than a direct representation until very close to the global optimum. The study questions the scalability of the generative representations, while the results for the ontogenic representation display much better scalability.
Expectancy, Ambiguity, and Behavioral Flexibility: Separable and Complementary Roles of the Orbital Frontal Cortex and Amygdala in Processing Reward Expectancies
Authors: Pauli Wolfgang M. , Hazy Thomas E. , O'Reilly Randall C.
Published: October 2011

Appetitive goal-directed behavior can be associated with a cue-triggered expectancy that it will lead to a particular reward, a process thought to depend on the OFC and basolateral amygdala complex. We developed a biologically informed neural network model of this system to investigate the separable and complementary roles of these areas as the main components of a flexible expectancy system. These areas of interest are part of a neural network with additional subcortical areas, including the central nucleus of amygdala, ventral (limbic) and dorsomedial (associative) striatum. Our simulations are consistent with the view that the amygdala maintains Pavlovian associations through incremental updating of synaptic strength and that the OFC supports flexibility by maintaining an activation-based working memory of the recent reward history. Our model provides a mechanistic explanation for electrophysiological evidence that cue-related firing in OFC neurons is nonselectively early after a contingency change and why this nonselective firing is critical for promoting plasticity in the amygdala. This ambiguous activation results from the simultaneous maintenance of recent outcomes and obsolete Pavlovian contingencies in working memory. Furthermore, at the beginning of reversal, the OFC is critical for supporting responses that are no longer inappropriate. This result is inconsistent with an exclusive inhibitory account of OFC function.
Against Public Reason Liberalism's Accessibility Requirement
Authors: Vallier Kevin
Published: October 2011

Public reason liberals typically defend an accessibility requirement for reasons offered in public political dialog. The accessibility requirement holds that public reasons must be amenable to criticism, evaluable by reasonable persons, and the like. Public reason liberals are therefore hostile to the public use of reasons that appear inaccessible, especially religious reasons. This hostility has provoked strong reactions from public reason liberalism's religion-friendly critics.

But public reason liberals and their religion-friendly critics need not be at odds because the accessibility requirement is implausible. In fact, the accessibility requirement is ambiguous between two interpretations, one of which is too stringent and the other too loose. Depending upon the interpretation, accessibility either restricts the use of too many secular reasons or permits appeal to a wide range of religious reasons. The accessibility requirement should therefore be rejected.
Reconsidering Context: Gendered Transnational Practices in the Celestial Church of Christ Covenant Parish in Amsterdam
Authors: Pruiksma Nienke
Published: October 2011

This article aims to reconsider the concept of 'context' as it is used in intercultural theologies. Issuing from a case in which migration, gender, and religious tradition collided during fieldwork in the Celestial Church of Christ Covenant Parish in Amsterdam—a congregation of primarily Nigerian first generation migrants— this contribution will explore how migration questions approaches to context linked to geographical location. The article proposes to rethink the meaning of context in situations of migration through the combined concepts of transnationalism and agency. As both transnationalism and agency are embedded in a particular 'place,' the intersections of power structures that have impact on agents create ever-changing 'context-in-relations.' Tracing the context-in-relations can then become a starting point for doing theology.
Who Will Tend the Vine? Pentecostalism, Parenting and the Role of the State in “London-Lagos”
Authors: Maier Katrin , Coleman Simon
Published: October 2011

We explore the tensions evident among Nigerian Pentecostals in London between social and ideological insularity on the one hand, and a more outward-oriented, expansive orientation on the other. Analysis of these stances is complemented by the exploration of believers' actions within a material but also metaphorical arena that we term “London-Lagos.” Such themes are developed specifically through a focus on believers' relations with Nigerian and British state systems in relation to child-rearing—an activity that renders parents sometimes dangerously visible to apparatuses of the state but also raises key dilemmas concerning the proper and moral location of socialisation into Christian values. We show how such dilemmas are embodied in a play, written by a Nigerian Pentecostalist, termed “The Vine-Keepers.”
Globalisation of Environmental Law
Authors: Koch Hans-Joachim , Mielke Christin
Published: October 2011

Exigent global environmental threats require concerted global answers and impose great challenges to the international community. Since the 1972 Stockholm UN-Conference, a dynamic and creative development of international environmental law has brought about many important achievements. However, major shortcomings remain to be tackled, and a further globalization of the environmental law with massive impacts on the European and national legal orders is imperative. The European Union can play a leading role in the swift and effective implementation of international law. Today, many EU environmental acts are, in fact, already implementing international stipulations. For an effective future development of international environmental law, a special UN environmental organization appears urgently needed.
Revolutionary Blind-Spots: The Politics of Electoral System Choice and the Egyptian Transition
Authors: Ahmed Amel
Published: October 2011

The Egyptian revolution has swept away the Mubarak dynasty, it has begun dismantling an elaborate state security apparatus, and it has enacted constitutional reforms that put the country on the way to a democratic form of government. What have received little attention, however, are the electoral laws that will govern the new democratic order. Like many democratizing countries, Egypt has experienced elections under authoritarianism. Although this provides some advantages, the experience also holds many pitfalls, as the existing electoral system bares the mark of the previous regime, designed with many safeguards to help preserve the power of pre-democratic elites. An electoral system with a great deal of malapportionment, heavily gerrymandered electoral districts, and biased quotas provides the foundation for elections in post-revolutionary Egypt. Though these issues may be a part of normal politics in established democracies, in the context of an emerging democracy they can be a powerful counterrevolutionary force helping to strengthen pre-democratic elites vis-à-vis new democratic challengers.
Women’s rights activism in post-Jan25 Egypt: Combating the Shadow of the First Lady Syndrome in the Arab world
Authors: Elsadda Hoda
Published: October 2011

On March 8, 2011, Egyptian women took to the streets to celebrate International Women’s Day, in response to a call that was sent out on Facebook for a million-person women’s march. Since January 25, 2011, Egypt had witnessed a momentous transformation in protest culture and power, wherein millions of people took to the streets to demand their political rights. Surprising to many, though, was the marked hostility and violence that was unleashed against women protesters, as they were harassed and shouted at by groups of men who gathered around them. They were accused of following western agendas, and of going against cultural values. Among the many reasons for this turn of events, this essay argues that one of the key obstacles that women’s rights activists will face in the months and years to come is a prevalent public perception that associates women’s rights activists and their activities with the ex-First Lady, Suzanne Mubarak, and her entourage—that is, with corrupt regime politics in collusion with imperialist agendas.
Revolution in the Arab world: Egypt and its Challenges
Authors: Hellyer H.A.
Published: October 2011

Egypt is being watched closely from far beyond its borders, in both the Arab world and elsewhere, such as Europe. Th is country is at the heart of the Arab world, and its geo-strategic importance should not be underestimated. If Egypt is successful in transitioning to a stable postrevolutionary phase, there will be lessons for the entire region. If it fails, it will not only be Egyptians who feel the pain. A European scholar and policy analyst refl ects on his fi rst hand experience of the Egyptian revolution and the state of civil society in Egypt.
Iran and the Democratic Struggle in the Middle East
Authors: Jahanbegloo Ramin
Published: October 2011

Many commentators in the West have referred to the uprisings sweeping the Middle East and the Maghreb as the “Arab Spring”. If we take a closer look at the young Middle Easterners who launched these democratic demands, it is clear that the Arab Spring started in Iran back in June 2009. As such, the Arab Uprising had a non-Arab beginning in Iran’s Green Movement, and in what was known as the “Twitter Revolution” of young Iranians. Furthermore, the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt have reenergized Iranian civil society, helping it become fi rmer and more outspoken in its demand for democratization in Iran.
Law in the Egyptian Revolt
Authors: Moustafa Tamir
Published: October 2011

Among the protest movements sweeping the region in the Arab awakening of 2011, the Egyptian revolt is the movement that is perhaps most defi ned by a struggle over the Constitution and the rule of law more generally. I argue that this intense focus on law and legal institutions is a legacy of the prominent role that law played in maintaining authoritarian rule in Mubarak’s Egypt. Just as law and legal institutions were the principal mechanisms undergirding authoritarian rule, opposition activists know that democracy can only emerge through comprehensive legal reform. Th is article examines the struggle for constitutional power in three periods – before, during, and after the Egyptian revolt of 2011.
Who changes language? Bilingualism and structural change in Burma and the Reef Islands
Authors: Næss Åshild , Jenny Mathias
Published: October 2011

In this paper we discuss two cases of contact-induced language change where lexical and grammatical borrowing appear to have gone in opposite directions: one language has borrowed large amounts of vocabulary from another while at the same time being the source of structural borrowings into the other language. Furthermore, it appears in both cases that the structural borrowing has come about through bilingualism in L1 speakers of the source language, while L1 speakers of the language undergoing the structural change are largely monolingual. We propose that these two unusual factors are not unrelated, but that the latter is the cause of the former: Under circumstances where the numerically much smaller language in a contact situation is the contact language, the L2 speakers' variety, influenced by their L1, may spread into the monolingual community. e lexical borrowing naturally happens from the bilingual speakers' L2 into their L1, resulting in opposite directions of lexical and structural borrowing. Similar processes have been described in cases of language shift, but we show that it may take place even in situations where shift does not occur.
The Arts and Local Economic Development: Can a Strong Arts Presence Uplift Local Economies? A Study of 135 Canadian Cities
Authors: Polèse Mario
Published: October 2011

The paper looks at arts-related employment in 135 Canadian urban areas over 35 years (1971–2006), successively examining location patterns, co-location with knowledge-rich industries and impacts on employment growth. Arts-related employment is found to be highly concentrated in the very largest urban centres, with no indication of change. Smaller places with particular attributes (attractive natural setting, proximity to large urban centres) are increasingly successful in attracting arts-related activities, but this is not necessarily associated with stronger employment growth or the development of knowledge-rich industries. Evidence of co-location with knowledge-rich industries is weak, but stronger for larger cities. No consistently significant relationship exists with employment growth. This holds true for all cities, irrespective of size. If a synergy exists between the arts and local development, the paper concludes, it is limited to specific industries and only operates in the context of large cities.
Risky Business
Authors: Jaser Sarah S. , Yates Heather , Dumser Susan , Whittemore Robin
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to review risk behaviors and their health consequences in adolescents with type 1 diabetes. The existing literature on common risk behaviors in adolescents is examined, with a focus on illicit drug use, alcohol use, smoking, unprotected sexual activity, and disordered eating behaviors.

Conclusions

A review of the literature highlights the lack of studies of risk behaviors in this population. Much of what is known comes from studies with adolescents in the general population or from studies of adults with type 1 diabetes. Known risk and protective factors for risk behaviors and health outcomes are noted. Based on these findings, suggestions are provided for diabetes educators and health care providers to assess for and prevent risk behaviors in adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Directions for future research in this population are indicated, including the need to develop and test standardized prevention programs.
Physicians’ Perceptions of the Type 2 Diabetes Multi-disciplinary Treatment Team
Authors: Ritholz Marilyn D. , Beverly Elizabeth A. , Abrahamson Martin J. , Brooks Kelly M. , Hultgren Brittney A. , Weinger Katie
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to explore physicians’ perceptions of the multidisciplinary type 2 diabetes treatment team.

Methods

Nineteen physicians (74% endocrinologists; 26% primary care) participated in semistructured interviews. Audiorecorded data were transcribed, coded, and analyzed using thematic analysis and NVivo 8 software.

Results

Physicians considered the multidisciplinary team, including a physician and diabetes educator, as very important to diabetes treatment. Participants described how diabetes, with its many comorbidities and challenging lifestyle recommendations, is difficult for any single physician to treat. They further described how the team’s diverse staff offers complementary skills and more contact time for assessment and treatment of patients, developing treatment relationships, and supporting patients in learning diabetes self-care. Physicians stressed the necessity of regular and ongoing communication among team members to ensure patients receive consistent information, and some reported that institutional factors interfere with intra-team communication. They also expressed concerns about the team approach in relation to individualized treatment and patients’ reluctance to see multiple providers.

Conclusions

This study highlights physicians’ positive perceptions of and concerns about the type 2 diabetes multidisciplinary team. Further study of diabetes educators’ and patients’ perceptions of the team approach is needed.
Comparison of the effects of pulsatile cardiopulmonary bypass, non-pulsatile cardiopulmonary bypass and off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting on the inflammatory response and S-100beta protein
Authors: Bayram H , Erer D , Iriz E , Zor MH , Gulbahar O , Ozdogan ME
Published: October 2011

Background: We aimed to investigate the effects of off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, pulsatile cardiopulmonary bypass, and non-pulsatile cardiopulmonary bypass techniques on the inflammatory response and the central nervous system in the current study.

Methods: A total of 32 patients who were scheduled for elective coronary artery bypass graft surgery were included in the study. The patients were allocated into three different groups according to the perfusion techniques used during the cardiopulmonary bypass procedure as follows: off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting group (n=10); pulsatile cardiopulmonary bypass group (n=11); and non-pulsatile cardiopulmonary bypass group (n=11). Serum interleukin-6, interleukin-8, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and S-100beta levels were measured preoperatively, and at 0, 6, and 24 hours postoperatively.

Results: The postoperative increase in the levels of interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 was significantly lower in the off-pump group compared to the other two groups (p<0.05), while there was no significant difference in tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels between the groups. Postoperative S-100β levels, an indicator of cerebral injury, was significantly lower in the off-pump CABG group compared to the other two groups (p<0.05).

Conclusion: We found that off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting had less negative effects on inflammatory response and central nervous system compared to pulsatile cardiopulmonary bypass and non-pulsatile cardiopulmonary bypass techniques.
On the prediction of fire-induced vent flows using FDS
Authors: Wang Lei , Lim Johnson , Quintiere James G.
Published: October 2011

In an attempt to investigate the accuracy of predictions of fire-induced flow into a compartment by Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS), a follow-up study was explored by comparing with the Steckler’s experimental data obtained at National Bureau of Standards in 1979. Improvements to the previous study include finer grids, an inclusion of radiative heat in the combustion model, and an increased computational domain. The burner location for the modeling scenarios of fire at corner or against wall are shifted to compensate for the reduced entrainment. The input and set-up changes made to the FDS simulation allowed significant improvements in the prediction of mass flow rates for all three positions of the fire source. However, there is not much improvement for the remaining three parameters being compared: lower layer temperature, smoke layer height, and neutral plane height.
Prediction of temperature distribution in dissimilar arc welding of stainless steel to carbon steel
Authors: Ranjbarnodeh E , Serajzadeh S , Kokabi A H , Fischer A
Published: October 2011

In this work, a three-dimensional model has been proposed to predict temperature distribution and weld-pool shape during dissimilar arc welding of low-carbon steel (CK4) and ferritic stainless steel (AISI 409). The model has been developed using the finite-element software ANSYS, while in the analysis, the effects of process parameters, as well as dilution, in the weld pool have been considered. To verify the predictions, welding experiments were conducted under different welding conditions, and the model results were then compared with the measured weld-pool geometry; a reasonable consistency was observed.
Prediction of the cutting forces generated in the drilling of carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic composites using a twist drill
Authors: Guo D-M , Wen Q , Gao H , Bao Y-J
Published: October 2011

The cutting force is regarded as the main factor that influences the quality of the hole created in the drilling of carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic composites. This paper proposes a model for the prediction of the thrust force and torque generated in the drilling of composite materials using a twist drill. In the model, contact theory is applied to the chisel edge cutting zone and oblique cutting is considered in the cutting lips cutting zone that is considered to have three distinct deformation regions. The model takes into account the spindle speed, feed rate, drill diameter, point angle, nose radius, rake angle of the chisel edge, web thickness, and fibre orientation. The cutting forces predicted by this model are in satisfactory agreement with experimental results and thus it is concluded that the proposed model can be used to optimize the cutting parameters and tool geometries in the drilling of composites.
Progressive Damage and Failure Modeling in Fiber-Reinforced Laminated Composites Containing a Hole
Authors: Zhang B. M. , Zhao L.
Published: October 2011

A progressive damage and failure model for fiber-reinforced laminated composites is developed in combination of finite element procedure and micromechanical model based on a unit cell. The micromechanical model can be used to evaluate failure criteria at the micro-level with fiber and matrix material properties rather than laminate material parameters. Once either of the constituents has damaged, the corresponding material properties are degraded by the damage factor. The micromechanical model and the damage theory are implemented in the finite software to model the damage progression and compute the ultimate strength of the composite laminates containing a hole. The simulation results of this model are compared with a model that is used in the failure criteria at the macro-level. The predicted strengths for both models are furthermore compared with the experimental results, and a well agreement in the simulation and experimental results is revealed.
You Are Doing It Wrong
Authors: Turner Paaige K.
Published: October 2011

I, as have many other qualitative researchers, diligently report my demographics at the time I conduct and write my research in an effort to acknowledge that the researcher’s voice is part of the meanings he/she creates. While doing so acknowledges key elements of my positionality or research self, it invokes a modernist conceptualization of voice as stable and time as linear while simultaneously reifying social constructs of the body. In this article, I take up the question, “How can voice be partial while still contextually situated?” I present an introspective tale of the way my shifting self/body wrote my experiences of others’ births. Through the incorporation of flashbacks and flash forwards I offer an articulation of the folding nature of time as well as an exemplar of how the recognition of one’s own bodily experiences can engage the meanings present and absent as one works the limits of voice.
Ethical Mindfulness and Reflexivity
Authors: Warin Jo
Published: October 2011

This article draws on the articulation of a value for reflexivity that has accumulated within qualitative methods debates in the past decade. It demonstrates how reflexivity is interwoven with the concept of ethical mindfulness. The argument has developed from a consideration of the ethical dilemmas that were a salient aspect of an ongoing research relationship with children and young people during an unusually long longitudinal study, undertaken from the time the 10 participants were aged three to seventeen. The study explores the ongoing creation of a personal self during this time and draws on a range of ethnographic methods. The author focuses on two aspects of the “ethics in practice” that imbued her research relationships: the gaining and maintaining of consent, and the matching of methods to children’s interests. The author makes a series of recommendations about how to do reflexivity, incorporating a set of guidelines for informed consent with children. The author concludes that reflexivity and ethical mindfulness are interdependent concepts, an understanding that is particularly valuable for child-focused researchers.
Inside the Church of Scientology
Authors: Velásquez Giselle
Published: October 2011

Members of religious organizations find answers in rituals and social practices that may be overseen by new members and outsiders. This ethnographic performance explores the ideologies and traditions used in the Church of Scientology “re-enacting” the different stages that an observer experiences when entering this field. I present the common themes using a story in which the protagonist finds herself in a chaotic world saturated with information. Through her interactions with different characters, she learns that people do not share “universal truths” regarding the functions of religion and acknowledges the importance of Scientology as a social group that fulfills the need of felling integrated.
Color Marks the Site/Sight of Social Difference
Authors: William-White Lisa , White Jazmin
Published: October 2011

Though racism in the form of blatant de facto and de jure policies and domestic terrorism is no longer the law of the land as was the case before, and during the Civil Rights Movement, an intensified dysconscious and color-blind racism has propelled itself in the post–Civil Rights United States, particularly in this “Age of Obama”; one that manifests in semantically slippery and rhetorically convoluted discourses. Consequently to illuminate this specter of American racism, critical race theory and spoken word performative poetics join forces here in an interpretive conarrated description of rhetoric that has recently emerged in the mainstream media—a discourse that attempts (a) to deny Black persons the right to human dignity; (b) to distort and invalidate Black persons’ ideas, thoughts, and feelings; and (c) to deny one’s right to claim and affirm one’s personal identity.
A Comparison of Participant and Practitioner Beliefs About Evaluation
Authors: Whitehall Anna K. , Hill Laura G. , Koehler Christian R.
Published: October 2011

The move to build capacity for internal evaluation is a common organizational theme in social service delivery, and in many settings, the evaluator is also the practitioner who delivers the service. The goal of the present study was to extend our limited knowledge of practitioner evaluation. Specifically, the authors examined practitioner concerns about administering pretest and posttest evaluations within the context of a multisite 7-week family strengthening program and compared those concerns with self-reported attitudes of the parents who completed evaluations. The authors found that program participants ( n = 105) were significantly less likely to find the evaluation process intrusive, and more likely to hold positive beliefs about the evaluation process, than practitioners ( n = 140) expected. Results of the study may address a potential barrier to effective practitioner evaluation—the belief that having to administer evaluations interferes with establishing a good relationship with program participants.
Dietary, Lifestyle, and Health Correlates of Overweight and Obesity in Adults 19 to 39 Years of Age
Authors: O’Neil Carol E. , Deshmukh-Taskar Priya , Mendoza Jason A. , Nicklas Theresa A. , Liu Yan , Relyea George , Berenson Gerald S.
Published: October 2011

Diet and lifestyle factors of young adults and their relationship to health risk factors are understudied. Data from the Bogalusa Heart Study population (n = 1214; 19-39 years; 74.1% white; 60.8% female) were used to study associations of lifestyle, health risk factors, and reported health problems with the National Institutes of Health body mass index (BMI) categories of normal, overweight, and obese. Data from self-reported questionnaires and laboratory measures were evaluated using covariate-adjusted multinomial logistic regression and analysis of covariance, linear trend test, and the Cochran–Armitage trend test. Obese individuals had lower odds of consuming high-fat dairy products (odds ratio [OR] = 0.77; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.62-0.96) and fruit/fruit juice/vegetables (OR = 0.83; CI = 0.75-0.93) and had higher odds of consuming hamburgers/sandwiches (OR = 2.81; CI = 1.52-5.20); processed meats (OR = 6.95; CI = 2.20-21.96); and sweetened (OR = 1.20; CI = 1.01-1.43) or diet beverages (OR = 1.27; CI = 1.02-1.58) than those of normal weight. Obese participants also had higher odds of being physically inactive versus being very active (OR = 2.65; CI = 1.64-4.29). Mean serum total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein-B, and insulin resistance were higher ( P < .05 for all) in the overweight/obese when compared with normal weight individuals. Values were higher in those with higher weight status (linear trend P < .0001 for all). Self-reported health problems also increased with BMI. Interventions to improve diet and physical activity patterns among overweight/obese adults in this age group are needed.
Bipolar vaporization of the prostate: is it ready for the primetime?
Authors: Bucuras Viorel , Bardan Razvan
Published: October 2011

Although transurethral resection of the prostate is still the ‘gold standard’ in the surgical management of benign prostatic hyperplasia, it is associated with significant morbidity. This review presents one of its most successful alternatives, bipolar transurethral vaporization of the prostate, a procedure that has emerged during the last decade. The technical principles are presented, together with the trials that compare it with the standard resection technique. The review concludes that bipolar vaporization of the prostate is safe and effective, providing very good hemostasis control and low complication rates, at a significantly reduced cost per procedure. Improved vision and hemostasis make it suitable for patients with cardiac pacemakers, bleeding disorders, or those under anticoagulant therapy. However, long-term follow-up and more randomized trials are still needed, to validate the value of bipolar vaporization.
Value of preapproval safety data in predicting postapproval hepatic safety and assessing the legitimacy of class warning
Authors: Lin Yeong-Liang , Wu Ya-Chi , Gau Churn-Shiouh , Lin Min-Shung
Published: October 2011

Objective: The objective of this study was to systematically evaluate whether preapproval safety data for nonhepatotoxic drugs and hepatotoxic drugs can be compared to improve preapproval prediction of postapproval hepatic safety and to assess the legitimacy of applying class warnings.

Methods: Drugs within a therapeutic class that included at least one drug that had been withdrawn from the market because of liver toxicity or had a warning of potential liver toxicity issued by major regulatory agencies, and at least one drug free from such regulatory action, were identified and divided into two groups: drugs with and drugs without regulatory action. Preapproval clinical data [including the elevation rates of alanine aminotransferse (ALT) and withdrawal due to liver toxicity, the number of patients with combined elevation of ALT and bilirubin, and liver failure] and nonclinical data (including chemical structures, metabolic pathways, and other significant findings in animal studies) were compared between the two groups.

Results: Six drug classes were assessed in this study: thiazolidinediones, cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors, fluoroquinolones, catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitors, leukotriene receptor inhibitors, and endothelin receptor antagonists. In two classes (COMT inhibitors and endothelin receptor antagonists), drugs with regulatory action had significantly higher rates of ALT elevation of more than threefold and greater numbers of patients with combined elevation of ALT and bilirubin than drugs without regulatory action. Drugs with regulatory action also had chemical structures or metabolic pathways associated with the toxicity. The legitimacy of class warnings was refuted in all six classes of drugs.

Conclusion: Preapproval safety data may help predict postapproval hepatic safety and can be used to assess the legitimacy of applying class warnings.
Finding the Proper Balance between Freedom and Justice: Why We Should Not Eliminate Personal Belief Exemptions to Vaccine Mandates
Authors: Opel Douglas J. , Diekema Douglas S.
Published: October 2011

Lantos and colleagues (this issue) propose to eliminate personal belief exemptions from school vaccine mandates, particularly for those vaccines that target deadly contagious childhood disease. They argue that not doing so would be unjust. In this counterpoint, we argue that, for reasons grounded in both health policy and morality, a just vaccine policy need not prohibit parents from claiming personal belief exemptions.
Role of π-Electron Systems in Stabilization of the Oxidized Tetraheme Architecture in Cytochrome c3
Authors: Takayama Yuki , Taketa-Sato Midori , Komori Hirofumi , Morita Kumiko , Kang Su-Jin , Higuchi Yoshiki , Akutsu Hideo
Published: October 2011

Cytochrome c3 possesses four hemes in a compact configuration and exhibits extremely low reduction potentials. Besides the well-characterized factors contributing to the reduction potentials, the aromatic rings have been suggested to be involved. To elucidate its mechanism, the effect of mutations at conserved and noncoordinated aromatic residues on the reduction/oxidation properties of heme irons was investigated on the basis of crystal structures, NMR spectra of coordinated His, and reduction potentials. Phe20 parallel to heme 1 is the most conserved residue. On its mutation, the change in each coordination structure was subtle in the crystal structures despite of significant changes in the NMR spectra and reduction potentials. Significant increases in the reduction potentials of heme 1 led to the conclusion that the aromatic ring of Phe20 stabilizes the polarization of the π-electron density induced by the oxidized iron in the same heme. Furthermore, the reduction potential of heme 2 was also affected by the mutation at Phe20, revealing that the electrostatic interaction between the π-electron system of the porphyrin and a distant iron contributes to the iron reduction potential. This kind of interaction provides new insight into the role of the heme architecture in regulation of the reduction potentials.
Bioactive Cembranoids from the Dongsha Atoll Soft Coral Lobophytum crassum
Authors: Tseng Yen-Ju , Wen Zhi-Hong , Hsu Chi-Hsin , Dai Chang-Feng , Sheu Jyh-Horng
Published: October 2011

Two new metabolites, crassumolides H and I (2 and 3), and crassumolide G (1) which was discovered for the first time from natural sources, were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of a Taiwanese soft coral Lobophytum crassum, along with three known metabolites 4–6. The structures of metabolites 1–3 were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis and comparison of the NMR data with those of known compounds. Compounds 1–3 were found to inhibit the accumulation of the pro-inflammatory iNOS and COX-2 proteins at 10 µM in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 marcophage cells.
Determination of Oxygen Binding Properties of the Individual Subunits of Intact Human Adult Hemoglobin
Authors: Sato Atsushi , Tai Hulin , Nagatomo Shigenori , Imai Kiyohiro , Yamamoto Yasuhiko
Published: October 2011

We determined the oxygen (O2) binding properties of the individual subunits of intact human adult hemoglobin (Hb A) through the combined use of 1H NMR and conventional spectrophotometric methods. We found that the O2 affinities of the α and β subunits of Hb A are almost indistinguishable in the absence of an allosteric effector, inositol hexaphosphate (IHP), and lower by factors of ≈8.4 and ≈10, respectively, in the presence of IHP at pH 7.40, as judged from the estimated P50 values, which represent the partial O2 pressure required to achieve 50% oxygenation of the individual subunits. These results demonstrated that the binding of IHP to the protein resulted in remarkable enhancement of the degree of nonequivalence in functional properties between the constituent subunits, which could be relevant to its cooperative ligand binding. This finding provides novel insights for elucidation of the molecular mechanisms responsible for the cooperativity in this allosteric protein.
Stabilization of Excited State Using Through-Space Interaction between Independent π-Systems Mediated by a peri-Substituted Hydroxy Group in 1-Arylnaphthalenes: Unexpected Blue Emission of 1,3,5-Tris(peri-hydroxynaphthyl)benzene
Authors: Nakajima Hideto , Yasuda Makoto , Shimizu Kenji , Toyoshima Naomi , Tsukahara Yasunori , Kobayashi Takao , Nakamura Shinichiro , Chiba Kouji , Baba Akio
Published: October 2011

The control of photoluminescence wavelength is important for the design of emitting materials, and compounds bearing aryl–aryl bonds are considered to be useful candidates for the synthesis of these materials. However, the biaryl system lacks an efficient linkage of independent conjugated moieties because of a structure that, rather than planar, is made up of almost perpendicular dihedral angles due to steric effect. In this paper, we report a novel method to link independent π-systems in biaryl compounds. The oxy-substituents at the peri-position in 1-arylnaphthalene systems, which are biaryl compounds, showed interesting and unexpected photophysical properties of a bathochromic shift of emission. In particular, peri-OH-substituted arylnaphthalenes showed a large bathochromic shift that was induced by polarization based on intramolecular OH–aryl interaction. Quantum chemical (TDDFT) calculations accurately reproduced the large bathochromic shifts of peri-OH-substituted arylnaphthalenes. The through-space interaction between the peri-substituted OH and aryl groups generated an unexpected extended conjugation system. The substituting position of OH in 1-arylnaphthalenes is quite critical, because the hydroxy group mediates the independent π-systems to expand conjugation. Based on this concept, 1,3,5-tris(peri-hydroxynaphthyl)benzene had characteristic photophysical properties, giving an unexpected blue emission.
Temperature Dependence of Photosensitized Nucleophilic Addition to Alkenes
Authors: Matsumoto Jin , Yoshinaga Yusuke , Hamasaki Akiko , Kawasaki Tomohiro , Yamashita Toshiaki , Shiragami Tsutomu , Yasuda Masahide
Published: October 2011

Photosensitized nucleophilic additions of 2,5-dimethyl-2,4-hexadiene and 2,3-dimethyl-2-butene were performed in a microchannel reactor using phenanthrene and p-dicyanobenzene as a redox pair. The quantum yields for the formation of photo-NOCAS products were remarkably enhanced at lower temperatures. The exciplex formation disturbed the reaction at higher temperatures.
Crystal Structures of Resorcin[4]arene and Tetramethylated Resorcin[4]arene Complexes Incorporating l-Carnitine through Cation–π Interaction
Authors: Fujisawa Ikuhide , Takeuchi Daiki , Kato Ryo , Murayama Kazutaka , Aoki Katsuyuki
Published: October 2011

Resorcin[4]arene and tetramethylated resorcin[4]arene form complexes with l-carnitine, whose crystal structures were determined. Each complex contains two carnitine ligands in the asymmetric unit, each of which is incorporated into the cavity of the macrocyclic receptor through cation–π interactions between the trimethylammonium moiety of the ligand and π–rings of the receptor.
Improvement of Temperature-responsive Drug Release from Collagen-mimic Dendrimers
Authors: Kojima Chie , Suehiro Tomoyuki
Published: October 2011

Gelatin, a thermally denatured collagen, forms a temperature-dependent gel, in which the efficiency of the collagen-like triple helix is dependent on temperature. In this study, (proline–hydroxyproline–glycine)n peptides were modified at the dendrimer to produce a type of collagen-mimic dendrimer. These dendrimers worked as a drug carrier with thermosensitive release capabilities and could retain rose bengal molecules stably.
Simultaneous Determination of Six Phenolic Constituents of Danshen Injection in Rat Plasma by Liquid Chromatography—Electrospray Ionization—Mass Spectrometry and its Application to a Pharmacokinetic Study
Authors: Zhao Di , Han De-En , Li Ning , Lu Yang , Li Ting-Ting , Yang Shuo-Ye , He Jia-Ke , Chen Xi-Jing
Published: October 2011

Salvianolic acid A, salvianolic acid B, danshensu, protocatechuic aldehyde, rosmarinic acid and lithospermic acid are the six major active constituents in Danshen injection. In this study, a rapid, sensitive and specific liquid chromatographic–electrospray ionization–mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous quantitative determination of these compounds in rat plasma was developed. After a single step of liquid–liquid extraction with ethyl acetate, they were eluted by a Hypersil C18 column (5 μm, i.d. 4.6 × 200 mm) within 4 min with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid water solution (35:65, v/v). The assay was linear in the concentration range of 0.05–10 μg mL−1. Absolute recoveries were above 60%. The precisions and accuracies determined within three consecutive days were within acceptable limits. The method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study in rats after an intravenous administration of Danshen injection.
Analysis of the Volatile Compounds in Senecio Scandens Buch-Ham by Gas Chromatography—Tandem Mass Spectrometry Based on Diversified Scan Technologies
Authors: Lu Sensen , Su Yue , Guo Yinlong
Published: October 2011

Static headspace gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry was used to identify volatile compounds from Senecio scandens Buch-Ham. The elemental composition of compounds was confirmed by exploiting the tandem mass spectra of isotopic peaks from the precursor ion. Some isomers were well distinguished by the diversified scan technologies of tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). The MS/MS included a product ion scan, a precursor ion scan and a neutral loss scan. The results showed that 46 volatile compounds were completely identified, and the great of majority compounds were α-pinene (11.93%), n-caproaldehyde (9.02%) and dehydrosabinene (6.22%). This qualitative method is convenient and accurate and can be considered as a complementary identification method for the qualitative analysis of volatile compounds in complex samples.
The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards: observations and limitations
Authors: Phull Jaspreet Singh
Published: October 2011

The recently introduced Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), which came into force in April 2009, was created to protect the liberty of people lacking capacity admitted to care homes and hospitals in England and Wales. This paper discusses observations and some limitations of the DoLS for protecting the liberty of residents within institutional settings. The regulation, safeguards and recent relevant case law are examined critically. The author suggests that their effectiveness may be limited by the under-recognition of cases, ambiguity and limited safeguards within the statute. The paper concludes that the DoLS legislation has been a positive step towards protecting the liberty of those lacking capacity but that limitations present could undermine the purpose of the legislation.
Initial Public Offerings as Lotteries: Skewness Preference and First-Day Returns
Authors: Green T. Clifton , Hwang Byoung-Hyoun
Published: October 2011

We find that initial public offerings (IPOs) with high expected skewness experience significantly greater first-day returns. The skewness effect is stronger during periods of high investor sentiment and is related to differences in skewness across industries as well as to time-series variation in the level of skewness in the market. IPOs with high expected skewness earn more negative abnormal returns in the following one to five years. High expected skewness is also associated with a higher fraction of small-sized trades on the first day of trading, which is consistent with a greater shift in holdings from institutions to individuals. The results suggest that first-day IPO returns are related to a preference for skewness.

This paper was accepted by Brad Barber, Teck Ho, and Terrance Odean, special issue editors.
Discrete Fixed Points: Models, Complexities, and Applications
Authors: Deng Xiaotie , Qi Qi , Saberi Amin , Zhang Jie
Published: October 2011

We study three discrete fixed point concept (SPERNER, DPZP, BROUWER) under two different models: the polynomial-time function model and the oracle function model. We fully characterize the computational complexities of these three problems. The computational complexity unification of the above problems gives us more choices in the study of different applications. As an example, by a reduction from DPZP, we derive asymptotically equal lower and upper bound for TUCKER in the oracle model. The same reduction also allows us to derive a single proof for the PPAD-completeness of TUCKER in any constant dimension, which is significantly simpler than the recent proofs.