bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pain assessment and management practices in children following surgery of the lower limb
Authors: Shrestha‐Ranjit Jaga Maya , Manias Elizabeth
Published: December 2009

Aims.  To examine paediatric nurses’ pain assessment and management practices in relation to postoperative care for children following surgery of a fractured lower limb and to compare these practices with evidence‐based guidelines.

Background.  Managing pain is one of the most challenging issues in current paediatric practice. The incidence of lower limb fractures is high in children, which often leads to pain and related complications in the postoperative period.

Design.  A retrospective clinical audit study.

Methods.  A retrospective audit of all medical records (n = 106) was undertaken over two years of children aged 5–15 years who were admitted for surgical procedure for a fractured lower limb. An audit tool was developed to collect data related to children’s postoperative pain assessment and management on the day of operation to the third postoperative day. The study was undertaken in a tertiary paediatric hospital in Australia.

Results.  The retrospective audit revealed that assessment and management of children’s postoperative pain was inadequate. On average, 75% of children experienced some degree of pain; 50% had moderate to severe pain. Nurses assessed pain less frequently compared to the number of times they were expected to assess pain postoperatively. Most analgesics were prescribed on an ‘as needed’ basis and patients received significantly lower amounts of analgesics than prescribed amounts.

Conclusion.  The clinical audit revealed that addressing children’s postoperative analgesic needs was not consistent with evidence‐based guidelines.

Relevance to clinical practice.  While this study was undertaken in only one hospital, the results are likely to be applicable to other children’s hospital settings. Nurses need to be proactive in promoting effective assessment and management of pain in children. The results of this study provide a useful guide for planning and implementing future strategies to improve postoperative pain management in children.
New Production of Eosinophils and the Corresponding Th1/Th2 Balance in the Lungs after Allergen Exposure in BALB/c and C57BL/6 Mice
Authors: Lu Y. , Sjöstrand M. , Malmhäll C. , Rådinger M. , Jeurink P. , Lötvall J. , Bossios A.
Published: December 2009

Allergic asthma is associated with eosinophilic inflammation in the airways. Animal models commonly used to elucidate allergic inflammation mechanisms include BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice. Our aim was to evaluate lung eosinophilia and the corresponding Th1/Th2 balance in the two strains after allergen exposure. BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice were subjected to ovalbumin‐induced allergic airway inflammation using BrdU to label newly produced cells. The numbers of new eosinophils were evaluated by differential cell count and immunocytochemistry (MBP+BrdU+). Proliferation rate of lung eosinophils was measured by analysis of CD45+CCR3+BrdU+ cells by FACS. Distribution of newly produced eosinophils in the lung and the Th1/Th2 (CD4+T‐bet+/CD4+GATA‐3+) balance was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Allergen challenge with ovalbumin induced comparable eosinophilia in bone marrow (BM), blood and lung tissue in both strains of mice compared to phosphate‐buffered saline controls, which was confirmed by immunocytochemistry. There was a small increase in the number of lung MBP+BrdU− eosinophils in C57BL/6 mice compared to BALB/c mice, which suggests a basal increase in this strain following sensitization. While there was no difference in eosinophilic proliferation in the lung, the distribution of the newly produced eosinophils differs between the two strains. BALB/c mice showed staining primarily around vessels and airways, whereas C57BL/6 mice showed a more even distribution in the lung tissue. No difference in the Th1/Th2 balance was observed between two strains. This study shows that there is a difference in the distribution of eosinophils in the lung between the C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice, but no difference in eosinophil production or Th1/Th2 balance.
Cell‐Mediated Immune Response and Th1/Th2 Cytokine Profile of B‐T Constructs of F1 and V Antigen of Yersinia pestis
Authors: Gupta G. , Khan A. A. , Rao D. N.
Published: December 2009

Yersinia pestis, a Gram‐negative bacterium, is the etiological agent of pneumonic and bubonic plague and still active in various regions of the world. Because plague is highly infectious and can readily spread by aerosolization, it poses a bioterrorism threat. The effective induction of mucosal as well as systemic immunity is an important attribute of an improved vaccine for plague. An alternative approach described here is the use of protective epitopes derived from immunodominant antigens (F1 and V) of Yersinia pestis. As T‐cell immunity is also a major contributor of protection, microencapsulated B‐T constructs of F1 and V antigen were used to immunize outbred and inbred mice through intranasal route, and lympho‐proliferative response and cytokine profile of both Th1 and Th2 arms were measured in spleen, lamina propria and Peyer’s patches. Three B‐T constructs of F1 antigen and seven of V antigen showed significantly high T‐cell response in terms of inducing systemic as well as mucosal response when compared to constituent peptides. These ten conjugates showed Th1 cytokine profile whereas rest of the conjugates showed mixed Th1/Th2 response. Four conjugates of V antigen showed high level of IL‐10 production. In present study, microencapsulated B‐T constructs after intranasal immunization generated systemic as well as mucosal immune response in all three sites, which offers an alternative approach for plague vaccine.
In‐depth analysis of the distinctive effects of norflurazon implies that tetrapyrrole biosynthesis, organellar gene expression and ABA cooperate in the GUN‐type of plastid signalling
Authors: Voigt Christian , Oster Ulrike , Börnke Frederik , Jahns Peter , Dietz Karl‐Josef , Leister Dario , Kleine Tatjana
Published: December 2009

Application of norflurazon (NF) damages plastids, induces photobleaching and represses expression of the nuclear LHCB1.2 gene encoding a light‐harvesting protein. In genomes uncoupled (gun) mutants, LHCB1.2 expression is maintained in the presence of NF. The mutants gun2, gun4 and gun5 exhibit perturbations in tetrapyrrole biosynthesis, but gun1 is defective in organellar gene expression (OGE). How gun mutations affect nuclear gene expression (NGE) and why the signals elicited by the two types evoke the same response remains unknown. Here we show that the carotenoid biosynthesis inhibitors amitrole and flurochloridone can replace NF in gun assays, whereas novel tetrapyrrole pathway mutations do not provoke a gun phenotype. Changes in haem levels also do not account for LHCB1.2 derepression in NF‐treated gun mutants. Pigment measurements indicated that gun mutants are not resistant to NF, but gun2, gun4 and gun5 retain low levels of lutein, as well as of neoxanthin and violaxanthin, the precursors of abscisic acid (ABA). This might explain the enhanced ABA sensitivity of gun4 and gun5 plants found in germination assays. Metabolite profiling and analyses of reactive oxygen species and cellular redox state failed to suggest a link between gun mutations and altered LHCB1.2 expression. However, in contrast to NF‐treated wild‐type plants, gun mutants retain to a marked extent the capability to express the plastome‐encoded proteins AtpB and RbcL. This, together with the finding that application of ABA can partially restore LHCB1.2 expression in NF‐treated wild‐type plants, supports the view that tetrapyrrole, OGE and ABA signalling are interconnected.
Immunohistochemistry of Pancreatic Development in Cattle and Pig
Authors: Carlsson G. L. , Scott Heller R. , Serup P. , Hyttel P.
Published: December 2009

With 8 figures and 2 tables

The aim of this study was to characterize bovine and porcine pancreatic development by immunohistochemistry. In the pig, staining for both glucagon and insulin was noted at day 19. In cattle, glucagon staining was observed at day 25 and insulin staining from day 26. In both species, glucagon‐stained cells were abundant initially, but later insulin‐stained cells became most abundant. A few cells displayed co‐localization of glucagon and insulin staining during initial development in both species. Initially, most of the cells of the pancreatic primordia and the duodenal epithelium displayed Pdx‐1‐staining. All insulin‐stained cells displayed Pdx‐1‐stained nuclei, whereas no glucagon‐stained cells did so. Many Pdx‐1‐stained cells lacked insulin staining, but with development, the relative number of these cells diminished. Nkx6.1‐staining was initially seen in a pattern similar to that for Pdx‐1, but was lacking duodenal staining. Subsequently, the number of Nkx6.1‐stained cells diminished, but increased again to a level where practically all insulin‐stained cells also presented Nkx6.1‐staining. Glucagon‐stained cells, on the other hand, never had Nkx6.1 staining. In conclusion, the localization of the two transcription factors, Pdx‐1 and Nkx6.1, demonstrated that pancreas development appears to be controlled by mechanisms comparable with those operating in humans.
Short‐term morbidity associated with sentinel lymph node biopsy in cutaneous malignant melanoma
Authors: Ling Adrian , Dawkins Rosie , Bailey Michael , Leung Michael , Cleland Heather , Serpell Jonathan , Kelly John
Published: December 2009

Guidelines for the surgical treatment of cutaneous primary malignant melanoma are well established; however, the approach to the treatment of the regional lymph nodes remains more controversial. In many centres, sentinel lymph node biopsy has been adopted as routine in the treatment of malignant melanoma for prognostic purposes, as it is not of proven therapeutic benefit. The Multicentre Selective Lymphadenectomy Trial II aims to determine the comparative benefits of subsequent completion lymphadenectomy versus observation in those found to have a positive sentinel node biopsy. Until results are available, the risks of the procedure must be weighed against the value of prognostic information gained from performing a sentinel node biopsy. In this retrospective analysis of sentinel lymph node biopsies at our institution, we show that in general, short‐term morbidity associated with this procedure is low, but that morbidity is higher in a subgroup of people with higher weight or body mass index, and in those whose biopsy is located in the groin.
Managing patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma metastatic to the axilla or groin lymph nodes
Authors: Goh Amy , Howle Julie , Hughes Michael , Veness Michael J.
Published: December 2009

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma accounts for 20% of all non‐melanoma skin cancer with a minority arising on the trunk and extremities. A small proportion will develop metastases to regional nodes of the axilla or groin. We performed a retrospective review of patients with metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma to the axilla and groin treated at Westmead Hospital, Sydney. The purpose of this study was to document the treatment and outcome of these patients. We identified 18 men and 8 women with a median age of 73 years. Median follow‐up was 18.5 months. Median lesion size was 27 mm (range 3–130 mm) and median thickness was 7 mm (range 3–32 mm). Nine patients developed metastases to the groin, 14 to the axilla, 1 in the epitrochlear, and 2 to both the epitrochlear and axillary lymph nodes. All patients were treated with surgery +/− radiotherapy. Recurrence developed in seven patients (27%) with most developing distant metastases. Most (6/7) patients with recurrence died. Predicting patients that may develop nodal metastatic non‐head and neck cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma is difficult. Following diagnosis, surgery remains the primary treatment and select patients with unfavourable features, such as extranodal spread, may benefit from the addition of adjuvant radiotherapy.
Comprehensive genetic analysis of overlapping syndromes of RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK pathway
Authors: Tumurkhuu Munkhtuya , Saitoh Makiko , Sato Atsushi , Takahashi Kan , Mimaki Masakazu , Takita Junko , Takeshita Kazuhide , Hama Takehiro , Oka Akira , Mizuguchi Masashi
Published: December 2009

Background:  Germline mutations in several members of RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK pathway cause clinically similar genetic disorders, including Noonan syndrome (NS), Costello syndrome (CS) and cardio‐facio‐cutaneous syndrome (CFC). Each of these syndromes has a wide spectrum of molecular etiology. The aim of the present study was to conduct a comprehensive genetic analysis of RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK pathway in these syndromes.

Methods:  Three patients with NS and two patients with CS/CFC were examined. Peripheral blood samples were collected from all patients as well as from 100 healthy Japanese volunteers. The protein phosphatase, non‐receptor type II (PTPN11), KRAS, HRAS, NRAS, BRAF, RAF1, Son of Sevenless (SOS1) and MEK1genes were analyzed.

Results:  In a patient with a severe Noonan phenotype, a rare PTPN11 mutation was detected: A to G transition at position 172, causing an N58D substitution within the N‐SH2 domain. In a CS/CFC patient no HRAS mutations were found, but a novel SOS1 missense mutation was found: A to G transition at position 473, causing a T158A substitution within domain of histone‐like fold (HF).

Conclusions:  A case mimicking CS with SOS1 T158A substitution, which has not been reported previously in CS, revealed the complex relationship between the genotype and phenotype of overlapping syndromes of the RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK pathway.
Acupuncture: is it effective for treatment of insulin resistance?
Authors: Liang F. , Koya D.
Published: December 2009

Insulin resistance (IR) is closely associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), hypertension, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), non‐alcohol fatty liver diseases (NAFLD) and metabolic syndrome and is also a risk factor for serious diseases such as cardiovascular diseases. Pharmacological treatments available for IR are limited by drug adverse effects. Because acupuncture has been practiced for thousands of years in China, it has been increasingly used worldwide for IR‐related diseases. This review analyses 234 English publications listed on the PubMed database between 1979 and 2009 on the effectiveness of acupuncture as a treatment for IR. These publications provide clinical evidence, although limited, in support of the effectiveness of acupuncture in IR. At this stage, well‐designed, evidence‐based clinical randomized controlled trial studies are therefore needed to confirm the effects of acupuncture on IR. Numerous experimental studies have demonstrated that acupuncture can correct various metabolic disorders such as hyperglycemia, overweight, hyperphagia, hyperlipidemia, inflammation, altered activity of the sympathetic nervous system and insulin signal defect, all of which contribute to the development of IR. In addition, acupuncture has the potential to improve insulin sensitivity. The evidence has revealed the mechanisms responsible for the beneficial effects of acupuncture, though further investigations are warranted.
PRIVATISATION AND TIMING IN A MIXED OLIGOPOLY WITH BOTH FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC FIRMS*
Authors: HEYWOOD JOHN S. , YE GUANGLIANG
Published: December 2009

This paper models a mixed oligopoly with both a domestic and a foreign private firm and examines the resulting timing in the quantity setting game. We demonstrate that with a single simultaneous pre‐game delay stage, the resulting endogenous timing has either the public firm leading or the two private firms leading. An alternative characterisation of the pre‐game stage results in the single timing in which the two private firms lead and the public firm follows. For all timings that emerge endogenously, we show that privatisation will always lower domestic welfare but its influence on global welfare is ambiguous.
DO DEPOSITORS RESPOND RATIONALLY TO BANK RISKS? EVIDENCE FROM JAPANESE BANKS DURING CRISES
Authors: Hori Masahiro , Ito Yasuaki , Murata Keiko
Published: December 2009

This paper empirically examines depositors' ability to distinguish healthy banks from problematic banks, a necessary condition for depositors to impose discipline on banking institutions. We analyzed a large panel of 784 deposit‐taking institutions in Japan during the period from the 1992 financial year to the 2002 financial year. Our estimates indicate that depositors rightly appreciated the difference between healthy banks and risky banks, and that depositors of larger institutions are more sensitive to the bank risks than those of smaller institutions. We further argue that the estimated risk sensitivities of depositors are large enough to discipline the deposit‐taking institutions.
GENERAL EQUILIBRIUM ANALYSIS OF OVERLAPPING GENERATIONS WITH HETEROGENEOUS TIME PREFERENCES
Authors: Ohta Hiroshi , Li Ke , Kawano Hidetaka
Published: December 2009

The overlapping generations model presented herein requires incorporation of exactly three periods in which one lives, but makes intertemporal decision‐making twice, neither once nor three times. Single decision‐making at the outset, none thereafter, ignores the fact that one makes decisions every day anew as long as tomorrow exists. Incorporating such observations most simply requires decisions to be made at the first period and the second, but not at the third or last period. Our model reveals how the Mabiki (infanticides) and the Narayama (elderlycides) can occur simultaneously. We also find conditions under which child‐indulgence and parental overprotection called sunekajiri might be reckoned a virtue.
COMPETITIVE POSITION OF PRIMARY AIRPORTS IN THE ASIA‐PACIFIC RIM
Authors: De Wit Jaap , Veldhuis Jan , Burghouwt Guillaume , Matsumoto Hidenobu
Published: December 2009

This paper measures and compares the network performance and hub competitive position of primary airports in the Asia‐Pacific rim, taking into account the quantity and quality of both direct and indirect connections. The results reveal that Tokyo has the best network performance and hub competitive position. The most striking growth of network development is found at Chinese airports, while network performance deteriorates at Oceanian airports. Finally, the results show that the position of Oneworld and Star Alliance is stronger in this region, whereas SkyTeam has an innegligible position especially at Japanese airports, owing to the fifth and sixth freedom rights.
DOES DEFLATION IMPINGE ON A GOVERNMENT'S FISCAL STANDING?
Authors: Kondo Atsumasa , Kitaura Koji
Published: December 2009

This paper uses a dynamic general equilibrium model with money to investigate theoretically under what conditions deflation impinges on a government's fiscal standing. Focus is placed on an upper bound that is compatible with a no Ponzie game condition for the government and an equilibrium. A comparative dynamics analysis demonstrates that if a government's fiscal deficit is not so high, deflation has a negative impact on the upper bound, while if a government's fiscal deficit exceeds a critical level, deflation rather improves it. The critical level depends on a time stream of disposable real incomes and a preference parameter.
REFORM OF THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY SYSTEM BASED ON SPECIAL DRAWING RIGHTS AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR ASIA
Authors: Ikawa Motomichi
Published: December 2009

In the midst of the current global economic crisis, China's central bank governor came out with a proposal to reform the international monetary system based on special drawing rights, contrary to the general expectation of the international community. Although many believe the announcement was politically motivated to address the dollar problem, the reform idea may have important bearings upon the future evolution of the economic integration of Asia. This paper reviews the implications of the reform proposal for the Asian region.
HIDDEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE ORGANIZATION OF JAPANESE FIRMS: THE DYNAMICS OF FOUNDER ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Authors: Hirata Mitsuko
Published: December 2009

This study looked at how the people in an organization with founder entrepreneurship at its roots exercise the entrepreneurial spirit they have acquired, sought to make a normative clarification on the use of the founder entrepreneurship mechanism, and offered some recommendations. The results were as follows. (i) The presence of a hidden entrepreneurship within organizations, separate from entrepreneurism or intrapreneurism revolving around individual people, was identified. (ii) There was a suggestion that whether or not the organization uses this hidden entrepreneurship as a firm resource can affect its continuous growth. (iii) It was revealed that vertical learning on a temporal axis is vital to turn hidden entrepreneurship into a firm resource. (iv) Indicators for measuring patterns in the use of hidden entrepreneurship were deduced.
Effects of different secondary vegetation types on bat community composition in Central Amazonia, Brazil
Authors: Bobrowiec P. E. D. , Gribel R.
Published: December 2009

The process of secondary succession on degraded lands in the Amazon depends on their land‐use histories. In this scenario, little is known about how animal communities respond to different types of secondary vegetation in the region. We examined the effects of abandoned cattle pasture, Vismia‐ and Cecropia‐dominated regrowth on the abundance of bat species and community composition in the Central Amazon, Brazil, based on 11 netting sites and on landscape characteristics. We captured 1444 bats, representing 26 species and two families (Phyllostomidae and Mormoopidae). Among the six most‐captured Phyllostomidae bats, Sturnira lilium and Sturnira tildae had significantly higher capture rates in abandoned pasture, while Rhinophylla pumilio predominated in both Vismia‐ and Cecropia‐dominated regrowth. An hybrid multidimensional scaling ordination revealed significant differences in the bat community among the three types of secondary vegetation. Phyllostominae bats were more common and richer in the less‐disturbed areas of Cecropia‐dominated regrowth, while Stenodermatinae species were more captured in abandoned pastures. Our results suggest that the type of secondary vegetation, together with its land‐use history, affects bat community composition in the Central Amazon. The Phyllostominae subfamily (gleaning animalivores) was habitat selective and disappeared from areas experiencing constant disturbances. On the other hand, Stenodermatinae frugivorous bats often used and foraged in altered areas. We suggest that secondary vegetations in more‐advanced successional stages can be used to augment the total area protected by forest conservation units.
Correlates of insight among youth with obsessive‐compulsive disorder
Authors: Lewin Adam B. , Bergman R. Lindsey , Peris Tara S. , Chang Susanna , McCracken James T. , Piacentini John
Published: December 2009

Background:  Individuals with Obsessive‐Compulsive Disorder (OCD) may lack insight into the irrational nature of their symptoms. Among adults with OCD, poor insight has been linked to greater symptom severity, increased likelihood of comorbid symptoms, lower adaptive functioning, and worse treatment outcomes. Parallel work regarding insight among children and adolescents, with OCD, is lacking. The aim of this research was to examine links between insight and demographic, cognitive, and clinical factors among youth with OCD.

Methods:  Seventy‐one youths with OCD (mean age = 11.7; 63% = male) were assessed as part of a larger treatment trial. Insight was measured via clinician interview.

Results:  Youth with low insight had poorer intellectual functioning and reported decreased perception of control over their environment. Additionally, youth with low insight were more likely to be younger, to report higher levels of depressive symptoms, and to report lower levels of adaptive functioning.

Conclusion:  This set of cognitive, developmental and clinical factors that may predispose youth with OCD to have diminished insight. Data provide initial empirical support for diagnostic differences between youth and adults with regard to requiring intact insight. Implications for treatment are discussed.
Subjective Response to Alcohol: A Critical Review of the Literature
Authors: Morean Meghan E. , Corbin William R.
Published: December 2009

Background:  Subjective response to alcohol (SR), which reflects individual differences in sensitivity to the pharmacological effects of alcohol, may be an important endophenotype in understanding genetic influences on drinking behavior and alcohol use disorders (AUDs). SR predicts alcohol use and problems and has been found to differ by a range of established risk factors for the development of AUDs (e.g., family history of alcoholism). The exact pattern of SR associated with increased risk for alcohol problems, however, remains unclear. The Low Level of Response Model (LLR) suggests that high‐risk individuals experience decreased sensitivity to the full range of alcohol effects, while the Differentiator Model (DM) asserts that high risks status is associated with increased sensitivity to alcohol's positive effects but decreased sensitivity to negative effects.

Aims:  The current paper (1) reviews two prominent models of subjective response, (2) reviews extant laboratory‐based research on subjective response, (3) highlights remaining gaps in our understanding and assessment of subjective response, and (4) encourages collaborative efforts to address these methodological and conceptual concerns.

Methods:  This paper reviews studies which employed placebo‐controlled and non‐placebo‐controlled alcohol challenge paradigms to assess a range of alcohol effects including impairment, stimulation, and sedation.

Results:  The research literature provides at least partial support for both the LLR and DM models. High‐risk individuals have been shown to have a reduced response to alcohol with respect to sedative or impairing effects, particularly on the descending limb of the blood alcohol curve (BAC). There is also evidence that ascending limb stimulant effects are more pronounced or operate differently for high‐risk individuals.

Discussion:  Despite commendable advances in SR research, important questions remain unanswered. Inconsistent results across studies may be attributable to a combination of an inadequate understanding of the underlying construct and methodological differences across studies (e.g., number and timing of assessments across the BAC, inclusion of a placebo condition). With respect to the underlying construct, existing measures fail to adequately distinguish between cognitive/behavioral impairment and sedation, aspects of which may be perceived positively (e.g., anxiolysis) due to their ability to act as negative reinforcers.

Conclusions:  Addressing the concerns raised by the current review will be integral to making meaningful scientific progress in the field of subjective response.
Phosphatidylethanol and Alcohol Consumption in Reproductive Age Women
Authors: Stewart Scott H. , Law Tameeka L. , Randall Patrick K. , Newman Roger
Published: December 2009

Background:  Fetal alcohol disorders are preventable, but self‐reported alcohol consumption can be misleading and impede effective treatment. Biomarkers represent an alternative method for assessing alcohol use, and this study evaluated the relationship between blood phosphatidylethanol (PEth) and alcohol use in a sample of reproductive age women.

Methods:  Alcohol use was estimated by validated self‐report methods in 80 nonpregnant women ages 18 to 35. PEth was measured by a contracted laboratory using a liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry assay. Regression methods appropriate for the distribution of PEth were used to define its relationship to alcohol consumption during the prior 2 weeks and explore the effects of drinking patterns on this association. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to estimate the sensitivity of PEth for various drinking levels at 95% specific cutoffs.

Results:  PEth had a positive linear association with grams of alcohol consumed (p < 0.001), and was detectable in 93% of subjects consuming an average of 2 or more drinks per day. The relationship between total alcohol consumption and PEth may be stronger in women with recent heavy drinking days. The relationship between drinking and PEth varied considerably between individuals, and sensitivity for a certain amount of drinking was low at a highly specific cutoff concentration.

Conclusions:  PEth is a highly sensitive indicator of moderate and heavy alcohol consumption in reproductive age women and may complement the use of self‐report alcohol screens when additional objective markers of alcohol use are desirable. However, choosing a highly valid cutoff concentration for PEth to differentiate various levels of alcohol consumption may not be feasible.
Intoxication With Bourbon Versus Vodka: Effects on Hangover, Sleep, and Next‐Day Neurocognitive Performance in Young Adults
Authors: Rohsenow Damaris J. , Howland Jonathan , Arnedt J. Todd , Almeida Alissa B. , Greece Jacey , Minsky Sara , Kempler Carrie S. , Sales Suzanne
Published: December 2009

Background:  This study assessed the effects of heavy drinking with high or low congener beverages on next‐day neurocognitive performance, and the extent to which these effects were mediated by alcohol‐related sleep disturbance or alcoholic beverage congeners, and correlated with the intensity of hangover.

Methods:  Healthy heavy drinkers age 21 to 33 (n = 95) participated in 2 drinking nights after an acclimatization night. They drank to a mean of 0.11 g% breath alcohol concentration on vodka or bourbon one night with matched placebo the other night, randomized for type and order. Polysomnography recordings were made overnight; self‐report and neurocognitive measures were assessed the next morning.

Results:  After alcohol, people had more hangover and more decrements in tests requiring both sustained attention and speed. Hangover correlated with poorer performance on these measures. Alcohol decreased sleep efficiency and rapid eye movement sleep, and increased wake time and next‐day sleepiness. Alcohol effects on sleep correlated with hangover but did not mediate the effects on performance. No effect of beverage congeners was found except on hangover severity, with people feeling worse after bourbon. Virtually no sex differences appeared.

Conclusions:  As drinking to this level affects complex cognitive abilities, safety could be affected, with implications for driving and for safety‐sensitive occupations. Congener content affects only how people feel the next day so does not increase risk. The sleep disrupting effects of alcohol did not account for the impaired performance so other mechanisms of effect need to be sought. As hangover symptoms correlate with impaired performance, these might be contributing to the impairment.
Ecological Associations of Alcohol Outlets With Underage and Young Adult Injuries
Authors: Gruenewald Paul J. , Freisthler Bridget , Remer Lillian , LaScala Elizabeth A. , Treno Andrew J. , Ponicki William R.
Published: December 2009

Objective:  This paper argues that associations between rates of 3 specific problems related to alcohol (i.e., accidents, traffic crashes, and assaults) should be differentially related to densities of alcohol outlets among underage youth and young adults based upon age‐related patterns of alcohol outlet use.

Methods:  Zip code‐level population models assessed local and distal effects of alcohol outlets upon rates of hospital discharges for these outcomes.

Results:  Densities of off‐premise alcohol outlets were significantly related to injuries from accidents, assaults, and traffic crashes for both underage youth and young adults. Densities of bars were associated with more assaults and densities of restaurants were associated with more traffic crash injuries for young adults.

Conclusions:  The distribution of alcohol‐related injuries relative to alcohol outlets reflect patterns of alcohol outlet use.
Differential Central NOS‐NO Signaling Underlies Clonidine Exacerbation of Ethanol‐Evoked Behavioral Impairment
Authors: Bender Tara S. , Abdel‐Rahman Abdel A.
Published: December 2009

Background: The molecular mechanisms that underlie clonidine exacerbation of behavioral impairment caused by ethanol are not fully known. We tested the hypothesis that nitric oxide synthase (NOS)‐derived nitric oxide (NO) signaling in the locus coeruleus (LC) is implicated in this phenomenon.

Methods: Male Sprague–Dawley rats with intracisternal (i.c.) and jugular vein cannulae implanted 6 days earlier were tested for drug‐induced behavioral impairment. The latter was assessed as the duration of loss of righting reflex (LORR) and rotorod performance every 15 minutes until the rat recovered to the baseline walk criterion (180 seconds). In a separate cohort, we measured p‐neuronal NOS (nNOS), p‐endothelial NOS (eNOS), and p‐ERK1/2 in the LC following drug treatment, vehicle, or NOS inhibitor.

Results: Rats that received clonidine [60 Ig/kg, i.v. (intravenous)] followed by ethanol (1 or 1.5 g/kg, i.v.) exhibited synergistic impairment of rotorod performance. Intracisternal pretreatment with nonselective NOS inhibitorNω‐nitro‐l‐arginine methyl ester(l‐NAME, 0.5 mg) or selective nNOS inhibitorN‐propyl‐l‐arginine (1 μg) exacerbated the impairment of rotorod performance caused by clonidine–ethanol combination. Exacerbation of behavioral impairment was caused byl‐NAME enhancement of the effect of ethanol, not clonidine.l‐NAME did not influence blood ethanol levels; thus, the interaction was pharmacodynamic. LORR caused by clonidine (60 μg/kg, i.v.)–ethanol (1 g/kg, i.v.) combination was abolished by selective inhibition of central eNOS (l‐NIO, 10 μg i.c.) but not by nNOS inhibition under the same conditions. Western blot analyses complemented the pharmacological evidence by demonstrating that clonidine–ethanol combination inhibits phosphorylation (activation) of nNOS (p‐nNOS) and increases the level of phosphorylated eNOS (p‐eNOS) in the LC; the change in p‐nNOS was paralleled by similar change in LC p‐ERK1/2. NOS inhibitors alone did not affect the level of nitrate/nitrite, p‐nNOS, p‐eNOS, or p‐ERK1/2 in the LC.

Conclusions: Alterations in NOS‐derived NO in the LC underlie clonidine–ethanol induced behavioral impairment. A decrease in nNOS activity, due at least partly to a reduction in nNOS phosphorylation, mediates rotorod impairment, while enhanced eNOS activity contributes to LORR, elicited by clonidine–ethanol combination.
The Dynamics of Homeownership: Eliminating the Gap Between African American and White Households
Authors: Boehm Thomas P. , Schlottmann Alan M.
Published: December 2009

This article uses a sample of young renters from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics and a continuous‐time econometric model to explore not only the initial tenure transition to first‐time homeownership, but also subsequent possible tenure transitions to a second owned home, back to rental tenure and, indirectly, to a second owned home from rental tenure. Once estimated, the predicted probabilities of these transitions are used to calculate the probability of homeownership at various times for households in the sample. These estimates are done separately for African Americans and whites for two different 11‐year time intervals, 1987–1997 and 1993–2003. A primary result is that if African American education, income, net wealth and savings behavior could be brought in line with that of white households the majority of the racial gap in homeownership could be eliminated in either time period.
Do Borrowers Make Rational Choices on Points and Refinancing?
Authors: Chang Yan , Yavas Abdullah
Published: December 2009

Utilizing individual mortgage data, we find that borrowers with points are less likely to refinance, and when they do, they take longer to refinance. This finding supports the separating equilibrium prediction of earlier studies that borrowers with higher (lower) refinancing costs self‐select into mortgages with higher‐point/lower‐rate (lower‐point/higher‐rate) loans.
Choice of Mortgage Contracts: Evidence from the Survey of Consumer Finances
Authors: Coulibaly Brahima , Li Geng
Published: December 2009

This study revisits the empirical question of the determinants of the choice between fixed‐ and adjustable‐rate mortgages using data from the Survey of Consumer Finances that overcome some of the data limitations in previous studies. The results from a logit model of mortgage choice indicate that pricing variables and affordability are important considerations. We also find that factors, such as mobility expectations, income volatility and attitudes toward financial risk largely influence mortgage choice, with more risk‐averse borrowers preferring fixed‐rate mortgages. For households that are less risk averse, the mortgage type choice decision is less sensitive to pricing variables and income volatility, and affordability factors are not significant. These findings provide empirical support that underscores the importance of attitudes toward risks in mortgage choice.
Amenity‐Based Housing Affordability Indexes
Authors: Fisher Lynn M. , Pollakowski Henry O. , Zabel Jeffrey
Published: December 2009

The recent slump notwithstanding, substantial increases in house prices in many parts of the United States have served to highlight housing affordability for moderate‐income households, especially in high‐cost, supply‐constrained coastal cities such as Boston. In this article, we develop a new measure of area affordability that characterizes the supply of housing that is affordable to different households in different locations of a metropolitan region. Key to our approach is the explicit recognition that the price/rent of a dwelling is affected by its location. Hence, we develop an affordability methodology that accounts for job accessibility, school quality and safety. This allows us to produce a menu of town‐level indexes of adjusted housing affordability. The adjustments are based on obtaining implicit prices of these amenities from a hedonic price equation. We thus use data from a wide variety of sources to rank 141 towns in the greater Boston metropolitan area based on their adjusted affordability. Taking households earning 80% of area median income as an example, we find that consideration of town‐level amenities leads to major changes relative to a typical assessment of affordability.
Spark Plasma Sintering of an Infrared‐Transparent Y2O3–MgO Nanocomposite
Authors: Jiang DongTao , Mukherjee Amiya K.
Published: December 2009

A novel optically transparent ceramic nanocomposite Y2O3–MgO was produced using spark plasma sintering technique. Sintering parameters was optimized to obtain fully dense material while maintaining nanoscale grain size. The sintered nanocomposite has an excellent infrared transmission as a result of small grain size and homogeneous microstructure. Postsinter annealing can significantly improve the transmission. Overly larger grain size severely degrades the transmittance.
A Hydromechanical Approach to Model Shrinkage of Air‐Dried Green Bodies
Authors: Tarantino A. , Sacchet A. , Dal Maschio R. , Francescon F.
Published: December 2009

This paper presents a simple hydromechanical approach to model drying and shrinkage behavior of clay green bodies. Heat transfer and water vapor flow are neglected but the effect of air velocity, temperature, and relative humidity on evaporation rate can be taken into account through a boundary coefficient. Nonlinear hydraulic and mechanical constitutive functions are introduced and derived from experimental tests at the “elementary” volume scale. A state‐of‐the‐art tensiometer capable of measuring the tensile stress of water up to 2000 kPa was used to relate changes in volume and water content to the capillary suction, which is generated in the clay by the evaporation process. The proposed approach was validated against free dessication tests involving air‐drying of clay bars subjected to isotropic volume change and one‐dimensional water flow. Two different methods were used to solve the water flow equation. In the first method, nonlinear hydraulic and mechanical constitutive equations and nonlinear boundary conditions were implemented and the flow equation was solved numerically. The second method consisted in linearizing the flow equation and solving it using an analytical solution. The interest for this second method lies on the reduced number of clay parameters required, which can be obtained from simple routine tests.
Negative Thermal Expansion and Correlated Magnetic and Electrical Properties of Si‐Doped Mn3GaN Compounds
Authors: Sun Ying , Wang Cong , Wen Yongchun , Chu Lihua , Nie Man , Liu Fusheng
Published: December 2009

The negative thermal expansion (NTE) and correlated magnetic and electrical transport properties of Mn3GaxSi1−xN were investigated. For pure Mn3GaN, there is a large NTE effect corresponding to the antiferromagnetic to paramagnetic transition. Very interestingly, when partial Ga was replaced by Si, the NTE properties around the magnetic transition were changed. The NTE temperature range was broadened to ΔT=148 K for Mn3Ga0.75Si0.25N and the linear thermal expansion coefficient was estimated as β=−1.4 × 10−5 K−1 (272–420 K). Accordingly, the resistivity also showed a decrease from 327 to 395 K with temperature. With a further increasing Si content to x=0.5, the magnetic transition still occured, but the NTE effect did not appear. After careful observation, an anomaly was found at around 350 K in a–T, ρ–T, and DSC curves of Mn3Ga0.5Si0.5N, respectively. This phenomenon strongly implies the close correlation among lattice, spin, and charge in this series materials.
Structural and Dielectric Properties of BaTiO3–CaTiO3–SrTiO3 Ternary System Ceramics
Authors: Zhang Lingling , Wang Xusheng , Liu Hong , Yao Xi
Published: December 2009

Ba1−x−ySryCaxTiO3 (BSCT, y=0, x=0–1; y=0.05, x=0–0.95; y=0.1, x=0–0.9; y=0.13, x=0–0.87; and y=0–0.20, x=0.5−y/2) ceramics were prepared using the solid‐state reaction method in this paper. Their structural and dielectric properties were characterized. The results of refined X‐ray diffractometer analysis showed that in the Ba‐rich area, the solubility limits of Ba1−xCaxTiO3, Ba0.95−xSr0.05CaxTiO3, Ba0.90−xSr0.10CaxTiO3, and Ba0.87−xSr0.13CaxTiO3 lay around x=0.24, x=0.30, x=0.34, and x=0.36, respectively. In the Ca‐rich area, the solubility limits of Ba1−xCaxTiO3, Ba0.95−xSr0.05CaxTiO3, and Ba0.90−xSr0.10CaxTiO3 lay around x=0.92, x=0.84, and x=0.70, respectively. The dielectric constant and the tunability decreased with Ca addition, except for the solubility limit areas, near which the dielectric constant and tunability increased drastically. For the BSCT series ceramics with a 15–20 mol% Sr content, the electrostrictive strain of the samples was still around 0.15%.
Piezoresistive Effect in SiOC Ceramics for Integrated Pressure Sensors
Authors: Riedel Ralf , Toma Liviu , Janssen Enrico , Nuffer Jürgen , Melz Tobias , Hanselka Holger
Published: December 2009

Piezoresistivity was found in silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) ceramics synthesized using a polymer‐to‐ceramic transformation process. A commercial polysiloxane, namely poly(methylsilsesquioxane), was used as the starting material. The SiOC ceramic synthesized at 1400°C exhibits high piezoresistivity, leading to strain sensitivities (k factors) of ∼145, while lower pyrolysis temperatures (1000°–1300°C) do not show a piezoresistive effect. Structural characterization by X‐ray diffraction in combination with micro‐Raman spectroscopy revealed that with increasing pyrolysis temperature, the content of free carbon in the X‐ray amorphous SiOC matrix increases without changes in the overall composition. Percolation effects related to the carbon‐based phase segregated from the SiOC matrix are responsible for the piezoresistivity analyzed in the SiOC ceramic.
Call for Papers, 109th Annual Meeting, American Anthropological Association: Circulation
Authors: Heller Monica
Published: December 2009

Call for Papers

General Rules for Participation
Clinical Evaluation of 209 All‐Ceramic Single Crowns Cemented on Natural and Implant‐Supported Abutments with Different Luting Agents: A 6‐Year Retrospective Study
Authors: Sorrentino Roberto , Galasso Luigi , Tetè Stefano , De Simone Giorgio , Zarone Fernando
Published: December 2009

Background: The Procera AllCeram™ system (Nobel Biocare AB, Göteborg, Sweden) is a valid alternative to metal–ceramic restorations. However, limited long‐term data of its use for single crowns on natural and implant‐supported abutments are available.

Purpose: The present study aimed at evaluating the clinical performances of Procera AllCeram single crowns in both anterior and posterior regions of the oral cavity either on natural tooth or implant abutments over a period of 6 years.

Materials and Methods: Two hundred nine single crowns were fabricated and used in 112 patients. Zinc phosphate and resin luting agents were used to cement the restorations. The crowns were evaluated according to the California Dental Association's quality assessment system.

Results: Three crowns were lost at follow‐up. Of the 206 restorations, which completed the 6‐year follow‐up, 9 crowns were affected by mechanical complications and 7 crowns failed. All surviving crowns were ranked as either excellent or acceptable. Cumulative survival and success rates of 95.2 and 90.9%, respectively, were recorded.

Conclusions: Within the limitations of the present study, Procera AllCeram crowns proved to be a reliable clinical option to restore both anterior and posterior missing teeth either on natural or implant abutments. The resin cement used in the present study performed better than the zinc phosphate luting agent.
Tactile Sensibility of Single‐Tooth Implants and Natural Teeth Under Local Anesthesia of the Natural Antagonistic Teeth
Authors: Enkling Norbert , Heussner Stefan , Nicolay Claudia , Bayer Stefan , Mericske‐Stern Regina , Utz Karl‐Heinz
Published: December 2009

Introduction and Aim:The term osseoperception describes the capability of developing a subtle tactile sensibility over dental implants. The present clinical study aims at clarifying the question of how far tactile sensibility is to be attributed to the periodontium of the natural opposing tooth of the implant.

Material and Method:Thirty‐two subjects with single‐tooth implants with natural opposing teeth were included in this clinical, single‐blind, split‐mouth study. The natural antagonistic tooth of the implant and the corresponding natural contralateral tooth were anesthetized with a locally infiltrated articaine anesthetic. In a computer‐assisted and randomized way, copper foils of varying thickness (0–100 µm) were placed interocclusally between the single‐tooth implant and the natural opposing tooth, and between the contralateral pair of natural opposing teeth in order to investigate the active tactile sensibility according to the psychophysical method of constant stimuli and evaluate it statistically by the Weibull distribution.

Results:The average tactile sensibility of the implants with anesthetized antagonists at the 50% value calculated by means of the Weibull distribution was 20 ± 11 µm with a support area (90%–10% value) of 77 ± 89 µm. For the pair of natural teeth, the tactile sensibility at the 50% value was 16 ± 9 µm with a support area of 48.4 ± 93 µm. This resulted in an average intraindividual difference of 3.5 ± 7 µm at the 50% value and 29 ± 93 µm in the support area. The statistical calculations demonstrated an equivalent tactile sensibility (50% value) of the single‐tooth implant and the contralateral natural control tooth with the natural antagonists being anesthetized in each case (doublet‐test, equivalence limit ± 8 µm,P < 0.01, power >80%).

Conclusion:Apparently, the active tactile sensibility of single‐tooth implants with natural opposing teeth is not only to be attributed to the periodontium of the opposing tooth but also to a perception over the implant itself. This could support the hypothesis according to which the implant may have a tactile sensibility of its own.