bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mice heterozygous for both A1and A2Aadenosine receptor genes show similarities to mice given long-term caffeine
Authors: Yang Jiang-Ning , Björklund Olga , Lindström-Törnqvist Karin , Lindgren Eva , Eriksson Therese M. , Kahlström Johan , Chen Jiang-Fan , Schwarzschild Michael A. , Tobler Irene , Fredholm Bertil B.
Published: November 2008

Caffeine is believed to exert its stimulant effects by blocking A2Aand A1adenosine receptors (A2AR and A1R). Although a genetic knockout of A2AR eliminates effects of caffeine, the phenotype of the knockout animal does not resemble that of caffeine treatment. In this study we explored the possibility that a mere reduction of the number of A1Rs and A2ARs, achieved by deleting one of the two copies of the A1R and A2AR genes, would mimic some aspects of long-term caffeine ingestion. The A1R and A2AR double heterozygous (A1R-A2AR dHz) mice indeed had approximately one-half the number of A1R and A2AR, and there were little compensatory changes in A2Bor A3adenosine receptor (A2BR or A3R) expression. The ability of a stable adenosine analog to activate receptors was shifted to the right by caffeine and in A1R-A2AR dHz tissue. Caffeine (0.3 g/l in drinking water for 7–10 days) and A1R-A2AR dHz genotype increased locomotor activity (LA) and decreased heart rate without significantly influencing body temperature. The acute stimulatory effect of a single injection of caffeine was reduced in A1R-A2AR dHz mice and in mice treated long term with oral caffeine. Thus at least some aspects of long-term caffeine use can be mimicked by genetic manipulation of the A1R and A2AR.
Validation and pilot clinical study of a new bronchoscopic method to measure collateral ventilation before endobronchial lung volume reduction
Authors: Aljuri Nikolai , Freitag Lutz
Published: November 2008

Endobronchial lung volume reduction (ELVR) may be helpful in a selected group of patients with advanced stages of emphysema. However, collateral ventilation (CV) from adjacent lobes through collateral channels often prevents target lobe atelectasis, which presumably mediates clinical responses after ELVR. With the goal of identifying patients who are more or less likely to benefit, we propose endobronchial CV assessment (ECVA), a novel catheter-based endobronchial approach, to quantitatively determine the resistance of collateral channels ( R coll). ECVA relies on the measurement of spontaneous airflow from the sealed and isolated target compartment during spontaneous respiration in an awake subject, thereby providing a direct, simple, and minimally invasive method of assessing R coll in lungs. In this study, we validated ECVA in a controlled laboratory setup and tested ECVA's clinical feasibility in 11 emphysematous human subjects undergoing ELVR treatment. To evaluate ECVA in a controlled laboratory setup with known CV levels, we built a benchtop model mimicking a simple one-compartment model of the lungs during temporary compartmental occlusion and spontaneous respiration, which could be adapted to hold restrictors of different sizes representing collateral airways, and applied ECVA to estimate the resistance of various benchtop model restrictors. We then rated ECVA's performance by direct comparison between estimated and actual restrictor resistance and found a correlation coefficient near one. To test ECVA's clinical performance, post-ELVR radiological assessments were made to determine the occurrence of atelectasis in the treated lobe, and interlobar R coll was estimated in the target lobe via ECVA pre-ELVR. ECVA could be completed in all patients with no adverse events, and a high R coll by ECVA predicted absorption atelectasis following ELVR ( P = 0.005). We believe that ECVA may be helpful to distinguish those patients with and without interlobar CV by identifying the critical value of R coll above which atelectasis is likely to occur.
Basal and induced NO formation in the pharyngo-oral tract influences estimates of alveolar NO levels
Authors: Malinovschi Andrei , Janson Christer , Holm Lena , Nordvall Lennart , Alving Kjell
Published: November 2008

The present study analyzed how models currently used to distinguish alveolar from bronchial contribution to exhaled nitric oxide (NO) are affected by manipulation of NO formation in the pharyngo-oral tract. Exhaled NO was measured at multiple flow rates in 15 healthy subjects in two experiments: 1) measurements at baseline and 5 min after chlorhexidine (CHX) mouthwash and 2) measurements at baseline, 60 min after ingestion of 10 mg NaNO3/kg body wt, and 5 min after CHX mouthwash. Alveolar NO concentration (CalvNO) and bronchial flux (J′awNO) were calculated by using the slope-intercept model with or without adjustment for trumpet shape of airways and axial diffusion (TMAD). Salivary nitrate and nitrite were measured in the second experiment. CalvNO[median (range)] was reduced from 1.16 ppb (0.77, 1.96) at baseline to 0.84 ppb (0.57, 1.48) 5 min after CHX mouthwash ( P < 0.001). The TMAD-adjusted CalvNOvalue after CHX mouthwash was 0.50 ppb (0, 0.85). The nitrate load increased J′awNOfrom 32.2 nl/min (12.2, 60.3) to 57.1 nl/min (22.0, 119) in all subjects and CalvNOfrom 1.47 ppb (0.73, 1.95) to 1.87 ppb (10.85, 7.20) in subjects with high nitrate turnover (>10-fold increase of salivary nitrite after nitrate load). CHX mouthwash reduced CalvNOlevels to 1.15 ppb (0.72, 2.07) in these subjects with high nitrate turnover. All these results remained consistent after TMAD adjustment. We conclude that estimated alveolar NO concentration is affected by pharyngo-oral tract production of NO in healthy subjects, with a decrease after CHX mouthwash. Moreover, unknown ingestion of dietary nitrate could significantly increase estimated alveolar NO in subjects with high nitrate turnover, and this might be falsely interpreted as a sign of peripheral inflammation. These findings were robust for TMAD.
Active Touch Sensing in the Rat: Anticipatory and Regulatory Control of Whisker Movements During Surface Exploration
Authors: Grant Robyn A. , Mitchinson Ben , Fox Charles W. , Prescott Tony J.
Published: November 2008

Animals actively regulate the position and movement of their sensory systems to boost the quality and quantity of the sensory information they obtain. The rat vibrissal system is recognized to be an important model system in which to investigate such “active sensing” capabilities. The current study used high-speed video analysis to investigate whisker movements in untrained, freely moving rats encountering unexpected, vertical surfaces. A prominent feature of rat vibrissal movement is the repeated posterior–anterior sweep of the whiskers in which the macrovibrissae are seen to move largely in synchrony. Here we show that a second significant component of whisking behavior is the size of the arc, or “spread,” between the whiskers. Observed spread is shown to vary over the whisk cycle and to substantially decrease during exploration of an unexpected surface. We further show that the timing of whisker movements is affected by surface contact such that 1) the whiskers rapidly cease forward protraction following an initial, unexpected contact, and may do so even more rapidly following contact with the same surface in the subsequent whisk cycle, and 2) retraction velocity is reduced following this latter contact, leading to longer second-contact durations. This evidence is taken to support two hypotheses: 1) that the relative velocities of different whiskers may be actively controlled by the rat and 2) that control of whisker velocity and timing may serve to increase the number and duration of whisker–surface contacts while ensuring that such contacts are made with a light touch.
An Ezrin/Calpain/PI3K/AMPK/eNOS
s1179
Signaling Cascade Mediating VEGF-Dependent Endothelial Nitric Oxide Production
Authors: Youn Ji-Youn , Wang Ting , Cai Hua
Published: November 2008

Calpain was recently reported to mediate vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced angiogenesis. In the present study, we investigated detailed molecular mechanisms. VEGF (100 ng/mL) induced a marked increase in endothelial cell production of NO
•
, specifically detected by electron spin resonance. This response was abolished by inhibition of calpain with
N
-acetyl-leucyl-leucyl-norleucinal (ALLN) or Calpeptin. Both also diminished membrane-specific calpain activation by VEGF, which was intriguingly attenuated by silencing ezrin with RNA interference. A rapid membrane colocalization of calpain and ezrin occurred as short as 10 minutes after VEGF stimulation. AKT, AMP-dependent kinase (AMPK), and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS)
s1179
phosphorylations in VEGF-stimulated endothelial cells were markedly enhanced, which were however significantly attenuated by either ALLN, Calpeptin, or ezrin small interfering RNA, as well as by Wortmannin or compound C (respectively for phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase [PI3K] or AMPK). The latter 3 also abolished VEGF induction of NO
•
. These data indicate that AMPK and AKT are both downstream of PI3K and that AKT activation is partially dependent on AMPK. The interrelationship between AMPK and AKT, although known to be individually important in mediating VEGF activation of eNOS, is clearly characterized. Furthermore, AMPK/AKT/eNOS
s1179
was found downstream of a calpain/ezrin membrane interaction. These data no doubt provide new insights into the long mystified signaling gap between VEGF receptors and PI3K/AKT or AMPK-dependent eNOS activation. In view of the well-established significance of VEGF-dependent angiogenesis, these findings might have broad and important implications in cardiovascular pathophysiology.
Impact of a Better Adherence to Antihypertensive Agents on Cerebrovascular Disease for Primary Prevention
Authors: Kettani Fatima-Zohra , Dragomir Alice , Côté Robert , Roy Louise , Bérard Anick , Blais Lucie , Lalonde Lyne , Moreau Pierre , Perreault Sylvie
Published: November 2008

Background and Purpose—

The benefits of antihypertensive (AH) drugs on the risks of major cardiovascular outcomes have been demonstrated in clinical trials. However, approximately half of hypertensive patients do not adhere well to their prescribed AH therapy in actual practice. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of adherence to AH agents on the incidence of cerebrovascular disease (CD) in real-world practice.

Methods—

A cohort of 83 267 hypertensive patients was reconstructed from the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec databases. Subjects included were between 45 and 85 years old, initially free of cardiovascular disease, and newly treated for hypertension with AH agents between 1999 and 2004. A nested case–control design was conducted to study CD occurrence. Every case was matched for age and duration of follow-up with up to 15 randomly selected control subjects. The adherence to AH drugs was measured by calculating the medication possession ratio. Conditional logistic regression models were performed to assess the association between adherence to AH agents and CD adjusting for various potential confounders.

Results—

At cohort entry, the mean patient age was 65 years, 37.3% were male, 8.6% had diabetes, and 19.5% had dyslipidemia. High adherence (≥80%) to AH drugs significantly decreased the risk of CD by 22% (rate ratio, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.70 to 0.87) compared with lower adherence. Male gender, occurrence of cardiovascular disease during follow-up, and dyslipidemia were risk factors for CD.

Conclusion—

High adherence to AH therapy is associated with a reduced risk of CD outside the context of clinical trials in primary prevention.
Patterns and Predictors of Blood–Brain Barrier Permeability Derangements in Acute Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Bang Oh Young , Saver Jeffrey L. , Alger Jeffry R. , Shah Samir H. , Buck Brian H. , Starkman Sidney , Ovbiagele Bruce , Liebeskind David S.
Published: November 2008

Background and Purpose—

MRI permeability imaging is a promising approach to identify patients with acute ischemic stroke with an increased propensity for hemorrhagic transformation (HT). Permeability imaging provides direct visualization of blood–brain barrier derangements in ischemic fields.

Methods—

We retrospectively analyzed clinical and MRI data on patients with acute cerebral ischemia within the middle cerebral artery territory to identify the frequency, patterns, and predictors of permeability derangements and their association with HT types.

Results—

A total of 179 permeability scans was obtained in 127 patients (59 men; mean age, 66.8 years). Among 179 image sets (82 pre-/no treatment and 97 posttreatment), permeability derangements were present in 29 images, frequently at the basal ganglia (n=23) and rarely at the juxta-cortical area (n=6). After adjusting for covariates, diastolic pressure (OR, 1.12, per 1-mm Hg increase; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.22) and s-glucose (OR, 1.04, per 1-mg/dL increase; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.07) were independently associated with pretreatment permeability derangements, whereas low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (OR, 0.97, per 1-mg/dL increase; 95% CI, 0.94 to 0.99), malignant MRI profile (OR, 24.84; 95% CI, 1.50 to 412.93), and time from onset to recanalization therapy (OR, 1.47, per 1-hour increase; 95% CI, 1.10 to 1.96) were independently associated with permeability derangements after recanalization therapy. Types of HT varied among the patients with permeability derangements (no HT, 4; hemorrhagic infarct type, 12; and parenchymal hematoma, 13) and transient derangements (without subsequent HT) and normalization of derangements (in the presence of HT) on permeability images was observed in several cases.

Conclusions—

Permeability derangements, a dynamic process associated with ischemic stroke pathophysiology and recanalization therapy, vary in pattern and evolution toward HT. Several prognostic and therapeutic predictors for HT are independently associated with pre- and posttreatment permeability derangements.
The effects of health status on the utilization of complementary and alternative medicine
Authors: Avogo Winfred , Frimpong Jemima A , Rivers Patrick A , Kim Sam S
Published: November 2008

Objective This article addresses the need for comprehensive models that explain the use of complimentary and alternative therapies (CAM). Specifically, the associations between health status, access to care, and patient satisfaction with conventional care and CAM therapies are examined.

Design A cross-sectional survey on Disparities in Quality of Health Care that disproportionately sampled minority groups but was designed to generalize to the US adult population.

Methods Bivariate and multivariate regression techniques are used. Logistic regression models estimate the effects of health status, access to and patient satisfaction with conventional care on utilization of CAM therapies whilst adjusting for socio-economic factors that impact health.

Results An estimated 34.4 per cent of US adults used at least one of four CAM therapies in the two years prior to the survey. Although CAM use was higher among those who perceived themselves to be in excellent or very good health relative to those in fair or poor health, the difference was not statistically significant after adjustments were made. The results, however, showed that those who lacked access to conventional care due to cost and those who had lower satisfaction with the quality of conventional care were more likely to use CAM.

Conclusions Estimates of CAM use in this sample are relatively low but consistent with large national surveys that over-sampled minorities. The article highlights the need to include quality of care when defining satisfaction with conventional health care and reinforces findings that cost of conventional care increases the use of CAM. Implications for the integration of CAM into the health care system are discussed.
A Research Agenda for Online Teacher Professional Development
Authors: Dede Chris , Jass Ketelhut Diane , Whitehouse Pamela , Breit Lisa , McCloskey Erin M.
Published: November 2008

This article highlights key online teacher professional development (oTPD) areas in need of research based on a review of current oTPD research conducted in conjunction with an oTPD conference held at Harvard University in fall 2005. The literature review of this field documents much work that is anecdotal, describing professional development programs or “lessons learned” without providing full details of the participants, setting, research questions, methods of data collection, or analytic strategies. Until more rigorous oTPD research is conducted, developers are hard pressed to know the best design features to include, educators remain uninformed about which program will help support teacher change and student learning, and funders lack sufficient guidelines for where to direct their support. The authors believe that the recommendations in this article for a research agenda will guide oTPD scholarship toward an evidence-based conceptual framework that provides robust explanatory power for theory and model building.
The effectiveness of Hong Kong's Construction Waste Disposal Charging Scheme
Authors: Hao Jane L. , Hills Martin J. , Tam Vivian W. Y.
Published: November 2008

The Hong Kong Government introduced the Construction Waste Disposal Charging Scheme in December 2005 to ensure that disposal of construction and demolition (C&D) waste is properly priced to reduce such waste. The charging scheme is not only intended to provide an economic incentive for contractors and developers to reduce waste but also to encourage reuse and recycling of waste material thereby slowing down the depletion of limited landfill and public filling capacities. This paper examines the effectiveness of the charging scheme 1 year after implementation. A survey was conducted at Tseung Kwan O Area 137 and Tuen Mun Area 38, and daily C&D waste records were collected from landfills and public filling facilities between January 2006 and December 2006. The results of the survey show that waste has been reduced by approximately 60% in landfills, by approximately 23% in public fills, and by approximately 65% in total waste between 2005 and 2006. Suggestions for improving the scheme are provided.
An integrated approach for the management of demolition waste in Cyprus
Authors: Kourmpanis Basilis , Papadopoulos Achilleas , Moustakas Konstantinos , Kourmoussis Fotis , Stylianou Marinos , Loizidou Maria
Published: November 2008

This study investigated the generation and management of demolition waste (DW) in Cyprus. A methodology has been developed and applied for the estimation of the quantities of the waste stream under examination, since quantitative primary data were not available. The existing situation relating to the practices applied for the management of DW was investigated and assessed. Furthermore, a multi-criteria analysis method (PROMETHEE II) was developed and applied in order to examine alternative systems that could be implemented for the management of the DW in the country. In particular, nine management systems (scenarios) were examined, evaluated and ranked according to their efficiency using seventeen individual criteria, divided into four groups (social—legislative, environmental, economic and technical). The ranking of the alternative waste management scenarios indicated that the optimum management system for possible implementation in the island included complete selective demolition procedures and transfer of mixed recyclable materials to the recycling centre and non-recyclable material to landfill.
Protective role of caffeic acid phenethyl ester and erdosteine on activities of purine-catabolizing enzymes and level of nitric oxide in red blood cells of isoniazid-administered rats*
Authors: Yilmaz HR , Uz E , Gökalp O , Özçelik N , Çiçek E , Özer MK
Published: November 2008

The aim of this experimental study was to investigate the possible role of nitric oxide (NO) and the activities of adenosine deaminase (ADA) and xanthine oxidase (XO) in the pathogenesis of isoniazid (INH)-induced oxidative damage in red blood cells (RBCs), and also to show the effect of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) and erdosteine, antioxidants, in decreasing this toxicity. A total of 25 adult male rats were divided into four experimental groups as follows: control group ( n = 7), INH-treated group ( n = 6), INH + CAPE–treated group ( n = 6), and INH + erdosteine–treated group ( n = 6). INH, INH-CAPE, and INH-erdosteine–treated groups were treated orally with INH 50 mg/kg daily and with the tap water for 15 days. Control group was given only tap water. CAPE was intraperitoneally injected for 15 days at a dose of 10 μmol/kg. Erdosteine was treated orally for 15 days at a dose of 10 mg/kg/day. The injection of INH led to a significant increase in the activities of ADA, XO, and NO levels in RBCs of rats. Co-treatment with CAPE caused a significant decrease in the activities of ADA and XO and the levels of NO in RBCs. In addition, co-treatment with erdosteine caused a significant decrease in the activities of ADA and XO and the levels of NO in RBCs. The results of this study showed that ADA, XO, and NO may play an important role in the pathogenesis of INH-induced oxidative stress in RBCs. CAPE and erdosteine may have protective potential in this process and they may become a promising drug in the prevention of this undesired side effect of INH.
A Holocene–late Pleistocene aeolian record from lunette dunes of the western Free State panfield, South Africa
Authors: Holmes Peter J. , Bateman Mark D. , Thomas David S.G. , Telfer Matt W. , Barker Charles H. , Lawson Martin P.
Published: November 2008

The greatest concentration of pans in southern Africa occurs in the western Free State province, South Africa. A feature of many Free State pans is their fringing lunettes, located on the southern and south-eastern margins. Lunette dunes associated with pans in the neighbouring and presently drier Kalahari region show depositional ages, determined by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating, primarily in the Holocene. However, to date, the precise timing of Free State lunette accumulation has not been investigated. The morphology, sedimentology and age of lunettes at five pan sites in the western Free State panfield are reported here. The lunettes form distinct topographic features, with heights up to 5 m above the pan floor, and all have been dissected by gully erosion. Sediment in the sand size class dominates in the lunettes, often overlying clay-rich basal or pan floor sediments. The intra- and intersite data consistency of 46 OSL ages is interpreted as reflecting regional causal factors responsible for lunette accretion, with phases of lunette building at 12—10 ka, 5.5—3 ka, 2—1 ka and 0.3—0.07 ka ago. These are in good agreement with the findings from pan-fringing lunettes in the southwest Kalahari and consistent with established records of palaeocirculation and wind direction over central southern Africa during the late Pleistocene. Lunettes in the western Free State are currently not in a major accretion phase. They are subject to degradation by localized fluvial erosion, with sediment being recycled into the pans.
Separation of late-Holocene episodic paraglacial events and glacier fluctuations in eastern Jotunheimen, central southern Norway
Authors: Støren Eivind Nagel , Dahl Svein Olaf , Lie Øyvind
Published: November 2008

The lacustrine sediments of proglacial lake Russvatnet in eastern Jotunheimen, central southern Norway, comprise a combination of glacier-derived material from the glacier Blackwellbreen and several episodic paraglacial processes in the catchment. This study focuses on the characteristics of lake sediments, and the decomposition of a 4000-yr complex multiprocess record from Russvatnet, in order to separate late-Holocene river floods, mass movements and glacier fluctuations. Facies models based on grain-size distribution, minerogenic content and amount of terrestrial macrofossils are used to recognize discrete mass movement and river flood deposits. Twenty-two episodic events are identified during the late Holocene, classified as 11 mass movement events (debris flows, high density turbidity currents and low density turbidity currents) and 11 river flood events. Enhanced river flood and colluvial activity is inferred at 4000—3400, 2900—2500, 2000—1400 and 1000—500 cal. yr BP. Glaciolacustrine core segments were analysed based on magnetic susceptibility, bulk density and loss-on-ignition to reconstruct variations in late-Holocene glacier magnitude. At c. 2300 cal. yr BP a shift in sedimentation regime from a paraglacial to a glacially dominated regime is recorded, and a Neoglacial expansion period after 2300 cal. yr BP is suggested. A contrasting pattern of climate deterioration and rapid episodic events are recorded in lake Russvatnet. Large regional variations in the timing of episodic events emphasize the importance of local triggering factors compared with more large-scale effects of climate change.
Palaeoproductivity changes and upwelling variability in the Galicia Mud Patch during the last 5000 years: geochemical and microfloral evidence
Authors: Bernárdez P. , González-Álvarez R. , Francés G. , Prego R. , Bárcena M.A. , Romero O.E.
Published: November 2008

The Holocene palaeoclimatic history of the Galician continental shelf has been investigated through the analyses of diatom remains, other siliceous compounds, biogenic silica (BSi) and metals content in a multiproxy approach to a gravity core recovered from the Galicia Mud Patch, NW Iberian Peninsula, covering the last 5000 years. Downcore changes in diatom assemblages composition and abundance reflect changes in diatom production related to long-/short-term variations in climate, regional oceanography, upwelling strength and river influx off the coast of NW Spain and Portugal. Palaeoclimatic variability was related to the relative strengths and position of the Azores High and Iceland Low pressure cells. Metals and microflora fluctuations are interpreted as changes in the riverine influence and upwelling intensity paced by oceanographic, atmospheric and climatic changes. Lack of diatoms between 4700—3300 and 1800—1200 cal. yr BP could be linked to early diagenetic processes taking place in the sediment after burial. Biogenic barium (Baexcess), metals and excess diatom assemblages, show a general increase of marine productivity for the last 1200 cal. yr BP. Between 800 and 500 cal. yr BP high production of the microflora is triggered by influx of river-derived nutrients under conditions of SW winds and storms resulting from a NAO negative-like phase. The biosiliceous and geochemical signatures of sediments from the last 500 cal. yr BP indicate conditions of enhanced upwelling and increased phytoplanktonic production associated with the intensification of northerly winds. Upwelling strengthening in this area, attributed to recent global warming, could provoke an increase in phytoplankton biomass with consequent biological, climatological and socioeconomical impacts. The imprint of anthropic activities has been recorded by the increasing Pb/Al ratios for the last 400 cal. yr BP.
Historical landscape change in Cappadocia (central Turkey): a palaeoecological investigation of annually laminated sediments from Nar lake
Authors: England Ann , Eastwood Warren J. , Roberts C. Neil , Turner Rebecca , Haldon John F.
Published: November 2008

Coupled multiproxy indicators (pollen, stable isotopes and charcoal) reconstructed from annually laminated lake sediments from Nar GÃ¶lÃ¼ in Cappadocia (central Turkey) complemented by documentary and archaeological evidence provide a detailed record of environmental changes and their causes from late Antiquity (AD 300) to the present day. Stable isotope data indicate marked shifts in the variability in summer drought intensity and winterâ€”spring rainfall, but these did not coincide in time with changes in vegetation and land use shown by pollen data. Rather, human impacts appear to have been the main driver of landscape ecological changes in Cappadocia over the last two millennia. Pollen and charcoal data indicate four principal land-use phases: (i) an early Byzantine agrarian landscape characterized by cereals and tree crops, and marking the later part of the so-called BeyÅŸehir Occupation phase; (ii) a period of landscape abandonment and the establishment of secondary woodland from AD 670 to 950 coinciding with the Arab invasions of Anatolia and marking the transition from late Antiquity to the middle Byzantine period; (iii) the re-establishment of cereal-based agriculture and pastoralism from c. AD 950, with this cultural landscape being maintained through the Byzantine `Golden Age', the Seljuk and Ottoman Empires; and (iv) agricultural intensification during the late Ottoman era and the Turkish Republic (AD 1830 to present). Charcoal fluxes indicate that prior to the twentieth century, landscape burning was most frequent at times of diminished human impact when fuel biomass increased. Pollen and historical data show remarkably close agreement in terms of the timing of landscape change, and the former suggest that rural cultural traditions were able to survive largely intact through short-lived periods of socio-political dislocation such as the sixth century Justinian plague and the thirteenth century Mongol invasions.
Capture—recapture and anchored prevalence estimation of injecting drug users in England: national and regional estimates
Authors: Hay Gordon , Gannon Maria , MacDougall Jane , Eastwood Catherine , Williams Kate , Millar Tim
Published: November 2008

Capture—recapture (C—RC) using four data sources, one of which accounted for 81% of captured injectors, and multiple indicator methods (MIM) were used to obtain national, regional and local estimates of the prevalence of injecting drug use among opiate and/or crack cocaine users in England. Persons aged 15 to 64 years, in contact with health and/or criminal justice services during 2005/2006, and known to be using opiates and/or crack cocaine and injecting drugs were included in the C—RC analysis. The MIM analysis included indicators relating to drug treatment, drug-related deaths, population density and drug offences.

There were an estimated 130,000 opiate and/or crack cocaine users who injected drugs in 2005/06 (95% confidence interval 125,800 to 137,000), corresponding to 3.9 per thousand of the population aged 15 to 64 years (95% confidence interval 3.8—4.1). Regional variation in the prevalence of injecting was evident, ranging from 6.1 per thousand of the population aged 15 to 64 years in Yorkshire and the Humber (95% confidence interval 5.6 to 6.6) to 2.3 per thousand in the East of England (95% confidence interval 1.8 to 2.9). Application of gender and age-group distributions for treated injecting drug users (IDUs) to the prevalence estimates suggested that there were 97,200 male injectors (95% confidence interval 94,000 to 102,500) and 63,600 female injectors aged 25 to 34 years (95% confidence interval 61,500 to 67,000).

The prevalence estimates provide a basis from which numbers of current IDUs infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) can be approximated.
Re-weighted inference about hepatitis C virus-infected communities when analysing diagnosed patients referred to liver clinics
Authors: Bo Fu  , Tom Brian DM , Bird Sheila M
Published: November 2008

To project national hepatitis C virus (HCV) burden, unbiased estimation of HCV progression to liver cirrhosis is required for the whole community of HCV-infected individuals. However, widely varying estimates of progression rates to cirrhosis have been produced. This disparity is partly associated with the statistical methods applied, but is mainly due to the differing types of study cohort. We use an inverse probability weighted estimation method to recover the true parameters for the (Weibull regression) model that determines the incubation period from infection to cirrhosis for the community of HCV-infected individuals, when there is cirrhosis-related recruitment bias to the studied cohort. We apply the method to simulated data for a liver clinic which attracts patients from a community of 1000 HCV-infected individuals under different event-biased referral patterns. We investigate how well the method performs in recovering the true community parameters, and then apply it to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary's liver clinic series. The results obtained are compared to those from a Weibull survival analysis which ignores the selection bias.
Modelling and calibration of the hepatitis C epidemic in Australia
Authors: Razali K. , Amin J. , Dore GJ , Law MG , HCV Projections Working Group
Published: November 2008

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Australia is predominantly transmitted through injecting drug use. A reduction in the heroin supply in Australia in late 2000 and early 2001 may have impacted the number of injecting drug users (IDUs) and the number of new hepatitis C infections. This paper updates estimates of HCV incidence between 1960 and 2005 and models long-term sequelae from infection. Outcomes among those with HCV were also recently assessed in a linkage study assessing cancer and causes of death following HCV diagnosis in New South Wales. Linkage study outcomes have been used here to calibrate modelled outcomes. Mathematical models were used to estimate HCV incidence among IDUs, migrants to Australia from high HCV-prevalence countries, and other HCV exposure groups. Recent trends in numbers of IDUs were based on indicators of injecting drug use. A natural history of HCV model was applied to estimate the prevalence of HCV in the population. Model predicted endpoints that were calibrated against the NSW linkage data over the period 1995—2002 were: (i) incident hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); (ii) opioid overdose deaths; (iii) liver-related deaths; and (iv) all-cause mortality. Modelled estimates and the linkage data show reasonably good calibration for HCC cases and all-cause mortality. The estimated HCC incidence was increased from 70 cases in 1995 to 100 cases in 2002. All-cause mortality estimated at 1000 in 1995 increased to 1600 in 2002. Comparison of annual opioid deaths shows some agreement. However, the models underestimate the rate of increase observed between 1995 and 1999 and do not entirely capture the rapid decrease in overdose deaths from 2000 onwards. The linkage data showed a peak of overdose deaths at 430 in 1999 compared to 320 estimated by the models. Comparison of observed liver deaths with the modelled numbers showed poor agreement. A good agreement would require an increase in liver deaths from the assumed 2 to 5% per annum following cirrhosis in the models. Mathematical models suggest that HCV incidence decreased from a peak of 14,000 infections in 1999 to 9700 infections in 2005, largely attributable to a reduction in injecting drug use. The poor agreement between projected and linked liver deaths could reflect differing coding of causes of deaths, underestimates of the numbers of people with cirrhosis following HCV, or underestimates of rates of liver death following cirrhosis. The reasonably good agreement between most of the modelled estimates with observed linkage data provides some support for the assumptions used in the models.
A population-based record linkage study of mortality in hepatitis C-diagnosed persons with or without HIV coinfection in Scotland
Authors: McDonald Scott A , Hutchinson Sharon J , Bird Sheila M , Mills Peter R , Dillon John , Bloor Mick , Robertson Chris , Donaghy Martin , Hayes Peter , Graham Lesley
Published: November 2008

Infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) is known to increase the risk of death from severe liver disease and, because HCV status is strongly associated with a history of injecting drug use, the effect of a key disease progression cofactor, infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), is of interest . We examined all-cause, liver-related and drug-related mortality and excess risk of death from these causes in a large cohort of HCV-monoinfected and HIV-coinfected persons in Scotland. The study population consisted of 20,163 persons confirmed to be infected with hepatitis C through laboratory testing in Scotland between 1991 and 2005. Records with sufficient identifiers were linked to the General Register Office for Scotland death register to retrieve associated mortality data, and were further linked to a national database of HIV-positive individuals to determine coinfection status. A total of 1715 HCV monoinfected and 305 HIV coinfected persons died of any cause during the follow-up period (mean of 5.4 and 6.4 years, respectively). Significant excess mortality was observed in both HCV monoinfected and HIV coinfected populations from liver-related underlying causes (standardised mortality ratios of 25, 95% CI = 23—27; and 37, 95% CI = 26—52 for the two groups, respectively) and drug-related causes (25, 95% CI = 23—27; 39, 95% CI = 28—53. The risk of death from hepatocellular carcinoma, alcoholic or non-alcoholic liver disease, or from a drug-related cause, was greatly increased compared with the general Scottish population, with the highest standardised mortality ratio observed for hepatocellular carcinoma in the monoinfected group (70, 95% CI = 57—85). This study has revealed considerable excess mortality from liver- and drug-related causes in the Scottish HCV-diagnosed population; these data are crucial to inform on the clinical management, and projected future public health burden, of HCV infection.
Estimating current injectors in Scotland and their drug-related death rate by sex, region and age-group via Bayesian capture—recapture methods
Authors: King Ruth , Bird Sheila M , Hay Gordon , Hutchinson Sharon J
Published: November 2008

Using Bayesian capture—recapture methods, we estimate current injectors in Scotland in 2003, and, thereby, injectors' drug-related death rates for the period 2003—2005. Four different data sources are considered [Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) database, hospital admissions, social enquiry reports, and drug misuse database reports by General Practices or Drug Treatment Agencies] which provide covariate information on sex, region (Greater Glasgow versus elsewhere in Scotland) and age group (15—34 years and 35+ years).

We quantified Scotland's current injectors in 2003 at 27,400 (95% highest probability density interval: 20,700—32,100) by incorporating underlying model uncertainty in terms of the possible interactions present between data sources and/or covariates. The posterior probability was 72% that Scotland had more current injectors in 2003 than in 2000. Detailed comparison with 2000 gave evidence of importantly changed numbers of current injectors for different covariate classes.

In addition, and of particular social interest, is the estimation of injectors' drug-related death rates. Expert information was used to construct upper and lower bounds on the number of drug-related deaths pertaining to injectors, which were then used to provide bounds on injectors' drug-related death rates. Failure to incorporate expert information could result in over-estimation of drug-related death rates for subclasses of injectors.
Estimating the prevalence of ex-injecting drug use in the population
Authors: Sweeting MJ , De Angelis D. , Ades AE , Hickman M.
Published: November 2008

Injecting drug use is the main route of transmission for the hepatitis C virus in the developed world. Knowledge about the characteristics of the past and current injecting drug user (IDU) population is therefore vital in order to understand the epidemiology of hepatitis C. The IDU population is `hard to reach' and hence most epidemiological studies have concentrated on estimating current IDU prevalence, whilst little is known about the potentially large pool of ex-injectors. We demonstrate a method for estimating the proportion of ex-users in the population, by considering injecting drug use as a time-to-event process. We show how unbiased estimates of injecting duration and historical patterns in injecting initiation can be derived from a sample of ex-IDUs obtained from a population survey, and how such data lead to estimates of the proportion of ex-IDUs in the population. Finally, we show how to obtain estimates of the prevalence of ex-IDUs by using additional information on the prevalence of current IDUs.
From Public Understanding to Public Engagement
Authors: Schäfer Mike S.
Published: November 2008

Science communication is said to have changed in the past decades. It is widely assumed that science is no longer merely transported and translated by the mass media to a passive audience, but “medialized”: Many authors believe that scientific issues are discussed extensively in the mass media nowadays, that these discussions are plural in its participants and in the arguments used, and that the issues at stake are evaluated controversially. It is still unclear, however, if this change applies to all science topics or only to some. The article at hand argues that science issues from different epistemic cultures can be expected to be “medialized” to different extents, and analyzes mass media coverage on stem cell research, human genome research, and neutrino research to underline this claim. The findings show that the described change only applies to some issues, and that further differentiation of the concept of “medialization” is necessary.
Crack Detection in Stepped Beam Carrying Slowly Moving Mass
Authors: Al-Said Samer Masoud
Published: November 2008

A crack identification algorithm based on a mathematical model has been developed to identify crack location and depth in stepped cantilever Euler—Bernoulli beam carrying concentrated masses. In order to estimate crack location and depth in the beam the proposed algorithm utilizes the variation of the difference between the natural frequencies of cracked and intact systems versus single mass location along the beam span. The assumed mode method is used to derive the mathematical model for the system under investigation, in which the crack's effect is introduced to the system as a global effect. The advantage of the proposed algorithm is to identify the crack by monitoring a single natural frequency of the system. The algorithm can utilize the measurements of the first few system natural frequencies to check/reconfirm its identification results. Furthermore, it is efficient and can be simply implemented for any structure that has a slowly moving mass, as in the case of overhead gantry and girder cranes. The identification algorithm is tested using the first system's natural frequency obtained from an experimental work as well as from a finite element analysis. Moreover, the algorithm is tested once more using the second system's natural frequency obtained from finite element analysis. The tests' results show that the crack depth and location can be predicted with sound accuracy.
Fuzzy Optimal Control of Uncertain Dynamic Characteristics in Tall Buildings Subjected to Seismic Excitation
Authors: Amini F. , Vahdani R.
Published: November 2008

Analytical investigations have been conducted to suppress vibration of tall building structures in the presence of uncertainty in structural dynamic characteristics. Three control algorithms consisting of probabilistic optimal control, fuzzy logic control and optimal control theories are combined to control system fluctuations and severe seismic excitations. A state-space reduced order model is constructed based on dominant observable and controllable Gramians of Lyapunov equations in order to prevent the control matrix singularity and achieve computational efficiency. Both types of active and semi-active control systems are installed in the buildings to reduce the seismic response. In the case of active control systems, both an active tuned mass damper and active mass driver are installed on the top floor. In the case of semi-active systems, such as electric rheological/magnetic rheological dampers, control devices are installed in selected story units. The class of multi-objective control constraints based on minimum control efforts with respect to stochastics evaluation criteria have been defined and satisfied. The fuzzy rule base matrices and fuzzy inference systems are appropriately constructed corresponding to regular forms of optimal control laws and input-output measured data in the control sequences. The performance and robustness of both active and semi-active control systems are investigated through a series of numerical simulations of a multistory building subjected to a wide range of seismic disturbances.
The use of sodium hyaluronate for the treatment of radiation recall dermatitis
Authors: Bauer Shannon M , Bauer Carole
Published: November 2008

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a high-molecular weight polysaccharide, a glycosaminoglycan that enhances fibroblast movement and metabolism during wound healing, increasing collagen fibers forming granulation tissue. We describe a 42-year-old female, who developed radiation recall dermatitis following an allogeneic stem cell transplant from an unrelated donor (MUD-PBSCT). Her skin was treated with a topical sodium hyaluronate gel twice daily (RadiaplexRX, MPM Medical). There was marked improvement after 5 days of therapy without discontinuation of any of her therapeutic agents. At a time when the health care providers were faced with considerable treatment dilemmas, this patient demonstrated improvement in the symptoms of radiation recall dermatitis with the topical application of sodium hyaluronate and no change in her medication profile. This agent could successfully allow practitioners to treat radiation recall dermatitis without discontinuation of the recall trigger drug and thus jeopardizing the outcome of the treatment regimen. J Oncol Pharm Practice (2009) 15: 123—126.
Winogradsky Rothko: Bacterial Ecosystem as Pastoral Landscape
Authors: Wightman Jenifer
Published: November 2008

Made in the dimensions of a Mark Rothko painting, a steel and glass frame was filled with mud and water. By applying a microbiology technique developed by a 19th-century soil scientist, Sergei Winogradsky, pigmented bacteria that existed in the mud and water composed a landscape. As bacteria colonize their optimal zones, they change their environments by depleting their resources and releasing by-products. As a bacterial species reaches its carrying capacity, the environment no longer hospitable to the original colonizer may now be the optimal environment for a potential successor to that zone resulting in an evolving color-field of living pigments. The appearance/disappearance of color indicates both procurement and loss of finite material resources; the agents that act out upon the landscape and synthesize change become acted upon by their consequentially changed world. For this article, the ecological industry of the figure and field of Winogradsky Rothko serves as a point of departure for thinking toward a notion of ecological rationality.
Marketing the hegemony of development: of pulp fictions and green deserts
Authors: Böhm Steffen , Brei Vinícius
Published: November 2008

In this paper we analyze the role of marketing in the construction of what can be called the hegemony of development. Through an investigation of the marketing practices of the pulp and paper industry in South America and the resistances that are articulated by a range of civil society actors against the expansion of this industry, we problematize marketing as a political and contested discourse and practice. By using Laclau and Mouffe's (1985, 2001) theoretical framework, which is centered on the concept of `hegemony', we highlight the crucial role marketing plays in the social and cultural legitimation of the highly controversial development of the pulp and paper industry — regarded as one of the most polluting industries in the world — in South America. We build on existing `critical marketing' literatures to critique marketing's role in spreading `development' practices around the world, and we introduce Laclau and Mouffe's theories to the marketing field in order to understand better the way marketing helps to produce `development' as a hegemonic discourse in a particular social and cultural field. In this way we contribute to a growing understanding that critical marketing research is not only about exposing and analyzing the discourses and practices that drive consumption . Rather, we see marketing as an ontological discourse and practice that is crucial for the cultural and social legitimation of the development of entire industries and economic spheres.