bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cost-effectiveness of Epinephrine and Dexamethasone in Children With Bronchiolitis
Authors: Sumner Amanda , Coyle Douglas , Mitton Craig , Johnson David W. , Patel Hema , Klassen Terry P. , Correll Rhonda , Gouin Serge , Bhatt Maala , Joubert Gary , Black Karen J. L. , Turner Troy , Whitehouse Sandra , Plint Amy C. ,   for Pediatric Emergency Research Canada
Published: September 2010

OBJECTIVE:

Using data from the Canadian Bronchiolitis Epinephrine Steroid Trial we assessed the cost-effectiveness of treatments with epinephrine and dexamethasone for infants between 6 weeks and 12 months of age with bronchiolitis.

METHODS:

An economic evaluation was conducted from both the societal and health care system perspectives including all costs during 22 days after enrollment. The effectiveness of therapy was measured by the duration of symptoms of feeding problems, sleeping problems, coughing, and noisy breathing. Comparators were nebulized epinephrine plus oral dexamethasone, nebulized epinephrine alone, oral dexamethasone alone, and no active treatment. Uncertainty around estimates was assessed through nonparametric bootstrapping.

RESULTS:

The combination of nebulized epinephrine plus oral dexamethasone was dominant over the other 3 comparators in that it was both the most effective and least costly. Average societal costs were $1115 (95% credible interval [CI]: 919–1325) for the combination therapy, $1210 (95% CI: 1004–1441) for no active treatment, $1322 (95% CI: 1093–1571) for epinephrine alone, and $1360 (95% CI: 1124–1624) for dexamethasone alone. The average time to curtailment of all symptoms was 12.1 days (95% CI: 11–13) for the combination therapy, 12.7 days (95% CI: 12–13) for no active treatment, 13.0 days (95% CI: 12–14) for epinephrine alone, and 12.6 days (95% CI: 12–13) for dexamethasone alone.

CONCLUSION:

Treating infants with bronchiolitis with a combination of nebulized epinephrine plus oral dexamethasone is the most cost-effective treatment option, because it is the most effective in controlling symptoms and is associated with the least costs.
Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Risk of Birth Defects
Authors: O'Leary Colleen M. , Nassar Natasha , Kurinczuk Jennifer J. , de Klerk Nicholas , Geelhoed Elizabeth , Elliott Elizabeth J. , Bower Carol
Published: September 2010

OBJECTIVE:

The goal was to examine the associations between dose, pattern, and timing of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and birth defects.

METHODS:

Data from a randomly selected, population-based cohort of nonindigenous women who gave birth to a live infant in Western Australia (WA) between 1995 and 1997 (N = 4714) were linked to WA Midwives Notification System and WA Birth Defects Registry data. We assessed the associations of PAE before pregnancy, in the first trimester, and in late pregnancy with any birth defect and with birth defects classified as alcohol-related birth defects (ARBDs) by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), by using logistic regression.

RESULTS:

The prevalence of birth defects classified as ARBDs by the IOM was low. Compared with abstinence, heavy PAE in the first trimester was associated with increased odds of birth defects classified as ARBDs (adjusted odds ratio: 4.6 [95% confidence interval: 1.5–14.3]), with similar findings after validation through bootstrap analysis. There was no association between low or moderate PAE and birth defects.

CONCLUSIONS:

A fourfold increased risk of birth defects classified as ARBDs was observed after heavy PAE in the first trimester. Many individual birth defects included in the IOM classification for ARBDs either were not present in this cohort or were not associated with PAE. Large, population-based studies are needed to strengthen the evidence base for ARBDs.
The Pediatrician's Role in Child Maltreatment Prevention
Authors: Flaherty Emalee G. , Stirling John ,   The Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect
Published: September 2010

This Clinical Report was revised. See https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2024-067608.

It is the pediatrician's role to promote the child's well-being and to help parents raise healthy, well-adjusted children. Pediatricians, therefore, can play an important role in the prevention of child maltreatment. Previous clinical reports and policy statements from the American Academy of Pediatrics have focused on improving the identification and management of child maltreatment. This clinical report outlines how the pediatrician can help to strengthen families and promote safe, stable, nurturing relationships with the aim of preventing maltreatment. After describing some of the triggers and factors that place children at risk for maltreatment, the report describes how pediatricians can identify family strengths, recognize risk factors, provide helpful guidance, and refer families to programs and other resources with the goal of strengthening families, preventing child maltreatment, and enhancing child development.
Formenlehre goes to the opera: Examples from Armida and elsewhere
Authors: Martin Nathan
Published: September 2010

One of the more surprising developments in recent American music theory has been the revival of interest in traditional, as opposed to Schenkerian, approaches to musical form. Spearheading this renewal are William Caplin’s 1998 treatise
Classical Form
, and James Hepokoski and Warren Darcy’s more recent
Elements of Sonata Theory
(2006). Both treatises, however, ignore the eighteenth-century operatic repertory entirely. And while valuable studies of eighteenth-century aria-forms exist (notably by James Webster and Mary Hunter), such studies generally predate the advent of the new American
Formenlehre
. There is, as a result, a gap between the most recent developments in the theory of Classical form and our current understanding of formal processes in late-eighteenth-century opera.This paper sketches one possible way across that gap. Even a casual survey of Haydn’s Eszterháza operas suggests that formal processes play out in ways related to, but nonetheless distinct from, their articulation in Haydn’s instrumental music (in response, no doubt, to the particular exigencies of writing texted music for the operatic stage). Thanks to its characteristic attention to the smallest possible form-functional units — the presentational, continuational and cadential phrases that subsist at the intra-thematic level — Caplin’s approach to Classical form proves particularly adaptable to this new context. The paper illustrates the analytic usefulness of Caplin’s approach for analyzing vocal music through a consideration of representative examples from
Armida
and
Il mondo della luna
.
Die deutschsprachigen Fassungen von Haydns Stabat mater
Authors: Harasim Clemens
Published: September 2010

The first print of Joseph Haydn’s
Stabat mater
was the Schwickert piano-reduction from 1781. It includes only the German text by Johann Adam Hiller. Two years earlier Hiller brought his German version to its first performance at the university-church in Leipzig. He wanted to make this work known in Protestant churches of Germany, where Latin was “not appropriate”. The German text minimizes the reference to Mary and accentuates the Protestant-typical Christo-centrism. 1803 Breitkopf sets in the first print of the score both the Latin and the German text. Some different versions (for instance by Findeisen and Christmann) were also successful efforts adapting the work into the Protestant liturgy, like J. S. Bach did with Pergolesi’s
Stabat mater
. Indeed, some sources include choral settings between the original numbers, resembling the form of a typical Protestant church-cantata. Translations and adaptations were prerequisites of wide reception in Protestant parts of Middle and Northern Germany, where the requirement of sophisticated passion-music in form of cantatas was considerably, also after 1800.
Altpapierverwertung im 18. Jahrhundert: Fragmente in den Aufführungsmaterialen des Esterházy’schen Opernbetriebs
Authors: Siegert Christine
Published: September 2010

In the opera materials of the Esterházy Court in the Széchényi National Library in Budapest, that have survived from the time when Haydn directed the opera at Eszterháza, there are several inserted papers that had been used before the sheet of paper was re-used for the adaptation of the given opera. The fragmentary notations vary in content and extent. Two groups are of special interest for Haydn scholars: fragments that can be related to Haydn’s operas and fragments written by Haydn. The latter are listed in the appendix in a catalogue that might be expanded in the future.
“…They are full of invention, fire, good taste, and new effects” Two compositional essays in the “Erdődy” quartets Op. 76
Authors: Somfai László
Published: September 2010

The study revisits Haydn’s Erdődy Quartets with the premise that it was Haydn’s intention to copy the scores of three of the six — in D minor, B-flat and E-flat — as
exemplum
for his own library, and there is no reason to assume that such scores of the other three once existed. While the compositional
tour de force
in the D minor is the opening movement, the slow movements of the B-flat and E-flat form a carefully crafted pair of compositional essays (although they exhibit other special features, such as the E-flat’s
Alternativo
renditions of different lengths). From the same motivic starting point, both in 3/4 time, the E-flat Adagio of the B-flat major quartet and the B major
Fantasia
of the E-flat quartet present diametrically opposed strategies of the learned style. The focus in the
Sunrise
is on the meter, pulsation, and rhythm (including subtleties such as
per arsin et thesin
entries), while in the oft-analysed
Fantasia
it is on the modulation and the surprising shifts of key.
Haydn, Hoffmann, and the opera of instruments
Authors: Dolan Emily
Published: September 2010

In 1809, E. T. A. Hoffmann declared that the symphony, in the hands of Haydn and Mozart, had become the “opera of instruments.” This view of symphony, which was echoed by other writers of the period, reflected how composers engaged with instruments through orchestration. This essay explores the use of instrumental sonority in the slow movements of Haydn’s later symphonies, in particular looking at the ways in which Haydn’s approach to the orchestra helped cultivate the notion that symphonies unfolded as dramas. This conception of the orchestra and of orchestration informed the language of musical criticism of the early nineteenth century: Hoffmann’s discussions of musical works frequently take the form of operatic plot summaries, in which individual instruments act as characters. The persistence of operatic metaphors suggests that, instead of thinking of this period as the “rise of instrumental music,” it is more accurate to understand it as the rise of the orchestra.
Investigation of a ductile and corrosion-resistant Pd79Au1.5Ag3Si16.5bulk metallic glass
Authors: Chen N. , Qin C.L. , Xie G.Q. , Louzguine-Luzgin D.V. , Inoue A.
Published: September 2010

A new Pd79Au1.5Ag3Si16.5bulk metallic glass was successfully synthesized in a maximum casting thickness range to 3 mm. Upon heating, the single glassy phase decomposed into Pd-rich crystalline phases and a Si-rich amorphous phase due to solute partitioning. In addition to high thermal stability, this bulk glassy alloy also exhibited a high degree of ductility and excellent corrosion resistance, showing potential applications as biomaterials.
Templated fabrication of nanostructured Ni brush for hydrogen evolution reaction
Authors: Lin Sheng-Chieh , Chiu Yu-Fan , Wu Pu-Wei , Hsieh Yi-Fan , Wu Cheng-Yeou
Published: September 2010

We fabricated a nanostructured brush by carrying out Ni deposition on a through-channel anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template, followed by removal of the AAO skeleton. The AAO was prepared by a two-step anodization process resulting in pore diameter and thickness of 350 nm and 40 μm, respectively. Subsequently, the AAO underwent an electroless deposition involving sensitization, activation, and Ni plating, in conjunction with polyethylene glycol used as the inhibitor to prevent premature closing of pore opening. After deliberate control in relevant parameters, we obtained a conformal Ni overcoat along every pore channel leading to a reduced average pore diameter of 78 nm. Afterward, the sample was immersed in a KOH solution to remove the AAO structure, forming freestanding Ni tubules in a brush configuration. The nanostructured brush revealed considerable enhancement for hydrogen evolution reaction in both current-potential polarization and galvanostatic measurements, which were attributed to the increment in apparent surface area.
Solution chemistry effects on cracking and damage evolution during chemical-mechanical planarization
Authors: Ong Markus D. , Leduc Patrick , McKenzie Daniel W. , Farjot Thierry , Passemard Gerard , Maitrejean Sylvain , Dauskardt Reinhold H.
Published: September 2010

We describe progress in understanding the effect of simulated chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) slurry chemistry on the evolution of defects and formation of damage that occurs during CMP processing. Specifically, we demonstrate the significant effect of aqueous solution chemistry on accelerating crack growth in porous methylsilsesquioxane (MSSQ) films. In addition, we show that the same aqueous solutions can diffuse rapidly into the highly hydrophobic nanoporous MSSQ films containing interconnected porosity. Such diffusion has deleterious effects on both dielectric properties and the acceleration of defect growth rates. Crack propagation rates were measured in several CMP solutions, and the resulting crack growth behavior was used to qualitatively predict the extent of damage during CMP. These predictions are compared with damage formed during actual CMP processes in identical chemistries. We discuss the effects of both the high and low crack growth rate regimes, including the presence of a crack growth threshold, on the predicted CMP damage. Finally, implications for improved CMP processing were considered.
Effect of ultraviolet cure on the interfacial toughness and structure of SiOC thin film on Si substrate
Authors: Takeda M. , Matoba N. , Matsuda K. , Seki H. , Inoue K. , Oishi M. , Sakai M.
Published: September 2010

An experimental study on the adhesion of thin films was conducted for the ultraviolet (UV)-cured SiOC films on Si substrate by examining the mechanical energy balance during the indentation process combined with atomic force microscopy observation. The effect of UV cure on the interfacial delamination toughness and the structure of the SiOC films are discussed. The energy release rate of the SiOC film/Si substrate interfacial delamination increases with the increases in the time of UV curing, indicating that the indentation method is efficient to examine the adhesion of coating. As the UV curing time increases, the film thickness and the Si–CH3 bond structure decrease, whereas the SiO2 network structure develops and the mechanical properties of the film are improved. Furthermore, the energy release rate of SiOC film/Si interfacial delamination is well correlated in a proportional manner to the Young's modulus of the film.
Effect of frame stiffness on the deformation behavior of bulk metallic glass
Authors: Han Z. , Li Y. , Gao H.J.
Published: September 2010

It has been shown that the stability of shear banding and plasticity of bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) can be strongly influenced by the machine stiffness. Here, we demonstrated that the practice of adding a frame parallel to the sample is quantitatively equivalent to increasing the machine stiffness by the frame stiffness. A series of carefully designed experiments were conducted to verify such an effect, showing controllably enhanced plasticity of BMG samples.
Experimental study of grain refinement mechanism in undercooled Ni–15at.%Cu alloy
Authors: Wang Haifeng , Liu Feng , Yang Gencang
Published: September 2010

Applying glass fluxing and cyclic superheating, rapid solidification of undercooled Ni–15at.%Cu alloy was performed by rapidly quenching the sample after recalescence. The evolution of microstructure and microtexture has been analyzed. At both low and high undercoolings, well-developed dendrites, within and around which are distributed by the fine equiaxed grains, are observed. At low undercooling, the completely grain-refined microstructure shows a highly oriented texture without annealing twins, whereas at high undercooling a fully random texture as well as a number of annealing twins is observed. On this basis, all the possible mechanisms for grain refinement, as well as their effects on the microstructure formation, were discussed. The grain refinement at both low and high undercoolings is concluded to originate from dendrite fragmentation. Particularly, at high undercooling, recrystallization, as a consequence of dendrite deformation (by fluid flow) and dendrite fragmentation (which provides grain boundary sites for recrystallization nucleation and for the “appearing” recrystallized grains), occurs and plays a role in the grain refinement and the formation of fully random texture.
A comparative study of a new microscale technique and conventional bending techniques for evaluating the interface adhesion strength in IC metallization systems
Authors: Kamiya Shoji , Shimomura Hiroshi , Omiya Masaki , Suzuki Takashi
Published: September 2010

We developed a new microscale technique for evaluating the local interface adhesion in a thin film stack and we compared it with a conventional four-point bending technique. Using the microscale technique, the interface adhesion was estimated to be 3.0 J/m2 by comparing experimental results with numerical simulation results for interface crack propagation behavior. The four-point bending technique was applied to the same interface and the interface adhesion was estimated to be 4.4 J/m2 by experiment. However, this value is an overestimate because it includes the plastic deformation of epoxy resin used to fabricate the specimens. By eliminating the additional energy dissipated through plastic deformation of the epoxy resin close to the interface crack tip, the interface adhesion was evaluated to be 3.3 J/m2. This value agrees well with that obtained using the microscale technique.
Improved dehydrogenation of TiF3-doped NaAlH4 using ordered mesoporous SiO2 as a codopant
Authors: Zheng Shiyou , Li Yongtao , Fang Fang , Zhou Guangyou , Yu Xuebin , Chen Guorong , Sun Dalin , Ouyang Liuzhang , Zhu Min
Published: September 2010

A study of the influence of mesoporous SiO2 on the dehydrogenation of NaAlH4 and TiF3-doped NaAlH4 revealed that the amount of hydrogen evolved is 3.8 wt% for the pristine NaAlH4 and around 4.2 wt% for the TiF3-doped NaAlH4, but increases to 4.9–5.0 wt% once the samples are doped with mesoporous SiO2 in the temperature range of 100–350 °C. A favorable synergistic effect on the NaAlH4 dehydrogenation is achieved as mesoporous SiO2 is added as a codopant along with TiF3, which is associated with the nanosized pores and high specific surface area of mesoporous SiO2. The catalytic mechanism of mesoporous SiO2 is more physical than chemical relative to the catalytic mechanism of TiF3.
The control of time-dependent buckling patterns in thin confined elastomer film
Authors: Winton Brad , Ionescu Mihail , Dou Shi Xue
Published: September 2010

Low energy metal ion implantation has been used to combine an easy “bottom-up” way of creating and tuning different topographic structures on submicron to micrometer scales with the embedding of a metallic element-rich functionalized layer at the surface for a variety of scientific and technological applications. The self-organizing and complex patterns of functionalized topographic structures are highly dependent on the implanted metal ion species, variations in the geometric confinement of the buckled areas on the larger unmodified elastomer film, and the boundary conditions of the buckled regions. Systematic investigations of these dependencies have been carried out via optical and atomic force microscopy, and confirmed with cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy.
Toward an Interactional Clinical Phonetics and Phonology
Authors: Ball Martin J. , Damico Jack S.
Published: September 2010

In this paper we introduce two main areas of interactional research in the field of spoken language analysis, and describe with some brief preliminary studies, how these can be applied to the study of disordered speech. Interactional phonetics is a school of phonetic analysis that looks beyond the traditional concerns of phoneticians with the description of segmental speech features (especially those concerned with lexical contrast in a given speech variety) to those features (both supra- and subsegmental) that are used to signal events in talk in interaction. We demonstrate how this approach can be employed in disordered speech with two brief examples; one from an adult and one from a child. Systemic phonology deriving from work in Firthian prosodic phonology and situated within the Hallidayan Systemic Functional Linguistics, brings the explicit concerns of the interactional context into the analysis of sound system choices. We illustrate this with disordered speech with an example from an adult with progressive speech deterioration.
Assimilation Ideology: Critically Examining Underlying Messages in Multicultural Literature
Authors: Yoon Bogum , Simpson Anne , Haag Claudia
Published: September 2010

Using the framework of multicultural education, this article presents an analysis of multicultural picture books that depict the features of assimilation ideology. The findings suggest that assimilationist ideas are presented through the main characters' identities in the resolution of the story and through the portrayal of a glorified dominant culture. These findings contribute to the literature by exploring the assumptions that multicultural texts are indeed “multicultural” and that they promote cultural pluralism. Additional criteria for selecting multicultural texts that critically examine underlying ideologies are included, as well as suggestions for promoting critical reading practices to support multicultural education.
Improving the Reading Comprehension Skills of Minority Adults From Educationally Disadvantaged Backgrounds
Authors: Paul Gina , Verhulst Steve
Published: September 2010

This article presents a synergistic reading comprehension program to help minority adults from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds improve their reading skills in preparation for academics, standardized testing, and medical school.
Critical Literacy, Educational Investment, and the Blueprint for Reform: An Analysis of the Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
Authors: Morrell Ernest
Published: September 2010

This article analyzes, “A Blueprint for Reform: The Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act,” a recently released report from the U.S. Department of Education. It begins with an analysis of the strengths of the report. The Blueprint argues for increased college access and more federal attention to public education. In addition, the Blueprint outlines an inclusive and simultaneous commitment to educational equity and national excellence. The article then transitions to a critique of the Blueprint's choosing to blame teachers and school leaders for the failure of schools instead of acknowledging the past failure of the federal government to adequately invest in public education. The final section challenges the literacy community to amass all that we know about effective critical literacy instruction and share that information with the general public. The article concludes by calling for a national literacy research collective that examines successful classrooms and other nonschool spaces where children are learning, where they are happy, where they feel good about themselves, and where they have maintained strong connections to families and communities while learning skills that make them ready for college and for the world of civic engagement.
Vocabulary Instruction for English Learners: Lessons From MCVIP
Authors: Manyak Patrick C.
Published: September 2010

In this column, the author describes a current research project on vocabulary instruction in settings with high percentages of English learners (EL). The project focuses on designing and implementing a multifaceted, comprehensive vocabulary instructional program (MCVIP) in mixed EL and native English speaker (NES) classrooms in relatively high‐poverty schools. The author presents the instructional components of MCVIP, discusses early findings from the project, and encourages teachers and schools to reflect on how the MCVIP approach might inform their own instruction.
The Role of Content Literacy in an Effective RTI Program
Authors: Brozo William G.
Published: September 2010

Response to Intervention as a model for an elementary or middle school reading program is predicated on the idea that effective instruction will prevent most reading difficulties from ever occurring. The frontline of prevention is Tier I or the general education classroom. The classroom is also where students should receive high‐quality content literacy instruction. Along with the expanding influence of RTI, the new common core standards with their emphasis on literacy in the service of content learning is likely to exert additional influence on classroom teachers to provide responsive content literacy instruction to all students.
Young Children's Approaches to Books: The Emergence of Comprehension
Authors: Dooley Caitlin McMunn
Published: September 2010

When does comprehension begin? This article addresses the question, and will help early childhood and elementary literacy educators understand how young children's comprehension, or meaning making, begins prior to conventional reading and emerges over time. Field note, video, and interview data were compiled during a three‐year longitudinal study on emergent comprehension in children from age 2 to 5. Four phases—book as prop, book as whole, book as script, and book as text—detail how a group of 12 children used books during child‐initiated events (e.g., play, pretend reading). Semiotic theory provides a lens to interpret these children's book‐related interactions as evidence of emergent comprehension. In general, the children were gradually more attentive to function, topical content, image, and print, eventually showing the ability to merge multimodal signs to create textual meaning.
Ant mimicry by an aphid parasitoid, Lysiphlebus fabarum
Authors: Rasekh Arash , Michaud J.P. , Kharazi-Pakdel Aziz , Allahyari Hossein
Published: September 2010

In Iran, Lysiphlebus fabarum (Marshall) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) is a uniparental parasitoid of the black bean aphid, Aphis fabae Scopoli (Hemiptera: Aphididae), that possesses various highly evolved adaptations for foraging within ant-tended aphid colonies. Direct observations and video recordings were used to analyze the behavior of individual females foraging for A. fabae on bean leaf disks in open arenas in the laboratory. Females exploited aphids as hosts and as a sourcof food, allocating within-patch time as follows: resting - 10.4%, grooming - 8.2%, searching - 11.5%, antennation (host recognition) - 7.5%, antennation (honeydew solicitation mimicking ants) - 31.9%, abdominal bending (attack preparation) - 19.7%, probing with the ovipositor (attack) - 10.8%. The mean handling time for each aphid encountered was 2.0 ± 0.5 min. Females encountered anaverage of 47.4 ± 6.4 aphids per hour, but laid only 1.2 eggs per hour. The ovipositor insertion time for parasitism ranged from 2 sec to longer than a minute, but most insertions did not result in an egg being laid. A. fabae defensive behaviors included kicking, raising and swiveling the body, and attempts to smear the attacker with cornicle secretions, sometimes with lethal results. Food deprivation for 4-6 h prior to testing increased the frequency of ant mimcry by L. fabarum. Females also used ant-like antennation to reduce A. fabae defensive behavior, e.g. the frequency of kicking. L. fabarum attacks primed A. fabae to be more responsive to subsequent honeydew solicitation, such that experienced females improved their feeding success by alternating between the roles of parasitoid and ant mimic. These results reveal the possibility for mutualisms to evolve between L. fabarum and the ant species that tend A. fabae, since L. fabarum receive ant protection for their progeny and may benefit the ants by improving A. fabae responsiveness to honeydew solicitation.
Selective expression of TLQP-21 and other VGF peptides in gastric neuroendocrine cells and modulation by feeding
Authors: Brancia Carla , Cocco Cristina , D'Amato Filomena , Noli Barbara , Sanna Fabrizio , Possenti Roberta , Argiolas Antonio , Ferri Gian-Luca
Published: September 2010

Although vgf gene knockout mice are hypermetabolic, administration of the VGF peptide TLQP-21 itself increased energy consumption. Agonist–antagonist roles are thus suggested for different VGF peptides, and the definition of their tissue heterogeneity is mandatory. We studied the rat stomach using antisera to C- or N-terminal sequences of known or predicted VGF peptides in immunohistochemistry and ELISA. TLQP (rat VGF556–565) peptide/s were most abundant (162±11 pmol/g, mean±s.e.m.) and were brightly immunostained in enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells and somatostatin cells. A peptide co-eluting with TLQP-21 was revealed in HPLC of gastric and hypothalamic extracts, while the extended TLQP-62 form was restricted to the hypothalamus. Novel PGH (rat VGF422–430) peptide/s were revealed in ghrelin cells, mostly corresponding to low MW forms (0.8–1.5 kDa), while VGF C-terminus peptides were confined to neurons. VGF mRNA was present in the above gastric endocrine cell types, and was prominent in chief cells, in parallel with low-intensity staining for further cleaved products from the C-terminal region of VGF (HVLL peptides: VGF605–614). In swine stomach, a comparable profile of VGF peptides was revealed by immunohistochemistry. When fed and fasted rats were studied, a clear-cut, selective decrease on fasting was observed for TLQP peptides only (162±11 vs 74±5.3 pmol/g, fed versus fasted rats, mean±s.e.m., P<0.00001). In conclusion, specific VGF peptides appear to be widely represented in different gastric endocrine and other mucosal cell populations. The selective modulation of TLQP peptides suggests their involvement in peripheral neuro-endocrine mechanisms related to feeding responses and/or ECL cell regulation.
Pregnane X receptor knockout mice display osteopenia with reduced bone formation and enhanced bone resorption
Authors: Azuma Kotaro , Casey Stephanie C , Ito Masako , Urano Tomohiko , Horie Kuniko , Ouchi Yasuyoshi , Kirchner Séverine , Blumberg Bruce , Inoue Satoshi
Published: September 2010

The steroid and xenobiotic receptor (SXR) and its murine ortholog pregnane X receptor (PXR) are nuclear receptors that are expressed mainly in the liver and intestine where they function as xenobiotic sensors. In addition to its role as a xenobiotic sensor, previous studies in our laboratories and elsewhere have identified a role for SXR/PXR as a mediator of bone homeostasis. Here, we report that systemic deletion of PXR results in marked osteopenia with mechanical fragility in female mice as young as 4 months old. Bone mineral density (BMD) of PXR knockout (PXRKO) mice was significantly decreased compared with the BMD of wild-type (WT) mice. Micro-computed tomography analysis of femoral trabecular bones revealed that the three-dimensional bone volume fraction of PXRKO mice was markedly reduced compared with that of WT mice. Histomorphometrical analysis of the trabecular bones in the proximal tibia showed a remarkable reduction in bone mass in PXRKO mice. As for bone turnover of the trabecular bones, bone formation is reduced, whereas bone resorption is enhanced in PXRKO mice. Histomorphometrical analysis of femoral cortical bones revealed a larger cortical area in WT mice than that in PXRKO mice. WT mice had a thicker cortical width than PXRKO mice. Three-point bending test revealed that these morphological phenotypes actually caused mechanical fragility. Lastly, serum levels of phosphate, calcium, and alkaline phosphatase were unchanged in PXRKO mice compared with WT. Consistent with our previous results, we conclude that SXR/PXR promotes bone formation and suppresses bone resorption thus cementing a role for SXR/PXR as a key regulator of bone homeostasis.
Somatostatin and dopamine receptor interaction in prostate and lung cancer cell lines
Authors: Arvigo M , Gatto F , Ruscica M , Ameri P , Dozio E , Albertelli M , Culler M D , Motta M , Minuto F , Magni P , Ferone D
Published: September 2010

Somatostatin analogues inhibit in vitro cell proliferation via specific membrane receptors (SSTRs). Recent studies on transfected cell lines have shown a ligand-induced formation of receptor dimers. The aim of this study is 1) to evaluate the role of specific ligands in modulating receptor interactions in the androgen-dependent prostate cancer cell line, LNCaP, and in the non-small cell lung cancer line, Calu-6, by co-immunoprecipitation and immunoblot; and 2) to correlate the antiproliferative effect of these compounds with their ability in modulating receptor interactions. In LNCaP, we have demonstrated the constitutive presence of sstr1/sstr2, sstr2/sstr5, sstr5/dopamine (DA) type 2 receptor (D2R), and sstr2/D2R dimers. BIM-23704 (sstr1- and sstr2-preferential compound) increased the co-immunoprecipitation of sstr1/sstr2 and significantly inhibited proliferation (−30.98%). BIM-23244 (sstr2–sstr5 selective agonist) significantly increased the co-immunoprecipitation of sstr2/sstr5, and induced a −41.36% inhibition of proliferation. BIM-23A760, a new somatostatin/DA chimeric agonist with a high affinity for sstr2 and D2R and a moderate affinity for sstr5, significantly increased the sstr5/D2R and sstr2/D2R complexes and was the most powerful in inhibiting proliferation (−42.30%). The chimeric compound was also the most efficient in modulating receptor interaction in Calu-6, increasing the co-immunoprecipitation of D2R/sstr5 and inhibiting cell proliferation (−30.54%). However, behind BIM-23A760, BIM-53097 (D2R-preferential compound) also significantly inhibited Calu-6 proliferation (−17.71%), suggesting a key role for D2R in receptor cross talk and in controlling cell growth. Indeed, activation of monomeric receptors did not affect receptor co-immunoprecipitation, whereas cell proliferation was significantly inhibited when the receptors were synergistically activated. In conclusion, our data show a dynamic ligand-induced somatostatin and DA receptor interaction, which may be crucial for the antiproliferative effects of the new analogues.
Development of yield and nutritive value of timothy in primary growth and regrowth in northern growing conditions
Authors: NISSINEN O. , KALLIAINEN P. , JAUHIAINEN L.
Published: September 2010

The development of the yield and nutritive value of timothy (Phleum pratense L.) both in the primary growth and in the regrowth were studied at MTT Plant Production Research, a unit of MTT Agrifood Research Finland, in Rovaniemi (66°35´N) in 19992001. The dry matter yield and leaf:stem ratio were measured from the crop samples, and the contents of crude protein and organic matter digestibility of both whole plant samples and leaf and stem fractions were analysed. In primary growth, the most rapid increase of dry matter, 220240 kg ha-1 per day, was measured around the beginning of the heading stage. There was a very strong positive correlation between the proportion of stems and the amount of dry matter in the primary yield. The daily growth rate of the regrowth was less than half of that of the primary growth. The fastest decrease, 1 percentage unit per day, in crude protein content was measured at the pasture stage (45-leaf stage). During the entire sampling period, the average daily decline in crude protein content in the primary growth of timothy was 0.65 percentage units. The main cause for the rapid decline in crude protein content was the high proportion of stem matter and its low protein content. In the regrowth, during the last four weeks before the harvest, the average daily decline in crude protein content was 0.28 percentage units.The average decline in organic matter digestibility from early pasture stage to late silage stage was 0.9 percentage units per day. The most remarkable change was noticed at the growth stage of timothy when about the half of stems were heading and it was then that the digestibility decreased by more than one percentage unit per day. The rapid decline in organic matter digestibility was due to the low digestibility of stem matter. The daily change in forage digestibility in the regrowth was very small, on average 0.11%.;
Multi-step beef ration optimisation: application of linear and weighted goal programming with a penalty function
Authors: ZGAJNAR J. , ERJAVEC E. , KAVCIC S.
Published: September 2010

The aim of this paper is to present the method and tool for optimisation of beef-fattening diets. Changes in policy environment and changes in costs of feed pose challenges for farm efficiency. We construct a spreadsheet from two modules based on mathematical deterministic programming techniques. In order to obtain an estimate of the magnitude of costs that may be incurred, the first module utilizes a linear program for least-cost ration formulation. The resulting value is then targeted as a cost goal in the second module. This is supported by weighted goal programming with a penalty function system. The approach presented here is an example of how a combination of mathematical programming techniques might be applied to prepare a user-friendly tool for optimal ration formulations. We report results that confirm this approach as useful, since one is able to formulate a least-cost ration without risking a decrease in the rations nutritive value or affecting the balance between nutrients.;
Influence of Irradiation on Fenton Degradation of Brilliant Red X-3B
Authors: Rahman Mst. Maria , Yusuf Mohammad Abu , Uddin Mohammad Afsar , Islam Muhammad Amirul , Saha Ramkrishna , Rahman Md. Mostafizur , Haque Md. Aminul , Hasnat Mohammad Abul
Published: September 2010

Oxidative degradation of Brilliant Red X3B has been carried out using Fentons reagent both in the dark and in the presence of visible light. The degradation rate was increased using Fentons process in the order of Dark < Visible < UV. At pH 3.3, the maximum Fenton and photo-Fenton effect were noticed. At [H2O2]/[Fe(III)] = 3.5, a steady Fenton effect was observed. Meanwhile, at [H2O2]/[Fe(III)] = 0.7, Fenton process in the dark minimized the photo effect. The degradation rate was positively influenced by the temperature where the activation energy of degradation was evaluated as 36.98 kJ mol-1.
Comparative Analysis of Biosorption Potential for Chromium Removal by Live and Dead Biomass of Aspergillus niger ZH2
Authors: Noreen Zobia , Hameed Abdul , Faryal Rani
Published: September 2010

Tannery led chromium toxicity is one of the major threats to public health in developing countries, where most of the hides are treated at local cottage industry level and chromium liquor is released without detoxification. In this connection, the present study was conducted to develop a reliable cost effective fungal-based biosorbent for chromium removal. Six strains of Aspergillus niger were isolated from various environmental conditions and assessed for chromium tolerance. Biosorption potentials of two different biomass, i.e., live and dead, of selected Aspergillus niger ZH2 was investigated as a function of appropriate equilibrium time, pH, temperature, concentration of biosorbent and adsorbate in batch system. The chromium uptake by these biomasses was quantitatively evaluated using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. In order to determine the best fit isotherm, three error analysis methods were used to evaluate the data: correlation coefficient, residual root mean square error and chi-square test. Maximum adsorption capacity (qmax) was calculated to be 322.60 and 12.00 mg/g for live and dead biomass respectively. Application of Langmuir isotherm showed that live biomass was more favorable (95% CI, 1.053-8.718) than dead biomass in removing chromium and thus can serve as better biosorbent.
Adsorption of Bovine Serum Albumin onto Metal Oxides: Adsorption Equilibrium and Kinetics onto Alumina and Zirconia
Authors: Bozgeyik Kadriye , Kopac Turkan
Published: September 2010

In this study, the equilibrium and the kinetics of Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) adsorption onto metal oxides such as alumina (Al2O3) and zirconia (ZrO2) were investigated in a batch reactor. The effects of pH and temperature to adsorption rate and the equilibrium were studied. The equilibrium process was described by the Langmuir or the Freundlich isotherm models. The maximum adsorption capacity (Q0) was found as 81.6 mg/g at pH 5 and 20°C for Al2O3 and 26 mg/g at pH 4 and 40°C for ZrO2, respectively. The protein adsorption capacity for ZrO2 increased with increasing pH and temperature, while the protein adsorption capacity of Al2O3 increased with increasing pH and decreasing temperature. The pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models were used to describe the kinetic data. The rate kinetics of BSA adsorption onto Al2O3 and ZrO2 at all pH and temperatures were best fitted with the pseudo-first-order kinetic model. The electrostatic interactions of BSA with the metal oxide surface were found to be higher at pH 5 for Al2O3 and pH 4 for ZrO2.
Adsorption and Flotation of Soluble Crude Protein by Colloidal Gas Aphrons (CGA): Effect of Selected Variables and Process Modeling
Authors: Kamel Ariffin Maryam Farhana , M. Annuar M. Suffian
Published: September 2010

The adsorption and flotation of soluble crude protein from dairy products by colloidal gas aphrons (CGA) were studied. Selected process variables that were studied with respect to protein recovery include volume ratio between crude protein and CGA, stirring speed in the separation vessel, and contact time and surfactant concentration used to generate CGA. Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) in the buffered solution was used as the surfactant. It was found that only volume ratio between crude protein and CGA and surfactant concentration significantly influenced the protein recovery. The protein recovery achieved via its adsorption onto CGA surface and its subsequent flotation can be adequately modeled using Langmuir kinetics.
Effect of temperature on initial stage of methyl methacrylate free radical bulk polymerization
Authors: Jaso Vladislav , Stoiljkovic Dragoslav , Radicevic Radmila
Published: September 2010

Classic theory of free radical polymerization is based on two assumptions.
The first is that the concentration of initiator is slightly changed and
could be taken as a constant value. The second assumption is that the rate of
initiation is equal to the rate of termination. Equation for the
polymerization rate based on these assumptions can not successfully describe
the initial stage of free radical polymerization. In order to solve this
problem, three mathematical models were developed and used to verify of the
mentioned assumptions. The models were fitted to experimental data and
qualities of their fits were compared. Experimental data of isothermal bulk
polymerization of methyl methacrylate were obtained by differential scanning
calorimetry at 60, 70, 80 and 90?C with initiator concentration (AIBN) of 0.5
wt%. The best fit was shown by the model that assumes constant concentration
of initiator during initial stage but takes into account that the rate of
initiation is not equal to the rate of termination at the beginning.
Prevalence and Correlates of Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults in Tianjin, China
Authors: Qi Xiuying , Sun Jing , Wang Jing , Wang Peizhong Peter , Xu Zhongliang , Murphy Madonna , Jia Junting , Wang Jianhua , Xie Yun , Xu Weili
Published: September 2010

OBJECTIVE

Data on latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) from population-based studies are sparse. We sought to investigate the prevalence and correlates of LADA.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A total of 8,109 participants, who were aged ≥15 years and living in Tianjin, China, were assessed to identify individuals with type 2 diabetes (American Diabetes Association Criteria, 1997) and further to detect patients with LADA. LADA was ascertained by 1) the presence of type 2 diabetes and age ≥35 years, 2) the lack of a requirement for insulin at least 6 months after the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, and 3) serum GAD antibody positivity. Data were analyzed using multinomial logistic regression with adjustment for potential confounders.

RESULTS

Of all participants, 498 (6.1%) were patients with type 2 diabetes. Of them, 46 (9.2%) were found to have LADA. The prevalence of LADA was 0.6% (46 of 8,109), and tended to increase with age up to 50–59 years in all participants. The odds ratios (95% CI) of LADA related to hypertension, family history of diabetes, waist-to-hip ratio ≥0.85, and major stressful events were 1.93 (1.02–3.65), 17.59 (9.08–34.06), 5.37 (2.31–12.49), and 4.09 (1.75–9.52), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of LADA is ∼9% in patients with type 2 diabetes. Hypertension, family history of diabetes, central obesity, and major stressful events may be associated with the occurrence of LADA.
Extended Family History of Diabetes and Autoimmune Diseases in Children With and Without Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Alhonen Salla , Korhonen Sari , Tapanainen Päivi , Knip Mikael , Veijola Riitta
Published: September 2010

OBJECTIVE

To determine the extended family history of diabetes or autoimmune diseases in families with and without children having type 1 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Three hundred case families and 381 control families were interviewed using structured questionnaires.

RESULTS

The proportion of case children having at least one relative with type 1 diabetes outside the nuclear family was higher than that of control children (50.3 vs. 31.8%, P < 0.001). The proportions of case and control children having relatives with type 2 diabetes or gestational diabetes were similar. Other autoimmune diseases occurred more frequently among the case children (9.7 vs. 1.1%, P < 0.001), in the case nuclear families (22.0 vs. 12.9%, P = 0.002) and in relatives outside the case nuclear family (72.0 vs. 62.2%, P = 0.007).

CONCLUSIONS

Type 1 diabetes and autoimmune diseases not only cluster in the nuclear families of children with type 1 diabetes but are also overrepresented in their extended families.