bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Privatization Through Centralization in the Israeli Health Care System
Authors: Mizrahi Shlomo , Cohen Nissim
Published: July 2011

This article addresses a policy paradox that characterizes many health care systems and the Israeli system in particular, that is, the existence of two parallel yet seemingly contradictory policy trends: reducing public financing for health care services while increasing governmental involvement in health-system management. The authors characterize this process as privatization through centralization; that is, to control welfare-state expenses and be able to reduce them, the government must first control the funding and management of welfare-state mechanisms and organizations. They develop a theoretical rationale for explaining this policy paradox and demonstrate it through analyzing the legislative changes that followed the legislation of the National Health Insurance Law in Israel.
Culturally Competent Qualitative Research With People of African Descent
Authors: Lyons Heather Z. , Bike Denise H. , Johnson Adanna , Bethea Angela
Published: July 2011

Qualitative research studies are underrepresented in psychology journals, and those that are published vary in quality. As such, researchers have called for an improvement in the quantity and quality of qualitative research. This article represents an attempt to guide researchers wishing to conduct culturally competent qualitative research with people of African descent. To do so, the authors review potential areas of confluence between qualitative research and African cultural values (e.g., holism, emphasis on relationships). The authors also review and highlight best practices throughout the qualitative research process (e.g., topic selection, research team development, data analysis) that may facilitate a sense of safety for people of African descent as well as holistically and usefully represent their experiences.
Looking for Home after Katrina
Authors: Mueller Elizabeth J. , Bell Holly , Chang Beth Brunsma , Henneberger John
Published: July 2011

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, more than a million Gulf Coast residents were forced to flee, nearly 250,000 to Texas. New Orleans lost more than half its population. Four years later, many low-income residents had yet to return. Through qualitative research with low-income survivors relocated to Austin, Texas, and the caseworkers and service providers who worked with them, this article describes the experiences of low-income households. Disaster housing policies were a particularly poor fit for the needs of low-income survivors and, combined with a preexisting shortage of affordable housing in Austin, impeded their recovery.
Porous and single-skinned polyethersulfone membranes support the growth of HepG2 cells: A potential biomaterial for bioartificial liver systems
Authors: Zhang Shi-Chang , Liu Tao , Wang Ying-Jie
Published: July 2011

In this study, we evaluated a porous and single-layer skin polyethersulfone (PES) membrane as a material for use in hybrid bioartificial liver support systems. The PES membrane has been characterized as a single-layer skin structure, with a rough porous surface. Specifically, we studied the ability of the human hepatoblastoma cell lines (HepG2) to adhere, grow, and spread on the PES membrane. Furthermore, we examined albumin secretion, low-density lipoprotein uptake, and CYP450 activity of HepG2 cells that grew on the membrane. HepG2 cells readily adhered onto the outer surfaces of PES membranes. Over time, HepG2 cells proliferated actively, and confluent monolayer of cells covered the available surface area of the membrane, eventually forming cell clusters and three-dimensional aggregates. Furthermore, HepG2 cells grown on PES membranes maintained highly specific functions, including uptake capability, biosynthesis and biotransformation. These results indicate that PES membranes are potential substrates for the growth of human liver cells and may be useful in the construction of hollow fiber bioreactors. Porous and single-layer skin PES membranes and HepG2 cells may be potential biomaterials for the development of biohybrid liver devices.
Pittsburgh Compound B-Negative Dementia—A Possibility of Misdiagnosis of Patients With Non-Alzheimer Disease-Type Dementia as Having AD
Authors: Shimada Hiroyuki , Ataka Suzuka , Takeuchi Jun , Mori Hiroshi , Wada Yasuhiro , Watanabe Yasuyoshi , Miki Takami
Published: July 2011

Amyloid imaging has been used to detect amyloid deposition in the brain. We performed Pittsburgh compound B (PiB)-positron emission tomography on 63 patients with dementia having cognitive decline or memory disturbance. In addition, we measured the patients' apolipoprotein E4 (apo E4) status and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of amyloid-β (Aβ)1-42, tau, and P-tau. Finally, the patients were diagnosed as having probable Alzheimer disease (AD) on the basis of their neuropsychological findings and because they met the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke and the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association criteria. Among the patients diagnosed with probable AD, 10 patients were PiB negative. The CSF levels of P-tau and tau in PiB-negative patients were significantly lower than those in the PiB-positive patients. In addition, the CSF levels of Aβ1-42 in the PiB-negative patients were significantly higher than those in the PiB-positive patients. None of the PiB-negative patients were apo E4 carriers. These results suggest that the PiB-negative patient group included not only AD patients but also non-AD-type dementia patients. However, our finding is based on a relatively small number of patients and therefore should be replicated in a larger cohort. In addition, it will be necessary to categorize these participants by longitudinal follow-up and postmortem pathological examinations.
Who Took the “×” out of Expectancy-Value Theory?
Authors: Nagengast Benjamin , Marsh Herbert W. , Scalas L. Francesca , Xu Man K. , Hau Kit-Tai , Trautwein Ulrich
Published: July 2011

Expectancy-value theory (EVT) is a dominant theory of human motivation. Historically, the Expectancy × Value interaction, in which motivation is high only if both expectancy and value are high, was central to EVT. However, the Expectancy × Value interaction mysteriously disappeared from published research more than 25 years ago. Using large representative samples of 15-year-olds ( N = 398,750) from 57 diverse countries, we attempted to solve this mystery by testing Expectancy × Value interactions using latent-variable models with interactions. Expectancy (science self-concept), value (enjoyment of science), and the Expectancy × Value interaction all had statistically significant positive effects on both engagement in science activities and intentions of pursuing scientific careers; these results were similar for the total sample and for nearly all of the 57 countries considered separately. This study, apparently the strongest cross-national test of EVT ever undertaken, supports the generalizability of EVT predictions—including the “lost” Expectancy × Value interaction.
The Uptake of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine Among Adolescent Females in the United States
Authors: Bartlett Jacqueline A. , Peterson Jane Anthony
Published: July 2011

A comprehensive review of literature was conducted to identify the barriers and facilitators, from the parents'/guardians' and primary care providers' (PCPs) perspective, that are associated with the uptake of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine among adolescent females. Findings from 14 peer-reviewed articles indicate that 37% of adolescent females, 9 to 17 years of age, initiated the HPV vaccine, compared to the national average of 13- to 15-years-olds, which is 50%. The overall uptake and completion rates of the vaccine were low across all racial and ethnic groups. Barriers included parents'/guardians' knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes toward the HPV disease and the vaccine, along with the convenience in receiving the vaccine. Six studies reported that HPV vaccine initiation was highly likely if the parents/guardians had received a doctor’s recommendation. Learning what interventions school nurses currently utilize could positively affect the HPV vaccine uptake and completion rates by other nursing disciplines realizing this ongoing effort.
Stress fracture
Authors: Battaloglu Emir
Published: July 2011

Stress fractures are common overuse type injuries, caused by repetitive stresses applied to bone leading to a change within the normal physiological balance and altering key structural properties. These injuries have been well documented within certain groups of the population, as well as related to certain activity types, and pose significant diagnostic and treatment challenges. Complication of stress fractures can vary dependant of the anatomical site and the prognosis of an injury can have wide ranging effects, dependant of lifestyle choices and occupation of the patient. This piece endeavours to outline the most current and evidentiary concepts pertaining to important aspects of stress fractures, from pathophysiology through to prognosis.
‘Just normal and homely’: The presence, absence and othering of consumer culture in everyday imagining
Authors: Jenkins Rebecca , Nixon Elizabeth , Molesworth Mike
Published: July 2011

The imaginative aspects of consumption have been recognized as playing a key role in accounting for Western consumerism, yet there has been surprisingly little attention paid to the role of imagining in everyday life. Previous consumer research has tended to focus on goods and services within daydreams and fantasies so that goods seem to be central to, and key resources in, the construction of imagined scenarios. Here we argue that this methodological framing has restricted a broader understanding of the imagination and the contextualization of consumption within it. By analysing phenomenological accounts that placed imagining ahead of consumption as the focus of the study, we found that individuals readily envisioned common cultural desires for successful relationships, happiness and love in positive imagined futures, where goods may be merely assumed as part of the background, or dismissed in favour of preferred emotional experiences. As such this article uses Law’s (2004) conceptions of presence, manifest absence and othering to provide a more nuanced analysis of how and where consumption may be seen in the imagination. In this way we suggest that previous narratives of the consumer imagination have neglected individuals’ autonomy in both removing consumer practices and positioning social relationships as more prominent.
Class-based emotions and the allure of fashion consumption
Authors: Rafferty Karen
Published: July 2011

Consumers today continue to be enchanted by appearance fashions. For some, having the capacity to style their bodies in ways they desire entitles them to ‘position’ into this practice in line with aspirational cultural standards. This, in turn, can produce considerable emotional rewards. Yet ‘keeping up’ with appearance revisions demands unwavering effort and substantial investments be made. Consequently, for others, maintaining standards in fashionable appearance also represents a source of anxiety, distress and disillusionment. In this article the relationship between social class, the development of emotional tendencies and consumption practice is theorized by locating the intersection of consumption and emotion experience within the context of social structures. Bourdieu’s practice theory, and more recent conceptualizations of class-based emotions, provide useful frameworks to interpret a variety of divergent fashion consumption strategies occurring amongst women. The article illuminates the vital role of intense emotional experiences in social life. It demonstrates how class position converges with familial relations to produce divergent forms of emotional-habitus, which structure consumption patterns to produce competing categories of fashioned femininity. Distance and discriminations between classes of individuals become increasingly perceptible when the emotions surrounding fashion consumption experiences are unraveled.
Explicating Correlates of Juvenile Offender Detention Length: The Impact of Race, Mental Health Difficulties, Maltreatment, Offense Type, and Court Dispositions
Authors: Mallett Christopher A. , Stoddard-Dare Patricia , Seck Mamadou M.
Published: July 2011

Detention and confinement are widely acknowledged juvenile justice system problems which require further research to understand the explanations for these outcomes. Existing juvenile court, mental health, and child welfare histories were used to explicate factors which predict detention length in this random sample of 342 youth from one large, urban Midwestern county in the United States. Data from this sample revealed eight variables which predict detention length. Legitimate predictors of longer detention length such as committing a personal crime or violating a court order were nearly as likely in this sample to predict detention length as other extra-legal predictors such as race, court disposition for mental health problems, child welfare involvement, and child physical abuse victimization. Many of the factors that increase duration of detention are actually disadvantages that these youth endure; therefore preventative and intervention measures are in order.
Burn-in and imperfect preventive maintenance strategies for warranted products
Authors: Shafiee M , Finkelstein M , Chukova S
Published: July 2011

Manufacturers are currently carrying out two effective strategies to reduce the warranty servicing cost of products with bathtub shaped failure rates. The first strategy is the burn-in procedure when products are operated for a reasonably short period of time prior to usage. This strategy can be effective when the initial failure rate is strictly decreasing (infant mortality). The second strategy is preventive maintenance actions at discrete time instances over the warranty period which can effectively reduce the age of the item when the failure rate is strictly increasing (wear-out). In this paper, the optimal burn-in time and imperfect preventive maintenance strategies for a warranted product with the bathtub-shaped failure rate are investigated. We provide a numerical study to illustrate our results.
Modelling multicomponent systems to quantify reliability centred maintenance strategies
Authors: Zille V , Bérenguer C , Grall A , Despujols A
Published: July 2011

In this paper, a modelling approach is presented to assess the performance of multicomponent systems maintained by complex maintenance strategies. A global framework is built to describe the evolution of the system, the way its components can degrade and fail, and the effects of different maintenance actions. A two-level modelling framework makes it possible to describe fully the entire causal chain that can lead to system dysfunction and the possible maintenance tasks of the reliability centred maintenance (RCM) method. A cost model is defined to assess system performance in terms of cost and unavailability. The main originality of this work is that the complexity of both maintenance programmes and system structures is taken into account. The model can be used as a decision-making tool to choose from a selection of various maintenance options. Promising results have been obtained in case studies based on systems from nuclear power plants.
Finite-time maintenance cost analysis of engineering systems affected by stochastic degradation
Authors: Pandey M D , Cheng T , van der Weide J A M
Published: July 2011

The performance and reliability of engineering systems and structures are usually affected by uncertain degradation that occurs in service as a result of various physical and environmental processes, such as corrosion, erosion, fatigue, and creep. To maintain reliability of degrading systems, periodic inspection and preventive maintenance programmes are adopted. In the literature, the optimization of a maintenance programme is typically based on the minimization of the asymptotic cost rate. However, many engineering systems operate in a relatively short and finite time horizon in which the application of the asymptotic approximation becomes questionable. This paper presents an accurate formulation for computing the expected value and variance of the cost of a condition-based maintenance programme over a defined time horizon. A stochastic gamma process is used to model uncertain degradation. This paper emphasizes that the consideration of variance of the cost is of utmost importance in maintenance optimization, because it helps to identify a more robust (less uncertain) solution in a set of competing optimum solutions based on expected cost.
Effect of dietary krill oil supplementation on the endocannabinoidome of metabolically relevant tissues from high-fat-fed mice
Authors: Piscitelli Fabiana , Carta Gianfranca , Bisogno Tiziana , Murru Elisabetta , Cordeddu Lina , Berge Kjetil , Tandy Sally , Cohn Jeffrey S , Griinari Mikko , Banni Sebastiano , Di Marzo Vincenzo
Published: July 2011

Background

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3-PUFA) are known to ameliorate several metabolic risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and an association between elevated peripheral levels of endogenous ligands of cannabinoid receptors (endocannabinoids) and the metabolic syndrome has been reported. We investigated the dose-dependent effects of dietary ω-3-PUFA supplementation, given as krill oil (KO), on metabolic parameters in high fat diet (HFD)-fed mice and, in parallel, on the levels, in inguinal and epididymal adipose tissue (AT), liver, gastrocnemius muscle, kidneys and heart, of: 1) the endocannabinoids, anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), 2) two anandamide congeners which activate PPARα but not cannabinoid receptors, N-oleoylethanolamine and N-palmitoylethanolamine, and 3) the direct biosynthetic precursors of these compounds.

Methods

Lipids were identified and quantified using liquid chromatography coupled to atmospheric pressure chemical ionization single quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-APCI-MS) or high resolution ion trap-time of flight mass spectrometry (LC-IT-ToF-MS).

Results

Eight-week HFD increased endocannabinoid levels in all tissues except the liver and epididymal AT, and KO reduced anandamide and/or 2-AG levels in all tissues but not in the liver, usually in a dose-dependent manner. Levels of endocannabinoid precursors were also generally down-regulated, indicating that KO affects levels of endocannabinoids in part by reducing the availability of their biosynthetic precursors. Usually smaller effects were found of KO on OEA and PEA levels.

Conclusions

Our data suggest that KO may promote therapeutic benefit by reducing endocannabinoid precursor availability and hence endocannabinoid biosynthesis.
Negative auto-regulation increases the input dynamic-range of the arabinose system of Escherichia coli
Authors: Madar Daniel , Dekel Erez , Bren Anat , Alon Uri
Published: July 2011

Background

Gene regulation networks are made of recurring regulatory patterns, called network motifs. One of the most common network motifs is negative auto-regulation, in which a transcription factor represses its own production. Negative auto-regulation has several potential functions: it can shorten the response time (time to reach halfway to steady-state), stabilize expression against noise, and linearize the gene's input-output response curve. This latter function of negative auto-regulation, which increases the range of input signals over which downstream genes respond, has been studied by theory and synthetic gene circuits. Here we ask whether negative auto-regulation preserves this function also in the context of a natural system, where it is embedded within many additional interactions. To address this, we studied the negative auto-regulation motif in the arabinose utilization system of Escherichia coli, in which negative auto-regulation is part of a complex regulatory network.

Results

We find that when negative auto-regulation is disrupted by placing the regulator araC under constitutive expression, the input dynamic range of the arabinose system is reduced by 10-fold. The apparent Hill coefficient of the induction curve changes from about n = 1 with negative auto-regulation, to about n = 2 when it is disrupted. We present a mathematical model that describes how negative auto-regulation can increase input dynamic-range, by coupling the transcription factor protein level to the input signal.

Conclusions

Here we demonstrate that the negative auto-regulation motif in the native arabinose system of Escherichia coli increases the range of arabinose signals over which the system can respond. In this way, negative auto-regulation may help to increase the input dynamic-range while maintaining the specificity of cooperative regulatory systems. This function may contribute to explaining the common occurrence of negative auto-regulation in biological systems.
The Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor PCI-32765 ameliorates autoimmune arthritis by inhibition of multiple effector cells
Authors: Chang Betty Y , Huang Min Mei , Francesco Michelle , Chen Jun , Sokolove Jeremy , Magadala Padmaja , Robinson William H , Buggy Joseph J
Published: July 2011

Introduction

The aim was to determine the effect of the Bruton tyrosine kinase (Btk)-selective inhibitor PCI-32765, currently in Phase I/II studies in lymphoma trials, in arthritis and immune-complex (IC) based animal models and describe the underlying cellular mechanisms.

Methods

PCI-32765 was administered in a series of murine IC disease models including collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), collagen antibody-induced arthritis (CAIA), reversed passive anaphylactic reaction (RPA), and passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA). Clinical and pathologic features characteristic of each model were examined following treatment. PCI-32765 was then examined in assays using immune cells relevant to the pathogenesis of arthritis, and where Btk is thought to play a functional role. These included proliferation and calcium mobilization in B cells, cytokine and chemokine production in monocytes/macrophages, degranulation of mast cells and its subsequent cytokine/chemokine production.

Results

PCI-32765 dose-dependently and potently reversed arthritic inflammation in a therapeutic CIA model with an ED50 of 2.6 mg/kg/day. PCI-32765 also prevented clinical arthritis in CAIA models. In both models, infiltration of monocytes and macrophages into the synovium was completely inhibited and importantly, the bone and cartilage integrity of the joints were preserved. PCI-32765 reduced inflammation in the Arthus and PCA assays. In vitro, PCI-32765 inhibited BCR-activated primary B cell proliferation (IC50 = 8 nM). Following FcγR stimulation, PCI-32765 inhibited TNFα, IL-1β and IL-6 production in primary monocytes (IC50 = 2.6, 0.5, 3.9 nM, respectively). Following FcεRI stimulation of cultured human mast cells, PCI-32765 inhibited release of histamine, PGD2, TNF-α, IL-8 and MCP-1.

Conclusions

PCI-32765 is efficacious in CIA, and in IC models that do not depend upon autoantibody production from B cells. Thus PCI-32765 targets not only B lymphocytes but also monocytes, macrophages and mast cells, which are important Btk-expressing effector cells in arthritis.
Dietary wolfberry ameliorates retinal structure abnormalities in db/db mice at the early stage of diabetes
Authors: Tang Ling , Zhang Yunong , Jiang Yu , Willard Lloyd , Ortiz Edlin , Wark Logan , Medeiros Denis , Lin Dingbo
Published: July 2011

Hyperglycemia-linked oxidative stress and/or consequent endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress are the causative factors of pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy. Dietary bioactive components which mitigate oxidative stress may serve as potential chemopreventive agents to prevent or slow down the disease progression. Wolfberry is a traditional Asian fruit consumed for years to prevent aging eye diseases in Asian countries. Here we report that dietary wolfberry ameliorated mouse retinal abnormality at the early stage of type 2 diabetes in db/db mice. Male mice at six weeks of age were fed the control diet with or without 1% (kcal) wolfberry for eight weeks. Dietary wolfberry restored the thickness of the whole retina, in particular the inner nuclear layer and photoreceptor layer, and the integrity of the retinal pigment epithelia (RPE), and the ganglion cell number in db/db mice. Western blotting of whole retinal cell lysates revealed that addition of wolfberry lowered expression of ER stress biomarkers binding immunoglobulin protein (BiP), protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase (PERK), activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) and caspase-12, and restored AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), thioredoxin, Mn superoxide dismutase (Mn SOD) and forkhead O transcription factor 3 α (FOXO3 α) activities. To determine if our observations were due to the high contents of zeaxanthin and lutein in wolfberry, additional studies using these carotenoids were conducted. Using the human adult diploid RPE cell line ARPE-19, we demonstrated that both zeaxanthin and lutein could mimic the wolfberry preventive effect on activation of AMPK, thioredoxin, Mn SOD, FOXO3 α activities, normalize cellular reactive oxygen species and attenuate ER stress in ARPE-19 cells exposed to a high glucose challenge. The zeaxanthin preventive effect was abolished by small interfering RNA knockdown of AMPK α. These results suggested that AMPK activation appeared to play a key role in upregulated expression of thioredoxin and Mn SOD, and mitigation of cellular oxidative stress and/or ER stress by wolfberry and zeaxanthin and/or lutein. Taken together, dietary wolfberry on retinal protection in diabetic mice is, at least partially, due to zeaxanthin and/or lutein.
Prevalences of overweight, obesity, hyperglycaemia, hypertension and dyslipidaemia in the Gulf: systematic review
Authors: Alhyas Layla , Mckay Ailsa , Balasanthiran Anjali , Majeed Azeem
Published: July 2011

Objectives

To examine the prevalence of risk factors for diabetes and its complications in the Co-operation Council of the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) region.

Design

Systematic review.

Setting

Co-operation Council of the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) states (United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait).

Participants

Residents of the GCC states participating in studies on the prevalence of overweight and obesity, hyperglycaemia, hypertension and dyslipidaemia.

Main outcome measures

Prevalences of overweight, obesity and hyperglycaemia, hypertension and hyperlipidaemia.

Results

Forty-five studies were included in the review. Reported prevalences of overweight and obesity in adults were 25–50% and 13–50%, respectively. Prevalence appeared higher in women and to hold a non-linear association with age. Current prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance was estimated to be 10–20%. Prevalence appears to have been increasing in recent years. Estimated prevalences of hypertension and dyslipidaemia were few and used varied definitions of abnormality, making review difficult, but these also appeared to be high and increasing,

Conclusions

There are high prevalences of risk factors for diabetes and diabetic complications in the GCC region, indicative that their current management is suboptimal. Enhanced management will be critical if escalation of diabetes-related problems is to be averted as industrialization, urbanization and changing population demographics continue.
Assessment of the White-Coat Effect Among Hypertensive Patients Presumed to Be at Goal
Authors: Bookstaver David A , Hatzigeorgiou Christos
Published: July 2011

Background:

There are limited studies that explore the rate of existent uncontrolled hypertension versus a significant white-coat effect. Likewise, few studies have described the physician's response to the results of an ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) study.

Objective:

To determine the percentage of treated hypertensive patients referred for ABPM based on discrepant office and home blood pressures who had achieved goal blood pressure and to determine the degree of white-coat effect in these patients.

Methods:

Medical records of 222 consecutive patients were reviewed. Patients without a clinic visit since a medication change and those with <70% valid readings on ABPM were excluded. The proportion of patients at their goal blood pressure during ABPM was determined. Clinic blood pressure readings prior to ABPM were compared to daytime ABPM readings to calculate the white-coat effect. The percentage of patients whose blood pressure decreased by 10% or more in the night interval versus the daytime period was calculated. Changes to antihypertensive therapy were determined for the 6-month post-ABPM period.

Results:

One hundred ninety-three patients met the inclusion criteria. Mean (SD) clinic blood pressure was 158/77 (13/10) mm Hg, compared to mean daytime ABPM readings of 127/70 (12/9) mm Hg. Sixty-seven percent of patients were at goal blood pressure. The mean white-coat effect was 31/7 (16/9) mm Hg and was significantly greater in patients who were at goal versus those who were not (p < 0.01). A 10% or higher overnight dip occurred in 28% of those at goal. Therapy was not escalated 6 months after ABPM in 91% of patients who were at goal during the test despite a mean post-ABPM clinic blood pressure of 151/74 mm Hg.

Conclusions:

The majority of patients with incongruent clinic and home blood pressure readings were at goal after ABPM evaluation. Further study is needed regarding demographic or clinical characteristics that can be used to help predict which patients may be experiencing a significant white-coat effect and are actually at goal in an ambulatory setting.
Spatio-temporal assessment of groundwater level and quality in urban coastal city Puri, India
Authors: Vijay Ritesh , Ramya S. S. , Pujari P. R. , Mohapatra P. K.
Published: July 2011

Puri city is situated on the shoreline of Bay of Bengal and groundwater is the only source available to meet the city water supply mainly from two demarcated water fields. Due to the anthropogenic activities and absence of sewerage system, groundwater quality is deteriorating through open discharges of domestic waste, open defecation, septic tanks, soak pits, contaminated water pools, unorganized waste dumping etc. The objective of the paper was to assess seasonal groundwater fluctuation and water quality in terms of physcio-chemical and bacteriological parameters. For this, groundwater levels were measured and samples were collected during post-monsoon (November 2006) and pre-monsoon (June 2007) from the water fields and city area. Groundwater quality was represented spatially and temporally using geographical information system and evaluated with national and international drinking water standards. Based on the groundwater quality, suitable measures were suggested to minimize further groundwater contamination.
Microevolution of Bechstein's Bat Myotis Bechsteinii (Kuhl, 1817) (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in the Holocene of Southern Poland
Authors: Stanik Katarzyna , Wołoszyn Bronisław
Published: July 2011

Microevolution of Bechstein's Bat Myotis Bechsteinii (Kuhl, 1817) (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in the Holocene of Southern Poland

Bechstein's bat was one of the most common species in the Middle and Late Holocene of Southern Poland. It dominated in Kraków - Częstochowa Upland, but was also frequent in Tatra Mountains. Bone material from thanatocoenoses, dated by 14C AMS method, was analysed. The aim of studies was to investigate the direction of changes in skull and mandible morphology of Myotis bechsteinii during the period from 5710 BC till present day and to answer the question which environmental parameters significantly correlates with these microevolutionary processes and frequency of species in different thanatocoenoses. Mandibles and skulls were analysed separately. Morphology was correlated with climate characteristics, temperatures, and percentage pollen of such species of trees as hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), beech (Fagus sylvatica), oak (Quercus) and elm (Ulmus) in investigated time limits.
Cross-cultural Adaptation of VISA-P Score for Patellar Tendinopathy in Spanish Population
Authors: Hernandez-Sanchez Sergio , Hidalgo Maria Dolores , Gomez Antonia
Published: July 2011

Study Design

Clinical measurement.

Objectives

To adapt the VISA-P questionnaire into Spanish and to assess its psychometric properties.

Background

Health status questionnaires and scales to report outcomes are increasingly used in medical research and clinical practice. Validated versions of these tools are necessary to avoid bias during use in different languages and cultures.

Methods

We followed international recommendations to perform cross-cultural adaptation. The Spanish VISA-P (VISA-P-Sp) questionnaire and the Short Form (36) Health Survey (SF-36) were administered to 150 individuals: 40 healthy students, 40 professional players in sports requiring jumping, 40 athletes with patellar tendinopathy, and 30 athletes with knee injuries other than patellar tendinopathy. Participants were assessed at baseline and after 1 week. Athletes with tendinopathy also completed questionnaires and other knee measures (the Kujala Scoring Questionnaire and the Cincinnati Knee Rating Scale) after physiotherapy treatment, which consisted of rest, ice, eccentric exercise, electrotherapy, and manual therapy.

Results

The VISA-P-Sp showed high reliability for both temporal stability (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.994; 95% CI: 0.992, 0.996) and internal consistency (Cronbach α = 0.885). Based on a factor analysis, a 2-factor solution explained 76.1% of the variance. The VISA-P-Sp score in the tendinopathy group was significantly correlated with scores on other knee scales (Kujala score [Spearman rho = 0.897; P<.001] and Cincinnati scale [Spearman rho = 0.782, P<.001]) and with SF-36 physical components score (Spearman rho>0.6, P<.001). The standardized size effect was 1.14, and the standardized response mean was 1.17.

Conclusion

The VISA-P-Sp questionnaire proved to be a valid and reliable instrument, sensitive to clinical changes and comparable to the original English-language version. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2011;41(8):581–591, Epub 12 July 2011. doi:10.2519/jospt.2011.3613
Matroids on Convex Geometries: Subclasses, Operations, and Optimization
Authors: Sano Yoshio
Published: July 2011

A matroid-like structure defined on a convex geometry, called a cg-matroid, was introduced by S. Fujishige, G. A. Koshevoy, and Y. Sano [Matroids on convex geometries (cg-matroids), Discrete Math. 307 (2007) 1936{1950]. In this paper, we continue the study of cg-matroids and extend the theory of cg-matroids. We give some characterizations of cg-matroids by axioms. Strict cg-matroids are a special subclass of cg-matroids which have nice properties. We define another subclass of cg-matroids, called co-strict cg-matroids, which also have good properties. Moreover, we consider operations on cg-matroids such as restriction and contraction. These operations are closely related to subclasses of cg-matroids. We also consider an optimization problem on cg-matroids, which reveals the relation between the greedy algorithm and cg-matroids.
The Dirac-Hardy and Dirac-Sobolev inequalities in $L^1$
Authors: Balinsky Alexander , Evans W. Desmond , Umeda Tomio
Published: July 2011

Dirac-Sobolev and Dirac-Hardy inequalities in

L^1

are established in which the

L^p

spaces which feature in the classical Sobolev and Hardy inequalities are replaced by weak

L^p

spaces. Counter examples to the analogues of the classical inequalities are shown to be provided by zero modes for appropriate Pauli operators constructed by Loss and Yau.
Urban Heat Island Analysis Using the Landsat TM Data and ASTER Data: A Case Study in Hong Kong
Authors: Liu Lin , Zhang Yuanzhi
Published: July 2011

In this paper, the effect of urban heat island is analyzed using the Landsat TM data and ASTER data in 2005 as a case study in Hong Kong. Two algorithms were applied to retrieve the land surface temperature (LST) distribution from the Landsat TM and ASTER data. The spatial pattern of LST in the study area is retrieved to characterize their local effects on urban heat island. In addition, the correlation between LST and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), the normalized difference build-up index (NDBI) is analyzed to explore the impacts of the green land and the build-up land on the urban heat island by calculating the ecological evaluation index of sub-urban areas. The results indicate that the effect of urban heat island in Hong Kong is mainly located in three sub-urban areas, namely, Kowloon Island, the northern Hong Kong Island and Hong Kong International Airport. The correlation between LST and NDVI, NDBI also indicates that the negative correlation of LST and NDVI suggests that the green land can weaken the effect on urban heat island, while the positive correlation between LST and NDBI means that the built-up land can strengthen the effect of urban heat island in our case study. Although satellite data (e.g., Landsat TM and ASTER thermal bands data) can be applied to examine the distribution of urban heat islands in places such as Hong Kong, the method still needs to be refined with in situ measurements of LST in future studies.
Extra-tall stubble can increase crop yield in the semiarid Canadian prairie
Authors: Cutforth Herb , McConkey Brian , Angadi Sangu , Judiesch Doug
Published: July 2011

Cutforth, H., McConkey, B., Angadi, S. and Judiesch, D. 2011. Extra-tall stubble can increase crop yield in the semiarid Canadian prairie. Can. J. Plant Sci. 91: 783–785. Previous research in the semiarid prairie showed that crop yields increased as the height of standing stubble increased to 30 cm. Recent technology permits seeding into higher standing stubble. A 3-yr (2001–2003) study was conducted at Swift Current, SK, to determine how seeding canola, pulse, and wheat into cultivated, short (about 15 cm high), tall (about 30 cm high), and extra-tall (about 45 cm high) standing stubble affected crop yield. Crop yield and the overall average water use efficiency increased linearly as stubble height increased to 45 cm. Water use was independent of stubble height.
Temporal patterns of soil phosphorus release to runoff during a rainfall event as influenced by soil properties and its effects on estimating soil P losses
Authors: Wang Y. T. , Zhang T. Q. , Hu Q. C. , O'Halloran I. P. , Tan C. S. , Reid K.
Published: July 2011

Wang, Y. T., Zhang, T. Q., Hu, Q. C., O'Halloran, I. P., Tan, C. S. and Reid, K. 2011. Temporal patterns of soil phosphorus release to runoff during a rainfall event as influenced by soil properties and its effects on estimating soil P losses. Can. J. Soil Sci. 91: 339–347. The phosphorus (P) released in soil runoff during a rainfall event varies as labile P is depleted, and the dynamic pattern can be a function of soil P content and other soil properties. This study was conducted to determine the temporal pattern of runoff dissolved reactive P (DRP) concentration during a simulated rainfall event and the controlling soil properties. Soil samples were collected from six soil types across the province of Ontario, with 10 sites for each, to provide a wide range of soil test P (STP) levels. The instantaneous DRP concentration in surface runoff created during the rainfall event could be predicted by time t (min, since the onset of surface runoff) through a power function: DRP=αt−β, where α and β are constants representing initial potential of soil P release to runoff as DRP at the onset of surface runoff and DRP decrease rate with time, respectively. The values of α and β for a given soil could be determined by DPSM3-2 (Mehlich-3 P/Mehlich-3 Al) using the following formulas:[Formula: see text]

The description of the temporal pattern of runoff DRP concentration during a rainfall event with the constants estimated using DPSM3−2 can aid in the prediction of soil runoff DRP loss.
Preferential pathways of phosphorus movement from agricultural land to water bodies in the Canadian Great Lakes basin: A predictive tool
Authors: Edith Allaire Suzanne , van Bochove Eric , Denault Jean-Thomas , Dadfar Humaira , Thériault Georges , Charles Anais , De Jong Reinder
Published: July 2011

Allaire, S. E., van Bochove, E., Denault, J.-T., Dadfar, H., Thériault, G., Charles, A. and De Jong, R. 2011. Preferential pathways of phosphorus movement from agricultural land to water bodies in the Canadian Great Lakes basin: A predictive tool. Can. J. Soil Sci. 91: 361–374. Preferential flow processes, such as crack flow (CF), burrow flow (BF), finger flow (FF) and lateral flow (LF) are known as factors enhancing phosphorus (P) transport from agricultural soils to water bodies. The objective of this study was to develop a methodology for predicting the likelihood of preferential flow processes in agricultural soils at the landscape scale and their potential occurrence around the Canadian Great Lakes. The methodology considered climate, soil and crop parameters and a water budget that calculated surface runoff and drainage. Crack flow largely depended upon soil clay content, BF on soil texture and climate, FF on layering in sandy soils and LF on the presence of trees, slope and soil restricting layers. Crack flow had a high likelihood to occur southern Lake Ontario and all around Lake Erie. A high likelihood of FF could be found in the area where CF was low (i.e., in the sandy soils north of Lake Huron and Lake Ontario). Burrow flow had a medium likelihood to occur on Manitoulin Island and close to the shoreline north of Lake Ontario. Medium to high likelihood of lateral flow might occur in the area south of Lake Ontario, west of Toronto in a narrow band towards Lake Huron, and to a lesser extend in a large area northeast of Lake Huron. Lateral flow may transport soluble P in areas where P was previously carried downward by FF from inland (in soils) to surface water bodies. In several areas, tile drainage may transport all forms of P carried downward from the soil surface to the subsurface by CF and BF to lake tributaries. Preferential flow distribution maps could be used as tools for supporting the identification of agricultural lands where management might enhance subsurface processes of P transport toward groundwater or surface water bodies.
Context for re-evaluating agricultural source phosphorus loadings to the Great Lakes
Authors: Joosse P. J. , Baker D. B.
Published: July 2011

Joosse, P. J. and Baker, D. B. 2011. Context for re-evaluating agricultural source phosphorus loadings to the Great Lakes. Can. J. Soil Sci. 91: 317–327. Over the past decade, scientists have been discussing the re-emergence of harmful algal blooms and excessive growth of Cladophora in some areas of the Great Lakes. An observation that has emerged from these discussions is that management of non-point or diffuse sources of phosphorus will be more important in the future in order to address symptoms of eutrophication in the nearshore. This paper provides context for this renewed focus on managing non-point source tributary loads and is based primarily on materials and discussions from the Great Lakes P Forum. There are changes that have occurred in the lakes and tributaries in the past 15 yr that indicate a greater need to focus on non-point sources, whether urban or rural. Changes have also occurred in land management to reduce non-point P losses from agriculture. While these changes have reduced sediment and particulate P loading in some Ohio tributaries, the more bioavailable, dissolved P forms have increased. As there is incomplete knowledge about the mechanisms that are influencing algal growth, it could be a challenge to demonstrate, in the near term, improvements in water quality with further P reductions from agriculture alone. Regardless, there appears to be a desire for improved accountability and transparency for agricultural non-point source P management.
Effect of Different Polishing Agents on Surface Finish and Hardness of Denture Base Acrylic Resins: A Comparative Study
Authors: Srividya S , Nair Chandrasekharan K , Shetty Jayakar
Published: July 2011

Polished dentures obtained from the laboratory require adjustment during insertion. A smooth surface on acrylic resin can be obtained using a chairside protocol for polishing using silicone polishing agents and polishing media. The aim of this paper is to study the effect of three different polishing agents-pumice, universal polishing paste and Brite-O on the surface finish and hardness of two types of denture base acrylic resins-auto polymerizing and heat-activated acrylic resin materials.
Overdenture Abutments under a Fixed Partial Denture: Case Report of a Preventive Prosthodontic Approach
Authors: Singh Saumyendra , Talwar Naina , Mishra Niraj , Chand Pooran
Published: July 2011

The use of overdenture abutments under removable partial dentures to preserve alveolar bone and provide support is well established, but there is little evidence of their use under fixed partial dentures. There exist a variety of clinical situations in which teeth or roots with questionable prognosis cannot be utilized as abutments for fixed partial dentures. In such situations these teeth/roots can be preserved under fixed prosthesis to provide vertical support and delay bone loss. The following report describes technical considerations, advantages and limitations of this treatment modality.
Sensitivity of radiative properties of persistent contrails to the ice water path
Authors: Rodríguez De León R. , Krämer M. , Lee D. S. , Thelen J. C.
Published: July 2011

Abstract. The dependence of the radiative properties of persistent linear contrails on the variability of their ice water path is assessed in a two-stream radiative transfer model. It is assumed that the ice water content and the effective size of ice crystals in aged contrails do not differ from those observed in natural cirrus; the parameterization of these two variables, based on in situ observations, allows a more realistic representation than the common assumption of fixed values for the contrail optical depth and ice crystal effective radius. The results show that the large variability in ice water content that aged contrails may share with natural cirrus, together with an assumed contrail vertical thickness between 220 and 1000 m, translate into a wider range of radiative forcings from linear contrails (0.3 to 51.6 mW m−2) than that reported in previous studies, including IPCC's (3 to 30 mW m−2). The derivation of a best estimate within this range is complicated by the fact that the ice water contents measured in situ imply mean optical depths between 0.08 and 0.32, coinciding with the range commonly assumed in contrail studies, while optical depths derived from satellite ice water content retrievals are significantly larger (0.51–2.02). Further field and modelling studies of the temporal evolution of contrail properties will thus be needed to reduce the uncertainties associated with the values assumed in large scale contrail studies.