bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Robust geophysical integration through structure-coupled joint inversion and multispectral fusion of seismic reflection, magnetotelluric, magnetic, and gravity images: Example from Santos Basin, offshore Brazil
Authors: Gallardo L. A. , Fontes S. L. , Meju M. A. , Buonora M. P. , de Lugao P. P.
Published: August 2012

We have applied a crossgradient joint inversion and geospectral visualization method to marine seismic reflection, magnetotelluric, gravity, and magnetic data sets acquired along a 162 km profile across a segment of Santos Basin oil province in the continental margin of southeast Brazil. The main exploration targets are the top of the fractured Precambrian crystalline basement and any concealed basement grabens, the overlying presalt and salt/carbonate deposits, and the postsalt cover deposits. The results of joint inversion clearly mapped the various units and are a significant improvement over previous models derived from separate 2D seismic reflection processing and 2D magnetotelluric imaging. Additionally, multispectral fusion of these models resulted in a single image that permits highly constrained geologic interpretations enabling a better understanding of basin architecture. We suggest that joint inversion and image fusion is the way forward for effective geophysical integration.
Effects of Age and Serum 25-OH-Vitamin D on Serum Parathyroid Hormone Levels
Authors: Valcour A. , Blocki F. , Hawkins D. M. , Rao Sudhaker D.
Published: August 2012

Context:

Several studies define optimal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) levels based on serum PTH level reaching an asymptote. However, results differ widely, ranging from 25-OHD levels of 12–44 ng/ml: many studies are constrained by small sample size.

Objective:

The objective of the study was to determine the relationship between serum PTH and 25-OHD levels and age in a very large reference laboratory database.

Design:

This was a detailed cross-sectional analysis of 312,962 paired serum PTH and 25-OHD levels measured from July 2010 to June 2011.

Results:

Median PTH levels and the proportion of patients (PTH > 65 pg/ml), from 63 successive 25-OHD frequency classes of 5000 patients, provide smooth, exceptionally well-fitted curves (R2 = 0.994 and R2 = 0.995, respectively) without discernible inflection points or asymptotes but with striking age dependencies. Serum 25-OHD was below the recent Institute of Medicine sufficiency guidance of 20 ng/ml in 27% (85,000) of the subjects. More importantly, 40 and 51% of subjects (serum 25-OHD <20 and 10 ng/ml, respectively) had biochemical hyperparathyroidism (PTH > 65 pg/ml).

Conclusions:

This analysis, despite inevitable inherent limitations, introduces several clinical implications. First, median 25-OHD-dependent PTH levels revealed no threshold above which increasing 25-OHD fails to further suppress PTH. Second, the large number of subjects with 25-OHD deficiency and hyperparathyroidism reinforces the Third International Workshop on Asymptomatic Primary Hyper parathyroidism's recommendations to test for, and replete, vitamin D depletion before considering parathyroidectomy. Third, strong age dependency of the PTH-25-OHD relationship likely reflects the composite effects of age-related decline in calcium absorption and renal function. Finally, this unselected large population database study could guide clinical management of patients based on an age-dependent, PTH-25-OHD continuum.
Contested Terrain: The Suburbs as Region
Authors: Wilhite Keith
Published: August 2012

Wilhite contends that a general indebtedness to Cold War cultural critique has kept literary scholars from reading the suburbs and suburban fiction for what they truly are: the endgame and final outpost of US regionalism. Drawing on discussions of regional writing and cultural geography, Wilhite argues that we should read suburban narratives for the ways they update and revise long-standing regionalist approaches to local and global concerns: the charged insularity of the domestic sphere, the geographic containment of racial difference, the repressive construction of a common national identity, and the imperial reach of nation. As a mode of geopolitical analysis, regionalism clarifies the fraught relationship between isolationism and imperialism that has shaped US residential geography. When read as form of regional writing, suburban fiction exposes our homes and neighborhoods as national and transnational “sites of contestation.” To develop this line of thinking, Wilhite offers Jonathan Franzen’s The Corrections (2001) and Chang-rae Lee’s Aloft (2004) as case studies for his broader claims about region and the spatial effects of residential sprawl and suburban domesticity. Franzen and Lee both locate the political subject within the competing ideologies of privatism and globalization, but they produce radically different responses to the suburb as a symptomatic fact of twenty-first-century life in the United States. Taken together, these novels offer divergent paths for understanding the suburbs as a uniquely problematic and potentially transformative cultural and geographic region.
The effects of a variable temperature regime on the physiology of the reef-building coralSeriatopora hystrix: results from a laboratory-based reciprocal transplant
Authors: Mayfield Anderson , Chan Pei-Hsun , Putnam Hollie M , Chen Chii-Shiarng , Fan Tung-Yung
Published: August 2012

In order to understand the effects of global climate change on reef-building corals, a thorough investigation of their physiological mechanisms of acclimatization is warranted. However, static temperature manipulations may underestimate the thermal complexity of the reefs in which many corals live. For instance, corals of Houbihu, Taiwan experience up to 10°C changes in temperature over the course of a day during spring tide upwelling events. To better understand the phenotypic plasticity of these corals, a laboratory-based experiment was conducted whereby specimens of Seriatopora hystrix (Dana, 1846) from the upwelling reef, Houbihu, and conspecifics from a non-upwelling reef (Houwan) were exposed to both a stable seawater temperature (26°C) and a regime characterized by a 6°C fluctuation (23-29°C) over a 12 hour period for seven days. A suite of physiological and molecular parameters was measured in samples of both treatments, as well as in experimental controls, in order to determine site of origin (SO) and temperature treatment (TT) responses. Only chlorophyll a concentration (chl-a) and growth demonstrated the hypothesized trend of higher levels when exposed to a TT that mimicked SO conditions. On the other hand, chl-a, maximum dark-adapted quantum yield of photosystem II (FV/FM), and Symbiodinium ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (rbcL), photosystem I (psI, subunit III), and phosphoglycolate phosphatase (pgpase) mRNA expression demonstrated significant TT effects. Specifically, these parameters were higher in samples exposed to a variable temperature regime, suggesting that S. hystrix may acclimate to fluctuating temperatures by increasing its capacity for photosynthesis.
Wingbeat kinematics and motor control of yaw turns in Anna's hummingbirds (Calypte anna)
Authors: Altshuler Douglas , Quicazán-Rubio Elsa , Segre Paolo M , Middleton Kevin
Published: August 2012

The biomechanical and neuromuscular mechanisms used by different animals to generate turns in flight are highly variable. Body size and body plan exert some influence, e.g., birds typically roll their body to orient forces generated by the wings whereas insects are capable of turning via left-right wingbeat asymmetries. Turns are also relatively brief and have low repeatability with almost every wingbeat serving a different function throughout the change in heading. Here we present an analysis of Anna’s hummingbirds (Calypte anna) as they fed continuously from an artificial feeder revolving around the outside of the animal. This setup allowed for examination of sustained changes in yaw without requiring any corresponding changes in pitch, roll, or body position. Hummingbirds sustained yaw turns by expanding the wing stroke amplitude of the outer wing during the downstroke and by altering the deviation of the wingtip path during both downstroke and upstroke. The latter led to a shift in the inner-outer stroke plane angle during the upstroke and shifts in the elevation of the stroke plane and in the deviation of the wingtip path during both strokes. These features are generally more similar to how insects, as opposed to birds, turn. However, time series analysis also revealed considerable stroke-to-stroke variation. Changes in the stroke amplitude and the wingtip velocity were highly cross-correlated as were changes in the stroke deviation and the elevation of the stroke plane. As was the case for wingbeat kinematics, electromyogram recordings from pectoral and wing muscles were highly variable, but no correlations were found between these two features of motor control. The high variability of both kinematic and muscle activation features indicates a high level of wingbeat-to-wingbeat adjustments during sustained yaw. The activation timing of the muscles was more repeatable than the activation intensity, which suggests that the former may be constrained by harmonic motion and that the latter may play a large role in kinematic adjustments. Comparing the revolution frequency of the feeder to measurements of free flight yaws reveals that feeder tracking, even at one revolution every two seconds, is well below the maximum yaw capacity of the hummingbirds.
Higher lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 levels are associated with coronary atherosclerosis documented by coronary angiography
Authors: Dohi Tomotaka , Miyauchi Katsumi , Ohkawa Ryunosuke , Nakamura Kazuhiro , Thuboi Shuta , Ogita Manabu , Miyazaki Tadashi , Nishino Akihisa , Yokoyama Ken , Kurata Takeshi , Yatomi Yutaka , Daida Hiroyuki
Published: August 2012

Background

Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) has been proposed as an inflammatory marker of cardiovascular disease. The present study investigates associations between Lp-PLA2 and other important biomarkers in Japanese patients with coronary artery disease.

Methods

We measured Lp-PLA2 levels in 141 consecutive patients (age 62.6 ± 3.8 years; men 69.2%) with angiographic evidence of coronary artery disease (acute coronary syndrome [ACS]; n = 38), stable angina pectoris (SAP; n = 72) or with angiographically normal coronary arteries (NCA; n = 31).

Results

Levels of Lp-PLA2 significantly correlated with low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol ( r = 0.302), homocysteine ( r = 0.528) and paraoxonase ( r = 0.401) in all patients (all P < 0.01). Levels of Lp-PLA2 were significantly higher in patients with coronary atherosclerosis (ACS and SAP) than with NCA ( P < 0.05). Levels of highly sensitive C-reactive protein were significantly higher in patients with ACS than with SAP and NCA (both P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that higher Lp-PLA2 levels were independently associated with coronary atherosclerosis (odds ratio: 1.058; 95% confidence interval: 1.012–1.121; P = 0.001).

Conclusions

Higher Lp-PLA2 levels are associated with coronary atherosclerosis independently of traditional coronary risk factors. Thus, Lp-PLA2 is a novel biomarker of coronary atherosclerosis in Japanese patients.
Frustrated Lewis pairs: Some recent developments
Authors: Erker Gerhard
Published: August 2012

The chemistry of some reactive frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) is reported. This includes intramolecular P/B and N/B FLPs, some of which were used as catalysts for the hydrogenation of electron-rich olefin substrates. Some advanced intermolecular FLPs are reported, which includes systems derived from very bulky alkenyl boranes obtained from 1,1-carboboration reactions of 1-alkynes with tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane. Some such systems activate dihydrogen and transfer the resulting proton/hydride pair even to some electron-poor alkynes. Eventually, we report on the reaction of our intramolecular ethylene-bridged P/B FLP with nitric oxide (NO). N,B-addition of the P-Lewis base/B-Lewis acid combination is observed to form a new type of a persistent aminoxyl radical. Some of the chemistry of the new FLP-NO radicals is presented and discussed.
Distinguishing Between the Effect of Perceived Organisational Support and Person–Organisation Fit on Work Outcomes
Authors: Ng Catherine , Sarris Aspa
Published: August 2012

While previous research has contributed to our understanding of the effect of person-organisation fit on a range of job outcomes (e.g., Chatman, 1989; Kristof-Brown & Jansen, 2007; Schneider, 1987), the relationship between person–organisation fit, perceived organisational support and job outcomes, such as job satisfaction and organisation commitment has not been fully explored. Further research examining the relationship between these variables is needed, particularly in organisational settings that experience high turnover such as hospitals. This study examined the relationship between person–organisation fit, perceived organisational support, job satisfaction and organisational commitment among employees in an Australian hospital setting. Person–organisation fit was assessed in terms of the fit, or congruence, between perceived organisational values and ideal organisational values. The study also examined the extent to which perceived organisational support moderated the relationship between person–organisation fit and job satisfaction and organisational commitment. Results showed that person–organisation fit and perceived organisational support were significant predictors of job satisfaction and organisational commitment. However, perceived organisational support was not a moderator in the relationship between person–organisation fit and job satisfaction and organisational commitment. Results also showed that perceived organisational support may be a stronger predictor of job satisfaction and organisational commitment than person–organisation fit, highlighting the importance of providing nursing and support staff with adequate support to carry out their work in hospital settings. The implications of the study are discussed and future research opportunities are highlighted.
A Review of Contemporary Research on the Relationship Between Occupational Stress and Social Support: Where Are We Now?
Authors: Haly Martha Knox
Published: August 2012

The Occupational social support model has been described as producing weak and inconsistent results. There have been assertions that it has lost its popularity as an explanatory construct. However, lack of social support within workplaces has been implicated in the majority of work stress claims and is becoming a focal point of safety prosecutions against Australian employers for failure to provide a psychologically safe workplace. This article presents a review of contemporary (since 1999) cross-sectional and longitudinal studies that measure supervisory or co-worker support as a variable of interest in the published literature. The review examines the theoretical models, as well as general findings associated from over 61 studies. While there is substantial variation in the magnitude of effects, the majority of studies consistently produce positive evidence of the role of social support in offsetting the effects of strain. The review notes several well-constructed longitudinal studies, the increasing popularity of structural equation modelling, and the continued dominance of the Job Demands Control Support Model. The discussion includes consideration of studies where no mitigating effect was found for social support, and concludes that the magnitude of social support effect is determined by the history and context of social support being offered.
Factors Influencing the Planning Undertaken by Women During Pregnancy for their Return to Work After Maternity Leave
Authors: Coulson Melissa , Skouteris Helen , Milgrom Jeannette , Noblet Andrew , Dissanayake Cheryl
Published: August 2012

The planning women (N = 199) do during pregnancy for their return to work post birth and the factors that influence employment planning during late pregnancy were investigated in this study. The findings revealed three components of planning: Planning for Childcare, Planning with Partner, and Planning with Employer. Several factors emerged as consistent cross-sectional predictors of these components (work satisfaction, hours worked before commencing maternity leave, anticipated weeks of maternity leave and anticipated hours per week on the return to work). Anticipated support from family and friends, and from the workplace also predicted Planning with Partner and Planning with Employer, respectively. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
A Factor-Analytic Study Exploring the Factors of Co-Worker Cohesion
Authors: von Treuer Kathryn , Fuller-Tyszkiewicz Matthew , Atkinson Barbara
Published: August 2012

Despite the applied importance of cohesion within organisational settings, researchers have yet to reach consensus about the dimensionality of group cohesion, and therefore appropriate tools for its measurement. The way that cohesion has generally been conceptualised has changed over time, but the measures appear not to reflect the underlying theory. This deficiency has impeded attempts to explore the relationship between co-worker cohesion and group performance (Beal et al., 2003; Mullen & Copper, 1994). Given inconsistent findings from previous factor analyses of cohesion, the present study employed exploratory means to help clarify the factor structure of cohesion within the workplace. Potential participants were recruited via the researchers' social networks. This snowballing technique led to 236 participants completing the online questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis revealed four first-order factors of team commitment, friendliness, interpersonal conflict and communication that collectively accounted for 55.17% of the variance shared among the 75 cohesion items. Subsequently, a single higher-order factor was extracted which accounted for over half of the co-variation among the first order factors. This higher-order factor seems to reflect a general cohesion factor, as it was loaded by a diffuse collection of items, including those from the four lower-order factors as well as items that failed to load onto these lower-order factors. While there were similarities between these results and those of previous studies, the present factor structure did not map perfectly onto any of the existing conceptual models of cohesion. This finding highlights the need to incorporate some alternate factors that have previously been given little consideration.
Bullying the Boss: The Prevalence of Upward Bullying Behaviours
Authors: Wallace Belinda , Johnston Lucy , Trenberth Linda
Published: August 2012

The present study investigated the prevalence of upwards bullying — that is, subordinate-initiated bullying of their supervisor — in two sample groups. Subordinates (n = 491) in this study were either thesis students working under the supervision of an academic advisor or were employees working under a primary supervisor in a variety of occupations. Participants completed a measure of bullying behaviours, the Negative Acts Questionnaire, as part of an online survey. Although the overall prevalence of bullies was low (1.7%), there was a high incidence of bullying behaviour with 70.6% of the sample reporting having engaged in bullying behaviours toward their supervisor in the preceding 6 month period. The incidence of bullying behaviours was lower for the students than for the employees and lower for females than for males. Implications for workplaces are considered.
Workplace Wellbeing Among Justice Department Staff
Authors: Murat Dilek , Aytac Serpil , Bondy Julian
Published: August 2012

The aim of this study is to determine the factors that affect the wellbeing at work of a particular group within the Victorian public sector: those who are directly responsible for the delivery of justice to offenders, namely corrections officers. Corrections staff, as front-line workers in the corrections system, have an important role in the rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders. The study is based on data from The People Matter Survey 2005 that sought to measure Victorian public sector employees' perceptions of how well the public sector values and employment principles were applied within their organisations. In this study we used data from 230 employees from Corrections Victoria who participated in the survey and used multilinear regression to analyse the factors affecting the level of workplace wellbeing. This study found that the most important factors affecting workplace wellbeing of the workers are Fair and Reasonable Treatment (FRT), Accountability (AC), and Senior Management (SM). Other findings included that the levels of workplace wellbeing of bullied or harassed staff was less than non-bullied or harassed staff.
When the Eye Listens: A Meta-analysis of How Audio-visual Presentation Enhances the Appreciation of Music Performance
Authors: Platz Friedrich , Kopiez Reinhard
Published: August 2012

the visual component of music performance as experienced in a live concert is of central importance for the appreciation of music performance. However, up until now the influence of the visual component on the evaluation of music performance has remained unquantified in terms of effect size estimations. Based on a meta-analysis of 15 aggregated studies on audio-visual music perception (total N = 1,298), we calculated the average effect size of the visual component in music performance appreciation by subtracting ratings for the audio-only condition from those for the audio-visual condition. The outcome focus was on evaluation ratings such as liking, expressiveness, or overall quality of musical performances. For the first time, this study reveals an average medium effect size of 0.51 standard deviations — Cohen's d; 95% CI (0.42, 0.59) — for the visual component. Consequences for models of intermodal music perception and experimental planning are addressed.
Comparison of Children Hospitalized With Seasonal Versus Pandemic Influenza A, 2004–2009
Authors: Tran Dat , Vaudry Wendy , Moore Dorothy L. , Bettinger Julie A. , Halperin Scott A. , Scheifele David W. , Aziz Samina
Published: August 2012

BACKGROUND:

The extent to which pandemic H1N1 influenza (pH1N1) differed from seasonal influenza remains uncertain.

METHODS:

By using active surveillance data collected by the Immunization Monitoring Program, Active at 12 Canadian pediatric hospitals, we compared characteristics of hospitalized children with pH1N1 with those with seasonal influenza A. We compared demographics, underlying health status, ICU admission, and mortality during both pandemic waves versus the 2004/2005 through the 2008/2009 seasons; influenza-related complications and hospitalization duration during pH1N1 wave 1 versus the 2004/2005 through the 2008/2009 seasons; and presenting signs and symptoms during both pH1N1 waves versus the 2006/2007 through the 2008/2009 seasons.

RESULTS:

We identified 1265 pH1N1 cases (351 in wave 1, 914 in wave 2) and 1319 seasonal influenza A cases (816 from 2006/2007 through 2008/2009). Median ages were 4.8 (pH1N1) and 1.7 years (seasonal influenza A); P < .0001. Preexisting asthma was overrepresented in pH1N1 relative to seasonal influenza A (13.8% vs 5.5%; adjusted P < .0001). Symptoms more often associated with pH1N1 wave 1 versus seasonal influenza A were cough, headache, and gastrointestinal symptoms (adjusted P < .01 for each symptom). pH1N1 wave 1 cases were more likely to have radiologically confirmed pneumonia (adjusted odds ratio = 2.1; 95% confidence interval = 1.1–3.8) and longer median length of hospital stay (4 vs 3 days; adjusted P = .003) than seasonal influenza A. Proportions of children requiring intensive care and deaths in both pH1N1 waves (14.6% and 0.6%, respectively) were not significantly different from the seasonal influenza A group (12.7% and 0.5%, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS:

pH1N1 in children differed from seasonal influenza A in risk factors, clinical presentation, and length of hospital stay, but not ICU admission or mortality.
New approaches in evaluating metallic candidates for bioabsorbable stents
Authors: Bowen Patrick K. , Drelich Jaroslaw , Buxbaum Robert E. , Rajachar Rupak M. , Goldman Jeremy
Published: August 2012

A series of unconventional approaches has been developed at Michigan Technological University, which is able to screen candidate materials for use in bioabsorbable (or bioresorbable) stents by reducing the scale of necessary animal studies and the complexity of biocorrosion analyses. Using a novel in vivo approach, materials formed into a simplified wire geometry were implanted into the wall of the abdominal aorta of rodents for several weeks or months to measure the extent of in vivo degradation, quantify mechanical strength over time, characterize the resulting products, and assess biocompatibility. An in vitro method was developed to identify bioabsorbable candidate materials, reproduce the corrosion products formed in vivo, and predict the degradation rate of stent materials. To accomplish this goal, wires were encapsulated in an extracellular matrix and corroded in cell culture media in vitro. Encapsulation of the wires in vitro was necessary in order to mimic in vivo stent encapsulation within a neo-intima. Alternatively, accelerated in vitro corrosion for materials with very low corrosion rates was accomplished by exposing fibrin-coated wires to a steady flow of cell culture media. After in vivo and in vitro tests, wires were subjected to tensile testing to quantify the rate of material degradation and loss of mechanical strength.
Injury severity models for motor vehicle accidents: a review
Authors: Mujalli Randa Oqab , de Oña Juan
Published: August 2012

Modelling of traffic accidents injury severity is a complex task. In the last few years the number and variety of studies that analyse injury severity of traffic accidents have increased considerably. In this paper 19 modelling techniques used to model injury severity of traffic accidents where at least a four-wheeled vehicle is involved have been analysed. The analysis and the comparison between models was performed based on seven criteria (modelling technique, number of records, number of variables, area type, features, injury level and model fit). In general, it is not possible to recommend a method that could be identified as the best one. Each modelling technique has its own limitations and characteristics, awareness of which will help analysts to decide the best method to be used in each particular modelling problem. However, some general conclusions can be established: in most cases the results of models' fits are found to be satisfactory, though not excellent; in the case of data mining models, accuracy improves with balanced datasets; and no correlation was found to exist between the number of accident records and the number of analysed variables.
Rate my data: quantifying the value of ecological data for the development of models of the terrestrial carbon cycle
Authors: Keenan Trevor F. , Davidson Eric A. , Munger J. William , Richardson Andrew D.
Published: August 2012

Primarily driven by concern about rising levels of atmospheric CO2, ecologists and earth system scientists are collecting vast amounts of data related to the carbon cycle. These measurements are generally time consuming and expensive to make, and, unfortunately, we live in an era where research funding is increasingly hard to come by. Thus, important questions are: “Which data streams provide the most valuable information?” and “How much data do we need?” These questions are relevant not only for model developers, who need observational data to improve, constrain, and test their models, but also for experimentalists and those designing ecological observation networks.

Here we address these questions using a model–data fusion approach. We constrain a process‐oriented, forest ecosystem C cycle model with 17 different data streams from the Harvard Forest (Massachusetts, USA). We iteratively rank each data source according to its contribution to reducing model uncertainty. Results show the importance of some measurements commonly unavailable to carbon‐cycle modelers, such as estimates of turnover times from different carbon pools. Surprisingly, many data sources are relatively redundant in the presence of others and do not lead to a significant improvement in model performance. A few select data sources lead to the largest reduction in parameter‐based model uncertainty. Projections of future carbon cycling were poorly constrained when only hourly net‐ecosystem‐exchange measurements were used to inform the model. They were well constrained, however, with only 5 of the 17 data streams, even though many individual parameters are not constrained. The approach taken here should stimulate further cooperation between modelers and measurement teams and may be useful in the context of setting research priorities and allocating research funds.
Long‐Term Follow‐Up of Turned Single Implants Placed in Periodontally Healthy Patients After 16 to 22 Years: Microbiologic Outcome
Authors: Dierens Melissa , Vandeweghe Stefan , Kisch Jenö , Persson G. Rutger , Cosyn Jan , De Bruyn Hugo
Published: August 2012

Background: Survival rates in implant dentistry today are high, although late failures do occur for many reasons, including peri‐implant infections. The primary objective of this study is to investigate microbiota around single turned implants after 16 to 22 years. Secondary objectives are to compare teeth and implants and to correlate microbiologic, radiographic, and clinical parameters.

Methods: A total of 46 patients with single implants were invited for a clinical examination. Clinical data were collected from implants and contralateral natural teeth. Radiographic bone level was measured around implants. Microbiologic samples were taken from implants, contralateral teeth, and the deepest pocket per quadrant. Samples were analyzed with DNA‐DNA hybridization including 40 species. Statistical analysis was performed using Wilcoxon signed‐rank tests, McNemar tests, and Spearman correlation coefficients with a 0.05 significance level.

Results: Mean follow‐up was 18.5 years (range 16 to 22 years). Tannerella forsythia (1.5 × 105) and Veillonella parvula (1.02 × 105) showed the highest concentrations around implants and teeth, respectively. Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, and T. forsythia were significantly more present around implants than teeth. Mean counts were significantly higher around implants than teeth for Parvimonas micra, P. gingivalis, P. intermedia, T. forsythia, and Treponema denticola. Total DNA count was correlated to interproximal bleeding index (r = 0.409) and interproximal probing depth (r = 0.307). No correlations were present with plaque index or radiographic bone level.

Conclusions: In the present study, bacterial counts around single implants in periodontally healthy patients are rather low. Although pathogenic bacteria are present, some in higher numbers around implants than teeth (five of 40), the majority of implants present with healthy peri‐implant tissues without progressive bone loss.
Structure-activity Relationship of Chemical Penetration Enhan-cers in Transdermal Drug Delivery
Authors: Kanikkannan N. , Kandimalla K. , Lamba S. S. , Singh M.
Published: August 2012

Transdermal drug delivery (TDD) is the administration of therapeutic agents through intact skin for systemic effect. TDD offers several advantages over the conventional dosage forms such as tablets, capsules and injections. Currently there are about eight drugs marketed as transdermal patches. Examples of such products include nitroglycerin (angina pectoris), clonidine (hypertension), scopolamine (motion sickness), nicotine (smoking cessation), fentanil (pain) and estradiol (estrogen deficiency). Since skin is an excellent barrier for drug transport, only potent drugs with appropriate physi-cochemical properties (low molecular weight, adequate solubility in aqueous and non-aqueous solvents, etc) are suitable candidates for transdermal delivery. Penetration enhancement technology is a challenging development that would increase significantly the number of drugs available for transdermal administration. The permeation of drugs through skin can be enhanced by physical methods such as iontophoresis (application of low level electric current) and phonophoresis (use of ultra sound energy) and by chemical penetration enhancers (CPE). In this review, we have discussed about the CPE which have been investigated for TDD. CPE are compounds that enhance the permeation of drugs across the skin. The CPE increase skin permeability by reversibly altering the physicochemical nature of the stratum corneum, the outer most layer of skin, to reduce its diffusional resistance. These compounds increase skin permeability also by increasing the partition coefficient of the drug into the skin and by increasing the thermodynamic activity of the drug in the vehicle. This review compiles the various CPE used for the enhancement of TDD, the mechanism of action of different chemical enhancers and the structure-activity relationship of selected and extensively studied enhancers such as fatty acids, fatty alcohols and terpenes. Based on the chemical structure of penetration enhancers (such as chain length, polarity, level of unsaturation and presence of some special groups such as ketones), the interaction between the stratum corneum and penetration enhancers may vary which will result in significant differences in penetration enhancement. Our review also discusses the various factors to be considered in the selection of an appropriate penetration enhancer for the development of transdermal delivery systems.
Understanding Local Realities of Quality Education in Kenya: Pupil, Parent and Teacher Perspectives
Authors: Cunningham A.J.C.
Published: August 2012

In 2003, UNICEF-Kenya and the Kenyan Ministry of Education introduced the ‘Child Friendly Schools' initiative to encourage educational policy makers and practitioners to look for alternative ways to measure the quality of primary schools beyond pupils' test scores. In 2009, Kenyan government officials distributed the Child Friendly Schools Monitoring Toolkit (CMT) across all public primary schools, promoting it as an exercise in school self-evaluation for measuring educational quality. Senior education officials developed the CMT with 50 indicators for local stakeholders' use when measuring a school's level of child-friendliness. This study investigates the relevance of these 50 indicators to local perspectives of quality education. The study's findings suggest that the CMT's 50 indicators represent only 68% of what pupils, parents and teachers describe as factors that negatively or positively contribute to levels of child-friendliness in their schools. Using an interpretative phenomenological approach for data analysis, 33 ‘new’ indicators for child-friendliness emerge from the participants' responses. The study compares and synthesizes these new categories with the 50 original CMT indicators by creating an ‘Enhanced Child Friendly Schools Monitoring Toolkit’ (ECMT) for implementation in Kenyan primary schools. The revised ECMT indicators appear to capture 93% of what pupils, parents and teachers describe as factors influencing a school's level of child-friendliness. In the end, the study's findings call for a renewed dialogue between top-down and bottom-up perspectives of quality education in determining future criteria for measuring the levels of child-friendliness across Kenyan public primary schools.
An Investigation of Factors Impacting the Motivation of German and US Teachers to Become School Principals
Authors: Hancock Dawson R. , Hary Christine , Müller Ulrich
Published: August 2012

School principals play a pivotal role in establishing the direction for successful schools. Unfortunately, significant challenges to recruiting and retaining highly qualified school leaders exist in many regions of the world. Extending the findings of a recent quantitative study comparing the influence of motivators and inhibitors that impact German and US teachers' decisions to become principals, researchers in the current study interviewed selected teachers to determine the reasons for their responses. Similarities and differences in the respondents' perceptions of factors that influenced their desire to become school leaders are reported. The findings offer important ways in which Germany and the USA may learn from each other's practices.
Discourses and Policies on Educational Quality in Argentina, 1990–2010
Authors: Gorostiaga Jorge M. , Ferreira Adrián
Published: August 2012

This article analyses the relationships between different notions of education quality and policies on primary and secondary schools implemented in Argentina during the last two decades. The authors focus on three moments: (1) the emergence of the discussion about quality (at the end of the 1980s) in Latin America and in Argentina; (2) the enactment and implementation of the Federal Law of Education (1993); and (3) the enactment of the Law of National Education (2006), along with the implementation of some key policies.
Teachers' Perceptions of their Work Environment in Swedish Junior High Schools
Authors: Allodi Mara Westling , Fischbein Siv
Published: August 2012

The aims of this study were to explore the organisational characteristics of junior high schools, to identify typologies of work environments and to explore the relationships between the type of work environment and how schools function. The educational profession and the role of teachers have been influenced by policies inspired by the principles of new public management (NPM). The Swedish version of the Organizational Checkup Survey is a general and expanded version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory. The present work analyses the 16 items concerning energy, involvement and accomplishment (‘Relations to Work’) and the 29 items concerning workload, control, reward, community, fairness and values (‘Fields of Work’). The answers from 749 Swedish junior high school teachers from a stratified selection of 32 schools were analysed with a structural equation modelling approach. The means of the answers from the teachers from the same school were dichotomised and analysed with partial order scalogram analysis. The polarising variables contributing to the identification of four main profiles were reward and workload. There were gender differences: female teachers were more exhausted, felt more involved and were more dissatisfied with their workload than male teachers. There were also age differences, the younger teachers reporting, in particular, lower professional autonomy (control). The results show relevant differences between schools, and that teachers' perceptions of their work environment can be considered an indicator of school quality. The results of the comparisons are related to the conditions of high efficiency and deprofessionalisation of NPM-inspired educational organisations, and indicate a possible link between school organisation and teachers' perceptions of reward.
Adiponectin Trajectories Before Type 2 Diabetes Diagnosis
Authors: Tabák Adam G. , Carstensen Maren , Witte Daniel R. , Brunner Eric J. , Shipley Martin J. , Jokela Markus , Roden Michael , Kivimäki Mika , Herder Christian
Published: August 2012

OBJECTIVE

The role of adiponectin in the natural history of diabetes is not well characterized. We set out to characterize prediagnosis trajectories of adiponectin in individuals who develop type 2 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

In a case-cohort study (335 incident diabetes case and 2,474 noncase subjects) nested in the Whitehall II study, serum adiponectin was measured up to three times per participant (1991–1993, 1997–1999, and 2003–2004). Multilevel models adjusted for age and ethnicity were fitted to assess 13-year trajectories of log-transformed adiponectin preceding diabetes diagnosis or a randomly selected time point during follow-up (year0) based on 755/5,095 (case/noncase) person-examinations.

RESULTS

Adiponectin levels were lower in diabetes case than in noncase subjects (median 7,141 [interquartile range 5,187–10,304] vs. 8,818 [6,535–12,369] ng/mL at baseline, P < 0.0001). Control subjects showed a modest decline in adiponectin throughout follow-up (0.3% per year, P < 0.0001) at higher levels in women than in men (difference at year0: 5,358 ng/mL, P < 0.0001). Female case and early-onset case (age at diagnosis <52 years) subjects had a steeper decline than control subjects (slope difference −1.1% per year, P = 0.001 in females, −1.6% per year in early-onset case subjects, P = 0.034). In men, adiponectin slopes for case and noncase subjects were parallel. The slope differences by diabetes onset were largely attenuated after adjustment for changes in obesity, whereas the sex-specific slope differences were independent of obesity.

CONCLUSIONS

Lower adiponectin levels were observed already a decade before the diagnosis of diabetes. The marked sex difference in trajectories suggests that sex-specific mechanisms affect the association between adiponectin levels and diabetes development.
Insulin Degludec/Insulin Aspart Administered Once Daily at Any Meal, With Insulin Aspart at Other Meals Versus a Standard Basal-Bolus Regimen in Patients With Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Hirsch Irl B. , Bode Bruce , Courreges Jean-Pierre , Dykiel Patrik , Franek Edward , Hermansen Kjeld , King Allen , Mersebach Henriette , Davies Melanie
Published: August 2012

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate efficacy and tolerability of a co-formulation of insulin degludec and insulin aspart (IDegAsp) with insulin aspart (IAsp) at other meals compared with basal-bolus therapy using insulin detemir (IDet) and IAsp.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Adults (n = 548) with type 1 diabetes (A1C 7.0–10.0%; BMI ≤35.0 kg/m2) were randomized 2:1 in a 26-week, multinational, parallel-group, treat-to-target trial to IDegAsp or IDet. IDegAsp was given with a meal, and IDet was given in the evening, with a second (breakfast) dose added if needed.

RESULTS

Non-inferiority for IDegAsp versus IDet was confirmed; A1C improved by 0.75% with IDegAsp and 0.70% with IDet to 7.6% in both groups (estimated treatment difference IDegAsp − IDet: –0.05% [95% CI –0.18 to 0.08]). There was no statistically significant difference between IDegAsp and IDet in the rates of severe hypoglycemia (0.33 and 0.42 episodes/patient-year, respectively) or overall confirmed (plasma glucose <3.1 mmol/L) hypoglycemia (39.17 and 44.34 episodes/patient-year, respectively). Nocturnal confirmed hypoglycemia rate was 37% lower with IDegAsp than IDet (3.71 vs. 5.72 episodes/patient-year, P < 0.05). Weight gain was 2.3 and 1.3 kg with IDegAsp and IDet, respectively (P < 0.05). Total insulin dose was 13% lower in the IDegAsp group (P < 0.0001). No treatment differences were detected in Health-Related Quality of Life, laboratory measurements, physical examination, vital signs, electrocardiograms, fundoscopy, or adverse events.

CONCLUSIONS

IDegAsp in basal-bolus therapy with IAsp at additional mealtimes improves overall glycemic control and was non-inferior to IDet, with a reduced risk of nocturnal hypoglycemia and fewer injections in comparison with IDet + IAsp basal-bolus therapy.
Association of Serum Ferritin and the Development of Metabolic Syndrome in Middle-Aged Korean Men
Authors: Park Sung Keun , Ryoo Jae-Hong , Kim Min-Gi , Shin Ju-Young
Published: August 2012

OBJECTIVE

Elevated serum ferritin has been known to be associated with the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, there was no research to examine whether serum ferritin levels have been actually associated with the prospective development of MetS. Accordingly, we carried out a prospective study to evaluate the longitudinal effects of baseline serum ferritin levels on the development of MetS.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A MetS-free cohort of 18,022 healthy Korean men, who had participated in a medical health checkup program in 2005, was followed until 2010. MetS was defined according to the joint interim statement of the International Diabetes Federation Task Force on Epidemiology and Prevention. Cox proportional hazards models were performed.

RESULTS

During 45,919.3 person-years of follow-up, 2,127 incident cases of MetS developed between 2006 and 2010. After adjusting for multiple covariates, the hazard ratios (95% CI) for incident MetS comparing the second quintile to the fifth quintile of serum ferritin levels versus the first quintile were 1.19 (0.98–1.45), 1.17 (0.96–1.43), 1.36 (1.12–1.65), and 1.66 (1.38–2.01), respectively (P for trend <0.001). These associations were apparent in the clinically relevant subgroup analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

Elevated serum ferritin levels were independently associated with future development of MetS during the 5-year follow-up period.
Personalized Genetic Risk Counseling to Motivate Diabetes Prevention
Authors: Grant Richard W. , O’Brien Kelsey E. , Waxler Jessica L. , Vassy Jason L. , Delahanty Linda M. , Bissett Laurie G. , Green Robert C. , Stember Katherine G. , Guiducci Candace , Park Elyse R. , Florez Jose C. , Meigs James B.
Published: August 2012

OBJECTIVE

To examine whether diabetes genetic risk testing and counseling can improve diabetes prevention behaviors.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We conducted a randomized trial of diabetes genetic risk counseling among overweight patients at increased phenotypic risk for type 2 diabetes. Participants were randomly allocated to genetic testing versus no testing. Genetic risk was calculated by summing 36 single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with type 2 diabetes. Participants in the top and bottom score quartiles received individual genetic counseling before being enrolled with untested control participants in a 12-week, validated, diabetes prevention program. Middle-risk quartile participants were not studied further. We examined the effect of this genetic counseling intervention on patient self-reported attitudes, program attendance, and weight loss, separately comparing higher-risk and lower-risk result recipients with control participants.

RESULTS

The 108 participants enrolled in the diabetes prevention program included 42 participants at higher diabetes genetic risk, 32 at lower diabetes genetic risk, and 34 untested control subjects. Mean age was 57.9 ± 10.6 years, 61% were men, and average BMI was 34.8 kg/m2, with no differences among randomization groups. Participants attended 6.8 ± 4.3 group sessions and lost 8.5 ± 10.1 pounds, with 33 of 108 (30.6%) losing ≥5% body weight. There were few statistically significant differences in self-reported motivation, program attendance, or mean weight loss when higher-risk recipients and lower-risk recipients were compared with control subjects (P > 0.05 for all but one comparison).

CONCLUSIONS

Diabetes genetic risk counseling with currently available variants does not significantly alter self-reported motivation or prevention program adherence for overweight individuals at risk for diabetes.