bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The local study of a nanoBud structure
Authors: Tian Ying , Chassaing Delphine , Nasibulin Albert G. , Ayala Paola , Jiang Hua , Anisimov Anton S. , Hassanien Abdou , Kauppinen Esko I.
Published: September 2008

We studied a NanoBud structure in a local‐scale using high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) and Raman spectroscopy. The HRTEM images show fullerenes on the outer surface of a single‐walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) and the bonding between the fullerenes and SWCNT were examined by STM measurement, in which the fullerene attachment was stable against high bias imaging. We were also able to perform Raman measurement on a NanoBud structure. Characteristic features of the individual SWCNT, assigned as (16,11), and fullerenes were observed in the vibrational spectrum. The G band and the radial breathing mode (RBM) of SWCNTs as well as an additional feature at 1460 cm–1 were clearly presented simultaneously, which indicate the NanoBud structure. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Impedance and quantitative TGA characterization of transparent carbon nanotube thin films
Authors: Ferrer‐Anglada Nuria , Puigdemont Jordi Pérez , Roth Siegmar
Published: September 2008

Many applications currently under development have given rise to a great interest in transparent conductive thin films of single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). In order to construct reproducible devices with similar properties, in particular with similar impedance Z(ω), it is important to associate the electrical properties with the amount of SWCNTs in a network. We obtained thin networks of SWCNTs on transparent flexible substrates (PPC, polypropylene carbonate) with different densities of carbon nanotubes.

Using a mathematical approach, the amount of SWCNTs was determined by TGA. From optical absorption spectroscopy, we were also able to estimate the relative amount of SWCNTs. The two methods are in quite good agreement. We analysed the various samples using an Agilent Impedance analyser up to 110 MHz. When the density was increased, the electrical resistance decreased and the cutoff frequency was displaced to higher values. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
CVD growth of single‐walled B‐doped carbon nanotubes
Authors: Ayala P. , Rümmeli M. H. , Gemming T. , Kauppinen E. , Kuzmany H. , Pichler T.
Published: September 2008

Chemical Vapor Deposition is a method widely used in the synthesis of carbon nanotubes of one and multiple walls. However, the interdependent parameters playing a role in this synthesis approach are scarcely explored when single‐walled doped carbon nanotubes are the aimed product. It is well known that one method of tailoring the electronic properties of single wall carbon nanotubes is the chemical modification through incorporation of heteroatoms within the tube walls. We describe here the feasibility to use chemical vapor deposition employing high vacuum conditions and a one liquid precursor acting as B and C feedstock simultaneously. TEM exhibits small nanotube bundles containing 3 to 5 tubes with a narrow diameter distribution in relation to nanotube material produced with this method (0.9 to 1.5 nm). The boron content was probed by x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy as bulk probing method in samples with high nanotube yield. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Raman excitation profiles of β ‐carotene – novel insights into the nature of the ν1‐band
Authors: Tschirner Norman , Schenderlein Matthias , Brose Katharina , Schlodder Eberhard , Mroginski Maria Andrea , Hildebrandt Peter , Thomsen Christian
Published: September 2008

In the present work we have studied β ‐carotene dissolved in dichloromethane by means of resonance Raman spectroscopy. To obtain the Raman excitation profiles Raman spectra of β ‐carotene have been acquired at various wavelengths throughout the visible region. It was found that the position of the prominent peak at ca. 1524 cm–1 varies with the excitation wavelength indicating the involvement of two different modes. Possible origins of the different enhancement pattern of the two modes are discussed. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Characterization of the molecular mass distribution of pullulans by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry using 2,5‐dihydroxybenzoic acid butylamine (DHBB) as liquid matrix
Authors: Schnöll‐Bitai Irene , Ullmer Roman , Hrebicek Thomas , Rizzi Andreas , Lacik Igor
Published: September 2008

The performances of several matrices were investigated for the accurate determination of the molecular mass distributions of pullulans by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (MALDI‐TOFMS). The ionic liquid matrix (ILM) 2,5‐dihydroxybenzoic acid butylamine (DHBB) gave better and more reliable results than the crystalline matrices 2,5‐dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHB) and 2,4,6‐trihydroxyacetophenone (THAP). With the ILM it was possible to obtain spectra of pullulans up to more than 100 kDa, the highest molar mass reported thus far. Owing to the known advantages of liquid matrices providing better spot‐to‐spot reproducibility, an almost noise‐free spectrum and constant baselines were obtained when working under optimized conditions. In particular, the extent of in‐source fragmentation occurring with this group of fragile polymers was considerably and decisively reduced. Thus, a more reliable representation of the true oligomer and polymer distributions is experimentally attainable, especially for distributions with small polydispersity values. The maximum error in the measured distribution associated with fragmentation was estimated by model calculations describing the changes in the polymer distribution upon different probabilities of fragmentation events. These simulation results indicated that the data obtained by MALDI‐TOFMS using the liquid DHBB matrix were of high reliability. In particular, the average value of the distributions, Mw, and the polydispersity were obtained with predicted uncertainties of between 3 and 15% depending on the width of the distribution and the mass of the polymers. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Urinary metabolic profile of 19‐norsteroids in humans: glucuronide and sulphate conjugates after oral administration of 19‐nor‐4‐androstenediol
Authors: Torrado Susana , Roig Meritxell , Farré Magi , Segura Jordi , Ventura Rosa
Published: September 2008

19‐Nor‐4‐androstenediol (NOL) is a prohormone of nandrolone (ND). Both substances are included in the WADA List of Prohibited Classes of Substances and their administration is determined by the presence of 19‐norandrosterone (NA) with the urinary threshold concentration of 2 ng mL−1. Routine analytical procedures allow the determination of NA excreted free and conjugated with glucuronic acid, but amounts of ND and NOL metabolites are also excreted in the sulphate fraction. The aim of this study is to determine the urinary metabolic profile after oral administration of a nutritional supplement containing NOL. Urine samples were collected up to 96 h following supplement administration and were extracted to obtain separately three metabolic fractions: free, glucuronide and sulphate. Extraction with tert‐butyl methyl ether was performed after the hydrolysis steps and trimethylsilyl derivatives were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). After oral administration of NOL, the main metabolites detected were NA and noretiocholanolone (NE) in the glucuronide and sulphate fractions. The relative abundances of each metabolite in each fraction fluctuate with time; a few hours after administration the main metabolite was NA glucuronide whereas in the last sample (4 days after administration) the main metabolite was the NA sulphate and the second was the NE glucuronide. During the studied period almost half of the dose was excreted and the main metabolites were still found in urine after 96 h. Norepiandrosterone and norepietiocholanolone were also detected only in the sulphate fraction. Our results suggest that sulphate metabolites should be taken into consideration in order to increase the retrospectivity in the detection of 19‐norsteroids after oral administration. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Should we use one‐, or multi‐compartment models to describe 13C incorporation into animal tissues?
Authors: Carleton Scott A. , Kelly Leona , Anderson‐Sprecher Richard , del Rio Carlos Martínez
Published: September 2008

Understanding rates of isotopic incorporation and discrimination factors between tissues and diet is an important focus of ecologists seeking to use stable isotopes to track temporal changes in diet. We used a diet‐shift experiment to measure differences among tissues in 13C incorporation rates in house sparrows (Passer domesticus). We predicted faster incorporation rates in splanchnic than in structural tissues. We also assessed whether isotopic incorporation data were better supported by the one‐compartment models most commonly used by ecologists or by multi‐compartment models. We found large differences in the residence time of 13C among tissues and, as predicted, splanchnic tissues had faster rates of isotopic incorporation and thus shorter retention times than structural tissues. We found that one‐compartment models supported isotopic incorporation data better in breath, excreta, red blood cells, bone collagen, and claw tissues. However, data in plasma, intestine, liver, pectoralis muscle, gizzard, and intestine tissues supported two‐compartment models. More importantly, the inferences that we derived from the two types of models differed. Two‐compartment models estimated longer 13C residence times, and smaller tissue to diet differences in isotopic composition, than one‐compartment models. Our study highlights the importance of considering both one‐ and multi‐compartment models when interpreting laboratory and field isotopic incorporation studies. It also emphasizes the opportunities that measuring several tissues with contrasting isotopic residence times offer to elucidate animal diets at different time scales. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Development and validation of a gas chromatography/mass spectrometry metabonomic platform for the global profiling of urinary metabolites
Authors: Pasikanti Kishore K. , Ho Paul C. , Chan Eric C. Y.
Published: September 2008

This paper presents a simple and reliable gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method for the metabonomic analysis of human urine samples. The sample preparation involved the depletion of excess urea via treatment with urease and subsequent protein precipitation using ice‐cold ethanol. An aliquot of the mixture was separated, dried, trimethylsilyl (TMS)‐derivatized and 1.0 µL of the derivatized extract was injected into the GC/MS system via split injection (1:10). Approximately 150 putative metabolites belonging to different chemical classes were identified from the pooled human urine samples. All the identified metabolites were selected to evaluate precision and stability of the GC/MS assay. More than 95% of the metabolites demonstrated good reproducibility, with intra‐day and inter‐day precision values below 15%. Metabolic profiling of 53 healthy male and female urine samples in combination with pattern recognition techniques was performed to further validate the GC/MS metabolite profiling assay. Principal component analysis (PCA) followed by orthogonal partial least squares analysis (OPLS) revealed differences between urinary metabolite profiles of healthy male and female subjects. This validated GC/MS metabolic profiling method may be further applied to the metabonomic screening of urinary biomarkers in clinical studies. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Rapid metabolite identification with sub parts‐per‐million mass accuracy from biological matrices by direct infusion nanoelectrospray ionization after clean‐up on a ZipTip and LTQ/Orbitrap mass spectrometry
Authors: Erve John C. L. , DeMaio William , Talaat Rasmy E.
Published: September 2008

Metabolite identification studies remain an integral part of pre‐clinical and clinical drug development programs. Analysis of biological matrices, such as plasma, urine, feces and bile, pose challenges due to the large amounts of endogenous components that can mask a drug and its metabolites. Although direct infusion nanoelectrospray using capillaries has been used routinely for proteomic studies, metabolite identification has traditionally employed liquid chromatographic (LC) separation prior to analysis. A method is described here for rapid metabolite profiling in biological fluids that involves initial sample clean‐up using pipette tips packed with reversed‐phase material (i.e. ZipTips) to remove matrix components followed by direct infusion nanoelectrospray on an LTQ/Orbitrap mass spectrometer using a protonated polydimethylcyclosiloxane cluster ion for internal calibration. We re‐examined samples collected from a prazosin metabolism study in the rat. Results are presented that demonstrate that sub parts‐per‐million accuracies can be achieved on molecular ions, facilitating identification of metabolites, and on product ions, facilitating structural assignments. The data also show that the high‐resolution measurements (R = 100 000 at m/z 400) enable metabolites of interest to be resolved from endogenous components. The extended analysis times available with nanospray enables signal averaging for 1 min or more that is valuable when metabolites are present in low concentrations as encountered here in plasma and brain. Using this approach, the metabolic fate of a drug can be quickly obtained. A limitation of this approach is that metabolites that are structural isomers cannot be distinguished, although such information can be collected by LC/MS during follow‐on experiments. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Speciation of manganese binding to biomolecules in pine nuts (Pinus pinea) by two‐dimensional liquid chromatography coupled to ultraviolet and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry detectors followed by identification by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry
Authors: Arias‐Borrego Ana , García‐Barrera Tamara , Gómez‐Ariza José L.
Published: September 2008

Advances in analytical methodology for speciation of manganese in pine nuts are presented in this work. The approach is based on the use of orthogonal chromatographic systems, namely size‐exclusion chromatography (SEC) of the extracts and strong anion exchange (IEC) of the fractions collected by the first column. In both columns, manganese elution is first monitored by a quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) instrument equipped with an octopole reaction cell and an ultraviolet (UV) detector. SEC is performed by using two columns covering the molecular weight range from <10 to 70 kDa that allows an initial screening of the molecular weight of the Mn species. The higher resolution capability of the low molecular weight range column is the reason to use the latter for further experiments. The fraction from SEC‐ICP‐MS in which Mn is present at highest concentration is submitted to IEC‐ICP‐MS allowing Mn‐citrate and MnCl2 identification by retention time matching with standards. The concentration of these species is estimated to be 75 and 125 µg kg−1 (as Mn), respectively, in the pine nuts samples and the presence of Mn‐citrate is confirmed by nanoelectrospray ionization quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (nESI‐QqTOF‐MS). In the same fraction, a third Mn‐containing peak is detected in the IEC‐UV‐ICP‐MS chromatogram. This peak corresponds to a protein containing Mn that was later submitted to a tryptic digestion and analyzed by nESI‐QqTOF. The MS/MS data of a doubly charged peptide are used to obtain the sequence of the protein with the Mascot search engine. The peak turned out to be isocitrate dehydrogenase, a protein commonly associated with Mn. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Determination of diisopropylfluorophosphate in rat plasma and brain tissue by headspace solid‐phase microextraction gas chromatography/mass spectrometry
Authors: Xu Meng , Terry Alvin V. , Bartlett Michael G.
Published: September 2008

A simple, sensitive and rapid method for the determination of diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP) in rat plasma and brain tissue using headspace solid‐phase microextraction (HS‐SPME) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) is presented. A 65 µm polydimethylsiloxane/divinylbenzene (PDMS/DVB) fiber was selected for sampling. The main parameters affecting the SPME process such as extraction and desorption temperature, extraction and desorption time, salt addition, and fiber preheating time were optimized in each matrix to enhance the extraction efficiency of the method. The lower limits of quantitation for DFP in plasma and brain tissue were 1 ng/mL and 3 ng/g, respectively. The method showed good linearity over the range from 1–100 ng/mL in plasma and 3–300 ng/g in brain tissue with correlation coefficient (R2) values higher than 0.995. The precision and accuracy for intra‐day and inter‐day were less than 10%. The relative recoveries in plasma and brain for DFP were greater than 50%. Stability tests including autosampler and freeze and thaw were also investigated. This validated method was successfully applied to study the neurobehavioral effects of low‐level organophosphate exposures. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A serum metabolomic investigation on hepatocellular carcinoma patients by chemical derivatization followed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry
Authors: Xue Ruyi , Lin Zhenxin , Deng Chunhui , Dong Ling , Liu Taotao , Wang Jiyao , Shen Xizhong
Published: September 2008

The purpose of this study was to investigate the serum metabolic difference between hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, n = 20) male patients and normal male subjects (n = 20). Serum metabolome was detected through chemical derivatization followed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The acquired GC/MS data was analyzed by stepwise discriminant analysis (SDA) and support vector machine (SVM). The metabolites including butanoic acid, ethanimidic acid, glycerol, L‐isoleucine, L‐valine, aminomalonic acid, D‐erythrose, hexadecanoic acid, octadecanoic acid, and 9,12‐octadecadienoic acid in combination with each other gave the strongest segregation between the two groups. By applying these variables, our method provided a diagnostic model that could well discriminate between HCC patients and normal subjects. More importantly, the error count estimate for each group was 0%. The total classifying accuracy of the discriminant function tested by SVM 20‐fold cross validation was 75%. This technique is different from traditional ones and appears to be a useful tool in the area of HCC diagnosis. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
NTRU‐based sensor network security: a low‐power hardware implementation perspective
Authors: Hu Fei , Wilhelm Kyle , Schab Michael , Lukowiak Marcin , Radziszowski Stanislaw , Xiao Yang
Published: September 2008

Wireless sensor network security requires the cryptography software extremely low complex and energy efficient due to the limited memory and CPU capacity in a sensor. The NTRU (Nth degree truncated polynomial ring) encrypt algorithm has been shown to provide certain advantages when designing low power and resource constrained systems, while still providing comparable security levels to higher complexity algorithms. Unlike the current works that build NTRU software in a chip, this research focuses on the hardware implementation of NTRU algorithms because hardware implementation has much higher execution speed than software implementation. In contrast to previous research, the focus is shifted away from specific optimizations but rather provides a study of many of the recommended practices and suggested optimizations with particular emphasis on polynomial arithmetic and parameter selection. Recommendations for algorithm and parameter selection are made regarding implementation in hardware with respect to the resources available. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ovarian volume and follicle number in the diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome in Chinese women
Authors: Chen Y. , Li L. , Chen X. , Zhang Q. , Wang W. , Li Y. , Yang D.
Published: September 2008

Objective

To assess the value of ovarian volume and follicle number in the diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in a Chinese population.

Methods

This study included 432 women with PCOS selected using the National Institutes of Health criteria, who were compared with 153 age‐matched women as controls. All participants were given a transvaginal or transrectal ultrasound scan during day 3–5 of the menstrual cycle (for regularly menstruating women) or randomly (for oligomenorrheic or amenorrheic women). The ovarian volume (calculated using the simplified formula: 0.5 × length × height × width) and follicle number were obtained and the best diagnostic cut‐off values were evaluated using receiver–operating characteristics (ROC)‐curve analysis.

Results

The 10th and 90th centiles of ovarian volume in PCOS patients were 4.89 and 15.79 cm3, respectively, and the median was 9.21 cm3; the 10th and 90th centiles of follicle number were 8 and 19, respectively, and the median was 12. The 10th and 90th centiles of ovarian volume in controls were 2.43 and 7.75 cm3, respectively, and the median was 4.46 cm3; the 10th and 90th centiles of follicle number were 3 and 10, respectively, and the median was 6. The differences in ovarian volume and follicle number between patients and controls were statistically significant. The areas under the ROC curves for mean ovarian volume (MOV), maximum ovarian volume (MaxOV), mean follicle number (MFN) and maximum follicle number (MaxFN) to diagnose PCOS were 0.898, 0.882, 0.909 and 0.911, respectively. Setting the threshold for MOV at 6.4 cm3 (sensitivity 81%, specificity 85.6%), the threshold for MaxOV at 7.9 cm3 (sensitivity 78%, specificity 85.6%), the threshold for MFN at 10 (sensitivity 85.2%, specificity 88.8%) and the threshold for MaxFN at 12 (sensitivity 85.2%, specificity 92.6%) obtained the best compromise between sensitivity and specificity, based on the Youden index.

Conclusions

We conclude that ovarian volume and follicle number have satisfactory power for use in the diagnosis of PCOS. Cut‐offs of 6.4 cm3, 7.9 cm3, 10 and 12, for MOV, MaxOV, MFN and MaxFN, respectively, obtained the best compromise between sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of PCOS in Chinese women. Copyright © 2008 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Brodie's Abscess of the Distal Radius: An Unusual Complication after Percutaneous Pinning
Authors: Johnson Jeff W. , Bindra Randip R.
Published: September 2008

We report a case of Brodie's abscess of the distal radius that presented 4 years after closed reduction and percutaneous pinning for a closed distal radius fracture. This condition has not been previously reported in the adult distal radius and we detail the clinical features and imaging findings. We also present a new way of management of Brodie's abscess using injectable bone substitute along with adjunctive parenteral antibiotic therapy.
Preparation and Characteraction of New Magnetic Co–Al HTLc/Fe3O4Solid Base
Authors: Wang Jun , You Jia , Li Zhanshuang , Yang Piaoping , Jing Xiaoyan , Zhang Milin
Published: September 2008

Novel magnetic hydrotalcite-like compounds (HTLcs) were synthesized through introducing magnetic substrates (Fe3O4) into the Co–Al HTLcs materials by hydrothermal method. The magnetic Co–Al HTLcs with different Fe3O4contents were characterized in detail by XRD, FT-IR, SEM, TEM, DSC, and VSM techniques. It has been found that the magnetic substrates were incorporated with HTLcs successfully, although the addition of Fe3O4might hinder the growth rate of the crystal nucleus. The morphology of the samples showed the relatively uniform hexagonal platelet-like sheets. The grain boundaries were well defined with narrow size distribution. Moreover, the Co–Al HTLcs doped with magnetic substrates presented the paramagnetic property.
Robert Browne and the Caucus of Black Economics
Authors: Alexis Marcus , Spratlen Thaddeus , Wilson Charles Z.
Published: September 2008

Robert S. Browne the founder of the Black Economic Research Center (BERC) and the Review of Black Political Economy was a charter founder of the Caucus of Black Economists. He played an important role in the leadership of the Caucus and its efforts to increase the supply of black economists, to expand research efforts on issues of relevance to black constituencies in urban and rural America. His entrepreneurial efforts have left an indelible record of achievements which continue to influence research by black economists and practical results for economic development institutions in black communities.
Changing Attitudes to the Management of Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer—A Postal Survey of UK Urologists
Authors: Dawam D. , Naseem M.S. , Masood S. , Kourieffs C. , Sherrif M.S. , Mufti G.R. , Palmer J.H.
Published: September 2008

Introduction:

In the United Kingdom, radiotherapy as opposed to cystectomy has been the preferred treatment modality in invasive bladder cancer [Bower M, Ma R, Savage P, Abel P, Waxman J. British urological surgery practice. 2. Renal, bladder and testis cancer. BJU 1998;81:513–7]. However, there appears to have been a recent shift from this approach in favour of radical cystectomy. Against this background, we conducted to postal survey of all full UK urologists to ascertain their practice. The aim of the study was to find out about the current practice of management of muscle invasive bladder cancer in the UK, in particular the shift from radiotherapy to radical surgery as the preferred method of treatment.

Material and methods:

A 19-point questionnaire on management of muscle invasive bladder cancer was posted to all UK based full BAUS members.

Results:

478 questionnaires were sent and 139 valid responses received. Ninety percent used CT as the staging investigation; only 43% requested a bone scan. Eighty two percent offered radical cystectomy as the treatment of choice, of these 94% also undertook limited or extended pelvic node dissection. Five percent used neo-adjuvant radiotherapy. Sixty nine percent routinely undertook an ileal conduit diversion; 31% discussed other forms of diversion and only 6% undertook ortho-topic bladder reconstruction routinely. Recurrence after radiotherapy was treated by salvage cystectomy by 87%. The majority of respondents offered life-long follow-up.

Conclusion:

Radical cystectomy is the favoured treatment of UK urologists for muscle invasive bladder cancer. Ileal conduit is still the preferred method of diversion and only a small minority offer orthotopic reconstruction. Perhaps better patient education as well as better reconstructive training opportunities for cancer urologists will make neobladders a favoured option in the future.
A comparison of vaginal, laparoscopic‐assisted vaginal, and minilaparotomy hysterectomies for enlarged myomatous uteri
Authors: Sesti Francesco , Calonzi Francesca , Ruggeri Velia , Pietropolli Adalgisa , Piccione Emilio
Published: September 2008

Objective

To compare the operative data and early postoperative outcome of vaginal hysterectomy (VH), laparoscopic‐assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH), and minilaparotomy hysterectomy (MiniLPT).

Methods

A total of 150 women who required hysterectomy for enlarged myomatous uteri were randomly allocated into 3 treatment groups: VH (n = 50), LAVH (n = 50), and MiniLPT (n = 50). The primary outcome was hospital discharge time. The secondary outcomes were operative time, blood loss, paralytic ileus, postoperative pain, and intraoperative and early postoperative complications.

Results

Mean hospital discharge time was longest with MiniLPT, and shortest with VH (P < 0.01). VH was the fastest operating technique, was associated with less blood loss, and resulted in shortest duration of paralytic ileus (P < 0.01). No intraoperative complications occurred.

Conclusion

VH should be the preferred surgical approach in patients with enlarged myomatous uteri. When VH is not feasible, LAVH should be considered an alternative to MiniLPT. Further controlled prospective studies are required to confirm these results.
Braided homology of quantum groups
Authors: Hadfield Tom , Krähmer Ulrich
Published: September 2008

We study braided Hochschild and cyclic homology of ribbon algebras in braided monoidal categories, as introduced by Baez and by Akrami and Majid. We compute this invariant for several examples coming from quantum groups and braided groups.
On finite dimensionality of mixed Tate motives
Authors: Biglari Shahram
Published: September 2008

We prove a few results concerning the notion of finite dimensionality of mixed Tate motives in the sense of Kimura and O'Sullivan. It is shown that being oddly or evenly finite dimensional is equivalent to vanishing of certain cohomology groups defined by means of the Levine weight filtration. We then explain the relation to the Grothendieck group of the triangulated category D of mixed Tate motives. This naturally gives rise to a λ–ring structure on K0(D).
What you think is not what they get: significant discrepancies between prescribed and administered doses of tube feeding
Authors: van den Broek Paulina W. J. H. , Rasmussen-Conrad Ellen L. , Naber Anton H. J. , Wanten Geert J. A.
Published: September 2008

Enteral tube feeding remains an indispensible strategy to treat disease-related malnutrition. In the present study we evaluated in clinical practice whether prescribed feeding volumes correspond with administered quantities and we highlight possible causes for discrepancies. During a 4-month observation period data from all patients fully depending on tube feeding (1·5–2·5 litres/d) were collected in a Dutch 900-bed academic hospital. The range for administered feeds to be adequate was set at 100 ± 10 % of the prescribed dose. Fifty-five patients (mean age 57 (sd 30) years) were included. Tube feeding was given continuously via pump (n 37) or drip (n 3), in portions (n 14) or by combined modes (n 1). Administered tube feeding amounts were significantly lower than prescribed in 40 % of all patients (P ≤ 0·001). The mean ratio of administered v. prescribed energy was 87 (sd 21) % (all modes), 85 (sd 24) % (pump), 94 (sd 12) % (portions) and 88·3 (sd 18·1) % (drip), respectively. The mean energy deficit amounted to 1089 kJ/d (range − 7955 to +795). Only on intensive care unit wards did feeding administration meet the set goal. Feeding interruptions because of diagnostic or therapeutic procedures were the main reason for decreased intakes. Our findings show that many patients relying on tube feeding do not meet their nutritional goals during hospital stay. This problem can be addressed by adapting feeding schedules and the use of formulations with a higher energy density.
Is the use of ultrasound-derived prediction equations for adults useful for estimating total and regional skeletal muscle mass in Japanese children?
Authors: Midorikawa Taishi , Sanada Kiyoshi , Yoshitomi Aiko , Abe Takashi
Published: September 2008

The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether ultrasound-derived prediction equations for estimating total and regional skeletal muscle (SM) mass in adults are applicable for prepubertal children and adolescents. Ten Japanese prepubertal children and twenty-one adolescents volunteered for the study. Contiguous MRI images with a 1 cm slice thickness were obtained from the first cervical vertebra to the ankle joints as reference data. The SM volume was calculated from the summation of digitised cross-sectional areas. The regional SM volume was determined by anatomical landmarks visible in the scanned images. The volume units were converted into mass by an assumed SM density (1·041 g/cm3). Muscle thickness was measured by B-mode ultrasound at nine sites on different muscles (lateral forearm, anterior and posterior upper arm, abdomen, subscapular, anterior and posterior thigh, anterior and posterior lower leg). Total and regional SM mass was estimated using adult prediction equations. Mean values between measured and predicted total and regional segments of SM mass were not significantly different for adolescents, but were for prepubertal children. There was a relatively large range of the 95 % limits of agreement both in prepubertal children and adolescents. These results suggest that the adult ultrasound-derived prediction equations are useful for estimating total and regional SM mass for adolescents at the group level, but the relatively high degree of variability suggested limited reliability at the individual level both in prepubertal children and adolescents.
LATITUDINARIANISM AND APOCALYPTIC HISTORY IN THE WORLDVIEW OF GILBERT BURNET, 1643–1715*
Authors: CLAYDON TONY
Published: September 2008

Although one of the most influential figures of his time, Bishop Gilbert Burnet has become one of the most neglected. This article outlines Burnet's worldview, arguing that it can only be partly understood by labelling him a ‘latitudinarian’ as scholars have hitherto tended to. Alongside Burnet's conventionally latitudinarian descriptions of Christianity as a set of rational and simple beliefs that could command very wide assent, the bishop also had a strong sense of history as a providential and apocalyptic unfolding of a battle between ‘true’ and ‘false’ churches, which was characterized by a powerful European dimension and by an identification of Antichrist with religious persecution. The article concludes with suggestions about how such lines of thought might have cohered with the more traditionally ‘latitudinarian’ elements of Burnet's philosophy, and about how they might allow historians to re-think the latitudinarian movement more generally.
PARLIAMENTARY ENCLOSURE, PROPERTY, POPULATION, AND THE DECLINE OF CLASSICAL REPUBLICANISM IN EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY BRITAIN
Authors: THOMPSON S. J.
Published: September 2008

The pamphlet debate concerning the perceived effects of parliamentary enclosure on property and population in eighteenth-century Britain has been largely neglected by intellectual historians. One consequence of this debate was to undermine the credibility of the classical republican economic vision of agrarian simplicity, due to its proponents' failure to come to terms with the enormous disjunction between ancient and modern economies. Although the enclosure of agricultural land had provoked hostility since at least the fifteenth century, after 1700 its opponents developed new arguments to take account of the legislature's increasingly prominent role in facilitating the process. In doing so, anti-enclosure writers drew on classical republican ideas, arguing that enclosure was contrary to the public interest because it eroded the independence of the yeomanry, valorized by numerous republican authorities as integral to the country's military strength. In their criticisms of modern policy, these writers praised the agrarian laws of the Roman republic, as well as the Tudor tillage acts. The agricultural ‘improvers’, on the other hand, denied the validity of these precedents on the grounds that the historical contingencies which had produced the Roman agrarian laws, or the Tudor tillage acts, were of limited relevance in a society based on the interdependence of agriculture, manufactures, and commerce.
BRITISH REPRESENTATIVES AND THE SURVEILLANCE OF ITALIAN AFFAIRS, 1860–70*
Authors: WRIGHT O. J.
Published: September 2008

During the nineteenth century the British consular service was often dismissed as an organization with purely commercial responsibilities. A succession of governments and diplomats insisted upon this notion, despite the fact that at certain times both relied very much on consular officials for information on foreign affairs. This dependence was especially evident in Italy during the decade after 1860, when British leaders had lent their moral and diplomatic support to the creation of the modern Italian state against considerable international opposition. During this period their desire not to see the achievement undone led them to maintain a close watch on Italian affairs. The contribution made in this area by the consular service, and the manner in which it was reorganized in response to Italian unification, show how such a role could take priority over its other functions. Although this state of affairs was no doubt exceptional on account of the remarkable level of British interest in the Unification of Italy, it nonetheless provides a clear demonstration of how the organization could be used under certain circumstances. The extent to which British consuls were used to monitor affairs in post-unification Italy also encourages reflection upon the widespread view that British foreign policy rejected interventionism in favour of isolation from European affairs during the 1860s.
ARCHIMANDRITE MIKHAIL (SEMENOV) AND RUSSIAN CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM
Authors: DIXON SIMON
Published: September 2008

Sex, populism, and the search for universal religious freedom were the overwhelming preoccupations of Russia's Silver Age, and no churchman did more to engage with them than Archimandrite Mikhail (Semenov). Having spearheaded the Russian Orthodox church's mission to the intelligentsia in the years before 1905, he fell from grace when Russian social Christianity was irrevocably politicized by revolution. Sacked from his chair at the St Petersburg theological academy when he declared himself a Christian socialist, he was unfrocked for converting to the Old Belief, and imprisoned for fomenting sedition. Yet even as he lurched from the established church, via the schism, to a revolutionary form of Golgothan Christianity, obsessed with suffering, Mikhail never abandoned his burning desire to build the kingdom of heaven on earth. His career, which has so far escaped detailed historical investigation, encapsulates most of the ecclesiastical tensions of his time, and reveals in particularly acute form the difficulties experienced by the Russian church when it attempted to respond to modernist intellectuals and to popular spiritual need.
PROVINCE, METROPOLIS, AND THE LITERARY CAREER OF PHYLLIS BENTLEY IN THE 1930s*
Authors: RUSSELL DAVE
Published: September 2008

In spite of a welcome and ever growing academic interest in the lives and work of twentieth-century women writers the Yorkshire novelist, Phyllis Bentley, has remained resolutely hidden from view. This article seeks to demonstrate her importance as a ‘middlebrow’ novelist, particularly in the 1930s, and to examine the ways in which her career sheds light on contemporary relationships between the ‘provincial’ and the ‘metropolitan’. Through consideration of both her private papers and her fiction, it analyses Bentley's complex relationship with both her home town of Halifax and the West Riding more widely. It argues that Bentley played a major role in creating a greater space within the national culture for the representation of provincial, especially northern, life, while also displaying a profound ambivalence toward that very life. While in many ways a passionate and articulate interpreter of the region in which she spent virtually all of her adult life, she also clearly felt constricted by her provincial location and cultural setting, especially when in contact with the London-based literary elite; her relationship with Vera Brittain was particularly highly charged in this regard.
RECENT WORK IN BRITISH NAVAL HISTORY, 1750–1815
Authors: RODGER N. A. M.
Published: September 2008

This is a selective survey of books published over the last ten years or so and bearing on British naval history in the second half of the long eighteenth century.
New presentation of familial medullary thyroid carcinoma in 87-year-old patient with high-riskRETproto-oncogene codon 620 mutation
Authors: Jaggard M K J , MacRae C , Ifeacho S , Robinson S , Tolley N S
Published: September 2008

Objective:

We report a case of familial medullary thyroid carcinoma in an 87-year-old woman, despite the patient having a high-risk codon 620 mutation.

Method:

Medline and PubMed were searched for cases and literature reviews relating to the following keywords: ‘codon 620’, ‘medullary thyroid carcinoma’, ‘multiple endocrine neoplasia’ and ‘RET proto-oncogene’.

Results:

We report the case of an 87-year-old woman who presented with a goitre, later identified as medullary thyroid carcinoma. Genetic analysis revealed aRETproto-oncogene codon 620 mutation. Genetic testing has revolutionised the management of medullary thyroid carcinoma. The genetic basis of hereditary medullary thyroid carcinoma lies with theRETproto-oncogene. Several disease-causing mutations of this gene have been identified and their clinical prognosis described. The penetrance of these mutations is high; as such, carriers progress to develop medullary thyroid carcinoma at a young age. Mutations at the codon 620 position are classified as high-risk for early development of medullary thyroid carcinoma; thus, the current recommendation is for prophylactic thyroidectomy at five years of age.

Conclusions:

In this case, the progress of hereditary medullary thyroid carcinoma was unique, considering the late presentation of medullary thyroid carcinoma despite the presence of the high-riskRETproto-oncogene codon 620 mutation. The authors wish to highlight the importance of this case, as it may present a counter-argument to the current recommendations for early, prophylactic thyroidectomy in codon 620 mutation carriers in order to prevent early development of medullary thyroid carcinoma.
Is second language lexical access prosodically constrained? Processing of word stress by French Canadian second language learners of English
Authors: TREMBLAY ANNIE
Published: September 2008

The objectives of this study are (a) to determine if native speakers of Canadian French at different English proficiencies can use primary stress for recognizing English words and (b) to specify how the second language (L2) learners' (surface-level) knowledge of L2 stress placement influences their use of primary stress in L2 word recognition. Two experiments were conducted: a cross-modal word-identification task investigating (a) and a vocabulary production task investigating (b). The results show that several L2 learners can use primary stress for recognizing English words, but only the L2 learners with targetlike knowledge of stress placement can do so. The results also indicate that knowing where primary stress falls in English words is not sufficient for L2 learners to be able to use stress for L2 lexical access. This suggests that the problem that L2 word stress poses for many native speakers of (Canadian) French is at the level of lexical processing.
Expressive language style among adolescents and adults with Williams syndrome
Authors: CRAWFORD NICOLE A. , EDELSON LISA R. , SKWERER DANIELA PLESA , TAGER-FLUSBERG HELEN
Published: September 2008

Language samples elicited through a picture description task were recorded from 38 adolescents and adults with Williams syndrome (WS) and one control group matched on age, and another matched on age, IQ, and vocabulary knowledge. The samples were coded for use of various types of inferences, dramatic devices, and verbal fillers; acoustic analyses of prosodic features were carried out, and an independent group of judges provided global ratings of the overall expressiveness of the language. In addition, a standardized measure of social adaptive functioning was administered to the parents of the participants with WS. The findings revealed distinctive developmental trends in the use of expressive content and prosodic patterns by adolescents and adults with WS that were not evident among the controls. Ratings of expressiveness by naive judges of the speech samples produced by the participants with WS were related to parent evaluations of adaptive social communication skills; however, the verbal productions of this group were not judged to be significantly more expressive than those of controls.
Factors that influence comprehension of connectives among language minority children from Spanish-speaking backgrounds
Authors: CROSSON AMY C. , LESAUX NONIE K. , MARTINIELLO MARIA
Published: September 2008

This study explores factors influencing the degree to which language minority (LM) children from Spanish-dominant homes understand how connectives, such asin contrastandbecause, signal relationships between text propositions. Standardized tasks of vocabulary, listening comprehension, word reading, and a researcher-designed text cohesion task were administered to 90 fourth-grade LM students. Understanding of connectives was influenced by vocabulary knowledge and listening comprehension. The degree of challenge that specific connectives posed to LM students was predicted by the difficulty that connectives presented as vocabulary items and also by the type of semantic relationship between clauses they signaled. The findings point to factors that may present sources of difficulty underlying reading comprehension, in particular the critical role of oral language competencies.
Disarticulated acanthodian and chondrichthyan remains from the upper Middle Devonian Aztec Siltstone, southern Victoria Land, Antarctica
Authors: Burrow Carole J. , Long John A. , Trinajstic Kate
Published: September 2008

Well-preserved vertebrate microremains are abundant in the residues from a calcareous grey siltstone in thekarawakabiozone (?late Givetian) of the Aztec Siltstone at Mount Crean, Lashly Mountains, Antarctica. Acanthodians are represented by scales of acritolepidPechoralepis juozasisp. nov., climatiidNostolepissp. cf.N. gaujensisValiukevičius, diplacanthidMilesacanthus antarcticaYoung & Burrow, and an undetermined acanthodiform. The acanthodian assemblage resembles those from early Frasnian carbonates of central Iran. Chondrichthyan elements in the fauna include rare teeth ofAztecodus harmsenaeLong & Young andAntarctilamna priscaYoung, ctenacanthoid-type scales and branchial denticles which are possibly fromAntarctilamna, and scales of an indeterminate chondrichthyan. An isolated set of acanthodid acanthodiform jaws from the uppermost ‘phyllolepid’ biozone of the Aztec Siltstone at Mount Ritchie, Warren Range, Antarctica is also described.
Relation of individual differences in impulsivity to nonclinical emotional decision making
Authors: SWEITZER MAGGIE M. , ALLEN PHILIP A. , KAUT KEVIN P.
Published: September 2008

Impulsivity has been identified as a behavioral precursor to addiction, and may be the manifestation of a neurological vulnerability. The present study investigated whether individual differences in impulsivity were associated with performance on the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT, a test of emotional decision making thought to be associated in part with ventromedial prefrontal cortex function) and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task (WCST, a set-shifting thought to be associated in part with dorsolateral prefrontal cortex function). Subjects were screened for impulsivity using the BIS-11 (self-report) and a delay discounting questionnaire (a behavioral measure of impulsivity). High impulsivity was associated with poorer performance on the final block of trials of the IGT but was not significantly related to WCST performance. Both measures were significantly correlated with scores on the BIS. These results provide support for hypothesis that, in a nonclinical sample, impulsivity may vary systematically with performance on neuropsychological indicators of prefrontal function. (JINS, 2008, 14, 878–882.)