bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Opening Up Their Doors
Authors: Wooster Joanna , Eshel Ariela , Moore Andrea , Mishra Meenoo , Toledo Carlos , Uhl Gary , Aguero Linda Wright-De
Published: June 2011

In 1998, the U.S. government launched the Minority AIDS Initiative (MAI) to address growing ethnic and racial disparities in HIV/AIDS cases. The CDC performed an evaluation of its MAI-funded programs, including an assessment of community stakeholders’ perspective on the involvement of the faith community in HIV prevention. Individual interviews ( N = 113) were conducted annually over 3 years in four communities. The majority of participants described a change in faith community’s attitudes toward HIV and a rise in HIV-related activities conducted by faith-based organizations. Participants attributed changes to faith-based funding, acknowledgment by African American community leadership that HIV is a serious health issue, and faith leaders’ desire to become more educated on HIV/AIDS. Participants reported conservative faith doctrine and stigma as barriers to faith community involvement. The findings suggest that although barriers remain, there is an increased willingness to address HIV/AIDS, and the faith community serves as a vital resource in HIV prevention.
Odor identity influences tracking of temporally patterned plumes in Drosophila
Authors: Krishnan Parthasarathy , Duistermars Brian J , Frye Mark A
Published: June 2011

Background

Turbulent fluid landscapes impose temporal patterning upon chemical signals, and the dynamical neuronal responses to patterned input vary across the olfactory receptor repertoire in flies, moths, and locusts. Sensory transformations exhibit low pass filtering that ultimately results in perceptual fusion of temporally transient sensory signals. For example, humans perceive a sufficiently fast flickering light as continuous, but the frequency threshold at which this fusion occurs varies with wavelength. Although the summed frequency sensitivity of the fly antenna has been examined to a considerable extent, it is unknown how intermittent odor signals are integrated to influence plume tracking behavior independent of wind cues, and whether temporal fusion for behavioral tracking might vary according to the odor encountered.

Results

Here we have adopted a virtual reality flight simulator to study the dynamics of plume tracking under different experimental conditions. Flies tethered in a magnetic field actively track continuous (non-intermittent) plumes of vinegar, banana, or ethyl butyrate with equal precision. However, pulsing these plumes at varying frequency reveals that the threshold rate, above which flies track the plume as if it were continuous, is unique for each odorant tested. Thus, the capability of a fly to navigate an intermittent plume depends on the particular odorant being tracked during flight. Finally, we measured antennal field potential responses to an intermittent plume, found that receptor dynamics track the temporal pattern of the odor stimulus and therefore do not limit the observed behavioral temporal fusion limits.

Conclusions

This study explores the flies' ability to track odor plumes that are temporally intermittent. We were surprised to find that the perceptual critical fusion limit, determined behaviorally, is strongly dependent on odor identity. Antennal field potential recordings indicate that peripheral processing of temporal cues faithfully follow rapid odor transients above the rates that can be resolved behaviorally. These results indicate that (1) higher order circuits create a perceptually continuous signal from an intermittent sensory one, and that (2) this transformation varies with odorant rather than being constrained by sensory-motor integration, thus (3) offering an entry point for examining the mechanisms of rapid olfactory decision making in an ecological context.
Postprandial lipid responses to an alpha-linolenic acid-rich oil, olive oil and butter in women: A randomized crossover trial
Authors: Svensson Julia , Rosenquist Anna , Ohlsson Lena
Published: June 2011

Background

Postprandial lipaemia varies with gender and the composition of dietary fat due to the partitioning of fatty acids between beta-oxidation and incorporation into triacylglycerols (TAGs). Increasing evidence highlights the importance of postprandial measurements to evaluate atherogenic risk. Postprandial effects of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) in women are poorly characterized. We therefore studied the postprandial lipid response of women to an ALA-rich oil in comparison with olive oil and butter, and characterized the fatty acid composition of total lipids, TAGs, and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) in plasma.

Methods

A randomized crossover design (n = 19) was used to compare the postprandial effects of 3 meals containing 35 g fat. Blood samples were collected at regular intervals for 7 h. Statistical analysis was carried out with ANOVA (significant difference = P < 0.05).

Results

No significant difference was seen in incremental area under the curve (iAUC) plasma-TAG between the meals. ALA and oleic acid levels were significantly increased in plasma after ALA-rich oil and olive oil meals, respectively. Palmitic acid was significantly increased in plasma-TAG after the butter meal. The ratios of 18:2 n-6 to18:3 n-3 in plasma-TAGs, three and seven hours after the ALA-rich oil meal, were 1.5 and 2.4, respectively. The corresponding values after the olive oil meal were: 13.8 and 16.9; and after the butter meal: 9.0 and 11.6.

Conclusions

The postprandial p-TAG and NEFA response in healthy pre-menopausal women was not significantly different after the intake of an ALA-rich oil, olive oil and butter. The ALA-rich oil significantly affected different plasma lipid fractions and improved the ratio of n-6 to n-3 fatty acids several hours postprandially.
Predictive value of obsessive-compulsive drinking scale (OCDS) for outcome in alcohol-dependent inpatients: results of a 24-month follow-up study
Authors: Schmidt Peggy , Helten Claudia , Soyka Michael
Published: June 2011

Background

The present study examined whether craving as measured by the obsessive-compulsive drinking scale (OCDS) predict long-term outcome in alcohol-dependent inpatients.

Methods

This was a 24-month prospective, observational study in 198 alcohol-dependent inpatients treated under standardized conditions. The primary outcome criterion was abstinence, defined as no subjective report or objective indication of alcohol consumption since discharge from treatment. The patients self-rated their craving for alcohol at the 6- and 12-month follow-ups by using the German version of the OCDS, which measures obsessive and compulsive aspects of craving. Univariate and logistic regression analyses with covariates were performed.

Results

Of the 104 patients interviewed at the 24-month follow-up, 60% (n= 62) were abstinent. We found significant associations between total OCDS scores at 6 months and outcome at 12 months and between total OCDS scores at 12 months and outcome at 24 months: the higher the OCDS total score at one follow-up evaluation, the less likely patients were to be abstinent at the subsequent one. The same association was found for each of the two OCDS subscales, control and consequences and drinking obsessions.

Conclusions

These results support earlier findings that OCDS scores can predict outcome in alcohol-dependent patients. This information can be used for the timely development of protective resources. Hence, decisions over the use of resources can be made on the basis of objectified parameters to develop a personalized treatment concept. Consequently, economic considerations can induce a reduction of high medical costs.
Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time Versus Antifactor Xa Heparin Assay in Monitoring Unfractionated Heparin by Continuous Intravenous Infusion
Authors: Guervil David J , Rosenberg Amy F , Winterstein Almut G , Harris Neil S , Johns Thomas E , Zumberg Marc S
Published: June 2011

Background:

Unfractionated heparin (UFH) has been used clinically for 5 decades. Despite being a cornerstone of anticoagulation, UFH is limited by its unpredictable pharmacokinetic profile, which makes close laboratory monitoring necessary. The most common methods for monitoring UFH are the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and antifactor Xa heparin assay (anti-Xa HA), but both present challenges, and the optimal method to monitor UFH remains unclear.

Objective:

To compare the performance of the aPTT with the anti-Xa HA for efficiency and safety of monitoring intravenous UFH infusions.

Methods:

This was a single-center, retrospective, observational cohort study conducted in an 852-bed academic medical center.

Results:

One hundred patients receiving intravenous UFH for a variety of indications were enrolled in the study; 50 were assigned to each group. The mean (SD) time to achieve therapeutic anticoagulation was significantly less in the anti-Xa HA group compared with the aPTT group (28 [16] vs 48 [26] hours, p < 0.001). In addition, a greater percentage of anti-Xa HA patients compared to aPTT patients achieved therapeutic anticoagulation at 24 hours (OR 3.5; 95% CI 1.5 to 8.7) and 48 hours (OR 10.9; 95% CI 3.3 to 44.2). Patients in the anti-Xa HA group also had more test values within the therapeutic range (66% vs 42%, p < 0.0001). A significant difference was seen between the 2 groups in the number of aPTT or anti-Xa HA tests performed per 24 hours (p < 0.0001) and number of infusion rate changes per 24 hours (p < 0.01), both favoring the anti-Xa HA group.

Conclusions:

Monitoring intravenous UFH infusions with the anti-Xa HA, compared to the aPTT, achieves therapeutic anticoagulation more rapidly, maintains the values within the goal range for a longer time, and requires fewer adjustments in dosage and repeated tests.
Prognostic Impact of Phosphorylated HER-2 in HER-2+ Primary Breast Cancer
Authors: Hayashi Naoki , Iwamoto Takayuki , Gonzalez-Angulo Ana M. , Ferrer-Lozano Jaime , Lluch Ana , Niikura Naoki , Bartholomeusz Chandra , Nakamura Seigo , Hortobagyi Gabriel N. , Ueno Naoto T.
Published: June 2011

Purpose.

Tyrosine 1248 is one of the autophosphorylation sites of human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER)-2. We determined the prognostic value of the expression level of tyrosine 1248–phosphorylated HER-2 (pHER-2) in patients with HER-2+ primary breast cancer using a reverse-phase protein array.

Patients and Methods.

The optimal cutoff value of pHER-2 for segregating disease-free survival (DFS) was determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Five-year DFS for pHER-2 expression level was estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method using both derivation (n = 162) and validation (n = 227) cohorts.

Results.

Of the 162 patients in the derivation cohort, 26 had high HER-2 expression levels. The area under the ROC curve for pHER-2 level and DFS was 0.662. Nineteen of the 162 patients (11.7%) had high pHER-2 expression levels (pHER-2high); 143 patients (88.3%) had low pHER-2 expression levels (pHER-2low). Among the 26 patients with high HER-2 expression levels, the 17 pHER-2high patients had a significantly lower 5-year DFS rate than the nine pHER-2low patients (23.5% versus 77.8%). On multivariate analysis, only pHER-2high independently predicted DFS in the Cox proportional hazards model. In the validation cohort, among 61 patients with high HER-2 expression, the difference in 5-year DFS rates between pHER-2high (n = 7) and pHER-2low (n = 54) patients was marginal (57.1% versus 81.5%).

Conclusion.

In patients with HER-2+ primary breast cancer, pHER-2high patients had a lower 5-year DFS rate than pHER-2low patients. Quantification of pHER-2 expression level may provide prognostic information beyond the current standard HER-2 status.
Influence of calcium nitrate and nitrite on the constitution of AFm and AFt cement hydrates
Authors: Balonis Magdalena , Mędala Marta , Glasser Fredrik P.
Published: June 2011

Layered double hydroxides corresponding to Ca4Al2(NO3)2(OH)12·4H2O and Ca4Al2(NO2)2(OH)12·4H2O (nitrate and nitrite AFm phases, respectively) were synthesised and characterised using x-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Solubility and regions of stability, including thermodynamic data, are presented. Ionic speciations at various temperatures were calculated. The water content of nitrate AFm was found to be sensitive to humidity conditions, unlike nitrite AFm whose water content seems to be independent of the moisture conditions over a wide range of pH2O. Nitrates and nitrites readily displace hydroxide, sulfate and carbonate from the AFm structures so AFm is mainly responsible for storing nitrite and nitrate in cement solids. A comprehensive picture of the phase relations of AFm phases and the binding power for nitrite/nitrate is given for pH∼12 and a temperature of 25°C. The presence of nitrate and nitrite alter the AFm/AFt balance and affect the specific volume of paste solids. Implications for the distribution of nitrate and nitrite in cements undergoing alteration are discussed.
High-TC superconductivity in ultrathin crystals: implications for microscopic theory
Authors: Harshman Dale R. , Fiory Anthony T.
Published: June 2011

High-transition temperature (high-TC) superconductivity is associated with layered crystal structures. This work considers superconductivity in ultrathin crystals (of thickness equal to the transverse structural periodicity distance d for one formula unit) of 32 cuprate, ruthenate, rutheno-cuprate, iron pnictide, organic and transuranic compounds, wherein intrinsic optimal (highest) transition temperatures TC0 (10−150 K) are assumed. Sheet transition temperatures TCS = αTC0, where α < 1, are determined from Kosterlitz–Thouless (KT) theory of phase transitions in two-dimensional superconductors. Calculation of α involves superconducting sheet carrier densities NS derived theoretically from crystal structure, ionic valences, and known doping, a two-fluid model for the temperature dependence of the superconducting magnetic penetration depth, and experimental data on KT transitions; α is on average 0·83 (varying with standard deviation 0·11). Experiments on several thin crystal structures of thickness dF approaching d are shown to be consistent with the calculations of TC0 from microscopic superconductivity theory and with TCS from KT theory, where the presence of disorder is also taken into account; careful analyses of these thin film studies indicate a minimum thickness dF ≈ d for superconductivity.
The use of adaptive finite-element limit analysis to reveal slip-line fields
Authors: MARTIN C. M.
Published: June 2011

The numerical method known as finite-element limit analysis (FELA) is generally employed as a tool for obtaining lower and upper bounds on the exact collapse load of a perfectly plastic structure or continuum. Most applications of FELA in geotechnical engineering have focused on plane strain problems involving the classical Tresca and Mohr–Coulomb yield criteria, and considerable computational effort has been expended on the calculation of lower- and upper-bound solutions for particular problems. This paper discusses and demonstrates an alternative use of FELA – as a tool for ascertaining slip-line fields for plane strain problems. A simple but effective strategy for adaptive mesh refinement is a key feature of the process; it allows the layout of plastic regions, rigid regions and velocity discontinuities to be determined by inspection of the FELA mesh. The corresponding slip-line field can then be constructed numerically in the usual way. The examples presented are restricted to purely cohesive soil, but the same approach is applicable in principle to frictional or cohesive-frictional materials.
Critical state friction angle of sands
Authors: SADREKARIMI A. , OLSON S.M.
Published: June 2011

The friction angle is the most important parameter used for analysing the response of sands to loading. However, its variation with stress level, fabric and particle damage has been debated. This study examines the yield and critical state friction angles of three sands using triaxial compression and ring shear tests. Only contractive responses were used to define the yield friction angles and the critical state friction angles from the triaxial tests. However, both contractive and dilative (through particle damage) specimens reached a critical state in the ring shear tests, and therefore critical state friction angles were defined from both dense and loose specimens. The yield friction angle was affected by the initial sand fabric, decreasing as the pre-shear void ratio increased. In contrast, the critical state friction angle from the ring shear tests was independent of stress paths analysed in this paper, independent of initial sand fabric, and decreased only slightly with stress level, becoming essentially constant at stresses larger than about 200 kPa. Its value depended primarily on particle mineralogy and shape (angularity). Particle damage induced in the ring shear tests increased the critical state friction angle by a few degrees, as a wider range of particle sizes and more angular particles were produced.
Disabling Health Care? Medicaid Managed Care and People with Disabilities in America
Authors: Hiranandani Vanmala S.
Published: June 2011

Medicaid, America's largest government‐funded health insurance program, plays a pivotal role in providing health services to eight million adults with disabilities. Since the mid‐1990s, many Medicaid programs have aggressively introduced managed care, which reconfigures service delivery using business principles. Most states have insufficient experience in developing managed care plans for Medicaid beneficiaries with disabilities. Middle‐aged adults with physical disabilities present their own constellation of health care issues that is not readily appreciated in health and social services research. This qualitative research examined the implications of Medicaid managed care by conducting in‐depth interviews with a total of thirty respondents with physical disabilities in the age range of 45‐64 years enrolled in a mandatory managed care program in the eastern seaboard of United States. The purpose of the study was to understand their experiences in accessing physical health care services and to ascertain the effects of managed care on their health and well‐being. This study found beneficiaries encounter numerous barriers in accessing preventative, treatment, and acute care services. Overall, access to care is difficult when the required service is expensive (eg. new wheelchairs, repairs to wheelchairs, special beds, and expensive medications). When services are delayed or denied, physical conditions, emotional and economic well‐being, and social participation are negatively affected. Although the lived realities of accessing managed care services that surfaced in this study can be viewed as reasonably representative of the experiences of disabled Medicaid beneficiaries given the cross‐disability nature of the sample, the study does not claim generalizability across the country. States have considerable latitude in designing their Medicaid programs through decisions such as eligible services, calculation of income and assets for enrollment, and optional categories for benefits. As Medicaid programs face uncertainty in coming years, first‐hand accounts of the most vulnerable populations provide invaluable insights to evaluate the consequences of neo‐liberal health reforms.
Differences in Anti‐Poverty Approaches in Europe and The United States: A Cross‐Atlantic Descriptive Policy Analysis
Authors: Caminada Koen , Martin Megan C.
Published: June 2011

Poverty alleviation is an important objective of European countries and of the United States. If these ‘rich’ states offer elaborate systems of income maintenance, why is there still a considerable amount of poverty? And why are anti‐poverty outcomes so different in the United States compared to European countries? This paper completes a trilogy of cross‐country research papers on anti‐poverty policy. Two former papers analyzed the effects of social transfers on both poverty levels and poverty alleviation through tax and social transfer systems. These papers marked the United States as an outlier: high poverty rates, low public social spending but high private social expenditures, a rather strong belief that people are poor because of laziness or lack of will, and remarkable differences across the Federal States caused by state discretion. Therefore, this paper discusses differences in anti‐poverty approaches between the European Union and the United States.
The effect of hydrodistillation techniques on yield, kinetics, composition and antimicrobial activity of essential oils from flowers of Lavandula officinalis L.
Authors: Stanojevic Ljiljana , Stankovic Mihajlo , Cakic Milorad , Nikolic Vesna , Nikolic Ljubisa , Ilic Dusica , Radulovic Niko
Published: June 2011

The essential oils from flowers of Lavandula officinalis L. (L. officinalis
L. = L. angustifolia Mill.) were obtained by two hydrodistillation
techniques: standard (technique I) and modified (technique II) Clevenger
hydrodistillation. The yield, hydrodistillation kinetics, composition and
antimicrobial activity of essential oils were investigated. The higher yield
of oil was obtained by hydrodistillation technique II. The new analytical
hydrodistillation kinetics model of essential oil from Lavandulae flowers was
defined. The essential oil composition was analyzed by gas
chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). There are differences in chemical
compositions of the oils obtained by different techniques. Antimicrobial
activity of essential oil obtained by technique I and II against Salmonella
enteritidis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus
faecalis, Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger is the same, while the
activity against Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa is slightly
different.
New Species of the Genus Lasioderma (Coleoptera, Anobiidae) from Crimea and the Caucasus
Authors: Toskina I.
Published: June 2011

New Species of the Genus Lasioderma (Coleoptera, Anobiidae) from Crimea and the Caucasus

Five species of the genus Lasioderma Stephens, 1835 from Crimea (L. dolini sp. n., L. tauricum sp. n.), North Caucasus (L. prolixum sp. n., L. sparsum sp. n.), and Armenia (L. morulum sp. n.) are described. A key to 17 species of the genus Lasioderma occurring in these regions is compiled.
Towards an Analysis of Daylighting Simulation Software
Authors: Acosta Ignacio , Navarro Jaime , Sendra Juan J.
Published: June 2011

The aim of this article was to assess some of the main lighting software programs habitually used in architecture, subjecting them to a series of trials and analyzing the light distribution obtained in situations with different orientations, dates and geometry. The analysis examines Lightscape 3.2, Desktop Radiance 2.0, Lumen Micro 7.5, Ecotect 5.5 and Dialux 4.4.
Anabolic Androgenic Steroids—Use and Correlates among Gym Users—An Assessment Study Using Questionnaires and Observations at Gyms in the Stockholm Region
Authors: Leifman Håkan , Rehnman Charlotta , Sjöblom Erika , Holgersson Stefan
Published: June 2011

The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of anabolic androgenic steroid (AAS) use and offers to use among gym users in Stockholm County (Sweden), and to conduct a comparison of concordance in estimates of AAS and supplements at gyms between two data collection methods. A questionnaire was distributed to members at 36 training facilities and 1,752 gym users participated in the study. An observation study was conducted as covert participant observations at 64 gyms. According to the questionnaire, 3.9% of men reported life time use of AAS, 1.4% use during the past 12 months and 0.4% AAS use during past 30 days. Not only were there similar patterns found in the two methods, i.e., similar age and gender distributions for AAS use, but analyses of concordance showed that gyms with a higher prevalence of self-reported AAS-use and supplement use (questionnaire) showed a significantly higher proportion of observer-assessed AAS users. Analyses of individual predictors showed that AAS users were almost always young men, regular weight trainers and more often users of drugs and nutritional supplements. The higher prevalence of AAS use among gym users than in the general population makes the former an appropriate target group for AAS prevention. The connection between supplements, drugs and AAS use suggests that effective AAS prevention need to focus on several risk factors for AAS use. The clear resemblance in estimates between the observation and questionnaire data strengthen the credibility of the two methods.
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Exposure and DNA Adduct Semi-Quantitation in Archived Human Tissues
Authors: Pratt M. Margaret , John Kaarthik , MacLean Allan B. , Afework Senait , Phillips David H. , Poirier Miriam C.
Published: June 2011

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are combustion products of organic materials, mixtures of which contain multiple known and probable human carcinogens. PAHs occur in indoor and outdoor air, as well as in char-broiled meats and fish. Human exposure to PAHs occurs by inhalation, ingestion and topical absorption, and subsequently formed metabolites are either rendered hydrophilic and excreted, or bioactivated and bound to cellular macromolecules. The formation of PAH-DNA adducts (DNA binding products), considered a necessary step in PAH-initiated carcinogenesis, has been widely studied in experimental models and has been documented in human tissues. This review describes immunohistochemistry (IHC) studies, which reveal localization of PAH-DNA adducts in human tissues, and semi-quantify PAH-DNA adduct levels using the Automated Cellular Imaging System (ACIS). These studies have shown that PAH-DNA adducts concentrate in: basal and supra-basal epithelium of the esophagus, cervix and vulva; glandular epithelium of the prostate; and cytotrophoblast cells and syncitiotrophoblast knots of the placenta. The IHC photomicrographs reveal the ubiquitous nature of PAH-DNA adduct formation in human tissues as well as PAH-DNA adduct accumulation in specific, vulnerable, cell types. This semi-quantative method for PAH-DNA adduct measurement could potentially see widespread use in molecular epidemiology studies.
Is the Notion of Time Really Fundamental?
Authors: Girelli Florian , Liberati Stefano , Sindoni Lorenzo
Published: June 2011

From the physics point of view, time is now best described through General Relativity as part of space-time, which is a dynamical object encoding gravity. Time possesses also some intrinsic irreversibility due to thermodynamics and quantum mechanical effects. This irreversibility can look puzzling since time-like loops (and hence time machines) can appear in General Relativity (for example in the Gödel universe, a solution of Einstein’s equations). We take this apparent discrepancy as a warning bell, pointing out that time as we understand it might not be fundamental and that whatever theory lying beyond General Relativity may not include time as we know it as a fundamental structure. We propose therefore, following the philosophy of analog models of gravity, that time and gravity might not be fundamental per se, but only emergent features. We illustrate our proposal using a toy-model where we show how the Lorentzian signature and Nordström gravity (a diffeomorphisms invariant scalar gravity theory) can emerge from a timeless non-dynamical space. This article received the fourth prize at the essay competition of the Foundational Questions Institute on the nature of time.
On the Smallest and Largest Zeros of Müntz-Legendre Polynomials
Authors: Stefánsson Úlfar F.
Published: June 2011

Müntz-Legendre polynomials Ln(Λ x) associated with a sequence Λ = {λk} are obtained
by orthogonalizing the system (xλ0, xλ1 , xλ2, … ) in L2[0, 1] with respect to the Legendre weight. If
the λk's are distinct, it is well known that Ln(Λ x) has exactly n zeros ln,n < ln-1,n < … < l2,n < l1,n
on (0, 1).

First we prove the following global bound for the smallest zero

An important consequence is that if the associated Müntz space is non-dense in L2[0, 1], then

so the elements Ln(Λ x) have no zeros close to 0.

Furthermore, we determine the asymptotic behavior of the largest zeros; for k fixed,
Scattering and absorption by aerosols during EUCAARI-LONGREX: can airborne measurements and models agree?
Authors: Highwood E. J. , Northway M. J. , McMeeking G. R. , Morgan W. T. , Liu D. , Osborne S. , Bower K. , Coe H. , Ryder C. , Williams P.
Published: June 2011

Abstract. Scattering and absorption by aerosol in anthropogenically perturbed air masses over Europe has been measured using instrumentation flown on the UK's BAe-146-301 large Atmospheric Research Aircraft (ARA) operated by the Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements (FAAM) on 14 flights during the EUCAARI-LONGREX campaign in May 2008. The geographical and temporal variations of the derived shortwave optical properties of aerosol are presented. Values of single scattering albedo of dry aerosol at 550 nm varied considerably over the data set from 0.86 to near unity. Dry aerosol optical depths ranged from 0.03 to 0.24. An optical properties closure study comparing calculations from composition data and Mie scattering code with the measured properties is presented. Very good agreement (to within 30 %) can be achieved for scattering, but the modelling of absorption is shown to be sensitive to the refractive indices chosen for organic aerosols, and to a lesser extent black carbon. Agreement with the measured absorption can only be achieved if organic carbon is assumed to be only weakly absorbing. Hygroscopic growth curves derived from the wet nephelometer indicate moderate water uptake by the aerosol with a campaign mean f(RH) value (change in scattering) of 1.3 at 80 % relative humidity. This value is consistent with the major chemical components of the aerosol measured by the aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS), which are primarily mixed organics and nitrate and some sulphate. As expected the effect of humidity is to raise the single scattering albedo, and to increase the aerosol optical depth. This study represents an important new body of data regarding European aerosol amounts, composition and optical properties and additionally demonstrates the importance of airborne measurements of black carbon mass and aerosol hygroscopicity.
Design and performance of a three-wavelength LED-based total scatter and backscatter integrating nephelometer
Authors: Müller T. , Laborde M. , Kassell G. , Wiedensohler A.
Published: June 2011

Abstract. Integrating nephelometers are instruments that directly measure a value close to the light scattering coefficient of airborne particles. Different models of nephelometers have been used for decades for monitoring and research applications. Now, a series of nephelometers (Ecotech models M9003, Aurora 1000 and Aurora 3000) with newly designed light sources based on light emitting diodes are available. This article reports on the design of these integrating nephelometers and a comparison of the Aurora 3000 to another commercial instrument (TSI model 3563) that uses an incandescent lamp. Both instruments are three-wavelength, total and backscatter integrating nephelometers. We present a characterization of the new light source design of the Aurora 3000 and provide parameterizations for its angular sensitivity functions. These parameterizations facilitate to correct for measurement artefacts using Mie-theory. Furthermore, correction factors are provided as a function of the Ångström exponent. Comparison measurements against the TSI 3563 with laboratory generated white particles and ambient air are also shown and discussed. Both instruments agree well within the calibration uncertainties and detection limit for total scattering with differences less than 5 %. Differences for backscattering are higher by up to 11 %. Highest differences were found for the longest wavelengths, where the signal to noise ratio is lowest. Differences at the blue and green wavelengths are less than 4 % and 3 %, respectively, for both total and backscattering.
Kelvin-Helmholtz vortices and secondary instabilities in super-magnetosonic regimes
Authors: Palermo F. , Faganello M. , Califano F. , Pegoraro F.
Published: June 2011

Abstract. The nonlinear behaviour of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability is investigated with a two-fluid simulation code in both sub-magnetosonic and super-magnetosonic regimes in a two-dimensional configuration chosen so as to represent typical conditions observed at the Earth's magnetopause flanks. It is shown that in super-magnetosonic regimes the plasma density inside the vortices produced by the development of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability is approximately uniform, making the plasma inside the vortices effectively stable against the onset of secondary instabilities. However, the relative motion of the vortices relative to the plasma flow can cause the formation of shock structures. It is shown that in the region where the shocks are attached to the vortex boundaries the plasma conditions change rapidly and develop large gradients that allow for the onset of secondary instabilities not observed in sub-magnetosonic regimes.
Heat transport of diurnal temperature oscillations upon river-water infiltration investigated by fiber-optic high-resolution temperature profiling
Authors: Vogt T. , Schirmer M. , Cirpka O. A.
Published: June 2011

Abstract. River-water infiltration is of high relevance for hyporheic and riparian groundwater ecology as well as for drinking water supply by river-bank filtration. Heat has become a popular natural tracer to estimate exchange rates between rivers and groundwater. However, quantifying flow patterns and velocities is impeded by spatial and temporal variations of exchange fluxes, insufficient sensors spacing during field investigations, or simplifying assumptions for analysis or modeling such as uniform flow. The objective of this study is to investigate local heat transport upon river-water infiltration in the riverbed and the adjacent riparian zone of the losing River Thur in northeast Switzerland. Here we have applied distributed temperature sensing (DTS) along optical fibers wrapped around three tubes to measure high-resolution temperature profiles of the unsaturated zone and shallow groundwater. Diurnal temperature oscillations were tracked in the subsurface and analyzed by means of dynamic harmonic regression to extract amplitudes and phase angles. Subsequent calculations of amplitude attenuation and time shift relative to the river signal show in detail vertical and temporal variations of heat transport. In addition, we apply a numerical two-dimensional heat transport model for the unsaturated zone and shallow groundwater to get a better understanding of the observed heat transport processes in the riparian zone. Our results show that heat transfer of diurnal temperature oscillations from the losing river through groundwater is influenced by thermal exchange with the unsaturated zone. Neglecting the influence of the unsaturated zone would cause biased interpretation and underestimation of groundwater flow velocities. In addition, the observed riparian groundwater temperature distribution cannot be described by uniform flow, but rather by horizontal groundwater flow velocities varying over depth.
Pulsatile Perfusion Preservation for Expanded-Criteria Donors Kidneys: Impact on Delayed Graft Function Rate
Authors: Abboud Imad , Antoine Corinne , Gaudez François , Fieux Fabienne , Lefaucheur Carmen , Pillebout Evangéline , Viglietti Denis , Serrato Tomas , Vérine Jérôme , Flamant Martin , Peraldi Marie-Noëlle , Glotz Denis
Published: June 2011

Purpose

Expanded criteria donors (ECD) kidneys are a potential solution to organ shortage, but exhibit more delayed graft function (DGF). We conducted a prospective controlled study aiming to evaluate the impact of Pulsatile Perfusion Preservation (PPP) on DGF rate.

Methods

Inclusion criteria were: 1) ECD definition (any brain-dead donor aged > 60 years or aged 50-60 years with at least 2 of the following: history of hypertension, terminal serum creatinin level ≥ 1.5 mg/dL, death resulting from a cerebrovascular accident; 2) Donor prolonged circulatory arrest (> 20 mn); 3) previsible cold ischemia time longer than 24 hours. In each pair of kidneys, one organ was preserved with PPP and the other organ was preserved in static cold storage.

Results

From February 2007 to September 2009, a total of 22 donors (44 recipients) were included. Recipients were comparable in the two groups with respect to demographic and immunological data. The rate of DGF was significantly lower (9% vs. 31.8%, p=0.021) in the PPP group. At 1, 3, and 12 months, renal function was comparable in the two groups.

Conclusions

Pulsatile Perfusion Preservation significantly reduced DGF rate in ECD kidney transplantation.
Unital Four-Dimensional Lattice-Ordered Algebras with a Distributive Basis
Authors: Akkurt Mustafa , Alshair Zainab , Lamar Lena , Ma Jingjing
Published: June 2011

All unital four-dimensional lattice-ordered algebras with a -basis are constructed.
Can advergames boost children's healthier eating habits? A comparison between healthy and non‐healthy food
Authors: Dias Mónica , Agante Luísa
Published: June 2011

The purpose of this paper is to provide a contribution towards increasing knowledge on how healthy food stimuli can improve eating behaviour, by making a comparison between advergames' food content effects on children's food choices, product liking and nutritional knowledge.

A sample of 231 elementary‐school‐age children (7 and 8 years old) was randomly assigned to one of the following tasks: (i) playing the healthy advergame and (ii) playing the less healthy advergame. A post‐treatment pictured questionnaire was used to assess children's behaviour in terms of immediate food choice, food liking and nutritional knowledge, following exposure to treatment. Results show that children tend to choose according to what was being advertised in the game. In terms of food liking, children who played the less healthy version of the game report a higher preference for some of the less healthy options. Regarding children's nutritional knowledge, no differences between groups were registered, indicating that children already have a solid understanding of what are ‘good’ and ‘bad’ foods for their health. Our findings are aligned with previous research on dual‐process model: although children's nutritional knowledge is good, they might not employ it when selecting snacks. According to these results, legal, educational and management contributions should be employed: regulation should protect children from less healthy contents on advergames; schools may use digital games to promote healthier eating habits; enterprises can invest on this market opportunity (healthy food targeting children); and finally, social marketing can use advergames in order to reduce child obesity.

Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An Adaptive Algorithm for Pairwise Comparison‐based Preference Measurement
Authors: Meißner Martin , Decker Reinhold , Scholz Sören W.
Published: June 2011

The Pairwise Comparison‐based Preference Measurement (PCPM) approach has been proposed for products featuring a large number of attributes. In the PCPM framework, a static two‐cyclic design is used to reduce the number of pairwise comparisons. However, adaptive questioning routines that maximize the information gained from pairwise comparisons promise to further increase the efficiency of this approach.

This paper introduces a new adaptive algorithm for PCPM, which accounts for several response errors. The suggested approach is compared with an adaptive algorithm that was proposed for the Analytic Hierarchy Process as well as a random selection of pairwise comparisons. By means of Monte Carlo simulations, we quantify the extent to which the adaptive selection of pairwise comparisons increases the efficiency of the respective approach. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Optimal Surgical Treatment for Primary Hyperparathyroidism in MEN1 Patients: A Systematic Review
Authors: Schreinemakers Jennifer M. J. , Pieterman Carolina R. C. , Scholten Anouk , Vriens Menno R. , Valk Gerlof D. , Borel Rinkes Inne H. M.
Published: June 2011

Background

The optimal surgical approach for patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) and multiple endocrine neoplasia 1 (MEN1) is controversial. We sought to determine the optimal type of surgery for pHPT in MEN1.

Methods

We collected data on clinical presentation, surgery, and follow‐up for MEN1 patients with pHPT at the University Medical Center Utrecht and affiliated hospitals between 1967 and 2008. Furthermore, we performed a systematic review of the literature and meta‐analysis. Surgical procedures were classified into less than subtotal (<SPTX) versus subtotal (SPTX) and total parathyroidectomy (TPTX).

Results

Fifty‐two patients underwent primary surgery for pHPT, of which 29 had <SPTX, 17 SPTX, and 6 TPTX. Recurrent pHPT was most frequent after SPTX (65%) followed by <SPTX (59%). Persistent disease was most frequent after <SPTX (31%). Time to recurrence was 61 months longer after SPTX than after <SPTX. Although recurrent pHPT was not seen after TPTX, permanent hypoparathyroidism developed in 67% of these patients. The meta‐analysis showed that after SPTX and TPTX, patients had the lowest risk of persistent and recurrent pHPT. TPTX had the highest risk of permanent hypoparathyroidism. Large noncomparative studies showed a low recurrence rate after SPTX and TPTX.

Conclusion

We believe that SPTX is the best surgical therapy for pHPT in MEN1. MEN1 patients with pHPT should not be treated with <SPTX because of the unacceptable high rate of recurrent and persistent pHPT. Additionally, a thymectomy should routinely be performed in these patients.
Popular Belief Meets Surgical Reality: Impact of Lunar Phases, Friday the 13th and Zodiac Signs on Emergency Operations and Intraoperative Blood Loss
Authors: Schuld Jochen , Slotta Jan E. , Schuld Simone , Kollmar Otto , Schilling Martin K. , Richter Sven
Published: June 2011

Background

The influence of superstition, moon calendars, and popular belief on evidence‐based medicine is stunning. More than 40% of medical staff is convinced that lunar phases can affect human behavior. The idea that Friday the 13th is associated with adverse events and bad luck is deep‐rooted in the population of Western industrial countries. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that these myths are transferable to real‐life surgery.

Methods

We analyzed the extent to which moon phases, zodiac signs, and Friday the 13th influence blood loss, emergency frequency, and intestinal perforations by evaluating the operation records of all 27,914 consecutive patients of our institution undergoing general, visceral, or vascular surgery between August 2001 and August 2010. Dates of surgery were allocated to lunar phases and to zodiac signs, as well as to Friday the 13th.

Results

A total of 111 lunar cycles and 15 Fridays the 13th occurred within the 3,281‐day observation period. Patients’ characteristics did not differ in lunar phases, zodiac signs, or Fridays the 13th. Full moon phases, the presence of Friday the 13th, and zodiac signs influenced neither intraoperative blood loss nor emergency frequency. No statistical peaks regarding perforated aortic aneurysms and gastrointestinal perforations were found on full moon or Friday the 13th.

Conclusions

Scientific analysis of our data does not support the belief that moon phases, zodiac signs, or Friday 13th influence surgical blood loss and emergency frequency. Our data indicate that such beliefs are myths far beyond reality.
Does Gastric Resection Have a Role in the Management of Severe Postfundoplication Gastric Dysfunction?
Authors: Clark Clancy J. , Sarr Michael G. , Arora Amindra S. , Nichols Francis C. , Reid‐Lombardo Kaye M.
Published: June 2011

Background

Bloating, flatulence, early satiety, and dysphagia resolve in more than 90% of patients early after fundoplication. Gastric dysfunction can persist, however, and a small number of patients develop severe gastric dysfunction (gastroparesis). Management of gastroparesis after antireflux procedures is generally conservative, but gastroparesis can become refractory to medical therapy. The aim of this study was to assess the role of gastric resection in the management of the unusual patient with severe postfundoplication gastric dysfunction.

Methods

From January 1990 to October 2010, a total of 5,129 gastric resections were performed at our institution. From this cohort, we identified nine patients with postfundoplication gastric dysfunction managed with gastric resection. Clinical records were reviewed retrospectively for preoperative evaluation, perioperative course, and long‐term outcomes.

Results

Over 20 years, nine patients were treated with gastric resection for debilitating gastric dysfunction after antireflux surgery. Seven of the nine patients were female; the median preoperative body mass index was 25 kg/m2 (18–31 kg/m2). Median follow‐up was 23 months (1–97 months). Preoperatively, five patients required enteral feeding. Postoperatively, although there were no deaths, one patient required operative drainage of a subphrenic abscess, one developed temporary respiratory failure, and one was readmitted for partial small bowel obstruction. Six of the nine patients maintain their nutrition orally, but three are maintained with enteral nutrition. Only two patients are subjectively asymptomatic.

Conclusions

Outcomes after gastric resection for postfundoplication gastric dysfunction are poor, with three of the nine patients requiring supplemental nutrition and seven of the nine having persistent symptoms.
Assessment of the Nodal Status in Ampullary Carcinoma: The Number of Positive Lymph Nodes Versus the Lymph Node Ratio
Authors: Sakata Jun , Shirai Yoshio , Wakai Toshifumi , Ajioka Yoichi , Akazawa Kouhei , Hatakeyama Katsuyoshi
Published: June 2011

Background

This study was intended to compare the prognostic power of the number of positive lymph nodes with that of the lymph node ratio in patients with ampullary carcinoma.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was conducted of the medical records of 71 consecutive patients with ampullary carcinoma who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy with regional lymph node dissection. A total of 2151 lymph nodes were dissected (median: 28 nodes per patient) and examined histologically. Cutoff points were determined for both the number of positive nodes and the lymph node ratio using χ2 scores calculated with the Cox proportional hazards regression model.

Results

Lymph node metastasis was found in 34 patients. The best cutoff point for the number of positive nodes was identified as three nodes, and that for the lymph node ratio was identified as 10%. Univariate analysis revealed both the number of positive nodes (0, 1–3, or ≥4; P < 0.0001) and the lymph node ratio (0%, 0–10%, or >10%; P < 0.0001) as significant prognostic factors. Multivariate analysis identified the number of positive nodes as an independent prognostic factor (P < 0.001), whereas the lymph node ratio failed to remain as an independent variable. The cumulative 5‐year survival rates were 85% for patients with 0 positive nodes, 63% for patients with 1–3 positive nodes, and 0% for patients with ≥4 positive nodes (P < 0.0001).

Conclusions

The number of positive lymph nodes better predicts the outcome after resection than the lymph node ratio in patients with ampullary carcinoma.