bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
aEEG Evolution during Therapeutic Hypothermia and Prediction of NICU Outcome in Encephalopathic Neonates
Authors: Massaro An N. , Tsuchida Tammy , Kadom Nadja , El-Dib Mohamed , Glass Penny , Baumgart Stephen , Chang Taeun
Published: July 2012

Background: Initial aEEG background pattern has been used as a predictor of neurological outcome after asphyxia and has been used as inclusion criterion for trials evaluating efficacy of therapeutic hypothermia in encephalopathic newborns. The utility of continuous aEEG monitoring during hypothermia has not been well described. Objectives: (1) To describe the evolution of aEEG during therapeutic hypothermia in newborns with encephalopathy, and (2) to evaluate the utility of continuous aEEG monitoring during therapeutic hypothermia. Methods: This is a retrospective review of continuous aEEG data from encephalopathic newborns treated with whole-body hypothermia. aEEG segments were scored for background and sleep-wake cycling (SWC). Sensitivity and specificity calculations and logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate the ability of aEEG to predict death or severe MRI abnormality/significant neurological deficit at discharge. Results: aEEG data from 75 encephalopathic newborns were reviewed. Abnormal aEEG background was predictive of adverse outcome with increasing positive predictive value over the course of hypothermia. Few patients (5%) had early SWC, but 58% developed SWC by rewarming and all had favorable outcome. Conclusions: Persisting aEEG background abnormality beyond 48 h of life and lack of SWC over the course of hypothermia is predictive of adverse NICU outcome in encephalopathic newborns.
IL-1β Induction and IL-6 Suppression Are Associated with Aggravated Neuronal Damage in a Lipopolysaccharide-Pretreated Kainic Acid-Induced Rat Pup Seizure Model
Authors: Lee Sung-Hyun , Kim Bong-Je , Kim Yong Bum , Chung Pil-Wook , Moon Heui-Soo , Suh Bum Chun , Yoon Won Tae , Jin Dong-Kwan , Park Yong Shik , Lee Yong-Taek , Park Kwang-Yeol
Published: July 2012

Objectives: Reportedly, hippocampal neuronal degeneration by kainic acid (KA)-induced seizures in rats <14 days old was enhanced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). This study was to test the hypothesis that cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α are associated with aggravated neuronal damage. Materials and Methods: Sixty male Sprague-Dawley, 14-day-old rats were used. Experiments were conducted in saline, LPS + saline, saline + KA and LPS + KA groups. Intraperitoneal LPS injections (0.04 mg/kg) were administered 3 h prior to KA injection (3 mg/kg). Results: The LPS + KA group showed a tendency toward shorter latency to seizure onset (p = 0.086) and significantly longer seizure duration (p < 0.05) compared with the KA group. Induction of the proconvulsant cytokine IL-1β in rat pup brains was significantly greater in the LPS + KA group compared to the KA group (38.8 ± 5.5 vs. 9.2 ± 1.0 pg/µg; p < 0.05); however, IL-6 levels were higher in the KA group than in the LPS + KA group (108.7 ± 6.8 vs. 60.9 ± 4.7 pg/µg; p < 0.05). The difference in tumor necrosis factor-α between the LPS + KA group and the KA group was insignificant (12.1 ± 0.6 vs. 10.9 ± 2.3 pg/µg; p = 0.64). Conclusions: Our results showed an increase in the proconvulsant cytokine IL-1β and a decrease in a potentially neuroprotective cytokine, IL-6, in rat pups treated with LPS + KA. These results warrant further investigation into the possible role of IL-1β induction and IL-6 suppression in LPS-promoted neuronal damage.
Dental Caries in Rome, 50–100 AD
Authors: Fejerskov O. , Guldager Bilde P. , Bizzarro M. , Connelly J.N. , Skovhus Thomsen J. , Nyvad B.
Published: July 2012

Scarce information exists on the clinical features of dental caries in the Imperial Roman population and no structural data on caries lesions from this period have so far been published. We report on the findings of 86 teeth (50–100 AD) found during archaeological excavations of the temple of Castor and Pollux in the Forum Romanum. We found that nearly all teeth had large carious cavities extending into the pulp. The distribution and size of the caries lesions were similar to those found in contemporary adult populations in Africa and China living without access to dental care. Most lesions had a hypermineralized zone in the dentin at the advancing front of the carious cavities as revealed by micro-computed tomography. This biological dentin reaction combined with the morphology of the cavities might indicate that some temporary topical pain relief and intervention treatment slowed down the rate of lesion progression. This is indirectly supported by examination of cavities of similar size and depth from a contemporary population without access to dental health care. In contrast to the lesions in the Roman teeth, these lesions did not exhibit a hypermineralized dentin reaction. We investigated whether the Pb isotopic composition of enamel and/or dentin of a single tooth matched that of a sample of an ancient Forum water lead pipe. The Pb isotopic composition of the tooth did not match that of the tube, suggesting that the subjects were exposed to different Pb sources during their lifetime other than the lead tubes.
Mutans Streptococci and Caries Prevalence in Children after Early Maternal Caries Prevention: A Follow-Up at 19 Years of Age
Authors: Köhler B. , Andréen I.
Published: July 2012

Aim: The efficacy of early maternal caries prevention was evaluated. Furthermore, the difference between children colonised with mutans streptococci (MS) at an early or late stage with regard to the prevalence of carious lesions was determined. Methods: The children of first-time mothers selected on the basis of high salivary levels of MS for participation in a caries prevention programme were recalled at the age of 19 years. They were examined for salivary MS, lesion prevalence (decayed and filled surfaces, DFS) and MS in plaque from 12 selected proximal surfaces. Results: The recall rate was 70% for the children of both the high-control and interventional groups. All high-control children and 67% of the interventional children were colonised by MS. All the children with non-detectable MS in saliva were also negative in all plaque samples. No statistically significant difference was found between the groups in terms of DFS, although more interventional children were caries free than in the control group. Early-colonised children, irrespective of group identity, had higher salivary MS levels and DFS than later MS-colonised children. Conclusion: The results indicate that it is possible to remain negative for MS into adulthood if non-colonised at an early age and this affects the development of carious lesions. Strategies for the prevention of dental caries in early childhood should, therefore, include measures to prevent or delay early colonisation by cariogenic bacteria.
E pluribus unum: From Complexity, Universality
Authors: Tao Terence
Published: July 2012

In this brief survey, I discuss some examples of the fascinating phenomenon of universality in complex systems, in which universal macroscopic laws of nature emerge from a variety of different microscopic dynamics. This phenomenon is widely observed empirically, but the rigorous mathematical foundation for universality is not yet satisfactory in all cases.
Can We Progress from Solipsistic Science to Frugal Innovation?
Authors: Nocera Daniel G.
Published: July 2012

Energy demand in the twenty-first century will be driven by the needs of three billion people in the emerging world and three billion new inhabitants to our planet. To provide them with a renewable and sustainable energy supply is perhaps the greatest challenge for science in the twenty-first century. The science practiced to meet the energy needs of the twentieth century responded to a society of wealth, and energy systems were designed to be large and centralized. However, the inability of the emerging world to incur large capital costs suggests that a new science must be undertaken, one that does not rely on economy of scale but rather sets as its target highly manufacturable and distributed energy systems that are affordable to the poor. Only in this way can science provide global society with its most direct solution for a sustainable and carbon-neutral energy future.
Microbes as Menaces, Mates & Marvels
Authors: Bassler Bonnie L.
Published: July 2012

The conventional understanding of microbes as causative agents of disease has led us to fear them and to consider them our deadly enemies. Much less appreciated are the central roles microbes play in shaping the environment and in maintaining plant, animal, and human health. All metazoan organisms – organisms that we can see with the naked eye – exist in lifelong partnerships with vast microbial communities. These “microbiomes” supply metazoans with essential life processes that are not encoded in nonmicrobial genomes. Recent work in microbiology has revealed that microbes, like metazoans, have specific body plans and sensory systems, that they can communicate with each other, and that they orchestrate collective behaviors. Investigations of these ancient yet enduring processes are uncovering the fundamental design principles of life. Microbes are also storehouses of new molecules, biochemical pathways, and materials with medical, industrial, and agricultural relevance. Scientists are harnessing these microbial products in efforts to confront humanity's most pressing problems. This essay explores the wonder, complexity, power, and utility of microbes in the twenty-first century.
When Duty Calls: A Pragmatic Standard of Humanitarian Intervention
Authors: Pape Robert A.
Published: July 2012

When should the United States and other members of the international community intervene to stop a government from harming its own citizens? Since World War II, the main standard for intervention has been the high bar of genocide, although the international community has rarely acted to stop it. The main alternative—the “responsibility to protect”—would set the bar so low that virtually every instance of anarchy or tyranny would create unbounded obligations beyond the capacity of states to fulfill. A new standard—the pragmatic standard of humanitarian intervention—can help guide decisionmakers on when to intervene to stop governments from targeting their own citizens. The standard has three requirements: (1) an ongoing campaign of mass homicide sponsored by the government; (2) a viable plan for intervention with reasonable estimates of low casualties for the intervening forces; and (3) a workable strategy for creating lasting local security for the threatened population. The pragmatic standard was met in the recent successful intervention in Libya as well as in other cases over the last twenty years, and it should become the basis for deciding which humanitarian crises justify international intervention in the future.
Climatology-Focused Evaluation of CMORPH and TMPA Satellite Rainfall Products over the Nile Basin
Authors: Habib Emad , ElSaadani Mohamed , Haile Alemseged Tamiru
Published: July 2012

With many operational satellite rainfall products being available for long periods, it is now possible to examine whether these products can reproduce climatologically known rainfall characteristics over large river basins that suffer from poor surface monitoring resources. Such assessment is a prerequisite for any further hydrologic applications that rely on these products. The current study evaluates two satellite rainfall products, the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multisatellite Precipitation Analysis research-grade product (TMPA-3B42) and the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) morphing technique (CMORPH), over the domain of the Nile basin in eastern Africa. The large latitudinal extent of the basin, its complex topography, and its diverse land use result in widely contrasting regimes and distributions of annual and seasonal rainfall. The results suggest that the two products are fairly successful in reproducing some of the region-specific rainfall patterns across climatologically different parts of the basin. However, significant overestimation and underestimation by CMORPH and TMPA-3B42, respectively, are clearly evident over the majority of the basin and can exceed 100% of the mean annual rainfall. The biases are also evident in the seasonal rainfall cycle. The bias shows a complex dependency, in terms of magnitude and sign, on topography and latitude, especially in the central parts of the basin and over the Ethiopian Highlands region. The performance of both products is better over the equatorial region of the basin. The significant underestimation by the gauge-adjusted TMPA-3B42 product relative to CMORPH is attributed to the sparsity in operational gauges, which can adversely affect bias adjustment procedures in the TMPA algorithm. Current and future algorithmic developments are expected to bring much-needed improvements for satellite rainfall products to see full operational utility in these regions of the world.
Nowcasting Rainfall Fields Derived from Specific Differential Phase
Authors: Ruzanski Evan , Chandrasekar V.
Published: July 2012

Short-term automated forecasting (nowcasting) of precipitation has traditionally been done using radar reflectivity data; recent research, however, indicates that using specific differential phase Kdp has several advantages over using reflectivity for estimating rainfall. This paper presents an evaluation of the characteristics of nowcasting Kdp-based rainfall fields using the Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere Kdp estimation and nowcasting methods applied to approximately 42 h of X-band radar network data. The results show that Kdp-based rainfall fields exhibit lifetimes of ~17 min as compared with ~15 min for rainfall fields derived from reflectivity Zh in a continuous (cross correlation based) sense. Categorical (skill score based) lifetimes of ~26 min were observed for Kdp-based rainfall fields as compared with ~30 min for Zh-based rainfall fields. Radar–rain gauge verification showed that Kdp-based rainfall estimates consistently outperformed Zh-based estimates out to a lead time of 30 min, but the difference between the two estimators decreased in terms of normalized standard error with increasing lead time.
Tropical Clouds and Circulation Changes during the 2006/07 and 2009/10 El Niños
Authors: Su Hui , Jiang Jonathan H.
Published: July 2012

Changes in tropical cloud vertical structure, cloud radiative forcing (CRF), and circulation exhibit distinctly different characteristics during the 2006/07 and 2009/10 El Niños, revealed by CloudSat and Cloud–Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite (CALIPSO) observations and reanalysis data. On the tropical average, the 2009/10 has a decrease of clouds from 2 to 14 km, an increase of clouds in the boundary layer, and an increase of cirrus clouds above 14 km. The tropical-mean cloud anomalies in the middle to upper troposphere (6–14 km) for the 2006/07 El Niño are nearly opposite to those in 2009/10 El Niño. The tropical averaged net CRF anomaly at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) is 0.6–0.7 W m−2 cooling (0.02–0.5 W m−2 warming) for the 2009/10 (2006/07) El Niño. The 2009/10 El Niño is associated with a strengthening of tropical circulation, increased high (low) clouds in extremely strong ascending (descending) regimes, and decreased clouds in the middle and high altitudes in a broad range of moderate circulation regimes. The strengthening of tropical circulation is primarily caused by the enhancement of the Hadley circulation. The 2006/07 El Niño is associated with a weakening of the tropical circulation, primarily caused by the reduction of the Walker circulation. The cloud anomalies in each circulation regime are approximately opposite for these two El Niños. The analysis herein suggests that both the magnitude and pattern of sea surface temperature anomalies in the two events contribute to the differences in clouds and circulation anomalies, with magnitude playing a dominant role. The contrasting behaviors of the two El Niños highlight the nonlinear response of tropical clouds and circulation to El Niño SST forcing.
Radar-Based Quantitative Precipitation Estimation for the Cool Season in Complex Terrain: Case Studies from the NOAA Hydrometeorology Testbed
Authors: Zhang Jian , Qi Youcun , Kingsmill David , Howard Kenneth
Published: July 2012

This study explores error sources of the National Weather Service operational radar-based quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) during the cool season over the complex terrain of the western United States. A new, operationally geared radar QPE was developed and tested using data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Hydrometeorology Testbed executed during the 2005/06 cool season in Northern California. The new radar QPE scheme includes multiple steps for removing nonprecipitation echoes, constructing a seamless hybrid scan reflectivity field, applying vertical profile of reflectivity (VPR) corrections to the reflectivity, and converting the reflectivity into precipitation rates using adaptive Z–R relationships. Specific issues in radar rainfall accumulations were addressed, which include wind farm contaminations, blockage artifacts, and discontinuities due to radar overshooting. The new radar QPE was tested in a 6-month period of the 2005/06 cool season and showed significant improvements over the current operational radar QPE (43% reduction in bias and 30% reduction in root-mean-square error) when compared with gauges. In addition, the new technique minimizes various radar artifacts and produces a spatially continuous rainfall product. Such continuity is important for accurate hydrological model predictions. The new technique is computationally efficient and can be easily transitioned into operations. One of the largest remaining challenges is obtaining accurate radar QPE over the windward slopes of significant mountain ranges, where low-level orographic enhancement of precipitation is not resolved by the operational radars leading to underestimation. Additional high-resolution and near-surface radar observations are necessary for more accurate radar QPE over these regions.
Validation of Satellite-Based Precipitation Products over Sparsely Gauged African River Basins
Authors: Thiemig Vera , Rojas Rodrigo , Zambrano-Bigiarini Mauricio , Levizzani Vincenzo , De Roo Ad
Published: July 2012

Six satellite-based rainfall estimates (SRFE)—namely, Climate Prediction Center (CPC) morphing technique (CMORPH), the Rainfall Estimation Algorithm, version 2 (RFE2.0), Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) 3B42, Goddard profiling algorithm, version 6 (GPROF 6.0), Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks (PERSIANN), Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation moving vector with Kalman filter (GSMap MVK), and one reanalysis product [the interim ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-Interim)]—were validated against 205 rain gauge stations over four African river basins (Zambezi, Volta, Juba–Shabelle, and Baro–Akobo). Validation focused on rainfall characteristics relevant to hydrological applications, such as annual catchment totals, spatial distribution patterns, seasonality, number of rainy days per year, and timing and volume of heavy rainfall events. Validation was done at three spatially aggregated levels: point-to-pixel, subcatchment, and river basin for the period 2003–06. Performance of satellite-based rainfall estimation (SRFE) was assessed using standard statistical methods and visual inspection. SRFE showed 1) accuracy in reproducing precipitation on a monthly basis during the dry season, 2) an ability to replicate bimodal precipitation patterns, 3) superior performance over the tropical wet and dry zone than over semiarid or mountainous regions, 4) increasing uncertainty in the estimation of higher-end percentiles of daily precipitation, 5) low accuracy in detecting heavy rainfall events over semiarid areas, 6) general underestimation of heavy rainfall events, and 7) overestimation of number of rainy days in the tropics. In respect to SRFE performance, GPROF 6.0 and GSMaP-MKV were the least accurate, and RFE 2.0 and TRMM 3B42 were the most accurate. These results allow discrimination between the available products and the reduction of potential errors caused by selecting a product that is not suitable for particular morphoclimatic conditions. For hydrometeorological applications, results support the use of a performance-based merged product that combines the strength of multiple SRFEs.
The Vertical Structure of the Surface Wave Radiation Stress for Circulation over a Sloping Bottom as Given by Thickness-Weighted-Mean Theory
Authors: Aiki Hidenori , Greatbatch Richard J.
Published: July 2012

Previous attempts to derive the depth-dependent expression of the radiation stress have led to a debate concerning (i) the applicability of the Mellor approach to a sloping bottom, (ii) the introduction of the delta function at the mean sea surface in the later papers by Mellor, and (iii) a wave-induced pressure term derived in several recent studies. The authors use an equation system in vertically Lagrangian and horizontally Eulerian (VL) coordinates suitable for a concise treatment of the surface boundary and obtain an expression for the depth-dependent radiation stress that is consistent with the vertically integrated expression given by Longuet–Higgins and Stewart. Concerning (i)–(iii) above, the difficulty of handling a sloping bottom disappears when wave-averaged momentum equations in the VL coordinates are written for the development of (not the Lagrangian mean velocity but) the Eulerian mean velocity. There is also no delta function at the sea surface in the expression for the depth-dependent radiation stress. The connection between the wave-induced pressure term in the recent studies and the depth-dependent radiation stress term is easily shown by rewriting the pressure-based form stress term in the thickness-weighted-mean momentum equations as a velocity-based term that contains the time derivative of the pseudomomentum in the VL framework.
The Educational Expectations of Children of Immigrants in Italy
Authors: Minello Alessandra , Barban Nicola
Published: July 2012

In this article, the authors investigate the short-run educational expectations and long-term educational aspirations of the children of immigrants living in Italy and attending eighth grade. The authors look at educational ambition, both as a predictor of educational choice and as a measure of social integration. They consider both secondary-school track and university goals. Data come from the ITAGEN2 survey (2005–2006). First, the authors analyze the relationship of short-run expectations and long-term aspirations to structural (e.g., migration status and country of origin) and social (e.g., family socioeconomic status and friendship ties) conditions. The latter seem to be determinants of both expectations and aspirations, but long-term educational aspirations are not associated with migration status. Second, the authors investigate the relevance of context in delineating educational attitudes. The authors performed a multilevel analysis including both individual- and school-level variables. Their results show that attending a school where most of the Italian pupils have high educational expectations may lead children of immigrants to enhance their own aspirations.
Brief training of HIV medical providers increases their frequency of delivering prevention counselling to patients at risk of transmitting HIV to others
Authors: Patel Shilpa N , Marks Gary , Gardner Lytt , Golin Carol E , Shinde Sanjyot , O’ Daniels Christine , Wilson Tracey E , Quinlivan E Byrd , Banderas Julie
Published: July 2012

Objective:

The aim of this study was to examine whether brief training of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) medical providers increased the frequency with which they routinely delivered prevention counselling to patients, and whether patient characteristics were associated with receipt of that counselling.

Design:

Longitudinal.

Setting:

Seven HIV clinics in the United States.

Method:

Medical providers received training to deliver counselling to their HIV-positive patients. The evaluation was conducted with a longitudinal cohort ( N = 729) of patients at baseline (before providers received training) and at six and 12 months after the intervention was initiated. Participants reported on receipt of routine counselling (at more than half of their primary care visits) about safer sex, disclosing HIV infection to sex partners, and alcohol/drug use. Logistic regression and generalized estimating equations (GEE) methods assessed changes in receipt of counselling over time.

Results:

The percentage of participants reporting routine safer-sex counselling increased significantly across time (b = 0.12, standard error [SE] = 0.04; p = 0.004), as did receipt of routine counselling about disclosing their HIV infection to sex partners (b = 0.21, SE = 0.05; p < 0.001). The trend was not significant for counselling about alcohol or drug use. Sub-group analysis indicated that the upward trend in routine safer-sex counselling was significant for men who have sex with men (MSM), for participants who had more than one sexual partner in the past three months, and for those who had a CD4 count of > 500cells/mm3.

Conclusion:

Brief training increased the frequency with which HIV medical providers routinely delivered prevention counselling to their patients at risk of transmitting HIV to others.
East Asian Exceptionalism—Rejoinder
Authors: Bomhoff Eduard J. , Gu Man-Li
Published: July 2012

This short note calls for a more careful examination of value patterns in East Asia, focusing on the applicability for that region of the Self-expression Index constructed by Welzel (2005). We show that in East Asia, acceptance of homosexuality, a core component of the index, has a correlation with the other components that is opposite to what we observe in the rest of the world. Further analysis indicates that conservative attitudes toward homosexuality in East Asia have no negative influence on undermining people’s aspirations for democracy. Such an anomaly provides strong empirical evidence that the Self-Expression Index has limited cross-cultural validity.
Graphical and Smoothing Techniques for Sequence Analysis
Authors: Piccarreta Raffaella
Published: July 2012

We consider the problem of the visualization of life courses represented as sequences. We describe the state of the art and introduce new plots which improve the graphical display of sequences unveiling their most salient features. Our proposal is based upon the application of smoothing techniques, reducing if not completely removing individual noises. The advantages of our plots are illustrated using data from the Panel study of Social Integration in the Netherlands.
Global Justice, Historical Justice
Authors: Stark Andrew
Published: July 2012

The debates over global and historical justice much preoccupy contemporary political theory. Yet they have not been analyzed in tandem. And this, despite the fact that a number of theoretical frameworks, principal among them contractarianism and utilitarianism, configure arguments in both debates. In this essay, I show that such arguments, as advanced by either side in each of the two debates, all rest on a set of patterned assumptions about the nature of the self. Specifically, I argue, the debates over historical and global justice resemble each other as parallel contests over the physical, meta-social, metaphysical and social natures of the self. At their cores, the debates over historical and global justice thus display a common and symmetrical structure. I will also show that certain conceptions of the self underlying both the anti–historical justice and the anti–global justice positions are mutually inconsistent. Similar contradictions do not beset the pro–historical and pro–global justice positions.
Perceived Realism
Authors: Cho Hyunyi , Shen Lijiang , Wilson Kari
Published: July 2012

Perceived realism may be a crucial message characteristic facilitating narrative-based persuasion. This study examined dimensions of perceived realism and their roles in narrative persuasion. Data based on responses to messages on three topics showed that perceived realism was multidimensional. Its dimensions included plausibility, typicality, factuality, narrative consistency, and perceptual quality. Plausibility predicted emotional involvement, but not identification. Typicality predicted identification, but not emotional involvement. Narrative consistency and perceptual quality predicted message evaluation. Emotional involvement, identification, and message evaluation, in turn, predicted attitudes. Implications for theory, research, and message design pertinent to narrative persuasion are discussed.
Investigation of carbon black and metakaolin cofillers content on mechanical and thermal behaviors of natural rubber compounds
Authors: Rohini Thimmaiah S. , Siddaramaiah
Published: July 2012

A series of natural rubber (NR) vulcanizates have been prepared by partially replacing the carbon black by metakaolin (MK). The effect of MK content on the physicomechanical properties and cure characteristics of NR composites was investigated. The effect of with and without silane (Si-69)-modified MK content on the mechanical behaviors of the NR systems has been reported. The physicomechanical properties of the rubber vulcanizates were determined before and after heat aging at 90°C for 72 h and aging with brake fluid for 1 week. NR/MK composites exhibit increase in percentage elongation as increase in the MK filler content.
Epoxy resin containing trifluoromethyl and pendant polyfluorinated phenyl groups: Synthesis and properties
Authors: Shang Cheng-Yuan , Zhao Xiao-Juan , Yang Xin , Zhang Ying , Huang Wei
Published: July 2012

A novel epoxy resin containing trifluoromethyl and pendant polyfluorinted phenyl groups, 1,1-bis[4-(2,3-epoxypropoxy)phenyl]-1-(3,4,5-trifluorophenyl) -2,2,2-trifluoroethane (6FEP) was synthesized and characterized. The reactivtiy of 6FEP with two aromatic diamines, 4,4′-diaminodiphenyl methane (DDM) and 1,4-bis(4-amino-2-trifluoromethylphenoxy) benzene (6FAPB), and the properties of the cured 6FEP were investigated and compared with those of the commonly used epoxy resin diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA). The experimental results indicated that 6FEP showed lower reactivity than DGEBA. The cured 6FEP exhibited good thermal stabilities with decomposition temperature at 5% weight loss of 374–397°C, high glass transition temperature of 159–177°C and good mechanical properties. The cured 6FEP epoxy resin also showed low dielectric constants at 1 MHz in the range of 3.2–3.4 and dielectric dissipation factors (tan δ) in the range of 2.10–2.48 × 10−3. Moreover, the cured 6FEP epoxy resins exhibited higher surface hydrophobicity and lower moisture absorption compared with DGEBA. The improved dielectric properties and hydrophobic properties of the cured 6FEP epoxy resin could be attributed to the introduction of trifluoromethyl and pendant polyfluorinated phenyl groups into the molecular structure of the epoxy resin.
Vegetation history and dynamics in the middle reach of the Yangtze River during the last 1500 years revealed by sedimentary records from Taibai Lake, China
Authors: Xiao Xiayun , Yang Xiangdong , Shen Ji , Wang Sumin , Xue Bin , Tong Xiufang
Published: July 2012

Pollen and charcoal records of a 150 cm long lake sediment core from Taibai Lake in the middle reach of the Yangtze River reveal seven major changes in regional vegetation over the last 1500 years. During the period c. ad 480–710, evergreen broadleaved forest dominated by Castanopsis/Lithocarpus and evergreen oaks occurred in the Taibai Lake catchment. From c. ad 710 to 1050, the vegetation shifted to a mixed conifer and broadleaved forest, with Pinus expanding at the expense of Castanopsis/Lithocarpus. Between c. ad 1050 and 1320, evergreen broadleaved forest reoccupied the studied area. From c. ad 1320 to 1650, the area of primary forest decreased markedly with synchronous reduction in broadleaved trees and Pinus. Between c. ad 1650 and 1740, the biomass declined rapidly, while secondary Pinus forest began to expand. During c. ad 1740–1950, forest extent increased slightly compared with the previous stage, but the landscape was still secondary forest with the minimum proportion of broadleaved trees. After c. ad 1950, the biomass in the surrounding area was very low, with vegetation types similar to that at present (secondary Pinus forest and mixed conifer and broadleaved forest). A detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) with 125 samples and 34 main pollen types is used to separate human and climatic impacts on vegetation. Then, the pollen assemblage, DCA, charcoal record, and magnetic susceptibility are combined to discuss the key factors inducing these vegetation changes. The vegetation changes were mainly controlled by the climatic changes, with the weak impacts of human activities before c. ad 1320. Since then, the intensity of human influences on vegetation increased gradually, entering a transitional period of main controlling factors of vegetation changes from nature to human activities. After c. ad 1740, the vegetation changes were chiefly controlled by human activities, and the climatic signal was weak.
The role and influence of ‘Champions’ in a community-based lifestyle risk modification programme
Authors: Aoun Samar M , Shahid Shaouli , Le Linda , Packer Tanya L
Published: July 2012

This article describes the training and implementation of the Waist Disposal Challenge in service clubs in Western Australia in 2009–2010. Ninety-three Champions from 52 clubs were trained to deliver educational presentations to 1100 peers and facilitate a BMI competition among 764 peers. Champions reported significant improvements in their knowledge and confidence to motivate their peers to make changes to their diet and physical activity with 82% of participants completing the BMI competition and on average 58% experiencing and sustaining a BMI reduction for 12 months. It is evident that the Champions had influenced the uptake and success of the intervention.
The interaction of AGT and NOS3 gene polymorphisms with conventional risk factors increases predisposition to hypertension
Authors: Gatti Renata R , Santos Paula S , Sena Angela AS , Marangoni Karina , Araújo Messias A , Goulart Luiz R
Published: July 2012

Renin-angiotensin and kallikrein-kinin systems are interconnected, regulating blood pressure homeostasis. We have demonstrated the interactions among polymorphisms of the angiotensinogen ( AGT) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase ( NOS3) genes and conventional risk factors affecting the hypertension occurrence. Individuals were recruited ( n=192) and classified into hypertensive (HG; n=140) and normotensive (NG; n=52) groups. The genotypic distribution of the Met235Thr ( AGT) and Glu298Asp ( NOS3) polymorphisms demonstrated that both are independent risk factors of hypertension ( p=0.02 and p=0.008, respectively). The concomitant presence of these polymorphisms in the HG group was significantly different ( p=0.001) from the NG. Both gene polymorphisms presented an additive effect for the unfavourable alleles T and A, respectively, and 95% of the double mutant homozygotes were classified into the HG. Specific interactions among certain conventional factors and the presence of at least one unfavourable allele presented significant odds towards hypertension. Blood pressure homeostasis was affected by genetic polymorphisms conditioned by the T and A alleles of the AGT and NOS3 genes, respectively, which acted independently. However, their interaction with smoking, sedentariness, age and total cholesterol may have increased the predisposition to hypertension, which may explain most of the hypertension cases.
Parenting Orders: The Parents Attend Yet the Kids Still Offend
Authors: Evans Roberta
Published: July 2012

Despite the extended availability of the Parenting Order in England and Wales since its introduction by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, there is limited research on its impact and effectiveness; particularly in regard to its aim of reducing offending. This article presents results from an empirical case study and examines the circumstances of parents attending programmes, their attendance and the young people’s recorded offending before and after the intervention, considering the type of intervention and number of sessions attended. Although the imposition of the order ‘persuaded’ reluctant parents to attend programmes, an argument is advanced that a parent’s engagement in support should remain voluntary.
Extra-care housing for people with sight loss: Lighting and design
Authors: Lewis A , Torrington J
Published: July 2012

The study investigated whether United Kingdom-based extra-care housing, which provides older people with individual dwellings, communal facilities and care support, complies with current guidance on design for people with visual impairment and satisfies the needs of residents with sight loss. A total of 41 apartments/bungalows in 11 schemes were surveyed and interviews conducted with the occupants. Participants’ comments suggest the current specialist guidance on design for people with sight loss is sound, although there is scope for additional guidance on aspect and daylight, which were highly valued. Little of this specialist guidance is included in mainstream design guidance, which might explain some deficiencies in extra-care housing, including low lounge and bedroom illuminances, few dimmer switches, and limited use of colour to enhance the legibility of spaces.
‘I feel your pain’: Terrorism, the media and the politics of response
Authors: Silverman Jon , Thomas Lisa
Published: July 2012

This paper focuses on the interaction between a rapidly changing media and the policy responses of UK governments, faced with terrorist violence which has evolved in form and intent. New Labour’s final term in office was dominated by the tension between the competing claims of liberty and security, expressed in Tony Blair’s declaration after the 7/7 attacks, ‘Let no-one be in any doubt, the rules of the game are changing.’ We argue that insofar as crime, justice and civil rights are governed by a normative set of rules, they were subverted by New Labour in the mid-1990s for party political reasons. Thus, after 9/11, they needed little reshaping to meet the challenge of 21st-century terrorism. Our thesis is based partly on primary interviews and partly on analyses of media coverage, parliamentary debates and government responses in the form of press releases and speeches. The purpose of the interviews – with ‘insider’ figures from the world of politics, the police and civil society – was to triangulate the known policy responses to 9/11 with the views and perceptions of these figures to assess whether some of the assumptions about the impact of that event on the UK need to be rethought.
From Multinationals to Business Tycoons
Authors: Stetka Vaclav
Published: July 2012

This article presents a comparative analysis of the changing patterns of media ownership in ten new EU member states from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and discusses the implications of these processes for media freedom and autonomy. Briefly outlining the history of internationalization of CEE media markets, it argues that the presence of Western-based multinational companies on the CEE media markets has been recently diminishing rather than further growing. In addition, a different type of actor has been gaining prominence on the CEE media map, unspotted or largely overlooked in most previous analyses, namely, local business elites acquiring stakes in news media. Combining secondary sources and field interviews with media experts and practitioners, this study explores the various practices of business and political instrumentalization of media by their local owners, often resulting in a constrained editorial independence and increasing intertwinement of the systems of media, politics, and economy in the region.
Feeding Practices and Nutrition Outcomes in Children
Authors: Nankumbi Joyce , Muliira Joshua Kanaabi , Kabahenda Margaret K.
Published: July 2012

Malnutrition has lifelong and irreversible effects, especially when it occurs in the early stages of infancy. This study examined infants and young children feeding practices (IYCFPs) using the Child Feeding Index (CFI) in a sample of 232 children aged 0 to 24 months and their caregivers living in a rural Ugandan district. A cross-sectional design was used to collect data about the children’s weight and height and the feeding practices of their caregivers. Results show that caregivers’ IYCFPs were suboptimal. The majority of caregivers were biological mothers of the children (97%), but their practice of exclusive breastfeeding was low (34%). Most mothers initiated breastfeeding early (61%) but also introduced other feeds before the recommended time. Complementary feeding was characterized by early introduction of age-inappropriate feeds and inadequate feeding. The CFI showed that only 39% of children in the age group of 9 to 12 months and 9% of children in the age group of 12 to 24 months received the recommended number of meals in a day. Analysis of children’s nutritional status showed that 33% were stunted and 13% were underweight, and there were significant differences in nutrition outcome of the children according to their caregivers’ IYCFPs.
Feeding Conjoined Twins With Suspected Milk Protein Allergy
Authors: Bathgate Jennifer R.
Published: July 2012

Conjoined twins are very rare and present significant feeding challenges in infancy because of their surgical and medical needs. This case study presents the nutritional history in a short life of a set of twins born at the University of Illinois, Chicago.
Alternative ways of expressing FEV1and mortality in elderly people with and without COPD
Authors: Pedone Claudio , Scarlata Simone , Scichilone Nicola , Forastiere Francesco , Bellia Vincenzo , Antonelli-Incalzi Raffaele
Published: July 2012

Expressing forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) as % predicted relies on the assumption of proportional variability and generalisability of prediction equations that may be unrealistic, especially for elderly people. We evaluated the prognostic implications of alternative ways of expressing FEV1.

We enrolled 318 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and 475 controls in the Salute Respiratoria nell'Anziano (SARA) study. The risk for 5-, 10- and 15-year mortality associated with FEV1was studied by expressing FEV1% pred, standardised by height cubed (FEV1·Ht−3) and as a multiple of the sex-specific first percentile (FEV1quotient (FEV1Q)).

In the group with COPD, the incidence rate ratio for the worstversusthe best quintile of FEV1Q was 4.65 (95% CI 2.33–10.37), compared to 2.98 (1.53–6.27) for FEV1% pred and 3.95 (2.01–8.45) for FEV1·Ht−3. The corresponding incidence rate ratios at 15 years were 4.52 (2.84–7.43), 3.16 (2.02–5.07) and 3.52 (2.25–5.63), respectively. In the control group, even moderate reduction of FEV1Q was associated with long-term mortality, while FEV1% pred was not associated with the outcome.

FEV1Q may be more informative about prognosis in an elderly population compared to FEV1% pred.
The impact of preschool wheezing patterns on health-related quality of life at age 4 years
Authors: Hafkamp-de Groen Esther , Mohangoo Ashna D. , Landgraf Jeanne M. , de Jongste Johan C. , Duijts Liesbeth , Moll Henriëtte A. , Jaddoe Vincent W.V. , Hofman Albert , Raat Hein
Published: July 2012

We assessed whether dynamic preschool wheezing patterns affect health-related quality of life (HRQOL) at age 4 years.

The study included 3878 children participating a prospective cohort study. Information on preschool wheezing was obtained by questionnaire and children were categorised into: never, early, late and persistent wheezing. At age 4 years HRQOL was measured using the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ).

Persistent wheezing was associated with reduced scores for nine out of 13 CHQ scales. No differences in psychosocial CHQ scores (p>0.05), but lower physical CHQ scores were found in children with late and persistent wheezing, compared to children who never wheezed (p<0.001). Mean scores on general health perceptions were, respectively, eight and 12 points lower (on a 0–100 scale) in children with late and persistent wheezing (p<0.001), and children with one to three episodes and four or more episodes of wheezing in the fourth year respectively scored seven and 24 points lower (p<0.001), compared to children who never wheezed.

Persistent wheezing during preschool age independently affects a child's HRQOL, particularly general health perceptions and physical domains at age 4 years. HRQOL was more affected by frequent wheezing episodes in the fourth year of life, rather than by the duration of wheezing at age 0–4 years.
Tuberculosis treatment outcome monitoring in European Union countries: systematic review
Authors: van Hest Rob , Ködmön Csaba , Verver Suzanne , Erkens Connie G.M. , Straetemans Masja , Manissero Davide , de Vries Gerard
Published: July 2012

Treatment success measured by treatment outcome monitoring (TOM) is a key programmatic output of tuberculosis (TB) control programmes. We performed a systematic literature review on national-level TOM in the 30 European Union (EU)/European Economic Areas (EEA) countries to summarise methods used to collect and report data on TOM.

Online reference bibliographic databases PubMed/MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched to identify relevant indexed and non-indexed literature published between January 2000 and August 2010.

The search strategy resulted in 615 potentially relevant indexed citations, of which 27 full-text national studies (79 data sets) were included for final analysis. The selected studies were performed in 10 EU/EEA countries and gave a fragmented impression of TOM in the EU/EEA. Publication year, study period, sample size, databases, definitions, variables, patient and outcome categories, and population subgroups varied widely, portraying a very heterogeneous picture.

This review confirmed previous reports of considerable heterogeneity in publications of TOM results across EU/EEA countries. PubMed/MEDLINE and EMBASE indexed studies are not a suitable instrument to measure representative TOM results for the 30 EU/EEA countries. Uniform and complete reporting to the centralised European Surveillance System will produce the most timely and reliable results of TB treatment outcomes in the EU/EEA.
Blunted muscle angiogenic training-response in COPD patientsversussedentary controls
Authors: Gouzi Fares , Préfaut Christian , Abdellaoui Aldjia , Roudier Emilie , de Rigal Philippe , Molinari Nicolas , Laoudj-Chenivesse Dalila , Mercier Jacques , Birot Olivier , Hayot Maurice
Published: July 2012

The impaired skeletal muscle of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients reduces exercise capacity. Similar to the oxidative muscle fibres, the angio-adaptation of muscle to training may be blunted in these patients, as in other chronic conditions. We therefore compared muscle functional responses and angio-adaptations after training in COPD patients and sedentary healthy subjects (SHS).

24 COPD patients (forced expiratory volume in 1 s 45.6±17.5% predicted) and 23 SHS (<150 min·week−1of moderate-to-vigorous exercise) completed a 6-week rehabilitation programme based on individualised moderate-intensity endurance training. Histomorphological muscle analysis and measurements of pro-angiogenic vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A and anti-angiogenic thrombospondin (TSP)-1 were conducted before and after training.

COPD patients and SHS showed improved symptom-limited oxygen consumption and muscle endurance, although improvements were lower in COPD patients (+0.96±2.4versus+2.9±2.6 mL·kg−1·min−1, p<0.05, and +65%versus+108%, p=0.06, respectively). The capillary-to-fibre (C/F) ratio increased less in COPD patients than SHS (+16±10%versus+37±20%, p<0.05) and no fibre type switch occurred in COPD patients. The VEGF-A/TSP-1 ratio increased in COPD patients and SHS (+65%versus+35%, p<0.05). Changes in C/F and symptom-limited oxygen consumption were correlated (r=0.51, p<0.05).

In addition to a lack of fibre switch, COPD patients displayed a blunted angiogenic response to training.