bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
International Variations in Harsh Child Discipline
Authors: Runyan Desmond K. , Shankar Viswanathan , Hassan Fatma , Hunter Wanda M. , Jain Dipty , Paula Cristiane S. , Bangdiwala Shrikant I. , Ramiro Laurie S. , Muñoz Sergio R. , Vizcarra Beatriz , Bordin Isabel A.
Published: August 2010

BACKGROUND:

Although the history of recognition of child abuse in Europe and North America extends over 40 years, recognition and data are lacking in other parts of the world. Cultural differences in child-rearing complicate cross-cultural studies of abuse.

OBJECTIVE:

To ascertain rates of harsh and less-harsh parenting behavior in population-based samples.

METHODS:

We used parallel surveys of parental discipline of children in samples of mothers in Brazil, Chile, Egypt, India, Philippines, and the United States. Data were collected between 1998 and 2003. The instrument used was a modification of the Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scale, along with a study-developed survey of demographic characteristics and other parent and child variables. Women (N = 14 239) from 19 communities in 6 countries were surveyed. We interviewed mothers aged 15 to 49 years (18–49 years in the United States) who had a child younger than 18 years in her home. Sample selection involved either random sampling or systematic sampling within randomly selected blocks or neighborhoods.

RESULTS:

Nearly all parents used nonviolent discipline and verbal or psychological punishment. Physical punishment was used in at least 55% of the families. Spanking rates (with open hand on buttocks) ranged from a low of 15% in an educated community in India to a high of 76% in a Philippine community. Similarly, there was a wide range in the rates of children who were hit with objects (9%–74% [median: 39%]) or beaten by their parents (0.1%–28.5%). Extremely harsh methods of physical punishment, such as burning or smothering, were rare in all countries. It is concerning that ≥20% of parents in 9 communities admitted shaking children younger than 2 years.

CONCLUSIONS:

Physical and verbal punishments of children are common in high-, middle-, and low-income communities around the world. The forms and rates of punishment vary among countries and among communities within countries. A median of 16% of children experienced harsh or potentially abusive physical discipline in the previous year.
Household Cleaning Product-Related Injuries Treated in US Emergency Departments in 1990–2006
Authors: McKenzie Lara B. , Ahir Nisha , Stolz Uwe , Nelson Nicolas G.
Published: August 2010

OBJECTIVE:

The goal was to examine comprehensively the patterns and trends of household cleaning product-related injuries among children treated in US emergency departments.

METHODS:

Through use of the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database, cases of unintentional, nonfatal, household cleaning product-related injuries were selected by using product codes for drain cleaners, ammonia, metal polishes/tarnish removers, turpentine, dishwasher detergents, acids, swimming pool chemicals, oven cleaners, pine oil cleaners/disinfectants, laundry soaps/detergents, toilet bowl products, abrasive cleaners, general-purpose household cleaners, noncosmetic bleaches, windshield wiper fluids, caustic agents, lye, wallpaper cleaners, room deodorizers/fresheners, spot removers, and dishwashing liquids. Products were categorized according to major toxic ingredients, mode of action, and exposure.

RESULTS:

An estimated 267 269 children ≤5 years of age were treated in US emergency departments for household cleaning product-related injuries. The number of injuries attributable to household cleaning product exposure decreased 46.0% from 22 141 in 1990 to 11 964 in 2006. The product most-commonly associated with injury was bleach (37.1%). Children 1 to 3 years of age accounted for 72.0% of cases. The primary mechanism of injury was ingestion (62.7%). The most common source or container was spray-bottles (40.1%). Although rates of household cleaner-related injuries from regular bottles or original containers and kitchenware decreased during the study period, spray-bottle injury rates showed no decrease.

CONCLUSION:

Although national rates of household cleaning product-related injuries in children decreased significantly over time, the number of injuries remains high.
Cardiac Findings in Congenital Muscular Dystrophies
Authors: Finsterer Josef , Ramaciotti Claudio , Wang Ching H. , Wahbi Karim , Rosenthal David , Duboc Denis , Melacini Paola
Published: August 2010

Cardiac involvement (CI) in congenital muscular dystrophies (CMDs) has been only rarely investigated so far. By means of a systematic literature search we reviewed the literature about CI in CMD and found that CI is apparently absent in Ullrich CMD or CMD with integrin deficiency and only mild in Bethlem CMD. CI in merosin deficiency includes dilated cardiomyopathy and systolic dysfunction. CI in dystroglycanopathies seems most prevalent among all CMDs and includes dilated cardiomyopathy, systolic dysfunction, and myocardial fibrosis in Fukuyama CMD. Among the nonspecified dystroglycanopathies, CI manifests as dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (CMP) or systolic dysfunction. With CMD type 1C, as well as with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy 2I, up to half of the patients develop dilated cardiomyopathy. In rigid-spine syndrome, predominantly the right heart is affected secondary to thoracic deformity. In patients who carry LMNA mutations, CI may manifest as dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or fatal ventricular arrhythmias. Overall, CI in patients with CMD varies considerably between the different CMD types from absent or mild CI to severe cardiac disease, particularly in merosin deficiency, dystroglycanopathies, and laminopathies. Patients with CMD with CI require regular cardiologic surveillance so that severe, treatable cardiac disease is not overlooked.
Bilirubin Binding Contributes to the Increase in Total Bilirubin Concentration in Newborns With Jaundice
Authors: Ahlfors Charles E. , Parker Anne E.
Published: August 2010

OBJECTIVE:

This study tests the hypothesis that the hourly rate of increase in plasma bilirubin concentration (ΔBT) would increase significantly with increasing binding avidity.

METHODS:

The plasma total bilirubin concentration (BT), unbound bilirubin concentration, and albumin concentration values for healthy newborns with jaundice (≤100 hours of age, ≥35 weeks of gestation, and ≥2.5 kg at birth) were obtained from medical records. ΔBT (in milligrams per deciliter per hour) was calculated as the slope of BT versus age (in hours). Binding avidity was quantified as the product of the albumin concentration and its bilirubin binding constant (K). Linear correlation was used to test the hypothesis that ΔBT would increase significantly with K·albumin concentration.

RESULTS:

The ranges of BT, unbound bilirubin concentration, albumin concentration, and K values for the 21 patients studied were 7.6 to 28.5 mg/dL, 0.53 to 2.52 μg/dL, 2.9 to 4.6 g/dL, and 38 to 163 L/μmol, respectively. ΔBT correlated significantly with K·albumin concentration (r2 = 0.23; P = .026).

CONCLUSIONS:

Plasma bilirubin binding avidity contributes significantly to ΔBT. This component of ΔBT is associated with a lower risk of bilirubin neurotoxicity, and studies aimed at incorporating plasma bilirubin binding avidity measurements into the algorithms used for management of newborn jaundice seem warranted.
Influence of Peers on Breastfeeding Discontinuation Among New Parents: The Melbourne InFANT Program
Authors: Cameron Adrian James , Hesketh Kylie , Ball Kylie , Crawford David , Campbell Karen J.
Published: August 2010

OBJECTIVE:

We aimed to investigate whether the proportion of breastfeeding mothers in first-time parent groups influenced the likelihood of ceasing breastfeeding and whether this was independent of socioeconomic position.

METHODS:

Data were from 501 mothers (from 62 first-time parent groups initiated ∼6 weeks after birth) who provided data at the baseline and mid-intervention assessments of the Melbourne Infant Feeding, Activity, and Nutrition Trial. Parent groups were divided into those in which ≤25% of mothers had ceased breastfeeding by 6 weeks (low-cessation groups) and those in which >25% had ceased by 6 weeks (high-cessation groups).

RESULTS:

With the exclusion of mothers who had already ceased breastfeeding by 6 weeks, the proportion of mothers who ceased breastfeeding between the time of parent group initiation (6 weeks) and 6 months was higher in high-cessation groups than in low-cessation groups (37.4% vs 21.7%; P = .001). After adjustment for maternal age, BMI, employment, and education and area-level socioeconomic position, membership in a group in which a large proportion of mothers had ceased breastfeeding by 6 weeks was strongly related to cessation of breastfeeding before 6 months (odds ratio: 2.1 [95% confidence interval: 1.3–3.3]).

CONCLUSIONS:

Attendance at parent groups where peers are breastfeeding infants of a similar age may have an important influence on the continuation of breastfeeding to 6 months. First-time parent groups or other similar groups may be an important setting in which to promote the continuation of breastfeeding.
A PARADIGM FOR OPERANT CONDITIONING IN BLOW FLIES (PHORMIA TERRAE NOVAE ROBINEAU‐DESVOIDY, 1830)
Authors: Sokolowski Michel B. C. , Disma Gérald , Abramson Charles I.
Published: August 2010

An operant conditioning situation for the blow fly (Protophormia terrae novae) is described. Individual flies are trained to enter and reenter a hole as the operant response. Only a few sessions of contingent reinforcement are required to increase response rates. When the response is no longer followed by food, the rate of entering the hole decreases. Control procedures revealed that rate of responding is not a simple overall result of feeding or of aging. The flies entered into the hole only if the response was required to obtain the food.
Bone Morphogenetic Protein‐7 Enhances Cementoblast Function In Vitro
Authors: Hakki Sema S. , Foster Brian L. , Nagatomo Kanako J. , Bozkurt S. Buket , Hakki Erdogan E. , Somerman Martha J. , Nohutcu Rahime M.
Published: August 2010

Background: Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)‐7 is a potent bone‐inducing factor and was shown to promote periodontal regeneration in vivo and in vitro; however, to our knowledge, the specific effect of BMP‐7 on cementoblasts has not been defined. We aimed to investigate the effects of BMP‐7 on cementoblasts, which are cells responsible for tooth root–cementum formation. We hypothesized that BMP‐7 would regulate mineralized tissue–associated genes in cementoblasts and influence the expression profile of genes associated with cementoblast extracellular matrix (ECM) and cell adhesion molecules (CAMs).

Methods: A murine immortalized cementoblast cell line (OCCM.30) was cultured with and without 50 ng/ml BMP‐7. After 72 hours, total RNA was isolated, and mRNA levels for bone/cementum markers, including bone sialoprotein (BSP), osteocalcin (OCN), osteopontin (OPN), and runt‐related transcription factor‐2 (Runx2), were investigated by real‐time quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (Q‐PCR). In vitro mineral nodule formation was assayed on day 8 using von Kossa staining. A pathway‐specific gene‐expression array was used to determine BMP‐7–responsive ECM and CAM genes in cementoblasts.

Results: Mineralized tissue markers were strongly regulated by BMP‐7, with an almost three‐fold increase in BSP and OCN transcripts and significant increases in OPN and Runx2 mRNA expressions. BMP‐7 treatment markedly stimulated cementoblast‐mediated biomineralization in vitro compared to untreated cells at day 8. BMP‐7 treatment altered the OCCM.30 expression profile for ECM and CAM functional gene groups. BMP‐7 tended to increase the expression of collagens and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), mildly decreased tissue inhibitors of MMPs (TIMPs), and had mixed regulatory effects on integrins. Using Q‐PCR, selected array results were confirmed, including a significant BMP‐7–induced increase in MMP‐3 and a decrease in TIMP‐2 mRNA expression.

Conclusion: These results support the promising applications of BMP‐7 in therapies aimed at regenerating periodontal tissues lost as a consequence of disease.
Relationship Between Decrease of Erythrocyte Count and Progression of Periodontal Disease in a Rural Japanese Population
Authors: Yamamoto Tatsuo , Tsuneishi Midori , Furuta Michiko , Ekuni Daisuke , Morita Manabu , Hirata Yukio
Published: August 2010

Background: Limited research has been reported on the relationship between periodontal status and erythrocyte parameters. In the present study, longitudinal data from health checkups are used to clarify the relationship between periodontal disease progression and changes in parameters of erythrocytes.

Methods: In this prospective study, a total of 120 subjects (35 men and 85 women; age range: 30 to 63 years) participated in a comprehensive health screening and dental checkup in 2006 and 2007. Medical examinations, including anthropometric and manometric measurements, blood‐chemistry tests, and oral examinations, were performed. Subjects with periodontal disease progression (i.e., the progression group) were defined based on the presence of ≥1 tooth demonstrating a longitudinal loss of periodontal attachment ≥3 mm or tooth loss during the study period. The Wilcoxon signed‐rank, χ2, Fisher exact, and Mann‐Whitney U tests and stepwise logistic regression analysis were used for statistical analyses.

Results: The progression group comprised 30 subjects. A significant difference between the progression and non‐progression groups was observed in changes of erythrocyte counts but not those of the body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, creatinine, fasting blood glucose, hemoglobin, hematocrit, triglycerides, high‐ and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, aspartate and alanine aminotransferase, and γ‐glutamyl transpeptidase. Stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that the progression of periodontal disease was associated with a change (year 2007 minus year 2006) of erythrocyte counts (adjusted odds ratio = 0.970; P = 0.009) after adjusting for age at baseline.

Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, the progression of periodontal disease is associated with a decrease in erythrocyte counts in a rural Japanese population.
Platelet‐Derived Growth Factor‐BB Release Profile in Gingival Crevicular Fluid After Use of Marginal Periosteal Pedicle Graft as an Autogenous Guided Tissue Membrane to Treat Localized Intrabony Defects
Authors: Gamal Ahmed Yousef , Ahmed El‐Shal Ossama Sayed , El‐Aasara Mahmoud Mohammed , Fakhry Eman Mohammed
Published: August 2010

Background: The aim of this study is to evaluate levels of platelet‐derived growth factor‐BB (PDGF‐BB) in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) during the early stages of healing for sites treated by marginal periosteal pedicle (MPP) graft as an autogenous guided tissue membrane compared to that of the control open flap debridement (OFD).

Methods: Fifteen non‐smoking patients (13 males and 2 females) with severe chronic periodontitis participated in this prospective, controlled, masked trial. Each subject contributed matched pairs of 2‐ or 3‐walled intrabony interproximal defects in premolar or molar teeth. Interproximal contralateral defects were randomly assigned to either the MPP group 1 or control OFD group 2. GCF samples were collected at 1, 3, 7, 14, and 30 days after surgery. PDGF‐BB in the GCF samples was measured using a human PDGF‐BB enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay kit.

Results: In both MPP and OFD, PDGF‐BB concentrations peaked in the samples obtained during the early postoperative days (days 2 and 3) and decreased sharply in the samples obtained 7, 14, and 30 days post‐surgery.

Conclusion: Periosteal coverage of periodontal defects is not associated with a significant increase in PDGF‐BB levels.
Determining the optimal investment plan for water utilities: the case of Veolia Water Central
Authors: Reid Scott , Chalak Ali , Hecht Jonathan
Published: August 2010

Water utilities face difficult choices in how most efficiently to plan for investments that best meet the needs of their customer base. An obvious interest of water utilities is thus to optimise their investment planning to obtain the maximum possible benefits for the costs accrued by the investments. The objective of this article is to demonstrate an approach for a water utility to determine the benefits of investments in different possible service areas. We used a stated preference choice experiment approach to estimate the willingness-to-pay of customers of a utility company in Southeast England for various water services that are both private and public in nature. Using state-of-the-art econometric methods, we demonstrate how customer preferences can be estimated at the individual level, as opposed to more standard modelling approaches that assume that tastes are homogeneous among the customer population. Willingness-to-pay results were mostly statistically significant for the various private and public services presented to customers, and results conformed to the expectations of economic theory. We demonstrate how individual-level customer preferences can be used to forecast the preferred alternatives of customers when faced with different possible investment programmes. Lastly, we outline how various benefits and costs, including those captured by willingness-to-pay, are used to optimise the water utility's investment planning.
Water and wastewater management technologies through the centuries
Authors: De Feo G. , Laureano P. , Drusiani R. , Angelakis A. N.
Published: August 2010

The aim of this paper is to propose a journey through the history of water and wastewater management technologies in the ancient civilizations, a sort of Appian Way (“Via Appia”, the “regina longarum viarum”) through the Centuries. Moreover, this paper is a sort of short summary of papers presented in the first two IWA Specialty Conferences on Water and Wastewater Technologies in Ancient Civilizations with particular emphasis on the later one. The main topics considered are: aqueducts and tunnels, cisterns and reservoirs, water distributions systems, fountains, toilets and other purgatory structures, drainage and sewerage systems, irrigation systems and, finally, qanats and other similar systems. Upon completing the journey, we have arrived at the conclusion that the meaning of sustainability in modern times should be revaluated in light of ancient hydraulic water and wastewater works and management practices.
Pimpama-Coomera dual reticulation end use study: pre-commission baseline, context and post-commission end use prediction
Authors: Willis R. M. , Stewart R. A. , Emmonds S. C.
Published: August 2010

The Gold Coast Water Pimpama Coomera dual reticulation schemes' recycled water supply will be online in late 2009. In an attempt to achieve better estimates on both potable and likely recycled water end uses within this region, this paper presents a predictive model that utilises a range of input parameters, including: current use in the Gold Coast and the Pimpama Coomera regions at both a bulk billing and end use level; recycled water use at other dual reticulated schemes; and questionnaire survey of residents water source preferences for outdoor uses. Prior to the commissioning of recycled water, potable water is supplied through the recycled water pipelines. Water end use consumption analysis from the recycled water smart meter indicates that this supply source currently provides 20% of total household use with the majority of use being for toilet flushing. However, a range of factors have attributed to this low baseline level with evidence collected in this study indicating that higher recycled water consumption rates will occur once this supply line has been commissioned; largely due to the lower cost and fewer restrictions placed on this water source for discretionary outdoor purposes. The weighted amalgamation of a range of baseline adjustment factors assisted in the prediction of post-commissioning end uses for the Pimpama Coomera dual reticulated region. The predictive model indicated that recycled water end uses would account for 53 litres per person per day or 30.6% of total household consumption. The paper concludes with a brief overview of Phase 2 of the study which aims to compare actual post-commission end uses with the baseline situation and prediction, as well as the development of a robust end use model for dual reticulated regions.
The greatest water reservoirs in the ancient Roman world and the “Piscina Mirabilis” in Misenum
Authors: De Feo G. , De Gisi S. , Malvano C. , De Biase O.
Published: August 2010

The aim of the present study was to investigate the greatest water reservoirs in the ancient Roman world and, in particular, the “Piscina Mirabilis” in Misenum, in Southern Italy. In our study, we considered the reservoirs with a volume in the order of thousands of cubic metres, storing flowing water, set low in the ground or actually underground, and roofed over. In general, a Roman aqueduct was not built to provide drinking water, nor to promote hygiene, but either to supply the baths or for military aims. As a matter of fact, the population of Rome at the end of the 1st century AD had an average water supply of 1,550 L/d per capita especially used for baths. This circumstance required reservoirs of huge capacity. The reservoir of the Baths of Caracalla in Rome could contain over 80,000 m3 of water. The use of columns in a Roman reservoir was introduced in the ancient Constantinopolis and the Yerebatan Saray with a maximum capacity of almost 85,000 cubic metres can be considered the biggest Roman reservoir. While for military aims, the Piscina Mirabilis in Misenum can be considered the biggest Roman resevoirs used for military aims ever known until now (provide the Classis Praetoria Misenensis) with a volumetric capacity of 12,600 m3 of water.
Water, toilets and public health in the Roman era
Authors: Vuorinen Heikki S.
Published: August 2010

Toilets have a long history. The aim of this article is to examine the influence of water and toilets on public health during the Roman era (circa 200 B.C.–500 A.D.). Toilets during the Roman era can be divided into two groups: public and private. A public toilet was often built in proximity to or inside a bath so that it was easily entered from both inside and outside of the bath. The abundance of water that was conducted to the bath could also be used to flush the toilet. Piped water for flushing private toilets seems to have been a rarity. In many cases the private toilet was located near the kitchen. Hygienic conditions in both types of toilets must have been very poor, and consequently intestinal diseases have been all around. Dysentery, typhoid fever and different kinds of diarrhoeas are likely candidates for diagnoses. Descriptions of the intestinal diseases in the ancient texts are unfortunately so unspecific that the identification of causative agents is a very problematic venture. Studies of ancient microbial DNA might offer some new evidence for the identification of microbes spread by contaminated water.
Quality and suitability of harvested rainwater for drinking in Bangladesh
Authors: Rezaul Karim Md.
Published: August 2010

Several programs have been undertaken during the last few years to install rooftop rainwater harvesting systems as an alternative drinking water supply source both in the coastal and arsenic affected areas in Bangladesh. In this study, quality of the harvested rainwater used for drinking water supply was assessed. A total of 308 harvested rainwater samples were collected from the different storage reservoirs located both in coastal and arsenic affected areas and analysed for various physical, chemical and microbial indicators. Most of the physical and chemical water quality parameters were well below the Bangladesh Drinking Water Standard and WHO guideline values. However, the harvested rainwater was found microbiologically contaminated to some extent and the water is not suitable for consumption without treatment. For safe and sustainable rainwater harvesting, WHO guideline and water safely plan (WSP) can be adopted in Bangladesh.
Hybrid genetic algorithm in the optimization of energy costs in water supply networks
Authors: Costa L. H. M. , Ramos H. M. , de Castro M. A. H.
Published: August 2010

Efficient operation of water distribution systems is linked with the assurance of water availability to the population. In general, the operational rules applied to water distribution networks have as a sole objective the continuity of the water supply and disregards saving energy costs related to the operation of the pumps. The task of determining optimal operational procedures involves several elements such as the daily variation of water consumption, energy cost rates and the level of the tanks and reservoirs. This work presents a hybrid genetic algorithm which is connected to the widely known software EPANET, in order to determine operational strategies in water supply with reduced energy costs. The model is applied to a hypothetical example and to a real water distribution network located in the city of Ourém, in Portugal.
High performance boron removal from seawater by two-pass SWRO system with different membranes
Authors: Xu Jia , Gao Xueli , Chen Guohua , Zou Linda , Gao Congjie
Published: August 2010

Boron in the desalinated water produced by the seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) system is one of the most challenging issues for drinking or irrigation water uses. In recent years, many post-treatment methods and designs for boron elimination have emerged and attracted lots of attention, but only a few cases have demonstrated high performance and economic efficiency. The main aim of this work was to evaluate the efficiency of boron removal from seawater using a two-pass SWRO system employing different RO membranes at Qingdao Jiaozhou Bay, the Yellow Sea of China. In this study, HYDRANAUTICS SWC3+ and ESPAB were chosen as the first and second pass membrane, respectively. The impact of feed properties including temperature, pH, salinity, boron concentration, and operational conditions such as feed pressure on boron rejection and permeate flux was determined. In addition, a relative long term run of the two-pass SWRO system was investigated and compared with performance of system that uses Filmtec membrane as reported in the literature. Although the pilot system in this study experienced more severe feed conditions with lower pH, higher feed boron concentrations and lower operational pressures: all potential negative factors for boron rejection, it still achieved good performance for boron reduction. The results of three-month long term operation indicated that, at optimum conditions, two-pass SWRO system at Qingdao Jiaozhou Bay achieved a high performance and stability without anti-scalants to produce permeate which has much a lower boron concentration than the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline.
Diagnosis of Esophagitis Based on Face Recognition Techniques
Authors: Saraf Santosh S , Udupi Gururaj R , Hajare Santosh D
Published: August 2010

Face recognition technology has evolved over years with the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) method being the benchmark for recognition efficiency. The face recognition techniques take care of variation of illumination, pose and other features of the face in the image. We envisage an application of these face recognition techniques for classification of medical images. The motivating factor being, given a condition of an organ it is represented by some typical features. In this paper we report the use of the face recognition techniques to classify the type of Esophagitis, a condition of inflammation of the esophagus. The image of the esophagus is captured in the process of endoscopy. We test PCA, Fisher Face method and Independent Component Analysis techniques to classify the images of the esophagus. Esophagitis is classified into four categories. The results of classification for each method are reported and the results are compared.
Supplementation of Fruit Extract of Hippophae rhamnoides Speeds Adaptation to Simulated High Altitude Stressors in Rats
Authors: Tulsawani Rajkumar , Sharma Priyanka , Divekar Harish Madan , Meena Ram Niwas , Singh Mrinalini , Kumar Ratan
Published: August 2010

The present study was conducted to evaluate the adaptogenic activity of aqueous fruit extract of seabuckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L) in rats simulated to high altitude conditions along with its toxicity studies. In one of the studies, various doses 25, 50, 75, 100 and 200 mg/kg of extract were administered in rats 30 minutes prior to cold (5°C)hypoxia (428 mmHg)restraint (C-H-R) exposure. The maximal effective adaptogenic dose of the extract was observed to be 75 mg/kg body weight. In a second study, biochemical studies related to lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status of rats exposed to C-H-R alone or in presence of extract were examined. The supplementation of extract attenuated the changes in levels of malondialdehyde and reduced glutathione, and activities of glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, superoxide dismutase and catalase on attaining Trec 23°C during C-H-R exposure and on recovery to Trec 37°C. In another study, the safety of extract in experimental animals was addressed. There were no significant changes in body weight, organ/body weight ratios, hematological and biochemical variables in any sub acute or sub chronically extract treated rats compared to respective controls, when administered either with 1 g/kg and 2 g/kg for 14 days or 75 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg for 30 days. Further in vitro studies conducted in liver slice culture revealed rutin and ascorbic acid, the principle antioxidants present in extract, both accorded protection when restricted to 1% oxygen but partially. Overall, the findings of the study indicate that the extract possesses potent adaptogenic activity and is non-toxic in rats at its maximal effective dose administration for 30 days.
Beyond Peace Education: Toward Co-Poiesis and Enduring Improvisation
Authors: Gur-Ze'Ev Ilan
Published: August 2010

Is it possible that the essence of peace is negated in peace education? And is it possible that even against its own will peace education calls for the negation of its negation? In peace education no serious attempts have been made to elaborate its most central concepts. ‘Pacifism’, ‘violence’, ‘counter-violence’ and ‘emancipation’, ‘culture of peace’, among others, have still not been probed. Peace education, actually, is a serious threat to human edification. Peace for the eternal Jew, for the enduring improviser, is a condition of the one who found his way: an endless path of a nomad that has Love but no other ‘home’, dogma or quest for ‘home-returning’ into thingness, the continuum or the Same. He will never find and never search for ‘peace’ as an end of Diasporic existence and terminality of the suffering of the nomad. He will be at peace with his mission of avoiding history within history, of overcoming the temptation to be part of the collective ‘I’/consensus/pleasure machine/truth, and often he will be tired, ridiculed, punished or executed. But he will be also rewarded, each moment anew, for being at peace with his refusal of ‘peace’: he will be a freer and a richer improviser that his co-poiesis with the world, the Other, and he himself gives birth to Love. As such, the eternal improviser is mature enough to meet the alterity of other free nomads and Diasporic humans, as well as the gifts of other free-minded spirits. They too, as Nietzsche tell us, feel at home on the mountain, in the forest, and within their loneliness. But for the eternal improviser there is more and there is less than the rewards of the eternal Nietzschean nomad. This is so since the Nietzschean nomad is rewarded with presents and finally finds harmony in himself and the right path to the freedom of reason. The eternal improviser, however, is a more consistent Nietzschean than the Nietzschean nomad and is never appeased, domesticated or rewarded by any ‘home’. Homelessness, eternal Diaspora and improvisation worthy of the name cannot offer any ‘reward’ or rest in the (right) paved way, be it ‘external’ or ‘internal’, transcendent or immanent. Here counter-education reintroduces peace as a realization of Love and worthy togetherness with the cosmos, with the Other, with worthy suffering and with one's self.
Diasporic Philosophy, Counter-Education and Improvisation
Authors: Gur-Ze'Ev Ilan
Published: August 2010

Counter-education that addresses seriously the challenge of loss, exile, and the deceiving ‘home-returning’ projects accepts that no positive Utopia awaits us as ‘truth’, ‘genuine life’, ‘worthy struggle’, ‘pleasure’ or worthy self-annihilation. Loss is not to be recovered or compensated; not for the individual nor for any kind of ‘we’. And yet, Love of Life is the home of the Diasporic in the Socratic sense of Eros as an attracting absence of the beautiful. Counter-education should invite the Diasporic to the hospitality of Love of Life. Such hospitality calls for overcoming conventional morality and the other imperatives of the ethnocentric ‘we’, its self-evidence, its normality, the counter-violence of the oppressed and its normalized patriotic citizenship. The determination for Diasporic life and the possibilities opened by Diasporic counter-education is always ironic. It is never at home. The heart of improvisation is this movement within co-poiesis as a togetherness offered by Love of Life. It gives birth to the totally new. To the wholly unexpected that the Diasporic human faces its hospitality as alterity and togetherness symbolized by the Orcha; a form of non-instrumental nomadic playfulness that manifests erotic responsibility to Life at its best. Improvisation manifests the dialectics of response-ability and respond-ability. It is not ‘constructive’ nor is it merely ‘negative’. It is far from a manifestation of ‘resistance’ to oppression or suffering and loss. In the context of Diasporic counter-education it plays a special role as part of Love of Life and co-poiesis that challenges the matrix of whose manifestations traditional critical pedagogy is part and parcel.
Nomadism: Against Methodological Nationalism
Authors: Braidotti Rosi
Published: August 2010

This article is inspired by Gilles Deleuze's philosophical nomadology and stresses the idea of subjectivity. It stresses the non-unitary, complex and inter-relational structure of the process of subject-formation and explores some of the implications of this structure for ethical relations, politics and for pedagogical practice. As for ethical relations, the emphasis falls on the ethics of affirmation and the extent to which they inform the practice of nomadic, transversal subjectivities. Great value is given to anti-nationalism, anti-racism and resistance to fixed and essentialized cultural or national identities. The article then explores the methodological implications of nomadic subjectivity: the rejection of the classical equation between rational consciousness and universal values; extensive transdisciplinarity and the practice of non-linearity. The main argument is that, by defending an open-ended and relational vision of the subject, philosophical nomadic thought contributes to cosmopolitan community building against narrow nationalistic practices and it sustains multiple ecologies of belonging.
The Coexistence of Cultures
Authors: Todorov Tzvetan
Published: August 2010

Traditional links are being erased. When one lacks positive elements in order to build one's collective identity the temptation is strong to hook on to negative elements – I am not like these immigrants who are physically different from me, who speak another language, and who have strange customs. My identity lies in rejecting them. Thus, the apocalyptic vision of a homogeneous humanity is faced with a no-less-threatening vision – that of a planet inhabited by tribes at war with each other. While the benefits of the legalization of groups, in accordance with the communal or with the multicultural model, are problematic, its perverse effects are easy to foresee. Nationalism, or other forms of particularism, can serve towards fulfilling some generous goals, on a punctual scale, but it is dangerous in its principle. Universalism can be punctually misled and used to fulfill unacceptable goals; however, its principle remains liberating. It is for this reason that it has also been able to serve in order to eliminate its own perversions, such as in the ancient colonies' struggle for independence or in women's fight for equal rights. The author's conclusion is that, on a political level, the preference granted to collective belonging over individual freedom is poorly justified.
Ecology and Pedagogy: On the Educational Implications of Postwar Environmental Philosophy
Authors: Hotam Yotam
Published: August 2010

Environmentalism, an ethical imperative to preserve and protect nature, has become in the last decade a central ethical, political and pedagogic theme. Against this background, this article focuses on the postwar philosophy of the German-Jewish scholar Hans Jonas (1903–93). It points to Jonas's radical theory of pedagogic responsibility, and to the manner in which this theory advocated conciliation between ecocentric and anthropocentric ecological approaches. The article further shows how this theory was informed by Jonas's theological reflections on a God who is concurrently transcendent and immanent – a God who is both ‘exiled’ from the world and ‘at home’ within the world. Jonas's specific approach demonstrates the manner in which theology informs eco-pedagogy; ecological education is thus demonstrated as secular-theological phenomena.
In Vitro Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Effectiveness and Moisture Binding Properties of Wound Dressings
Authors: Aramwit Pornanong , Muangman Pornprom , Namviriyachote Nantaporn , Srichana Teerapol
Published: August 2010

A variety of silver-coated dressings and some impregnated with other chemicals are now available in the market; however, there have been few studies analyzing their comparative efficacies as antimicrobial agents. Moreover, their properties for retaining an appropriate level of moisture that is critical for effective wound healing have never been reported. Five commercially available silver-containing and chlorhexidine dressings, Urgotul SSD®, Bactigras®, Acticoat®, Askina Calgitrol Ag® and Aquacel Ag®, were tested to determine their comparative antimicrobial effectiveness in vitro against five common wound pathogens, namely methicillin-sensitive and -resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Mepitel®, a flexible polyamide net coated with soft silicone, was used as a control. The zones of inhibition and both the rapidity and the extent of killing of these pathogens were evaluated. All five antimicrobial dressings investigated exerted some bactericidal activity, particularly against E. coli. The spectrum and rapidity of action ranged widely for the different dressings. Acticoat® had a broad spectrum of action against both Gram-positive and -negative bacteria. Other dressings demonstrated a narrower range of bactericidal activities. Regarding the absorption and release of moisture, Askina Calgitrol Ag® absorbed and released the most moisture from the environment. Aquacel Ag® also exhibited good moisture absorption and moisture release, but to a lower degree. The other tested dressings absorbed or released very little moisture. Askina Calgitrol Ag® and Aquacel Ag® are good alternative dressings for treating wounds with high exudates and pus. An understanding of the characteristics of these dressings will be useful for utilizing them for specific requirements under specified conditions.
(Z)-2-(4-Chloro-5H-1,2,3-dithiazol-5-ylideneamino)-6-ethoxy-4-phenylpyridine-3,5-dicarbonitrile
Authors: Koutentis Panayiotis A. , Michaelidou Sophia S.
Published: August 2010

2-Amino-6-ethoxy-4-phenylpyridine-3,5-dicarbonitrile 1 reacts with 4,5-dichloro-1,2,3-dithiazolium chloride 2 in the presence of pyridine (2 equiv.) to afford (Z)-2-(4-chloro-5H-1,2,3-dithiazol-5-ylideneamino)-6-ethoxy-4-phenylpyridine-3,5- dicarbonitrile 3 in 88% yield.
Changes in Intakes of Total and Added Sugar and their Contribution to Energy Intake in the U.S.
Authors: Chun Ock K. , Chung Chin E. , Wang Ying , Padgitt Andrea , Song Won O.
Published: August 2010

This study was designed to document changes in total sugar intake and intake of added sugars, in the context of total energy intake and intake of nutrient categories, between the 1970s and the 1990s, and to identify major food sources contributing to those changes in intake. Data from the NHANES I and III were analyzed to obtain nationally representative information on food consumption for the civilian, non-institutionalized population of the U.S. from 1971 to 1994. In the past three decades, in addition to the increase in mean intakes of total energy, total sugar, added sugars, significant increases in the total intake of carbohydrates and the proportion of carbohydrates to the total energy intake were observed. The contribution of sugars to total carbohydrate intake decreased in both 1–18 y and 19+ y age subgroups, and the contribution of added sugars to the total energy intake did not change. Soft drinks/fluid milk/sugars and cakes, pastries, and pies remained the major food sources for intake of total sugar, total carbohydrates, and total energy during the past three decades. Carbonated soft drinks were the most significant sugar source across the entire three decades. Changes in sugar consumption over the past three decades may be a useful specific area of investigation in examining the effect of dietary patterns on chronic diseases.
Wireless Sensor Network Deployment for Monitoring Wildlife Passages
Authors: Garcia-Sanchez Antonio-Javier , Garcia-Sanchez Felipe , Losilla Fernando , Kulakowski Pawel , Garcia-Haro Joan , Rodríguez Alejandro , López-Bao José-Vicente , Palomares Francisco
Published: August 2010

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are being deployed in very diverse application scenarios, including rural and forest environments. In these particular contexts, specimen protection and conservation is a challenge, especially in natural reserves, dangerous locations or hot spots of these reserves (i.e., roads, railways, and other civil infrastructures). This paper proposes and studies a WSN based system for generic target (animal) tracking in the surrounding area of wildlife passages built to establish safe ways for animals to cross transportation infrastructures. In addition, it allows target identification through the use of video sensors connected to strategically deployed nodes. This deployment is designed on the basis of the IEEE 802.15.4 standard, but it increases the lifetime of the nodes through an appropriate scheduling. The system has been evaluated for the particular scenario of wildlife monitoring in passages across roads. For this purpose, different schemes have been simulated in order to find the most appropriate network operational parameters. Moreover, a novel prototype, provided with motion detector sensors, has also been developed and its design feasibility demonstrated. Original software modules providing new functionalities have been implemented and included in this prototype. Finally, main performance evaluation results of the whole system are presented and discussed in depth.
A Field Programmable Gate Array-Based Reconfigurable Smart-Sensor Network for Wireless Monitoring of New Generation Computer Numerically Controlled Machines
Authors: Moreno-Tapia Sandra Veronica , Vera-Salas Luis Alberto , Osornio-Rios Roque Alfredo , Dominguez-Gonzalez Aurelio , Stiharu Ion , Romero-Troncoso Rene de Jesus
Published: August 2010

Computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines have evolved to adapt to increasing technological and industrial requirements. To cover these needs, new generation machines have to perform monitoring strategies by incorporating multiple sensors. Since in most of applications the online Processing of the variables is essential, the use of smart sensors is necessary. The contribution of this work is the development of a wireless network platform of reconfigurable smart sensors for CNC machine applications complying with the measurement requirements of new generation CNC machines. Four different smart sensors are put under test in the network and their corresponding signal processing techniques are implemented in a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)-based sensor node.
Natural Occurrence of Ochratoxin A in Musts, Wines and Grape Vine Fruits from Grapes Harvested in Argentina
Authors: Ponsone María Lorena , Chiotta María Laura , Combina Mariana , Torres Adriana , Knass Patricia , Dalcero Ana , Chulze Sofía
Published: August 2010

In this study, ochratoxin A (OTA) occurrence in Argentinean musts, wines and dried vine fruits was evaluated, alongside with the performance of OchraStarTM columns for OTA extraction. In all the three matrices analyzed, the OchraStarTM columns showed good performance. The analysis of natural occurrence of OTA in the red must and the red wine samples showed low incidence with low levels of mean OTA contamination (0.12 ng/mL and 0.37 ng/mL, respectively), while 60% of the dried vine fruit samples were contaminated with OTA, in levels ranging from 0.26 to 20.28 ng/g.
Elevated Serum Interleukin 33 Is Associated with Autoantibody Production in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: MU RONG , HUANG HE-QING , LI YU-HUI , LI CHUN , YE HUA , LI ZHAN-GUO
Published: August 2010

Objective.

Interleukin 33 (IL-33) is a novel cytokine involved in joint inflammation in animal models. We analyzed the expression of IL-33 in the serum and synovial fluid of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and investigated its possible pathophysiological importance.

Methods.

The concentration of IL-33 was measured by ELISA in the serum of 223 patients with RA and 159 controls. Anticyclic citrullinated peptide, rheumatoid factor (RF)-IgA, and RF-IgG were tested by ELISA. Antikeratin antibody and antiperinuclear factor were tested by indirect immunofluorescence assay. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, and immunoglobulins were measured by standard laboratory techniques. The association of IL-33 level with clinical and serologic features of RA was analyzed. We tested the change of IL-33 level following tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) blockade therapy in 40 patients with RA.

Results.

In contrast to almost no detectable IL-33 in osteoarthritis and healthy serum, IL-33 could be detected in 94 out of the 223 RA cases (42.2%). Serum IL-33 concentration was significantly higher in patients with RA than in control groups. The level of serum IL-33 decreased after anti-TNF treatment. The level of serum IL-33 was correlated with the production of IgM and RA-related autoantibodies including RF and anticitrullinated protein antibodies. However, no correlation was found between IL-33 concentration and acute-phase inflammation reactant or the score of the Disease Activity Index, suggesting a complex or indirect character of the link between IL-33 and the inflammation in RA.

Conclusion.

The level of IL-33 is abnormally elevated in RA serum. The elevation of serum IL-33 was at least partly attributed to excessive TNF-α in RA. IL-33 might be involved in the regulation of autoantibody production in RA.