bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ultrasound‐guided thrombin–gelatin injection is effective for the treatment of iatrogenic femoral artery pseudoaneurysms: Initial results
Authors: Santos Miguel Borges , Silva Sergio , Bettencourt Vitor , Teles Rui Campante , Almeida Manuel Sousa , Medeiros Duarte , Silva Jose Aniceto
Published: July 2012

Objectives

To describe the technique of ultrasound (US)‐guided percutaneous thrombin–gelatin injection for the treatment of femoral artery pseudoaneurysms (FAPs).

Background

FAPs are a possible complication from percutaneous angiographic procedures. US‐guided thrombin injection is currently the preferential therapeutic option, limited by a low risk of potentially catastrophic femoral thrombosis; transluminal injection of collagen is another effective and safe option, although a more invasive one; surgical repair is associated with significant comorbidity. We hypothesized that US‐guided combined thrombin and gelatin injection (UG‐TGI) would also be effective while minimizing the risk of limb thrombosis.

Methods

Review of the results, complications and length of hospital admission after the injection into the FAP sac of combined human‐origin thrombin and bovine‐origin gelatin matrix (FloSeal®, Baxter), under direct US‐guidance.

Results

We treated 13 patients (mean age 64 ± 9.46 years, 38% male), who developed a FAP following a percutaneous procedure: isolated coronariography in five (38%); angioplasty in four (31%); other cardiac procedures in four (31%). Immediate success was obtained in all (100%) patients, assessed by US; no allergic reactions, local infection, or embolic events occurred on 30‐day follow‐up. Median (interquartile range) admission time after the UG‐TGI was 2 days (1.25–2.0); median time of total admission was 8 days (6.5–16.25).

Conclusions

In this small study, UG‐TGI for the treatment of FAP was feasible and had short‐term effectiveness, without a learning curve effect. Despite the need for further experience, a trial comparing different therapies for FAP should include this procedure. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Evaluation of asynchronous multi‐swarm particle optimization on several topologies
Authors: de Campos Arion , Pozo Aurora T.R. , Duarte Elias P.
Published: July 2012

Particle swarm optimization is a population‐based stochastic optimization technique that is easy to implement and has been successfully applied in many areas. However, its performance often deteriorates as the dimensionality of the problem increases. Recently, parallel strategies based on multiple swarms (multi‐swarm) have been investigated as an alternative to overcome this problem. In this paper, we evaluate the impact of the topology on multi‐swarm systems, considering that swarms are independent, and interact by means of particle migration. We focus on asynchronous communication, that is, only when an improvement occurs on the best particle that the solution migrates among swarms. The goal is to check how different communication strategies affect the parallel execution of the optimization tasks. Several different topologies and communication strategies have been evaluated, including broadcast and gossip on fully connected networks, unidirectional and bidirectional rings, hypercubes, and a dynamic topology. Extensive experimental results were obtained and are reported using several traditional benchmark functions. We evaluated the impact of the topologies in terms of the number of iterations and the communication overhead. With the results, a ranking of the different topologies is presented. The impact of the number of swarms on the optimization process is also evaluated. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A review of analytical strategies for the detection of ‘endogenous’ steroid abuse in food production
Authors: Scarth J. P. , Kay J. , Teale P. , Akre C. , Le Bizec B. , De Brabander H. F. , Vanhaecke L. , Van Ginkel L. , Points J.
Published: July 2012

Detection of the abuse of synthetic steroids in food production is nowadays relatively straightforward using modern techniques such as gas or liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC‐MS/MS or LC‐MS/MS, respectively). However, proving the abuse of ‘endogenous’ (or naturally occurring) steroids is more difficult. Despite these difficulties, significant progress in this area has recently been made and a number of methods are now available.

The aim of the current review was to systematically review the available analytical approaches, which include threshold concentrations, qualitative ‘marker’ metabolites, intact steroid esters, gas chromatography‐combustion‐isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC‐C‐IRMS), longitudinal testing and ‘omics’ biomarker profiling. The advantages/disadvantages of these methods are considered in detail, but the choice of which to adopt is dictated by a number of practical, political, and economic factors, which vary in different parts of the world. These include the steroid/species combination requiring analysis, the matrix tested, whether samples are collected from live or slaughtered animals, available analytical instrumentation, sample throughput/cost, and the relevant legal/regulatory frameworks. Furthermore, these approaches could be combined in a range of different parallel and/or sequential screening/confirmatory testing streams, with the final choice being determined by the aforementioned considerations.

Despite these advances, more work is required to refine the different techniques and to respond to the ever increasing list of compounds classified as ‘endogenous’. At this advanced stage, however, it is now more important than ever for scientists and regulators from across the world to communicate and collaborate in order to harmonize and streamline research efforts. © 2012 HFL Sport Science (LGC Ltd) and © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada.
Application of EU guidelines for the validation of screening methods for veterinary drugs
Authors: Stolker Alida A. M. (Linda)
Published: July 2012

Commission Decision (CD) 2002/657/EC describes detailed rules for method validation within the framework of residue monitoring programmes. The approach described in this CD is based on criteria. For (qualitative) screening methods, the most important criteria is that the CCβ has to be below any regulatory limit. Especially when microbiological or immunochemical methods are involved, the approach described in the CD is not easily applied. For example, by those methods, a large number of analytes (all antibiotics) within several different matrices (meat, milk, fish, eggs, etc.) are detected. It is not completely clear whether all those analytes and all matrices have to be taken into account during method validation. To clarify this, a working group – from EU Reference Laboratories – came up with a practical approach to validate multi‐analyte multi‐matrix screening methods. It describes how many analyte/matrix combinations have to be tested and how these combinations are selected. Furthermore it describes how to determine CCβ for screening methods in relation to a large list of compounds and maximum residue limits (MRLs). First for each analyte/matrix combination the ‘cut‐off’ level – i.e. the level at which the method separates blanks from contaminated samples – is established. The validation is preferably at the concentration of 50% of the regulatory limit. A minimum set of 20 different samples has to be tested. From the experiences with applying these guidelines it was concluded that the validation approach is very ‘practical’; however, there are some remarks. One has to be careful with selecting ‘representative’ analytes and matrices and it is strongly recommended to collect additional validation data during the routine application of the method. © 2012 RIKILT‐Wageningen University and Research. Drug Testing and Analysis © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Monitoring of florfenicol residues in fish muscle by HPLC‐UV with confirmation of suspect results by LC‐MS/MS
Authors: Granja Rodrigo H. M. M. , de Lima Andreia C. , Patel Raj K. , Salerno Alessandro G. , Wanschel Amarylis C. B. A.
Published: July 2012

Florfenicol, a derivative of thiamphenicol in which the hydroxyl group at C‐3 has been replaced with fluorine, is listed by the World Health Organization as an antibacterial agent for human medicine that is critically important in risk management strategies for non‐human use. AOAC International has also identified it as an important molecule for the development of effective methods for the seafood sector. Following inspection missions from the European Union and United States of America, it was introduced in the Brazilian Residues Control Program to fulfill export and internal national requirements with a Maximum Residue Limit of 800 µg/kg. A high performance liquid chromatography method with ultraviolet detection at a wavelength of 230 nm (λ = 230 nm) for the detection of florfenicol in fish muscle was developed and validated according to the Brazilian Regulation 24/2009 (equivalent to European Union Decision 2002/657/EC). Fish samples were extracted with ethyl acetate and hexane followed by C18 solid phase clean‐up and chromatographic separation on a reversed‐phase C18 LC column with acetonitrile:water as mobile phase. The method results were also was compared with those obtained using liquid chromatography‐tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry. The method meets the Brazilian regulatory requirements with a decision limit (CCα) of 840 µg/kg and detection capability (CCβ) of 879 µg/kg. This method is easy to use and has been implemented into Brazil's residue control program, with liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) confirmation of any suspect samples using the same method. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Conformational Studies of Dodecanolactone by Dynamic NMR Spectroscopy and Computational Methods
Authors: Gill Gurvinder , Pawar Diwakar M. , Noe Eric A.
Published: July 2012

Low‐temperature carbon NMR spectra of dodecanolactone (1), the parent 13‐membered lactone, showed the presence of two conformations, with populations of 55.5 and 44.5 % at –164.2 °C. Populations were estimated at the coalescence temperature of –151.9 °C for the carbonyl carbon atoms, and rate constants of 172.1 and 141.1 s–1 were obtained by lineshape matching. The corresponding free‐energy barriers were 5.63 and 5.68 kcal/mol. A search of conformational space was made with Allinger's MM4 program, and the conformations found were numbered 1a–m in order of increasing steric energies. Ab initio calculations (HF/6‐311G* level) of chemical shifts and of free energies at –150 °C predict that the major conformation is 1b and the minor conformation is 1a.
Amphiphilic DNA Duplex Stabilized by a Hydrophobic Zipper
Authors: Dohno Chikara , Shibata Tomonori , Okazaki Masatsugu , Makishi Shingo , Nakatani Kazuhiko
Published: July 2012

We have synthesized a new amphiphilic DNA containing an internal hydrophobic region consisting of dodecyl phosphotriester linkages (dod‐DNA). dod‐DNAs of any arbitrary sequence can be synthesized by standard automated solid‐phase synthesis using a set of nucleoside dodecyl phosphoramidites. Although replacement of a phosphodiester linkage with the hydrophobic phosphotriester linkage tended to decrease the thermodynamic stability of the duplex, when multiple dodecyl groups were introduced into both strands of a DNA duplex in a face‐to‐face arrangement, the resulting duplex was strongly stabilized by the interstrand hydrophobic interaction. The hydrophobic zipper formation provides a tightly associated, electroneutral, and highly hydrophobic region in the originally hydrophilic DNA duplex. As the hydrophobic properties can be adjusted by varying the encoded sequence, dod‐DNA is an easy‐to‐design amphiphilic molecule for controllable vesicles and membrane biotechnology.
Segmented field OFFGEL® electrophoresis
Authors: Tobolkina Elena , Cortés‐Salazar Fernando , Momotenko Dmitry , Maillard Julien , Girault Hubert H.
Published: July 2012

A multielectrode setup for protein OFFGEL electrophoresis that significantly improves protein separation efficiency has been developed. Here, the electric field is applied by segments between seven electrodes connected in series to six independent power supplies. The aim of this strategy is to distribute evenly the electric field along the multiwell system, and as a consequence to enhance electrophoresis in terms of separation time, resolution, and protein collection efficiency, while minimizing the overall potential difference and therefore the Joule heating. The performances were compared to a standard two‐electrode setup for OFFGEL fractionation of a protein mixture, using UV‐Vis spectroscopy for quantification and MALDI‐MS for identification. The electrophoretic separation process was simulated, and optimized by solving the time‐dependent Nernst–Planck differential equation.
Can complex visual discrimination deficits in amnesia be attributed to the medial temporal lobe? An investigation into the effects of medial temporal lobe damage on brain connectivity
Authors: Rudebeck Sarah R. , Filippini Nicola , Lee Andy C.H.
Published: July 2012

It has been suggested that complex visual discrimination deficits in patients with medial temporal lobe (MTL) damage may be explained by damage or dysfunction beyond the MTL. We examined the resting functional networks and white matter connectivity of two amnesic patients who have consistently demonstrated discrimination impairments for complex object and/or spatial stimuli across a number of studies. Although exploratory analyses revealed some significant differences in comparison with neurologically healthy controls (more specifically in the patient with a larger MTL lesion), there were no obvious findings involving posterior occipital or posterior temporal regions, which can account entirely for their discrimination deficits. These findings converge with previous work to support the suggestion that the MTL does not subserve long‐term declarative memory exclusively. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Long‐term trend of thyroid cancer risk among Japanese atomic‐bomb survivors: 60 years after exposure
Authors: Furukawa Kyoji , Preston Dale , Funamoto Sachiyo , Yonehara Shuji , Ito Masahiro , Tokuoka Shoji , Sugiyama Hiromi , Soda Midori , Ozasa Kotaro , Mabuchi Kiyohiko
Published: July 2012

Thyroid cancer risk following exposure to ionizing radiation in childhood and adolescence is a topic of public concern. To characterize the long‐term temporal trend and age‐at‐exposure variation in the radiation‐induced risk of thyroid cancer, we analyzed thyroid cancer incidence data for the period from 1958 through 2005 among 105,401 members of the Life Span Study cohort of Japanese atomic‐bomb survivors. During the follow‐up period, 371 thyroid cancer cases (excluding those with microcarcinoma with a diameter <10 mm) were identified as a first primary among the eligible subjects. Using a linear dose–response model, the excess relative risk of thyroid cancer at 1 Gy of radiation exposure was estimated as 1.28 (95% confidence interval: 0.59–2.70) at age 60 after acute exposure at age 10. The risk decreased sharply with increasing age‐at‐exposure and there was little evidence of increased thyroid cancer rates for those exposed after age 20. About 36% of the thyroid cancer cases among those exposed before age 20 were estimated to be attributable to radiation exposure. While the magnitude of the excess risk has decreased with increasing attained age or time since exposure, the excess thyroid cancer risk associated with childhood exposure has persisted for >50 years after exposure.
Shear bond strength of repairs in porcelain conditioned with laser
Authors: Pedrazzi Hamilton , Takeuchi Cristina Yoshie Garcia , Cioffi Sabrina Spinelli , Galvão Marília Regalado , De Andrade Marcelo Ferrarezi , Bezzon Osvaldo Luiz
Published: July 2012

The aim of this study was to evaluate the shear bond strength of repairs in porcelain conditioned with laser. Sixty porcelain discs were made and six groups were formed (n = 10): G1: conditioning with laser with potency 760 mW; G2: conditioning with laser with potency 760 mW and application of 37% phosphoric acid for 15 s; G3: conditioning with laser with potency 900 mW; G4: conditioning with laser with potency 900 mW and application of 37% phosphoric acid for 15 s; G5: application of 37% phosphoric acid for 15 s (group control) and G6: application of 10% hydrofluoric acid for 2 min. The composite resin was insert of incremental layers at the porcelain surface aided with a metal matrix, and photoactivation for 20 s each increment. The specimens were submitted to a thermal cycling by 1000 cycles of 30 s in each bath with temperature between 5 and 55°C. After the thermal cycling, specimens were submitted to the shear bond strength. The results were evaluated statistically through analysis of variance and Tukey's tests with 5% significance. The averages and standard deviation founded were: G1, 11.25 (±3.10); G2, 12.32 (±2.65); G3, 14.02 (±2.38); G4, 13.44 (±2,07); G5, 9.91 (±2,18); G6, 12.74 (±2.67). The results showed that the femtosecond laser produced a shear bond strength of repairs in porcelain equal to the hydrofluoric acid and significantly superior to the use of phosphoric acid. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Conjoint Analysis of Tourist Choice of Hotel Attributes Presented in Travel Agent Brochures
Authors: Huertas‐Garcia Rubén , Laguna García Marta , Consolación Carolina
Published: July 2012

The purposes of this study are to demonstrate how it is possible to determine which attributes are the most important in the final choices of tourists who use a travel agent brochure as a source of information and how these attributes influence perceived value in a pre‐purchase stage. We conduct the study in three phases: (i) a qualitative study, (ii) an experiment using choice‐based conjoint analysis by means of a fractional factorial experimental design and (iii) another experiment using a full factorial derived from the same design. Results suggest advertisement size, a hotel's starred rating and price influence perceived value at this stage. The presence of a positive combined effect of price and advertising was found. Implications and directions for future applications are offered, focusing particularly on marketing services. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Transcriptomic analysis by RNA‐seq reveals AP‐1 pathway as key regulator that green tea may rely on to inhibit lung tumorigenesis
Authors: Pan Jing , Zhang Qi , Xiong Donghai , Vedell Peter , Yan Ying , Jiang Hui , Cui Peng , Ding Feng , Tichelaar Jay W. , Wang Yian , Lubet Ronald A. , You Ming
Published: July 2012

Green tea is a promising chemopreventive agent for lung cancer. Multiple signaling events have been reported, however, the relative importance of these mechanisms in mediating the chemopreventive function of green tea is unclear. In the present study, to examine the involvement of AP‐1 in green tea polyphenols induced tumor inhibition, human NSCLC cell line H1299 and mouse SPON 10 cells were identified as AP‐1 dependent, as these two lines exhibit high constitutive AP‐1 activity, and when TAM67 expression was induced with doxycycline, cell growth was inhibited and correlated with suppressed AP‐1 activity. RNA‐seq was used to determine the global transcriptional effects of AP‐1 inhibition and also uncover the possible involvement of AP‐1 in tea polyphenols induced chemoprevention. TAM67 mediated changes in gene expression were identified, and within down‐regulated genes, AP‐1 was identified as a key transcription regulator. RNA‐seq analysis revealed that Polyphenon E‐treated cells shared 293 commonly down‐regulated genes within TAM67 expressing H1299 cells, and by analysis of limited Chip‐seq data, over 10% of the down‐regulated genes contain a direct AP‐1 binding site, indicating that Polyphenon E elicits chemopreventive activity by regulating AP‐1 target genes. Conditional TAM67 expressing transgenic mice and NSCLC cell lines were used to further confirm that the chemopreventive activity of green tea is AP‐1 dependent. Polyphenon E lost its chempreventive function both in vitro and in vivo when AP‐1 was inhibited, indicating that AP‐1 inhibition is a major pathway through which green tea exhibits chemopreventive effects. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Bearing capacity of strip footings on spatially random soils using sparse polynomial chaos expansion
Authors: Al‐Bittar Tamara , Soubra Abdul‐Hamid
Published: July 2012

A probabilistic model is presented to compute the probability density function (PDF) of the ultimate bearing capacity of a strip footing resting on a spatially varying soil. The soil cohesion and friction angle were considered as two anisotropic cross‐correlated non‐Gaussian random fields. The deterministic model was based on numerical simulations. An efficient uncertainty propagation methodology that makes use of a non‐intrusive approach to build up a sparse polynomial chaos expansion for the system response was employed. The probabilistic numerical results were presented in the case of a weightless soil. Sobol indices have shown that the variability of the ultimate bearing capacity is mainly due to the soil cohesion. An increase in the coefficient of variation of a soil parameter (c or φ) increases its Sobol index, this increase being more significant for the friction angle. The negative correlation between the soil shear strength parameters decreases the response variability. The variability of the ultimate bearing capacity increases with the increase in the coefficients of variation of the random fields, the increase being more significant for the cohesion parameter. The decrease in the autocorrelation distances may lead to a smaller variability of the ultimate bearing capacity. Finally, the probabilistic mean value of the ultimate bearing capacity presents a minimum. This minimum is obtained in the isotropic case when the autocorrelation distance is nearly equal to the footing breadth. However, for the anisotropic case, this minimum is obtained at a given value of the ratio between the horizontal and vertical autocorrelation distances. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sour Cherry Seed Kernel Extract Increases Heme Oxygenase‐1 Expression and Decreases Representation of CD3+ TNF‐α + and CD3 + IL‐8+ Subpopulations in Peripheral Blood Leukocyte Cultures from Type 2 Diabetes Patients
Authors: Mahmoud Fadia F. , Al‐Awadhi Rana , Haines David D. , Dashti Ali , Dashti Hussain , Al‐Ozairi Ebaa , Bak Istvan , Tosaki Arpad
Published: July 2012

The present study evaluates a hypothesis that sour cherry (Prunus cerasus) seed extracts (SCE) modulate CD3+ T lymphocyte activity in ways predictive of potential for uses of SCE in management of inflammatory diseases. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 12 type 2 diabetes (T2DM) patients and eight healthy control subjects were cultured 24 h with 100 ng/ml lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to increase inflammatory signaling and co‐incubated with 0.5–100 µg/ml SCE. Cultures were evaluated by two‐color flow cytometry for percent representation of CD3+ IL8+ and CD3 + TNF‐α + cells which express interleukin‐8 (IL‐8), and tumor necrosis factor‐α, (TNF‐α+) respectively, and by enzyme‐linked immunoassay for lymphocyte‐associated heme oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1, known to be induced by SCE). SCE dosage ranges of 0.5–100 µg/ml in cell cultures significantly suppressed LPS‐increased CD3 + TNF‐α + and CD3 + IL8+ representation from all participants (p < 0.05), with greater pharmacological effect noted in suppression of CD3 + TNF‐α + noted in cells from T2DM patients versus healthy control subjects. These effects correlated with increased HO‐1 expression in SCE‐treated PBMC from all subjects (p < 0.05). Since TNF‐α and IL‐8 are diagnostic/prognostic biomarkers for many inflammatory syndromes, the capacity of SCE to down‐regulate representation of cells that express them suggests potential for therapeutic use of SCE in T2DM and other diseases. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Asynchronous fault detection filter design approach for discrete‐time switched linear systems
Authors: Li Jian , Yang Guang‐Hong
Published: July 2012

This paper is concerned with the problem of the fault detection filter design for discrete‐time switched linear systems with average dwell‐time. The designed fault detection filters are also switched systems, which are assumed to be asynchronously switched with the original switched systems. Improved results on the weighted l2 performance and the H −  performance are first given, and the multiple Lyaounov‐like functions during matched period and unmatched period for the running time of one subsystem are used. By the aid of multiple Lyapunov‐like functions combined with Projection Lemma, the FD filters are designed such that the augmented systems under asynchronous switching are exponentially stable, and the residual signal generated by the filters achieves the weighted l2‐gain for disturbances and guarantees the H −  performance for faults. Sufficient conditions are formulated by linear matrix inequalities, and the filter gains are characterized in terms of the solution of a convex optimization problem. Finally, examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed design method. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Science and its Discontents: Is There an End to Knowing?
Authors: Shkliarevsky Gennady
Published: July 2012

Is there an end to our scientific quest? This question that continues to divide the scientific community between those who believe that the progress of science is infinite and those who think that we already understand how the universe works and no major discoveries are to be expected in the future. This article explores the philosophical worldview of modern science that has given rise to this question. It argues that an approach to knowledge that focuses on the process of construction of knowledge rather than its products offers a possibility of definitively answering this question and opening paths for a more rational approach in advancing and managing the scientific progress. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Zum Beultragverhalten längsausgesteifter Teilfelder mit endenden Längssteifen bei Normalspannungsbeanspruchung
Authors: Unterweger Harald , Kassin Patrick
Published: July 2012

Längsausgesteifte Stege von Biegeträgern oder längsausgesteifte Querschnittsteile von Kastenquerschnitten weisen in der Regel ausreichend steife Quersteifen auf, so dass hinsichtlich der Beultragfähigkeit jeweils jedes Teilfeld zwischen zwei Quersteifen isoliert betrachtet werden kann. Infolge unterschiedlicher Beanspruchungen innerhalb der Bauteile ändert sich oft auch die Anordnung der Längsaussteifung in Längsrichtung. Damit weisen einzelne Teilfelder endende Längssteifen auf.

In den alten nationalen und aktuellen Normenwerken (DIN, Eurocode) wird auf diesen Sachverhalt nur sehr pauschal am Rande eingegangen. Eine Quantifizierung der Traglastreduktion, gegenüber dem Standardfall durchlaufender Längssteifen, ist jedoch nicht möglich. Dieses Informationsdefizit war Anlass für eine vergleichende numerische Studie zum Beultragverhalten von längsausgesteiften Teilfeldern mit und ohne endenden Längssteifen. Dabei wurden für die materiell und geometrisch nichtlinearen Traglastberechnungen mit geometrischen Ersatzimperfektionen bereits die im Eurocode EN 1993‐1‐5 vorgeschlagenen Berechnungshinweise angewendet. Nach einem Vergleich der Traglasten für ausgewählte repräsentative Beispiele, erfolgt auch ein Vorschlag für die Modifikation des Berechnungsmodells im Eurocode zur Ermittlung der Beultragfähigkeit rc nach dem Konzept der reduzierten Spannungen, um den Effekt endender Längssteifen mit zu erfassen.

Plate buckling capacity of longitudinally stiffened panels with ending stiffeners under normal stresses. Longitudinally stiffened panels of plated or boxed girders generally have transverse stiffeners with sufficient stiffness out of plane, so that for plate buckling each panel can be treated independently. Due to varying stresses along the member also the position of longitudinal stiffeners changes. Therefore several panels have ending longitudinal stiffeners. In the old national and actual codes (DIN and Eurocode) this effect is only mentioned by the way, but the reduction of load bearing capacity due to ending longitudinal stiffeners is not quantified.

Therefore a numerical study was made dealing with the buckling capacity of longitudinally stiffened panels with and without ending stiffeners. The geometric and material nonlinear calculations with equivalent geometric imperfections were based on the new recommendations in the Eurocode EN 1993‐1‐5. After the presentation of the results of this study for representative panels, also a suggestion for the modification of the design model in the Eurocode for the buckling capacity rc of a panel is made, considering the effect of ending stiffeners.
Bemessung von Zuggliedern nach DIN EN 1993‐1‐11 – Grenzzustände der Gebrauchstauglichkeit
Authors: Kathage Karsten , Misiek Thomas
Published: July 2012

Der Beitrag behandelt die Bemessungsregeln des Eurocode 3 Teil 1‐11 für Zugglieder aus Stahl im Grenzzustand der Gebrauchstauglichkeit. Der Beitrag umfasst Regelungen für Zugstäbe und Zugstabsysteme sowie Regelungen für offene und vollverschlossene Spiralseile, Rundlitzenseile, Paralleldraht‐ litzen, Paralleldrahtbündel und Litzenbündelseile. Diese Regelungen werden vorgestellt und erläutert. Soweit hilfreich und möglich erfolgt ein Vergleich mit den Regelungen von DIN 18800‐1.

Design of tension components according to DIN EN 1993‐1‐11 – Serviceability limit states. The paper deals with the design rules of Eurocode 3 part 1‐11 for tension components at serviceability limit states. The paper covers rules for tension rods and tension rod systems as well as rules for wire ropes, bundles of parallel wires or strands. These rules are introduced and explained. If helpful and possible, a comparison with the rules of DIN 18800‐1 is made.
Challenges in Critical Language Teaching
Authors: Pessoa Rosane Rocha , de Urzêda Freitas Marco Túlio
Published: July 2012

This article is based on the conception of language teaching as a liberatory practice. Drawing on some principles of critical pedagogy (Ellsworth, 1992; Freire, 2005; hooks, 1994; Norton & Toohey, 2004), critical applied linguistics (Pennycook, 1990, 2001), critical language teaching (Ferreira, 2006; Pennycook, 1999), and critical language teacher education (Hawkins & Norton, 2009), the authors developed a case study in a language center of a federal university in the state of Goiás, Brazil, in which they analyzed the challenges of teaching English through critical themes based on students' perception and on collaborative reflections between the teacher and his collaborator. They found that, in general, students were pleased with their development concerning language and critical thinking as a result of engagement in the dialogic process established in class for 4 months. However, the research also implies that language teachers, when adopting critical teaching, should learn how to engage fully with students' positions and academic voices, choice and length of themes, and the conception of language as a social practice.
Survey of Surgery and Anesthesia Infrastructure in Ethiopia
Authors: Chao Tiffany E. , Burdic MacKenzie , Ganjawalla Karan , Derbew Miliard , Keshian Christopher , Meara John , McQueen Kelly
Published: July 2012

Background

Information regarding surgical capacity in the developing world is limited by the paucity of available data regarding surgical care, infrastructure, and human resources in the literature. The purpose of this study was to assess surgical and anesthesia infrastructure and human resources in Ethiopia as part of a larger study by the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative examining surgical and anesthesia capacity in ten low‐income countries in Africa.

Methods

A comprehensive survey tool developed by the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative was used to assess surgical capacity of hospitals in Ethiopia. A total of 20 hospitals were surveyed through convenience sampling. Eight areas of surgical and anesthesia care were examined, including access and availability, access to human resources, infrastructure, outcomes, operating room information and procedures, equipment, nongovernmental organization delivery of surgical services, and pharmaceuticals. Results were obtained over a 1‐month period during October 2011.

Results

There is wide variation in accessibility, with hospital‐to‐population ratios ranging from 1:99,010 to 1:1,082,761. The overall physician to population ratio ranges from 1:4715 to 1:107,602. The average hospital has one to two operating rooms, 4.2 surgeons, one gynecologist, and 4.5 anesthesia providers—although in all but three hospitals anesthesiology was provided by nonphysician personnel only (i.e., a nurse anesthetist). Access to continuous electricity, running water, essential medications, and monitoring systems is very limited in all hospitals surveyed, although such access did vary across regions.

Conclusions

This survey of Ethiopia’s hospital resources attempts to identify specific areas of need where resources, education, and development can be targeted. Because the major surgical mortality comes from late presentations, increasing accessibility through infrastructure development would likely provide a major improvement in surgical morbidity and mortality rates. Infrastructure limitations of electricity, water, oxygen, and blood banking do not prove to be significant barriers to surgical care. The increasing number of physicians is promising, although efforts should be directed specifically toward increasing the number of anesthesiologists and surgeons in the country.
Complications and associated risk factors at screw removal in slipped capital femoral epiphysis treated by cannulated stainless steel screws
Authors: Pretell-Mazzini Juan , Rodriguez-Vega Victor , Muñoz-Ledesma Jorge , Andrés-Esteban Eva María , Marti-Ciruelos Rafael , González-López José Luis , Curto- De la Mano Angel
Published: July 2012

Purpose

The aim of our study is to report our complication rate and analyze the associated risk factors when removing cannulated stainless steel screws for SCFE fixation.

Methods

This was a multicenter retrospective study of patients who underwent removal of cannulated stainless steel screws after a mean time of 2.03 years of implantation. Thirty-two patients were included (38 hips) with a mean of 13.7 years of age during screw removal surgery. The mean post-removal follow up time was 1.6 years. In all cases the removal of screws was done systematically. Demographic data, possible risk factors related to removal failure, as well as post-removal complications such as post-removal fractures, infections and scar issues were recorded.

Results

A removal failure rate of 15.79 % (6/38) was found. The removal surgical time was longer than the initial fixation time but without statistical significance (70.78 vs 61.84 m, p = 0.196). However, the duration of screw implantation ( r2: 7.09; IC: 1.12–13.06) and screw head bony coverage ( r2: 21.32; IC: 5.58–37.06) were both related to this prolonged time. Multivariant analysis revealed that a fully threaded cannulated screw had the lowest removal failure risk (OR: 0.3; IC: 0.14–0.61). There were no postremoval complications recorded.

Conclusions

We recommend to use full threaded cannulated stainless steel screws and to perform the procedure as soon as the physis are closed to decrease the surgical time. It is a safe procedure based on a low rate of complications such as post-removal fractures, infection and scar issues.
Wilderness Medical Society Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Lightning Injuries
Authors: Davis Chris , Engeln Anna , Johnson Eric , McIntosh Scott E. , Zafren Ken , Islas Arthur A. , McStay Christopher , Smith William ‘Will’ R. , Cushing Tracy
Published: July 2012

To provide guidance to clinicians about best practices, the Wilderness Medical Society convened an expert panel to develop evidence-based guidelines for the treatment and prevention of lightning injuries. These guidelines include a review of the epidemiology of lightning strikes and recommendations for the prevention of lightning strikes, along with treatment recommendations organized by organ system. Recommendations are graded based on the quality of supporting evidence according to criteria put forth by the American College of Chest Physicians.
Grapevines of Innovation: Ozone as a Cleaning Agent in the California Wine Industry
Authors: Bar-Am Calanit , Lapsley* Jim , Mueller Rolf A.E. , Sumner* Daniel A.
Published: July 2012

This article examines the diffusion of technological innovation within the California wine industry by studying the adoption of ozone-cleaning technology. The paper compares ozone with other sanitizing systems and reviews current perspectives on innovation diffusion and adoption before describing and analyzing the results of a 2007 industry survey completed by 128 California wineries. We find that the decision to adopt ozone-cleaning technology was correlated with its economic advantages but not with either demographics of decision makers or variables indicative of a winery's ability to absorb new information. (JEL Classification: Q1, Q16, O33)
Dietary galacto-oligosaccharides and calcium: effects on energy intake, fat-pad weight and satiety-related, gastrointestinal hormones in rats
Authors: Overduin Joost , Schoterman Margriet H. C. , Calame Wim , Schonewille Arjan J. , Ten Bruggencate Sandra J. M.
Published: July 2012

Galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) are carbohydrates that are fermented by colonic microbiota. The present study examined effects of a 3-week dietary enrichment with 6 % (w/w) GOS on parameters of energy balance in forty-three male Wistar rats. GOS was tested with two doses of calcium phosphate (30 and 100 mmol/kg), known to differently affect colonic fermentation. After 17 d, isoenergetic test meals were presented and plasma responses of ghrelin, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and peptide YY (PYY) were measured. On day 21 (study termination) epididymal fat pads and caecum were weighed. Additionally, gastrointestinal mucosal samples and proximal colonic contents were analysed for gene expression (ghrelin, proglucagon and PYY) and fermentation metabolites (SCFA and lactate), respectively. GOS reduced energy intake most prominently during the first week, without provoking compensatory overeating later on (average intake reduction: 14 %). The GOS-fed rats showed increased caecal and reduced fat-pad weight and increased gene expression of the satiety-related peptides, PYY (1·7-fold) and proglucagon (3·5-fold). Pre-meal baseline and post-meal plasma levels of PYY, but not of ghrelin or GLP-1, were higher in GOS-fed rats than in control rats. Ca enrichment resulted in higher energy intake (average 4·5 %). GOS diets increased lactic acid levels and slightly reduced butyric acid in proximal colonic contents. Ca abolished the GOS-related elevation of lactic acid, while increasing propionic acid levels, but did not inhibit GOS-related effects on energy intake, fat-pad weight or gene expression. These results indicate that dietary GOS stimulate a number of physiological mechanisms that can reduce energy intake, regardless of the calcium phosphate content of the diet.
Contribution of foods consumed away from home to energy intake in Brazilian urban areas: the 2008–9 Nationwide Dietary Survey
Authors: Bezerra Ilana Nogueira , de Moura Souza Amanda , Pereira Rosangela Alves , Sichieri Rosely
Published: July 2012

The objectives of the present study were to estimate the dietary contribution of away-from-home food consumption, to describe the contribution of away-from-home foods to energy intake, and to investigate the association between eating away from home and total energy intake in Brazilian urban areas. In the first Brazilian Nationwide Dietary Survey, conducted in 2008–9, food records were collected from 25 753 individuals aged 10 years or older, living in urban areas of Brazil. Foods were grouped into thirty-three food groups, and the mean energy intake provided by away-from-home food consumption was estimated. Linear regression models were used to evaluate the association between away-from-home food consumption and total energy intake. All analyses considered the sample design effect. Of the total population, 43 % consumed at least one food item away from home. The mean energy intake from foods consumed away from home was 1408 kJ (337 kcal), averaging 18 % of total energy intake. Eating away from home was associated with increased total energy intake, except for men in the highest income level. The highest percentage of away-from-home energy sources was for food with a high content of energy, such as alcoholic beverages (59 %), baked and deep-fried snacks (54 %), pizza (42 %), soft drinks (40 %), sandwiches (40 %), and sweets and desserts (30 %). The consumption of foods away from home was related to a greater energy intake. The characterisation of away-from-home food habits is necessary in order to properly design strategies to promote healthy food consumption in the away-from-home environment.
Fate of enterotoxigenicStaphylococcus aureusand staphylococcal enterotoxins in Feta and Galotyri cheeses
Authors: Pexara Andreana , Solomakos Nikolaos , Sergelidis Daniil , Govaris Alexandros
Published: July 2012

In this study the fate of enterotoxigenicStaphylococcus aureusand staphylococcal enterotoxins in Feta and Galotyri cheeses were studied. Initially, the enterotoxigenic abilities of fourStaph. aureusLHA, LHB, LHC and LHD strains isolated from raw ovine milk were examined in both BHI broth and ovine milk. In BHI broth, theStaph. aureusLHA, LHB, LHC and LHD strains were found toxigenic at 37 °C producing the staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs) serotypes SEA, SEB, SEC and SED, respectively, whereas in ovine milk at 37 °C,Staph. aureusLHD was found to produce only SED, while no SE production was observed for the other examined strains. Thus, the fate of onlyStaph. aureusLHD and SED were examined in Feta and Galotyri cheeses. The cheeses were made from raw ovine toxic milk with preformed SED or raw ovine milk contaminated with high (ca 6 log cfu/ml) and low inocula (ca 3 log cfu/ml) ofStaph. aureusLHD. Results showed that the pathogen was eliminated at slower rate in Galotyri cheese than in Feta cheese, for the high (5 d vs. 16 d) or the low (1 d vs. 12 d) inoculum trials. In both cheeses produced from the toxic milk, SED was detected during manufacturing and storage. SED was also detected in the curd (2 h), whenStaph. aureusLHD populations had reached ca 7 log cfu/g, and up to the end of storage for the high inoculum trials of both cheeses. No SED was observed for the low inoculum trials of either cheese.
Temperament, character and serotonin activity in the human brain: a positron emission tomography study based on a general population cohort
Authors: Tuominen L. , Salo J. , Hirvonen J. , Någren K. , Laine P. , Melartin T. , Isometsä E. , Viikari J. , Cloninger C. R. , Raitakari O. , Hietala J. , Keltikangas-Järvinen L.
Published: July 2012

Background

The psychobiological model of personality by Cloninger and colleagues originally hypothesized that interindividual variability in the temperament dimension ‘harm avoidance’ (HA) is explained by differences in the activity of the brain serotonin system. We assessed brain serotonin transporter (5-HTT) densityin vivowith positron emission tomography (PET) in healthy individuals with high or low HA scores using an ‘oversampling’ study design.

Method

Subjects consistently in either upper or lower quartiles for the HA trait were selected from a population-based cohort in Finland (n = 2075) with pre-existing Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) scores. A total of 22 subjects free of psychiatric and somatic disorders were included in the matched high- and low-HA groups. The main outcome measure was regional 5-HTT binding potential (BPND) in high- and low-HA groups estimated with PET and [11C]N,N-dimethyl-2-(2-amino-4-methylphenylthio)benzylamine ([11C]MADAM). In secondary analyses, 5-HTT BPNDwas correlated with other TCI dimensions.

Results

5-HTT BPNDdid not differ between high- and low-HA groups in the midbrain or any other brain region. This result remained the same even after adjusting for other relevant TCI dimensions. Higher 5-HTT BPNDin the raphe nucleus predicted higher scores in ‘self-directedness’.

Conclusions

This study does not support an association between the temperament dimension HA and serotonin transporter density in healthy subjects. However, we found a link between high serotonin transporter density and high ‘self-directedness’ (ability to adapt and control one's behaviour to fit situations in accord with chosen goals and values). We suggest that biological factors are more important in explaining variability in character than previously thought.
Service users as collaborators in mental health research: less stick, more carrot
Authors: Staley K. , Kabir T. , Szmukler G.
Published: July 2012

Involving service users in research improves its quality and relevance. Many research organizations funding and supporting research now ask researchers about involvement as part of their application process. Some researchers are facing challenges in taking forward involvement as the research infrastructure is not always facilitative. Researchers need greater reward and recognition for carrying out good quality involvement to encourage more effective processes.
Structure and mechanism of purine-binding riboswitches
Authors: Batey Robert T.
Published: July 2012

A riboswitch is a non-protein coding sequence capable of directly binding a small molecule effector without the assistance of accessory proteins to regulate expression of the mRNA in which it is embedded. Currently, over 20 different classes of riboswitches have been validated in bacteria with the promise of many more to come, making them an important means of regulating the genome in the bacterial kingdom. Strikingly, half of the known riboswitches recognize effector compounds that contain a purine or related moiety. In the last decade, significant progress has been made to determine how riboswitches specifically recognize these compounds against the background of many other similar cellular metabolites and transduce this signal into a regulatory response. Of the known riboswitches, the purine family containing guanine, adenine and 2′-deoxyguanosine-binding classes are the most extensively studied, serving as a simple and useful paradigm for understanding how these regulatory RNAs function. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the current state of knowledge regarding the structure and mechanism of these riboswitches, as well as insights into how they might be exploited as therapeutic targets and novel biosensors.
Challenges to Quantitative Multivariate Statistical Analysis of Atomic-Resolution X-Ray Spectral
Authors: Kotula Paul G. , Klenov Dmitri O. , von Harrach H. Sebastian
Published: July 2012

A new aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscope equipped with an array of Si-drift energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometers has been utilized to acquire spectral image data at atomic resolution. The resulting noisy data were subjected to multivariate statistical analysis to noise filter, remove an unwanted and partially overlapping non-sample-specific X-ray signal, and extract the relevant correlated X-ray signals (e.g., channels with L and K lines). As an example, the Y2Ti2O7pyrochlore-structured oxide (assumed here to be ideal) was interrogated at the [011] projection. In addition to pure columns of Y and Ti, at this projection, there are also mixed 50-50 at. % Y-Ti columns. An attempt at atomic-resolution quantification is presented. The method proposed here is to subtract the non-column-specific signal from the elemental components and then quantify the data based upon an internally derivedk-factor. However, a theoretical basis to predict this non-column-specific signal is needed to make this generally applicable.