bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Physical Fitness and Obesity Are Associated in a Dose-Dependent Manner in Children
Authors: Ara I. , Sanchez-Villegas A. , Vicente-Rodriguez G. , Moreno L.A. , Leiva M.T. , Martinez-Gonzalez M.A. , Casajus J.A.
Published: December 2010

Aims: To analyze the relationships between physical fitness, lifestyle-related factors, and obesity in a large population of children. Methods: A cross-sectional study design including children aged 7–12 years (n = 715) was used. Adiposity measures included subcutaneous fat mass (SFM) and body mass index (BMI). Physical fitness and lifestyle-related factors were also assessed. Results: When SFM was used as the adiposity variable, the odds ratios (OR) for being obese in boys in the highest quartiles of fitness were 0.02 (95% CI 0.02–0.13) for aerobic fitness, 0.04 (95% CI 0.01–0.16) for dynamic force, and 5.32 (95% CI 1.82–15.58) for running speed (in which quartile 1 corresponds to the best performance) compared with boys in the lowest quartile. In girls, the OR for those in the highest quartiles of fitness were 0.04 (95% CI 0.01–0.14), 0.16 (95% CI 0.05–0.51), and 5.24 (95% CI 1.74–15.75), respectively, showing a significant dose-response relationship between fitness and fatness in both sexes (p for trend <0.001). Conclusions: An inverse relationship between physical fitness levels and the risk of being overweight/obese was found inasmuch as children with higher physical fitness seem to be more protected against fat mass accumulation than their counterparts with lower fitness levels.
Low Triiodothyronine Alters Flow-Mediated Vasodilatation in Advanced Nondiabetic Kidney Disease
Authors: Yilmaz Mahmut Ilker , Sonmez Alper , Karaman Murat , Ay Seyit Ahmet , Saglam Mutlu , Yaman Halil , Kilic Selim , Eyileten Tayfun , Caglar Kayser , Oguz Yusuf , Vural Abdulgaffar , Yenicesu Mujdat , Zoccali Carmine
Published: December 2010

Background/Aims: Subclinical or frank hypothyroidism is causally implicated in endothelial dysfunction. Since the plasma concentration of the active form of thyroid hormone, triiodothyronine (T3), is reduced in chronic kidney disease (CKD), where endothelial function is frequently altered, low T3 may be a factor implicated in this disturbance in CKD patients. Methods: We investigated the relationship between flow-mediated vasodilatation (FMD) and thyroid hormones in a series of 217 nondiabetic patients with stage 3–4 CKD. Results: The plasma concentration of free T3 (fT3) was closely associated with FMD (r = 0.38; p < 0.001). fT3 was also inversely associated with hemoglobin (r = –0.41; p < 0.001), systolic pressure (r = –0.28; p < 0.001) and the plasma concentration of the endogenous inhibitor of NO synthase, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA; r = –0.18; p = 0.007). However, adjustment for ADMA markedly attenuated the fT3-FMD link, a phenomenon suggesting that raised plasma ADMA, possibly driven by low fT3, at least in part mediates the adverse effects of low T3 on endothelial function in CKD. Conclusions: Low T3 in patients with moderate-to-severe CKD is a marker of endothelial dysfunction. This study sets a solid rationale for designing specific intervention studies aimed at clarifying the nature (causal or not causal) of the endothelial function-T3 link in CKD.
Plasma Phospholipid Fatty Acids in Obese Male and Female Mexican Children
Authors: Elizondo-Montemayor Leticia , Serrano-González Mónica , Ugalde-Casas Patricia A. , Cuello-García Carlos , Borbolla-Escoboza José R.
Published: December 2010

Aim: To assess the plasma phospholipid (PL) fatty acid composition in obese Mexican children and evaluate gender differences and predisposition to health risks. Methods: This was a case-control study of 100 obese and 100 normal-weight children aged 6–12 years. BMI, waist circumference, triceps skinfold, and percentage of body fat were determined. PL fatty acids were measured by gas chromatography. Results: Compared to normal-weight children, obese children had significantly higher proportions of 18:0, 16:1n-7, 20:3n-6, saturated fatty acids (SFA), total highly unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs), and total n-3 but lower proportions of 18:1n-9, 18:2n-6, 22:5n-6, monounsaturated fatty acids, and total n-9. Obese children had significantly higher ratios of 20:3n-6/18:2n-6 and 18:3n-6 + 20:3n-6/18:2n-6, and they had lower ratios of 20:4n-6/20:3n-6 and n-6/n-3. The predictors positively associated with obesity, in decreasing association strength, were 16:1n-7, 20:3n-6, and SFA. Obese boys showed significantly higher 20:4n-6, 20:5n-3, 20:3n-6/18:2 n-6, 18:3n-6 + 20:3n-6/18:2n-6, and 20:5n-3/20:4n-6, higher UFAs, and lower 18:2n-6 and 22:6n-3/20:4n-6 compared to obese girls (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Significant alterations in the proportions of plasma PL fatty acids were found in obese children, especially in male subjects, which might place them in danger of early cardiovascular risk; however, an insulin-resistant state might be responsible for their fatty acid composition. More studies are needed since there are none in Mexican children.
Parental Perceptions of the Rural School’s Role in Addressing Childhood Obesity
Authors: Stalter Ann M. , Kaylor Marybeth , Steinke Jessica D. , Barker Rosanta M.
Published: December 2010

This study employed cross-sectional, descriptive design with convenience sampling to explore rural parent perceptions of child obesity, use of Body Mass Index (BMI) in schools, preferences for receipt of BMI information and, the rural school’s role in obesity prevention/treatment. The survey “Parental Perceptions of BMI and Obesity in the School-Age Child” was used. Of the 183 surveys distributed, 65 were returned (35.5%). Fifty-five percentage of parents were in agreement of school-based BMI screening. Fifty-four percentage of parents selected a combination of ways to receive BMI information (letter from school nurse, face-to-face conference with nurse, or via report card). Few parents (6.2%) were reluctant to schools addressing obesity. Significant relationships were identified between non-White, overweight parents who had overweight children ( n = 3). They were more likely to disagree with removal of junk food, increasing physical activity, and recommending weight loss. Recommendations to involve parents in BMI screening are presented.
Men Who Strike and Men Who Submit: Hegemonic and Marginalized Masculinities in Mixed Martial Arts
Authors: Hirose Akihiko , Pih Kay Kei-ho
Published: December 2010

While the recent conceptualization of hegemonic masculinity allows for the emergence of multiple masculinities, a significant ambiguity remains in theorizing the relationships between hegemonic and ‘‘alternative’’ forms of masculinity. In the relatively newly institutionalized sport of mixed martial arts (MMA), the relationship between the two polarized, competing technical styles—striking and submission— appears to demonstrate the competition between hegemonic and marginalized masculinities. This article argues that the distinction is predicated on the process of maintaining and negotiating a specific form of hegemonic masculinity that interacts with East Asian masculinities that are often feminized, yet selectively authorized by their white American counterpart. This article provides a theoretical discussion of marginalized masculinities identified in MMA and challenges the perceived characteristics of hegemonic masculinity—particularly its singularity and impenetrability—by suggesting a more relational, antiessentialist approach.
Medicinal Plants Used in Mapuche Traditional Medicine in Araucanía, Chile: Linking Sociocultural and Religious Values with Local Heath Practices
Authors: Torri Maria Costanza
Published: December 2010

The vast majority of the medicinal plants in Chile have been studied from a pharmacological point of view. These studies, although giving important insights into the understanding of the Mapuche’s traditional medicine in terms of the therapeutical value of the plants, fail, however, to portray the numerous sociocultural and symbolic aspects of this form of medicine. This article aims to overcome this shortcoming by analyzing the sociocultural and religious values of medicinal plants among the Mapuche’s rural communities in Araucanía, Chile, as well as their role in traditional medicine. The methods utilized combined participant observation with individual interviews with local shamans (machi) and villagers. Data from free-list interviews and conversations with research participants were used to develop a series of semi-structured interview questions on knowledge of herbal medicines and plants. Data show that the therapeutic efficacy of Mapuche medicine is not only based on ‘‘active agents’’ but is also related to the symbolic and religious meaning attributed to the treatments by healers and patients. The article concludes that in order to fully understand the therapeutic efficacy of the plants, it is thus necessary to comprehend the sociocultural context in which they are used.
Modulation of hepcidin production during hypoxia-induced erythropoiesis in humans in vivo: data from the HIGHCARE project
Authors: Piperno Alberto , Galimberti Stefania , Mariani Raffaella , Pelucchi Sara , Ravasi Giulia , Lombardi Carolina , Bilo Grzegorz , Revera Miriam , Giuliano Andrea , Faini Andrea , Mainini Veronica , Westerman Mark , Ganz Tomas , Valsecchi Maria Grazia , Mancia Giuseppe , Parati Gianfranco ,   for the HIGHCARE investigators
Published: December 2010

Iron is tightly connected to oxygen homeostasis and erythropoiesis. Our aim was to better understand how hypoxia regulates iron acquisition for erythropoiesis in humans, a topic relevant to common hypoxia-related disorders. Forty-seven healthy volunteers participated in the HIGHCARE project. Blood samples were collected at sea level and after acute and chronic exposure to high altitude (3400-5400 m above sea level). We investigated the modifications in hematocrit, serum iron indices, erythropoietin, markers of erythropoietic activity, interleukin-6, and serum hepcidin. Hepcidin decreased within 40 hours after acute hypoxia exposure (P < .05) at 3400 m, reaching the lowest level at 5400 m (80% reduction). Erythropoietin significantly increased (P < .001) within 16 hours after hypoxia exposure followed by a marked erythropoietic response supported by the increased iron supply. Growth differentiation factor-15 progressively increased during the study period. Serum ferritin showed a very rapid decrease, suggesting the existence of hypoxia-dependent mechanism(s) regulating storage iron mobilization. The strong correlation between serum ferritin and hepcidin at each point during the study indicates that iron itself or the kinetics of iron use in response to hypoxia may signal hepcidin down-regulation. The combined and significant changes in other variables probably contribute to the suppression of hepcidin in this setting.
Risk of Myelodysplastic Syndromes in People Exposed to Ionizing Radiation: A Retrospective Cohort Study of Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Survivors
Authors: Iwanaga Masako , Hsu Wan-Ling , Soda Midori , Takasaki Yumi , Tawara Masayuki , Joh Tatsuro , Amenomori Tatsuhiko , Yamamura Masaomi , Yoshida Yoshiharu , Koba Takashi , Miyazaki Yasushi , Matsuo Tatsuki , Preston Dale L. , Suyama Akihiko , Kodama Kazunori , Tomonaga Masao
Published: December 2010

Purpose

The risk of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) has not been fully investigated among people exposed to ionizing radiation. We investigate MDS risk and radiation dose-response in Japanese atomic bomb survivors.

Patients and Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study by using two databases of Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors: 64,026 people with known exposure distance in the database of Nagasaki University Atomic-Bomb Disease Institute (ABDI) and 22,245 people with estimated radiation dose in the Radiation Effects Research Foundation Life Span Study (LSS). Patients with MDS diagnosed from 1985 to 2004 were identified by record linkage between the cohorts and the Nagasaki Prefecture Cancer Registry. Cox and Poisson regression models were used to estimate relationships between exposure distance or dose and MDS risk.

Results

There were 151 patients with MDS in the ABDI cohort and 47 patients with MDS in the LSS cohort. MDS rate increased inversely with exposure distance, with an excess relative risk (ERR) decay per km of 1.2 (95% CI, 0.4 to 3.0; P < .001) for ABDI. MDS risk also showed a significant linear response to exposure dose level (P < .001) with an ERR per Gy of 4.3 (95% CI, 1.6 to 9.5; P < .001). After adjustment for sex, attained age, and birth year, the MDS risk was significantly greater in those exposed when young.

Conclusion

A significant linear radiation dose-response for MDS exists in atomic bomb survivors 40 to 60 years after radiation exposure. Clinicians should perform careful long-term follow-up of irradiated people to detect MDS as early as possible.
Level of Scientific Evidence Underlying Recommendations Arising From the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Clinical Practice Guidelines
Authors: Poonacha Thejaswi K. , Go Ronald S.
Published: December 2010

Purpose

The level of scientific evidence on which the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines are based has not been systematically investigated. We describe the distribution of categories of evidence and consensus (EC) among the 10 most common cancers with regard to recommendations for staging, initial and salvage therapy, and surveillance.

Methods

NCCN uses a system of guideline development distinct from other major professional organizations. The NCCN definitions for EC are as follows: category I, high level of evidence with uniform consensus; category IIA, lower level of evidence with uniform consensus; category IIB, lower level of evidence without a uniform consensus but with no major disagreement; and category III, any level of evidence but with major disagreement.

Results

Of the 1,023 recommendations found in the 10 guidelines, the proportions of category I, IIA, IIB, and III EC were 6%, 83%, 10%, and 1%, respectively. Recommendations with category I EC were found in kidney (20%), breast (19%), lung (6%), pancreatic (6%), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (6%), melanoma (6%), prostate (4%), and colorectal (1%) guidelines. Urinary bladder and uterine guidelines did not have any category I recommendations. Eight percent of all therapeutic recommendations were category I. Guidelines with the highest proportions of category I therapeutic recommendations were for breast (30%) and kidney (28%) cancers. No category I recommendations were found on screening or surveillance.

Conclusion

Recommendations issued in the NCCN guidelines are largely developed from lower levels of evidence but with uniform expert opinion. This underscores the urgent need and available opportunities to expand evidence base in oncology.
Comparison of Health-Related Quality of Life 5 Years After SPIRIT: Surgical Prostatectomy Versus Interstitial Radiation Intervention Trial
Authors: Crook Juanita Mary , Gomez-Iturriaga Alfonso , Wallace Kris , Ma Clement , Fung Sharon , Alibhai Shabbir , Jewett Michael , Fleshner Neil
Published: December 2010

Purpose

The American College of Surgeons Oncology Group phase III Surgical Prostatectomy Versus Interstitial Radiation Intervention Trial comparing radical prostatectomy (RP) and brachytherapy (BT) closed after 2 years due to poor accrual. We report health-related quality of life (HRQOL) at a mean of 5.3 years for 168 trial-eligible men who either chose or were randomly assigned to RP or BT following a multidisciplinary educational session.

Patients and Methods

After initial lack of accrual, a multidisciplinary educational session was introduced for eligible patients. In all, 263 men attended 47 sessions. Of those, 34 consented to random assignment, 62 chose RP, and 94 chose BT. Five years later, these 190 men underwent HRQOL evaluation by using the cancer-specific 50-item Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite, the Short Form 12 Physical Component Score, and Short Form 12 Mental Component Score. Response rate was 88.4%. The Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to compare summary scores between the two interventions.

Results

Of 168 survey responders, 60.7% had BT (9.5% randomly assigned) and 39.3% had RP (9.5% randomly assigned). Median age was 61.4 years for BT and 59.4 for RP (P = .05). Median follow-up was 5.2 years (range, 3.2 to 6.5 years). For BT versus RP, there was no difference in bowel or hormonal domains, but men treated with BT scored better in urinary (91.8 v 88.1; P = .02) and sexual (52.5 v 39.2; P = .001) domains, and in patient satisfaction (93.6 v 76.9; P < .001).

Conclusion

Although treatment allocation was random in only 19%, all patients received identical information in a multidisciplinary setting before selecting RP, BT, or random assignment. HRQOL evaluated 3.2 to 6.5 years after treatment showed an advantage for BT in urinary and sexual domains and in patient satisfaction.
RE: THINKING SEX FROM THE GLOBAL SOUTH AFRICA
Authors: Hoad Neville
Published: December 2010

This article investigates Gayle Rubin's 1984 article “Thinking Sex: Notes for a Radical Theory of the Politics of Sexuality” as a piece of “traveling theory.” It takes a key concept, “hierarchies of sexual value,” and its representation in a famous graphic, “the charmed circle,” to see what aspects of sexual politics in South Africa Rubin's concept can illuminate, both for the moment in which the essay was written and for the present. While the worlds Rubin's essay can describe have shifted, the essay's analytic power holds.
THINKING TRAFFICKING, THINKING SEX
Authors: Vance Carole S.
Published: December 2010

Drawing on the work of Gayle Rubin and Emma Goldman, this article argues that campaigns past and present against trafficking (popularly understood as the trafficking of women into prostitution) constitute displaced conversations about and interventions into heterosexuality, the major site of struggle over sexuality in the past 150 years. These campaigns situate their critiques of heterosexuality outside conventional heterosexual intimacy and marriage by carving off an allegedly unique and dangerous zone (in public, for money, at the hands of strangers) in which sex is exchanged for money and livelihood. These efforts to “draw the line” between disapproved and expected forms of exploitation and inequality (sexual and nonsexual) are filled with contradiction and incoherence, particularly in regard to the sexual culpability of men or women. Recent international law (2000) recasts trafficking by defining it as a crime of labor exploitation (not prostitution) that can harm any person (not just women and girls). Despite this reframing, the melodramatic narrative used to tell the story of trafficking subverts the new laws by highlighting sexual danger, innocent women, and male lust as the causal factors in trafficking. Critiques of heterosexual intimacy, institutions, and economies are redirected to the exceptional and the sexual in contemporary campaigns against trafficking, despite the progressive elements of recent law.
QUEER STUDIES IN QUEER TIMES
Authors: Kunzel Regina
Published: December 2010

This review essay considers the “state of the field” of queer studies, as pondered by participants in the conference “Rethinking Sex.” Held at the University of Pennsylvania, March 4–6, 2009, “Rethinking Sex” honored the twenty-fifth anniversary of the publication of Gayle Rubin's generative essay “Thinking Sex.” Participants demonstrated the expansive reach and range of queer studies as it has evolved in the twenty-five years since, attended to its limits, and argued for enlarging its frame to gain traction in our own vexed political moment.
QUEERING THE BLACK ATLANTIC, QUEERING THE BROWN ATLANTIC
Authors: Eng David L.
Published: December 2010

This essay reviews two books, M. Jacqui Alexander's Pedagogies of Crossing: Meditations on Feminism, Sexual Politics, Memory, and the Sacred and Gayatri Gopinath's Impossible Desires: Queer Diasporas and South Asian Public Cultures, both of which focus on the intersections of queer studies with diaspora studies, area studies, and postcolonial theory. These books help forge the burgeoning field of “queer diasporas,” which works against the genealogical and heteronormative reproductive logic of conventional diaspora studies. At the same time, the field of queer diasporas also provincializes queer studies by considering how questions of race, colonialism, migration, and globalization affect bodies and sexualities as they circulate outside the metropolitan West—across the Black Atlantic to the Caribbean in Alexander's case and across the Brown Atlantic to various locales of the South Asian diaspora in Gopinath's study. As sexuality travels in the global system, we witness its transformation into many other things: a discourse of development; a dialectic of Enlightenment; an emblem of democracy, progress, and liberation; a tale of racial, religious, or cultural barbarism; an index of the human, human rights, and human rights abuses.
Odebode-Agaja adult cervical traction device
Authors: Odebode T O , Agaja S B
Published: December 2010

This technical note describes a new simple, cheap and affordable adult cervical traction device that is especially suitable for use in resource-poor third world countries because of its cost-effectiveness. While the widely used imported Gardner-Wells tongs cost over N250,000 (Nigerian) naira (approximately $1630 USD), the new equally effective, durable and locally readily available Odebode-Agaja traction device sells for N35,000 naira (approximately $220 USD). The device does not require scalp incision or skull drilling. It is designed for bedside application in patients with cervical spine injuries, including subluxation and fracture-dislocation of the cervical spine from the atlanto-occipital joint to T1.
Assessment of the nickel-albumin binding assay for diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome
Authors: da Silva Sandra Huber , da Silva Pereira Renata , dos Santos Hausen Bruna , Signor Cristiane , Gomes Patrícia , de Campos Marli Matiko Anraku , Moresco Rafael Noal
Published: December 2010

Background: Myocardial ischemia may alter the metal binding capacity of circulating serum albumin. Thus, the aim of this study was to describe an automated method to measure ischemia-induced alterations in the binding capacity of serum albumin for exogenous nickel, and to evaluate the diagnostic characteristics of this assay for the assessment of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in patients presenting to the emergency room (ER) with acute chest pain.

Methods: We assessed the concentrations of cardiac troponin I (cTnI), serum albumin, ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) measured by the cobalt-albumin binding assay (CABA), and by an automated nickel-albumin binding assay (NABA) in the following groups: ACS (n=63) and non-ischemic chest pain (NICP, n=26). Biochemical markers were determined in blood samples obtained from patients within 3 h of ER admission.

Results: cTnI, CABA and NABA concentrations were higher in ACS group in comparison to the NICP group. A significant correlation between NABA and CABA was observed (r=0.5387, p<0.001). Areas under the curve for CABA and NABA were 0.7289 and 0.7582, respectively. Both CABA and NABA have the ability to discriminate patients with ACS. However, NABA has a slightly higher ability to discriminate ACS compared with CABA.

Conclusions: Patients with ACS have reduced nickel binding to human serum albumin, and NABA may have an important role as an early marker of myocardial ischemia, particularly in patients presenting to the ER with acute chest pain.
Vom Nutzen der Kommunikationstheorie für die juristische Ausbildung
Authors: Schnapp Friedrich E.
Published: December 2010

Der Franziskanermönch Salimbene von Parma berichtet in seiner Chronik über die wissenschaftlichen Experimente, die Friedrich II. von Hohenstaufen (1194–1250), der vorwiegend in Sizilien residierte, dort angestellt haben soll. Dieser deutsche König war nach dem Urteil seiner Zeitgenossen ein Mann, der danach strebte, »alle Dinge im Himmel und auf Erden zu erforschen«. Eines Tages kam ihm der Gedanke, durch ein Experiment zu ergründen, »welche Art Sprache und Sprechweise Knaben nach ihrem Heranwachsen hätten, wenn sie (vorher) mit niemandem sprächen«. Zu diesem Zweck ließ er neugeborene Kinder ihren Müttern wegnehmen und Ammen übergeben. Diesen befahl er, »sie sollten den Kindern Milch geben,. . . sie baden und waschen, aber in keiner Weise mit ihnen schöntun und zu ihnen sprechen. Er wollte nämlich erforschen, ob sie die hebräische Sprache sprächen, als die älteste, oder die griechische oder lateinische oder arabische oder aber die Sprache der Eltern, die sie geboren hatten. Aber er mühte sich vergebens, weil die Kinder alle starben.« Salimbene kommt zu dem Schluss, »sie vermöchten nicht zu leben ohne das Händepatschen und das fröhliche Gesichterschneiden und die Koseworte ihrer Ammen und Nährerinnen.« Gleich ob Salimbene, der Friedrich für einen ungläubigen und verruchten Menschen hielt, diese Geschichte erfunden hat oder nicht – sie zeigt, wie notwendig, ja lebensnotwendig Sprache und Ansprache für das menschliche Zusammenleben sind.
Übungsklausur ÖR Zugangserschwerungsgesetz
Authors: Koreng Ansgar
Published: December 2010

Die als anspruchsvoll zu bezeichnende Hausarbeit greift mit den sog. »Internet-Sperren« ein aktuelles Thema auf. Sie hat im Wesentlichen staatsrechtliche Grundprobleme zum Gegenstand (Zuständigkeit, Gesetzgebungsverfahren), fordert aber dem Bearbeiter auch eine eigene Transferleistung ab, wenn es um die Übertragung der hergebrachten Grundrechtsdogmatik auf Spezifika des Internet geht. Hier lässt die Arbeit Raum für eigene Argumentation.
Der semantische Kommentar in gegenwartsbezogenen Sprachkontaktwörterbüchern
Authors: Rovere Giovanni
Published: December 2010

Based on the critical analysis of a specific dictionary, the present paper argues that the comment on semantics in contemporary dictionaries of language contact has to be set up in a completely different manner than that which has been used to date. Dictionaries of this type, which omit the evaluation of corpora as primary sources in favor of secondary sources, reveal systematic shortcomings in the semantic description of contact phenomena. The article focuses specifically on the temporal dimension of marking and the contemporary relevance of the semantic items. The discussed methodological issues are for the most part independent from the respective contact languages, in this case German and Italian, so that the results might be generalized.
Measurement of Coefficient of Consolidation During Reconsolidation of Liquefied Sand
Authors: Brennan A. J. , Madabhushi S. P. G.
Published: December 2010

Saturated sands particularly at low relative density commonly exhibit rises in excess pore pressure when subjected to earthquake loading. The excess pore pressure can approach a maximum value, limited by the initial vertical effective stress. After the completion of earthquake shaking, these excess pore pressures dissipate according to the consolidation equation, which can be solved to produce a Fourier series solution. It will be shown by manipulation of this Fourier series that excess pore pressure traces provide a method for back-calculation of coefficient of consolidation Cv. This method is validated against dissipation curves generated using known values of Cv and seen to be more accurate in the middle of the layer. The method is then applied to data recorded in centrifuge tests to evaluate Cv throughout the reconsolidation process following liquefaction conditions. Cv is seen to fit better as a function of excess pore pressure ratio than effective stress for the stress levels considered. For the soil investigated, Cv is about three times smaller at excess pore pressure ratio of 0.9 compared to excess pore pressure ratio of 0.
Improving Formulations for Biopesticides: Enhanced UV Protection for Beneficial Microbes
Authors: Behle Robert W. , Compton David L. , Kenar James A. , Shapiro-Ilan David I.
Published: December 2010

As environmentally conscious consumers push for environmentally friendly pest control, interest in controlling insects with microbial-based biopesticides increases. Specific bacteria, fungi, and viruses can provide effective pest control when sprayed onto plants. However, these microbes are rapidly degraded by sunlight, which limits their field efficacy. One strategy to combat this degradation is to develop formulations to protect the beneficial microbe from sunlight energy, specifically the ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths. Formulation technologies (ingredients and processes) continue to be developed and adapted to provide UV protection. We have been conducting research on soyscreen and lignin as formulation ingredients to provide UV protection to a variety of insect pathogens. Soyscreen consists of feruloylated soy glycerides (FSG) specifically developed to absorb UV energy. Previous research demonstrated that FSG in oil-based formulations protected the viability of hydrophobic fungal conidia of Beauveria bassiana exposed to simulated sunlight, but not when applied in the field to oil absorbing substrates, including cabbage and tree bark. To prevent the FSG from being absorbed, the oil was encapsulated in starch using a jet cooking process forming a product with improved UV absorption. These starch-FSG composites may be useful to formulate aqueous-based systems without synthetic surfactants to deliver and protect microbial biopesticides. Lignin has been used with a spray-drying process to encapsulate insecticidal viruses, which are extremely sensitive to degradation by sunlight. The insoluble particles remain intact during application and can extend insecticidal activity by several days. Techniques are currently being developed to produce an adjuvant formulation with water-soluble lignin in an effort to provide UV protection for a broader range of commercial pesticides. These technologies are considered to be environmentally benign and are intended to fit in the biopesticide concept. The versatility of combining various products and processes provides variable formulations, some of which are suitable for specific biopesticide applications.
Uniform and Pitting Corrosion Processes of Al, Al-6061, Al-Zn and Al-Cu Alloys Exposed to SCN- Solutions and the Effect of Some Inorganic Anions
Authors: Amin Mohammed A. , Abd El-Rehim Sayed S.
Published: December 2010

The effect of the alloying elements and some inorganic inhibitors (WO4
2-, MoO4
2-, SiO3
2- and CrO4
2- anions) on the uniform and pitting corrosion characteristics of Al-6061, Al-4.5% Cu, Al-7.5% Cu, Al-6% Zn and Al-12% Zn alloys were studied in 0.04M KSCN solution. Susceptibility of the tested alloys towards pitting corrosion was investigated using transient (potentiostatic and galvanostatic) measurements. An independent method of chemical analysis, namely ICP-AES (inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy) was also used to study the effect of the alloying elements and the tested inorganic anions on the uniform corrosion of these materials. Results obtained were compared with pure Al. ICP measurements revealed that the alloyed Cu and alloyed Zn enhance uniform corrosion of the Al samples, while WO4
2-, MoO4
2-, SiO3
2- and CrO4
2- anions suppressed it. Transient measurements showed that nucleation of pit takes place after an incubation time (t

i). The rate of pit initiation and growth (t

i
-1
) increased with increase in SCN- concentration, applied anodic current, applied anodic potential and solution temperature. This rate of pit initiation and growth decreased in presence of inorganic inhibitors to an extent depending on the concentration and type of the introduced inhibitor. Alloyed Zn was found to accelerate pitting attack, while alloyed Cu suppressed it. Among the tested Al alloys, Al-6061 presented the highest resistance towards uniform and pitting corrosion processes. SiO3
2- and CrO4
2- were the most efficient anions in inhibiting uniform and pitting corrosion processes of Al in these solutions.
The Construction of Jazz Rap as High Art in Hip-Hop Music
Authors: Williams Justin A.
Published: December 2010

Multiple factors contributed to the elevation of jazz as "high art" in mainstream media reception by the 1980s. The stage was thus set for hip-hop groups in the late-1980s and early 90s (such as Gang Starr, A Tribe Called Quest, and Digable Planets) to engage in a relationship with jazz as art and heritage. "Jazz codes" in the music, said to signify sophistication, helped create a rap-music subgenre commonly branded "jazz rap." Connections may be identified between the status of jazz, as linked to a high art ideology in the 1980s, and the media reception of jazz rap as an elite rap subgenre (in opposition to "gangsta" rap and other subgenres). Contemplation of this development leads to larger questions about the creation of hierarchies, value judgments, and the phenomenon of elite status within music genres.
Melodic Contour Similarity Using Folk Melodies
Authors: Schmuckler Mark. A.
Published: December 2010

Melodic contour, or the pattern of rises and falls in pitch, is a critical component of melodic structure, and has an important impact on listeners' perceptions of, and memory for, music. Despite its centrality, few formal models of contour structure exist. One recent exception involves characterizing contour by the relative degrees of strength of its cyclic information, quantified via a Fourier analysis of the pitch code of the contour. Three experiments explored the applicability of this approach, demonstrating that listeners' similarity ratings for pairs of melodies were predictable from Fourier analysis quantifications of rhythmically complex (Experiment 1) and rhythmically simple (Experiment 2) melodies, as well as for derived similarity measures based on melodic complexity judgments (Experiment 3). These findings indicate that Fourier analysis is an effective model of melodic contour, and that it can predict perceived melodic similarity.
Musical Enculturation in Preschool Children: Acquisition of Key and Harmonic Knowledge
Authors: Corrigall Kathleen A. , Trainor Laurel J.
Published: December 2010

Even adults without formal music training have implicit musical knowledge that they have acquired through day-to-day exposure to the music of their culture. Two of the more sophisticated musical abilities to develop in childhood are knowledge of key membership (which notes belong in a key) and harmony (chords and chord progressions). Previous research suggests sensitivity to key membership by 4 or 5 years, but provides no behavioral evidence of harmony perception until 6 or 7. Thus, we examined knowledge of key membership and harmony in 4- and 5-year-old children using a simple task and a familiar song. In line with previous research, we found that even the youngest children had acquired key membership. Furthermore, even 4-year-olds demonstrated some knowledge of Western harmony, which continued to develop between 4 and 5 years of age. In sum, our results indicate that harmony perception begins to develop earlier than has been previously suggested.
What is Internalized Racial Oppression and Why Don't We Study It? Acknowledging Racism's Hidden Injuries
Authors: Pyke Karen D.
Published: December 2010

Despite sociology's longstanding interest in inequality, the internalization of racial oppression among the racially subordinated and its contribution to the reproduction of racial inequality has been largely ignored, reflecting a taboo on the subject. Consequently, internalized racism remains one of the most neglected and misunderstood components of racism. In this article, the author argues that only by defying the taboo can sociology expose the hidden injuries of racism and the subtle mechanisms that sustain White privilege. After reviewing the concept and providing examples of the phenomenon, the author draws on critical social theory to examine reasons for the taboo, such as a theoretical fixation on resistance, a penchant for racial essentialism, and the limitations of an identity politics. The author concludes by offering a method for studying internalized racism and resistance concurrently within the matrix of intersecting forms of oppression.
A Brief History of the Status of Transposable Elements: From Junk DNA to Major Players in Evolution
Authors: Biémont Christian
Published: December 2010

The idea that some genetic factors are able to move around chromosomes emerged more than 60 years ago when Barbara McClintock first suggested that such elements existed and had a major role in controlling gene expression and that they also have had a major influence in reshaping genomes in evolution. It was many years, however, before the accumulation of data and theories showed that this latter revolutionary idea was correct although, understandably, it fell far short of our present view of the significant influence of what are now known as “transposable elements” in evolution. In this article, I summarize the main events that influenced my thinking about transposable elements as a young scientist and the influence and role of these specific genomic elements in evolution over subsequent years. Today, we recognize that the findings about genomic changes affected by transposable elements have considerably altered our view of the ways in which genomes evolve and work.
Effects of HEPA Air Cleaners on Unscheduled Asthma Visits and Asthma Symptoms for Children Exposed to Secondhand Tobacco Smoke
Authors: Lanphear Bruce P. , Hornung Richard W. , Khoury Jane , Yolton Kimberly , Lierl Michelle , Kalkbrenner Amy
Published: December 2010

OBJECTIVE:

The goal was to test the effects of high-efficiency, particulate-arresting (HEPA) air cleaners on unscheduled asthma visits and symptoms among children with asthma exposed to secondhand smoke.

METHODS:

We enrolled 225 eligible children who were 6 to 12 years of age, had physician-diagnosed asthma, and were exposed to ≥5 cigarettes per day. We conducted a double-blind, randomized trial. Children were assigned randomly to receive 2 active or inactive HEPA air cleaners.

RESULTS:

Of 225 enrolled children, 110 (49%) were assigned to the intervention group and 115 (51%) to the control group; 215 (95%) completed the trial. During the trial, there were 42 fewer unscheduled asthma visits among children in the intervention group (18.5% [95% confidence interval: 1.25%–82.75%]; P = .043), compared with those in the control group, after adjustment for baseline differences. There was a significant difference in the reductions of levels of particles of >0.3 μm according to group assignment; there was a 25% reduction in particle levels in the intervention group, compared with a 5% reduction in the control group (P = .026). There were no significant differences in parent-reported asthma symptoms, exhaled nitric-oxide levels, air nicotine levels, or cotinine levels according to group assignment.

CONCLUSIONS:

These results hold promise for using HEPA air cleaners as part of a multifaceted strategy to reduce asthma morbidity, but further research is necessary before they can be recommended routinely for the medical management of asthma.
Effects of Serving High-Sugar Cereals on Children's Breakfast-Eating Behavior
Authors: Harris Jennifer L. , Schwartz Marlene B. , Ustjanauskas Amy , Ohri-Vachaspati Punam , Brownell Kelly D.
Published: December 2010

OBJECTIVES:

To test (1) whether children will consume low-sugar ready-to-eat (RTE) cereals and (2) the effects of serving high- versus low-sugar cereals on the consumption of cereal, refined sugar, fresh fruit, and milk.

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS:

Using an experimental design, we randomly assigned children (n = 91) who were attending summer day camp to receive a breakfast that included either the choice of 1 of 3 high-sugar cereals (high-sugar condition) or low-sugar cereals (low-sugar condition), as well as low-fat milk, orange juice, bananas, strawberries, and sugar packets. Participants served themselves and completed a background questionnaire after eating. Researchers measured the amount and calories consumed of each food.

RESULTS:

In both conditions, children reported “liking” or “loving” the cereal they chose. Children in the low-sugar cereal condition consumed, on average, slightly more than 1 serving of cereal (35 g), whereas children in the high-sugar condition consumed significantly more (61 g) and almost twice the amount of refined sugar in total (24.4 vs 12.5 g). Milk and total calories consumed did not differ significantly between conditions, but children in the low-sugar condition were more likely to put fruit on their cereal (54% vs 8%) and consumed a greater portion of total calories from fresh fruit (20% vs 13%).

CONCLUSIONS:

Compared with serving low-sugar cereals, high-sugar cereals increase children's total sugar consumption and reduce the overall nutritional quality of their breakfast. Children will consume low-sugar cereals when offered, and they provide a superior breakfast option.
Serum Transaminase Levels in Boys With Duchenne and Becker Muscular Dystrophy
Authors: McMillan Hugh J. , Gregas Matt , Darras Basil T. , Kang Peter B.
Published: December 2010

OBJECTIVE:

Serum alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) levels are commonly used as biochemical indicators of hepatocellular injury but can also detect occult muscle disease. High concomitant serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK) levels can point to muscle as the source of high transaminase levels. Nevertheless, clinicians may be reluctant to attribute high transaminase levels to muscle.

METHODS:

Study patients were boys with a genetic or biopsy-confirmed dystrophinopathy whose concomitant serum CPK, ALT, and AST levels were measured.

RESULTS:

We report 82 enzyme data sets from 46 patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and 9 with Becker muscular dystrophy. Our results show a linear relationship between serum CPK and serum ALT and AST and a logarithmic relationship between serum enzyme levels and age for boys with DMD. We developed a mathematical model to predict serum ALT and AST levels when the serum CPK level and age are known. For 6 boys, initial failure to consider muscle as a cause of high transaminase levels led to delay of diagnosis and extensive testing for hepatic dysfunction. A second group of 4 boys with known DMD were investigated for liver disease after high transaminase levels were detected. Serum transaminase levels were highest in ambulant boys with DMD, whose levels reached 1220 U/L (ALT) (22.6 times higher than upper-limit normal levels) and 801 U/L (AST) (12.3 times higher than upper-limit normal levels).

CONCLUSIONS:

By recognizing muscle as a potential source of serum transaminase levels, clinicians can avoid unnecessary and invasive procedures, expedite clinical diagnosis, and avoid unnecessary cessation of concomitant drug therapy.
Diagnostic Performance of Ultrasound in Nonpalpable Cryptorchidism: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Tasian Gregory E. , Copp Hillary L.
Published: December 2010

CONTEXT:

Ultrasound is frequently obtained during the presurgical evaluation of boys with nonpalpable undescended testes, but its clinical utility is uncertain.

OBJECTIVE:

To determine the diagnostic performance of ultrasound in localizing nonpalpable testes in pediatric patients.

METHODS:

English-language articles were identified by searching Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. We included studies of subjects younger than 18 years who had preoperative ultrasound evaluation for nonpalpable testes and whose testis position was determined by surgery. Data on testis location determined by ultrasound and surgery were extracted by 2 independent reviewers, from which ultrasound performance characteristics (true-positives, false-positives, false-negatives, and true-negatives) were derived. Meta-analysis of 12 studies (591 testes) was performed by using a random-effects regression model; composite estimates of sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios were calculated.

RESULTS:

Ultrasound has a sensitivity of 45% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 29–61) and a specificity of 78% (95% CI: 43–94). The positive and negative likelihood ratios are 1.48 (95% CI: 0.54–4.03) and 0.79 (95% CI: 0.46–1.35), respectively. A positive ultrasound result increases and negative ultrasound result decreases the probability that a nonpalpable testis is located within the abdomen from 55% to 64% and 49%, respectively. Significant heterogeneity limited the precision of these estimates, which was attributable to variability in the reporting of selection criteria, ultrasound methodology, and differences in the proportion of intraabdominal testes.

CONCLUSIONS:

Ultrasound does not reliably localize nonpalpable testes and does not rule out an intraabdominal testis. Eliminating the use of ultrasound will not change management of nonpalpable cryptorchidism but will decrease health care expenditures.
Nitric oxide and preeclampsia
Authors: Kukor Zoltán , Valent Sándor
Published: December 2010

A praeeclampsia a legveszélyesebb terhességi kórképek közé tartozik, egyike a vezető terhességi halálokoknak. A betegség kialakulása a placentához köthető. A patomechanizmusban kulcsszerepet tulajdonítanak az elégtelen NO-szintézisnek. A placentában az endothelialis izoforma (eNOS) a jellemző, ennek ismert zavarait foglaljuk össze. Csökkentheti a NO-szintézist szubsztrát- (arginin), kofaktor- (tetrahidrobiopterin, BH4) és kalciumhiány. Praeeclampsiában nőhet a nem észteresített szabad zsírsavak (FFA), a szolubilis VEGF-receptor (sVEGFR), az aszimmetrikus dimetil-arginin, a reaktív oxigéngyökök és a glükóz szérumszintje. Ezek különböző útvonalakon csökkentik a NO mennyiségét. Ismert a praeeclampticus placenták egy részében az enzim csökkent BH4 iránti affinitása, ami a NO-szintézis csökkenésén túl emelkedett szuperoxid-termelést is okozhat. A praeeclampsiához – nem kellően bizonyítottan – eNOS-polimorfizmusokat is társítottak (D298E, –786T→C). A dohányzásnak preventív hatása van praeeclampsia ellen. A hatásmechanizmus nem tisztázott, a NO-szintézisre fokuszálva is ellentmondásokkal teli. A dohányfüst az eNOS expresszióját csökkenti, az aktivitását emelő Ser1177 és az enzimaktivitást gátló Thr495-foszforilációt egyaránt fokozza. Az oxidatív stresszel a NO-szint közvetlenül csökken. A dohányzás csökkenti az FFA-szintet, ami az eNOS-aktivitás növekedését okozhatja. A dohányzás CO-ot termel, ami részben NO-mimikáló hatásával pótolhatja a NO-t. Orv. Hetil., 2010,151,2125–2135.
Alimentação e Nutrição em Saúde Coletiva: constituição, contornos e estatuto científico
Authors: Bosi Maria Lúcia Magalhães , Prado Shirley Donizete
Published: December 2010

Este artigo se propõe a examinar o percurso de constituição da Alimentação e Nutrição em Saúde Coletiva, no contexto brasileiro, a partir de seus campos de origem, identificando tensões e confluências, buscando demarcar seus contornos e caracterizar seu estatuto no interior do campo científico. Procuramos evidenciar a existência de um movimento marcado pelo encontro profícuo entre o campo da "Saúde Coletiva" e uma parcela do campo da "Alimentação e Nutrição", ou, mais precisamente, um dos seus núcleos, protagonizado por atores orientados por saberes diferenciados dos demais núcleos nesse campo. Tais fenômenos, que postulamos como desfechos do contato dos núcleos de saberes que identificam a Saúde Coletiva com o campo da "Alimentação e Nutrição", deram origem a um núcleo específico de saberes, bem como a práxis distintas, nesse âmbito correspondendo ao que denominamos "Alimentação e Nutrição em Saúde Coletiva". Trata-se de um processo marcado, desde o início, por tensões entre os paradigmas biológico e social, configurando-se, por um lado, como um importante desafio a ser enfrentado e, por outro, como um caminho promissor para a aproximação entre distintos campos da ciência, tanto os de cunho mais prático como os dirigidos à reflexão conceitual.