bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The value of EEG‐fMRI and EEG source analysis in the presurgical setup of children with refractory focal epilepsy
Authors: Elshoff Lydia , Groening Kristina , Grouiller Frédéric , Wiegand Gert , Wolff Stephan , Michel Christoph , Stephani Ulrich , Siniatchkin Michael
Published: July 2012

Purpose:  In the presurgical evaluation of children and juvenile patients with refractory focal epilepsy, the main challenge is to localize the point of seizure onset as precisely as possible. We compared results of the conventional electroencephalography–functional magnetic resonance imaging (EEG‐fMRI) analysis with those obtained with a newly developed method using voltage maps of average interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) recorded during clinical long‐term monitoring and with the results of the electric source imaging (ESI).

Methods:  Simultaneous EEG‐fMRI was recorded in nine patients (ages 1.5–17.5 years) undergoing presurgical evaluation. The postoperative outcome and resected area were compared with the following: the localizations of blood oxygen–level dependent (BOLD) signal changes associated with IEDs, which were identified by visual inspection changes using SPM5 software (Analysis I); BOLD signal changes related to IED topography, which was characterized using spike‐specific voltage maps of average IED recorded outside the MR scanner during clinical long‐term monitoring (Analysis II); as well as results of EEG source analysis based on the distributed linear local autoregressive average (LAURA) algorithm using the Cartool software by Denis Brunet (Analysis III).

Key Findings:  All nine patients had postoperative outcome Engel class I–IIb (postoperative time 6–26 months). The analysis I revealed an IED‐related area of activation within the resection area in 3 (33%) of 9 patients, analysis II was able to reliably localize the source of epileptic activity in 4 (44%) of 9 patients, and analysis III rendered results concordant with the postoperative resection site in all nine patients.

Conclusions:  The localization of seizure onset based on EEG‐fMRI may be a useful adjunct in the preoperative evaluation but also has some deficits that impair the reliability of results. In contrast, EEG source analysis is clearly a more credible method for epileptic focus localization in children with refractory epilepsies. It seems likely that the analysis based on IED topography (Analysis II) may increase sensitivity and reliability of EEG‐fMRI in some patients. However, the benefit from this innovative method in children is rather limited compared with adults.
On seeing the trees and the forest: Single‐signal and multisignal analysis of periictal intracranial EEG
Authors: Schindler Kaspar , Gast Heidemarie , Goodfellow Marc , Rummel Christian
Published: July 2012

Purpose:  Epileptic seizures are associated with a dysregulation of electrical brain activity on many different spatial scales. To better understand the dynamics of epileptic seizures, that is, how the seizures initiate, propagate, and terminate, it is important to consider changes of electrical brain activity on different spatial scales. Herein we set out to analyze periictal electrical brain activity on comparatively small and large spatial scales by assessing changes in single intracranial electroencephalography (EEG) signals and of averaged interdependences of pairs of EEG signals.

Methods:  Single and multiple EEG signals are analyzed by combining methods from symbolic dynamics and information theory. This computationally efficient approach is chosen because at its core it consists of analyzing the occurrence of patterns and bears analogy to classical visual EEG reading. Symbolization is achieved by first mapping the EEG signals into bit strings, that is, long sequences of zeros and ones, depending solely on whether their amplitudes increase or decrease. Bit strings reflect relational aspects between consecutive values of the original EEG signals, but not the values themselves. For each bit string the relative frequencies of the different constituent short bit patterns are then determined and used to compute two information theoretical measures: (1) redundancy (R) of single bit strings characterizes electrical brain activity on a comparatively small spatial scale represented by a single EEG signal and (2) averaged pair‐wise mutual information with all other bit strings (M), which allows tracking of larger‐scale EEG dynamics.

Key Findings:  We analyzed 20 periictal intracranial EEG recordings from five patients with pharmacoresistant temporal lobe epilepsy. At seizure onset, R first strongly increased and then decreased toward seizure termination, whereas M gradually increased throughout the seizure. Bit strings with maximal R were always derived from EEG signals recorded from the visually identified seizure‐onset zone. When compared to the bit strings derived from other EEG signals, their M was relatively smaller. These findings are consistent with a strong but transient occurrence of information‐poor, that is, redundant electrical brain activity on a smaller spatial scale, which is particularly pronounced in the seizure‐onset zone. On a larger spatial scale, a progressively more collective state emerges, as revealed by increasing amounts of mutual information.

Significance:  Information theoretical analysis of bit patterns derived from EEG signals helps to characterize periictal brain activity on different spatial scales in a quantitative and efficient way and may provide clinically relevant results.
Energy Intensity of the Catalan Construction Sector
Authors: Hoque Mohammad R. , Durany Xavier Gabarrell i , Sala Cristina Sendra i , Méndez Gara Villalba , Peiró Laura Talens , Huguet Teresa Vicent
Published: July 2012

We used a thermodynamic framework to characterize the resource consumption of the construction sector in 2001 in Catalonia, the northeast region of Spain. The analysis was done with a cradle‐to‐product life cycle approach using material flow analysis (MFA) and exergy accounting methodologies to quantify the total material and energy inputs in the sector. The aim was to identify the limitations of resource metabolism in the sector and to pinpoint the opportunities for improved material selection criteria, processing, reuse, and recycling for sustainable resource use. The results obtained from MFA showed that nonrenewables such as minerals and natural rocks, cement and derivatives, ceramics, glass, metals, plastics, paints and other chemicals, electric and lighting products, and bituminous mix products accounted for more than 98% of the input materials in the construction sector. The exergy analysis quantified a total 113.1 petajoules (PJ) of exergy inputs in the sector; utilities accounted for 57% of this exergy.

Besides exergy inputs, a total of 6.85 million metric tons of construction and demolition waste was generated in 2001. With a recycling rate of 6.5%, the sector recovered 1.3 PJ of exergy. If the sector were able to recycle 80% of construction and demolition waste, then exergy recovery would be 10.3 PJ. Hence the results of this analysis indicate that improvements are required in manufacturing processes and recycling activities, especially of energy‐intensive materials, in order to reduce the inputs of utilities and the extraction of primary materials from the environment.
Validation and implementation of a new hemoglobinometer for donor screening at Canadian Blood Services
Authors: Goldman Mindy , Uzicanin Samra , Yi Qi‐Long , Acker Jason , Ramirez‐Arcos Sandra
Published: July 2012

BACKGROUND: Hemoglobin (Hgb) determination is an essential part of donor qualification. We assessed and implemented a new spectrophotometer for donor Hgb determination.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Precision, accuracy, and ease of use were assessed on a prototype DiaSpect analyzer (DiaSpect Medical, GmBH, Sailauf, Germany). A protocol to qualify the analyzer was developed and executed preimplementation. Samples were developed for periodic quality control (QC). Postimplementation performance was assessed based on QC results and trending of deferral rates.

RESULTS: Precision was excellent, with a coefficient of variation of 0.53%‐1.14% per sample. The correlation coefficient between capillary DiaSpect and venous laboratory autoanalyzer measurements was 0.736. After 169 out of 223 analyzers failed to qualify on our initial protocol, all were successfully qualified with the use of a modified protocol, adjusted to avoid sources of variability. Because commercial controls proved inadequate, in‐house samples were developed for periodic QC. Postimplementation, all analyzers had adequate QC results. Deferral rates decreased from 10.1 to 8.1% (p < 0.0001) for female donors and from 0.8 to 0.6% for male donors (p < 0.0001). The system was faster and easier to use compared with our previous two‐step process.

CONCLUSION: We successfully implemented a new spectrophotometer, which resulted in greater efficiency, improved ease of use, and decreased deferrals.
Improving blood transfusion practice by regular education in the United Arab Emirates
Authors: Sajwani F.H.
Published: July 2012

BACKGROUND: A cross‐match to transfused unit ratio of less than 2.0 is frequently used to assess performance in many hospital blood banks. This brief report was initiated to evaluate the practice at a local hospital and to emphasize the importance of regular educational sessions to improve blood transfusion practice.

METHOD: Retrospective data on cross‐match : transfused (C : T) ratio of all departments was collected and educational sessions were given to improve practice. Thereafter, a new set of data was collected and change in practice was assessed.

RESULTS: Initial data showed total (C : T) ratio of 1.95. After medical staff education, analysis showed clinically significant improvement in blood utilization practice with a (C : T) ratio of 1.60.

CONCLUSION: This brief report indicates the importance of regular physician education, the potential role of blood transfusion committee, and the need to implement clear guidelines for blood transfusion.
Immunohistochemical, tomographic, and histological study on onlay bone graft remodeling. Part III: allografts
Authors: Hawthorne Ana Carolina , Xavier Samuel Porfírio , Okamoto Roberta , Salvador Sérgio Luiz , Antunes Antonio Azoubel , Salata Luiz Antonio
Published: July 2012

Objective

In the last decades aroused the interest for bone tissue bank as an alternative to autogenous grafting, avoiding donor sites morbidity, surgical time, and costs reduction. The purpose of the study was to compare allografts (ALg) with autografts (AUg) using histology, immunochemistry, and tomographic analysis.

Material and methods

Fifty‐six New Zealand White rabbits were submitted to surgical procedures. Twenty animals were donors and 36 were actually submitted to onlay grafting with ALg (experimental group) and AUg (control group) randomly placed bilaterally in the mandible. Six animals of each group were sacrificed at 3, 5, 7, 10, 20, and 60 postoperative days. Immunolabeling was accomplished with osteoprotegerin (OPG); receptor activator of nuclear factor‐k ligand (RANKL); alkaline phosphatase (ALP); osteopontin (OPN); vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF); tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP); collagen type I (COL I); and osteocalcin (OC). Density and volume of the grafts was evaluated on tomography obtained at the surgery and sacrifice.

Results

The ALg and AUg exhibited similar patterns of density and volume throughout the experiments. The intra‐group data showed statistical differences at days 7 and 60 in comparison with other time points (P = 0.001), in both groups. A slight graft expansion from fixation until day 20 (P = 0.532) was observed in the AUg group and then resorbed significantly at the day 60 (P = 0.015). ALg volume remained stable until day 7 and decreased at day 10 (P = 0.045). The light microscopy analysis showed more efficient incorporation of AUg onto the recipient bed if compared with the ALg group. The immunohistochemical labeling picked: at days 10 and 20 with OPG in the AUg group and at day 7 with TRAP in the ALg group (P = 0.001 and P = 0.002, respectively).

Conclusions

ALg and AUg were not differing in patterns of volume and density during entire experiment. Histological data exhibit more efficient AUg incorporation into recipient bed compared with the ALg group. Immunohistochemistry outcomes demonstrated similar pattern for both ALg and AUg groups, except for an increasing resorption activity in the ALg group mediated by TRAP and in the AUg group by higher OPG labeling. However, this latter observation does not seem to influence clinical outcomes.
Association between the insulin‐like growth factor axis in serum and periodontitis in the Study of Health in Pomerania: an exploratory study
Authors: Harb Ali N. , Holtfreter Birte , Friedrich Nele , Wallaschofski Henri , Nauck Matthias , Albers Martin , Meisel Peter , Biffar Reiner , Kocher Thomas
Published: July 2012

Aim

To evaluate the association of Insulin‐like Growth Factor (IGF) I‐related variables with periodontitis in the population‐based Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP).

Material and Methods

From the cross‐sectional SHIP, 2293 subjects with clinical attachment loss (CAL) data and 2398 subjects with tooth count data aged 20–59 years were analysed. Serum IGF‐I and IGF‐binding protein (BP)‐3 levels were determined by chemiluminescence immunoassays. Linear and logistic regressions with fractional polynomials were used to study associations between IGF‐related variables and mean CAL or high tooth loss. For non‐linear relations between IGFBP‐3 and mean CAL, graphical presentations of fractional polynomials were used to deduce knots for linear splines.

Results

In fully adjusted models, for serum IGFBP‐3 values ≤1200 ng/ml, mean CAL increased significantly for decreasing serum IGFBP‐3 levels [B = −0.027 (95% CI, −0.049; −0.005), p = 0.02]. The odds for high tooth loss decreased significantly for high serum IGFBP‐3 values [OR = 0.97 (0.95; 0.99), p = 0.02]. Serum IGF‐I levels and the IGF‐I/IGFBP‐3 ratio were not related to mean CAL or tooth loss after full adjustment.

Conclusions

Low serum IGFBP‐3 levels might be associated with higher levels of periodontal disease. Neither serum IGF‐I nor IGF‐I/IGFBP‐3 ratios were associated with periodontitis.
Seed harvesting by a generalist consumer is context‐dependent: Interactive effects across multiple spatial scales
Authors: Ostoja Steven M. , Schupp Eugene W. , Klinger Rob
Published: July 2012

Granivore foraging decisions affect consumer success and determine the quantity and spatial pattern of seed survival. These decisions are influenced by environmental variation at spatial scales ranging from landscapes to local foraging patches. In a field experiment, the effects of seed patch variation across three spatial scales on seed removal by western harvester ants Pogonomyrmex occidentalis were evaluated. At the largest scale we assessed harvesting in different plant communities, at the intermediate scale we assessed harvesting at different distances from ant mounds, and at the smallest scale we assessed the effects of interactions among seed species in local seed neighborhoods on seed harvesting (i.e. resource–consumer interface). Selected seed species were presented alone (monospecific treatment) and in mixture with Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass; mixture treatment) at four distances from P. occidentalis mounds in adjacent intact sagebrush and non‐native cheatgrass‐dominated communities in the Great Basin, Utah, USA. Seed species differed in harvest, with B. tectorum being least preferred. Large and intermediate scale variation influenced harvest. More seeds were harvested in sagebrush than in cheatgrass‐dominated communities (largest scale), and the quantity of seed harvested varied with distance from mounds (intermediate‐scale), although the form of the distance effect differed between plant communities. At the smallest scale, seed neighborhood affected harvest, but the patterns differed among seed species considered. Ants harvested fewer seeds from mixed‐seed neighborhoods than from monospecific neighborhoods, suggesting context dependence and potential associational resistance. Further, the effects of plant community and distance from mound on seed harvest in mixtures differed from their effects in monospecific treatments. Beyond the local seed neighborhood, selection of seed resources is better understood by simultaneously evaluating removal at multiple scales. Associational effects provide a useful theoretical basis for better understanding harvester ant foraging decisions. These results demonstrate the importance of ecological context for seed removal, which has implications for seed pools, plant populations and communities.
Dentin disorders: anomalies of dentin formation and structure
Authors: De Coster Peter J.
Published: July 2012

Dentin defects represent a cluster of relatively rare heritable disorders affecting the formation and mineralization of dentin. Major clinical features include loss of enamel with extreme wear of exposed dentin, opalescent tooth discoloration, short roots with pulpal calcification and increased tooth mobility, and frequent periapical radiolucencies. Historically, these inherited conditions have been classified by Shields et al. (1) as either dentinogenesis imperfecta (DGI) types I, II and III, or dentin dysplasia (DD) types I and II. DGI type I is now universally designated as osteogenesis imperfecta with dentinogenesis imperfecta (OI/DGI) and is caused by type I collagen mutations. Among the genes expressing the non‐collagenous proteins in dentin, only the DSPP gene has been implicated in the etiology of DD type II and all DGI types, suggesting that heritable dentin defects can be viewed as a continuum rather than as distinct disease entities. Dental treatment strategies should aim to preserve the affected dentitions by protecting teeth from wear, restoring them to compliance with the specific structural characteristics of the defective dentin, and anticipating early tooth loss. Endodontic treatment of the affected teeth is very challenging because of the peculiar pulp morphology and most often has poor prognosis. If conventional therapy is not an option, periapical curettage and retrograde filling is a possible alternative, except in the case of teeth with short roots.
Effect of Dental Implant Diameter on Fatigue Performance. Part II: Failure Analysis
Authors: Shemtov‐Yona Keren , Rittel Daniel , Machtei Eli E. , Levin Liran
Published: July 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to perform fracture mode analysis for in vitro failed implants in order to evaluate the relation between the fracture mode obtained and the implants’ fatigue behavior.

Materials and Methods

Eighty fractured dental implants were analyzed after being tested for fatigue performance. A macroscopic failure analysis was performed, which evaluated and located the fracture modes obtained, followed by a microscopic failure analysis comprising a detailed scanning electron microscopy (SEM) fractographic analysis.

Results

Four distinctive fracture loci were identified and macrofracture mode analysis was performed, showing that all 5‐mm implants that fractured were fractured at the abutment neck and screw. In the 3.75‐mm group, 44.4% were fractured at the implant neck and 55.5% at the implants second thread. Fifty‐two percent of the 3.3‐mm fractured implants had it at the implants second tread and 48% at the implants third thread. The implant's metallographic sections revealed that the different fracture loci were located where thin metal cross sections and sharp notches coexist. Using SEM, we were able to characterize the failure micromechanisms and fatigue characterization as transgranular fracture and arrays of secondary parallel microcracks at relatively low magnifications and classic fatigue striations at much higher magnifications.

Conclusions

The results of this study indicate that proper implant design is crucial to ensure long‐term fatigue performance for dental implants. The combination of sharp notches (thread) and narrow metal cross section is quite deleterious for fatigue resistance.
Alternative Esthetic Management of Fluorosis and Hypoplasia Stains: Blending Effect Obtained with Resin Infiltration Techniques
Authors: Muñoz Miguel Angel , Arana‐Gordillo Luis Alfonso , Gomes Giovanna Mongruel , Gomes Osnara Mongruel , Bombarda Nara Hellen Campanha , Reis Alessandra , Loguercio Alessandro Dourado
Published: July 2012

Statement of Problem:  New light‐polymerized resin composites optimized for rapid infiltration of enamel lesions with resin light curing monomers are commercially available today to prevent enamel lesions from further demineralization and provide a highly conservative therapy. In addition, this technique has proved to be effective treatment for blending white spot lesions because the microporosities of infiltrated lesions are filled with resin.

Purpose:  This clinical report presents and describes cases in which the minimally invasive infiltrant resin technique was used for blending different microporous lesions, mild‐to‐moderate fluorosis, and hypoplasia stains related to traumatic dental injuries.

Results:  The fluorosis stain showed visually perceptual improvements. In the cases of hypoplasia, stains were not completely blended. However, the general clinical outcomes of these cases were considered successful and recovered the patients' self‐esteem.

Conclusion:  Based on the results obtained, it could be concluded that the resin infiltration technique shows promising results and could be considered a minimally invasive procedure for mild‐to‐moderate fluorosis and hypoplasia stains.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

This case study allows a better understanding of the concept of the resin infiltration technique applied in other types of porous lesions, increasing its use as a therapeutic alternative for esthetic purposes in the philosophy of minimally invasive dentistry.

(J Esthet Restor Dent 25:32–39, 2013)
Transportation decreases the pulse frequency of growth hormone in the blood of prepubertal male calves
Authors: KADOKAWA Hiroya , NOGUCHI Koutarou , HAJIRI Yuuki , TAKESHITA Kazuhisa , FUJII Youichi
Published: July 2012

Both the mean concentration and the pulse pattern of growth hormone (GH) in the blood are important for the metabolism and body growth of calves. Transportation is reported to decrease blood GH concentrations in prepubertal male calves. However, the effect of transportation on GH pulsatility remains unknown. Because transportation is important in moving these calves from calf‐production farms to markets or fattening farms, we tested whether transportation decreases their GH pulse frequency. Five calves were subjected to transportation by trucking (transport group), while five were left in their shed (non‐transport group). Both groups were subsequently subjected to frequent blood sampling at 15‐min intervals for 5 h. In the transport group, the cortisol concentrations increased in the first hour (P < 0.05) but significantly decreased thereafter (P < 0.05) to lower than those of the non‐transport group. During the 5‐hour study period, the transport group displayed a similar mean GH concentration relative to the non‐transport group, but displayed a delayed first GH pulse, and a lower number of GH pulses than the non‐transport group (P < 0.05). Hence, transportation is suggested to decrease GH pulse frequency under abnormal cortisol states, presumably suppressing metabolism and body growth in prepubertal male calves.
“The Walter Scott of Tahiti”: Robert Louis Stevenson’s Ballad Translation
Authors: Henville Letitia
Published: July 2012

This paper examines the unrestrained license that Robert Louis Stevenson used while composing his ballad, “Song of Rahéro: A Legend of Tahiti,” which is a translation of a traditional Tahitian legend. Stevenson attempted to replicate Tahitian rhythms in his translation, thus bringing foreign forms and, in transliteration, foreign words, to a traditionally British genre. Moreover, his formal choices – blending the epic into his ballad – helped to make “Song of Rahéro” a unique work in Stevenson’s Pacific oeuvre, as it depicts characters radically unlike the Tahitians portrayed in texts associated with evolutionary anthropology. Stevenson’s “Song of Rahéro” features confusing transitions and awkward phrasing, but, as Walter Benjamin has argued, even “bad” translations may adapt “meaning” well. An understanding of the form and composition of this under‐studied work can shed new light on Stevenson’s conception of, and translation of, the South Pacific. Intriguingly, the paratexts to “Song of Rahéro” undermine the politics of the text that they frame. While “Song of Rahéro” represents strong Tahitian characters, the preface and annotations position Stevenson as one more capable of sophisticated analysis than his sources.
Postcolonial Ecocriticism and Victorian Studies
Authors: Miller John
Published: July 2012

Since the turn of the twenty‐first century a growing amount of scholarship has focused on the correlations between postcolonial studies and environmental criticism or ecocriticism. Despite the numerous ethical and political connections of global social justice and ecological crisis, postcolonial and ecocritical approaches have historically remained distant from one another. The emergence of postcolonial ecocriticism, however, has aimed to move beyond the mutual unease that has characterized the relationship of these two critical perspectives, formulating a more ecologically aware postcolonialism and a more politically conscious ecocriticism. While the majority of postcolonial‐ecocritical scholarship so far has concentrated on contemporary literature, postcolonial ecocriticism has particular relevance for Victorian Studies. As an era of intensive imperial expansion and industrial development, the nineteenth century comprised a pivotal stage in global environmental history that brought dramatic ecological change to many regions of the world in the same moment that it forged momentous political shifts. After introducing the theoretical premises of postcolonial ecocriticism and situating these within the environmental history of empire, this essay sketches some areas of possibility of this new critical approach for unpacking the global environmental resonances of Victorian literature, concluding with four suggested areas within which a Victorian postcolonial ecocriticism might unfold.
Global Dickens: A Response to John Jordan
Authors: John Juliet
Published: July 2012

In this response to John Jordan s essay ‘Global Dickens’, Juliet John explores the importance of ‘undisciplined knowledge’ to global literary studies and the challenges it poses to established models of academic scholarly rigour. She argues that the bicentenary of an author like Dickens makes clear that print culture is just one aspect of global literary studies, new and established media working together to expand the category and influence of the literary. Understanding of ‘global Dickens’, she maintains, marks a return to scholarship as dialogue, dialogue that includes languages other than English, media other than books, and cultural institutions other than Universities.
Sterne Studies on the Eve of the Tercentenary
Authors: Molesworth Jesse
Published: July 2012

This essay surveys the most vital developments within scholarly criticism of Laurence Sterne, especially since 2000. Attention is granted not merely to criticism of Sterne’s major works,Tristram ShandyandA Sentimental Journey, but also to his published sermons, letters, and theJournal to Eliza. Several scholarly trends are here described: the proliferation of interest in Sterne’s sermons, the increasing association of Shandean “doubleness” with various strands of “modernity,” scholarly attempts to redeem the literature of sentiment through Sterne’s works, and the emergence of loss as an important topic within contemporary Sterne criticism. Overall, Sterne studies follows Sterne’s life in reconciling seeming opposites, so that traditional enemies – especially “theory” and “history”– are seen engaging rather than rejecting one another.
Influence of various treatments including povidone‐iodine and healing stimulatory reagents in a rabbit ear wound model
Authors: Arai Keitaro , Yamazaki Masashi , Maeda Tatsuo , Okura Takaaki , Tsuboi Ryoji
Published: July 2012

Selecting an appropriate treatment for a given case of skin wound is crucial for inducing optimal healing. We used an animal model developed from normal rabbit ears in order to assess the efficacy of treatments for skin wounds with or without a wet dressing, anti microbial reagent or topical wound‐stimulatory reagents. The degree of healing in each group was evaluated and compared using four histological parameters: (i) degree of reepithelialisation, (ii) amount of granulation tissue formation, and (iii) the number of capillary lumens and (iv) fibroblasts in the granulation tissue. Treatment using wet dressings resulted in an increase in capillary number compared with the open dry wound. Although the retention of povidone‐iodine (PI) in wound tissue after application significantly inhibited reepithelialisation (P < 0·05), rinsing PI off with saline was comparable in effect to using only a wet dressing. The three topical reagents, namely, basic fibroblast growth factor, prostaglandin E1 and dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate, significantly improved reepithelialisation (P < 0·05). In conclusion, wounds should be kept hydrated by applying topical reagents. If there are any signs of bacterial infection, PI can be applied and rinsed later with saline in order to minimise its cytotoxic effects.
Antiangiogenic therapy in the management of breast cancer
Authors: Wu Yuan , Sun Wei‐li , Feng Ji‐feng
Published: July 2012

An improved understanding of the important role of angiogenesis in tumor biology has led to development of different antiangiogenic therapies. Numerous clinical studies for several antiangiogenic agents have recently been conducted in breast cancer patients and have shown clinically significant improvement in outcomes. This review focuses on current progress in the field of antiangiogenic therapy in the management of breast cancer, also highlighting issues regarding future therapeutic development that result in the greatest clinical benefits and minimizing the adverse effects.
Phenolic Characterization of Sicilian Yellow Flesh Peach (Prunus persicaL.) Cultivars at Different Ripening Stages
Authors: Scordino Monica , Sabatino Leonardo , Muratore Antonio , Belligno Adalgisa , Gagliano Giacomo
Published: July 2012

Yellow flesh peaches (Prunus persica L.) from different Sicilian areas (Leonforte, Riesi and Maniace) were investigated for the first time for their polyphenolic composition, with consideration of both peel and flesh tissues. The qualitative and quantitative polyphenolic evaluation was determined at two different maturity stages (commercial and postharvest ripening) via chromatographic separation by using reverse‐phase HPLC‐PDA‐ESI/MS
2. This technique provides a comprehensive chromatographic evaluation of 10 compounds (hydroxycinnamates and flavonols), differently distributed in the analyzed tissues. Overall, the hydroxycinnamates were present in both pulp and peel, while flavonols resulted exclusively located in the peel. Peels were found to be richest in polyphenolics with respect to the pulps, containing up to 276 mg/kg fresh weight in Riesi commercial‐ripe peaches. Generally, the peach tissues from commercial‐ripe fruits showed higher phenolics contents than postharvest‐ripe fruits.

Practical Applications

It is well documented that the benefits due to the consumption of fruit can be largely attributed to the elevated content of phenolic compounds. High levels of phenolic compounds in fruits are of high importance to maintain the quality of fruits and provide consumers the health benefits of fruit consumption. Thus, the assessment of the distribution of phenolic compounds in various parts of the peach fruit and any variations due at the time of collection are considered interesting from a scientific point of view. The characterization of peach phenolics could represent a useful tool in the area of food authenticity protection since some compounds could represent specific quality markers. Moreover, a study on phenolics quantification at different ripening stages could provide useful information for assessing the fruit harvest timing in order to ensure the best fruit quality.
Reinscribing and Inhabiting the City: Young Women Students from Asia Make Melbourne Home
Authors: LOBO MICHELE
Published: July 2012

This paper argues that embodied acts of mapping movement and feeling, taking photographs, and talking about public spaces have the potential to transform the central city into homely and stimulating spaces for young women, tertiary students from Asia who have recently migrated to Melbourne. Such performative acts that reinscribe the city temporarily unsettle feelings of exclusion, anxiety, and disappointment that are so much a part of living with cultural difference for these newcomers. This paper draws on women students' maps, images, and stories to provide an insight into urban sociality that is often hidden from our view, but significant because it demonstrates how performative acts animate bodies learning to reinhabit a new home.
The Requirement of Having a Body
Authors: DUFFY MICHELLE
Published: July 2012

In a project that explores the role affect plays in processes of place‐making, children aged 10–12 were asked to record meaningful sounds about their home spaces. This focus on sound and listening reminds us that the body is very much entangled in, and indeed fundamental to, processes of subjectivity and place‐making. The methodologies used in this work are, therefore, about techniques of researchingthroughbodies, rather than an examinationaboutbodies. This paper explores what researching place through bodies means, with a close reading of one particular response from a young girl who captured the sounds of her friend playing on the slide. In a conversation about this captured sound, she explained that the slide was where she can be with one special person who ‘understands’, but how she presented this relationship was in the movement of the body moving down the slide and the expression of affect and its release – a joyous call of ‘wheeee’ as the body slid down. This paper seeks to contribute to discussions around the moving and feeling body as a means to think geographically about the requirement of having a body, how the physicality of the body and its actions with (and within) affective states constitute a sense of place and notions of connectedness.
Indemnifying against flood loss in a changing environment
Authors: Morgan Jill , Stallworthy Mark
Published: July 2012

The UK, as elsewhere, faces new environmental uncertainties, especially from climate change. The sustainability of the UK's existing flood loss indemnity regime in respect of property harm is threatened by factors that include greater ecological awareness on the part of policy makers, pressures to limit public commitments to flood defence, and insurers' increasing technical capacities to differentiate risk exposure across particular locations. The basis of current reliance on the commercial insurance market is called into question, as general levels of insurance availability and affordability come under threat. In turn, differential impacts from more restricted availability or terms of cover are likely increasingly to affect vulnerable individuals and communities, which will further intensify pre-existing take-up problems among particular groups. Key themes relate to issues that arise from this changing law and policy environment, including challenges to the delicate public-private balance that has underpinned the current arrangements, implications both for civil society as well as the insurance industry, and the extent to which alternative approaches might offer solutions.
Cohabitation, civil partnership, marriage and the equal sharing principle
Authors: Chan Winnie
Published: July 2012

This paper explores certain questions regarding whether the law concerning relief upon the dissolution of civil partnership and cohabitation should parallel that of marriage. It will be contended that while the principle of compensation does have an important role to play in the aftermath of de facto relationships, there remain reasons not to assimilate cohabitation fully with marriage – and in particular, not to apply the key principle of equal sharing that now informs divorce settlements in many jurisdictions, including England. On the other hand, an argument against assimilating marriage with civil partnership can be grounded in the fact that a civil partnership involves two parties of the same gender. This point generates room to argue that a presumption of equal sharing – to the extent that it rests upon compensatory rationales – may be less powerful in civil partnerships. Nonetheless, that claim can be circumnavigated by the argument for equal sharing as an independent principle – one applicable to civil partnership just as much as to marriage.
Pensioning off the mandatory retirement age: implications for the higher education sector
Authors: Manfredi Simonetta , Vickers Lucy
Published: July 2012

This article considers the implications for higher education (HE) of the removal of the retirement age in 2011. It starts with an exploration of findings from empirical research which looked at the use of the retirement provisions of the 2006 Age Regulations in the UK HE sector. It highlights a number of concerns identified as a result of that research relating to retirement practices in HE and considers how these might apply given the recent abolition of a mandatory retirement age. The article uses a legal empirical approach to explore how the law would apply to any employer in HE attempting to justify continued use of mandatory retirement. It also examines other options such as the use of incentives to retire, the use of flexible working and the increased use of performance management. The article begins with an introduction to the main findings of the research, before turning to consider the current case-law relating to the legality of retirement provisions, including the recent Supreme Court decision in Seldon v Clarkson Wright and Jakes, and the legal implications of alternative options for managing extended working lives.
A new species of Clytus Laicharting (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) from Korea with a key to Korean species
Authors: Lim Jongok , Han Youngeun , Lee Bongwoo , Oh Haeyong , Lyu Dongpyeo
Published: July 2012

A new species of Clytus Laicharting (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is described from Korea. Illustrations of diagnostic characteristics of the new species including male genitalia are provided with a key to Korean Clytus species.
Efficacy of Sardinelle Protein Hydrolysate to Alleviate Ethanol‐Induced Oxidative Stress in the Heart of Adult Rats
Authors: Kamoun Zeineb , Kamoun Alya Sellami , Bougatef Ali , Chtourou Yassine , Boudawara Tahia , Nasri Moncef , Zeghal Najiba
Published: July 2012

Abstract:  The present study was undertaken to examine the protective effects of sardinelle proteins hydrolysate (SPH) obtained from heads and viscera against ethanol toxicity in the heart of adult rats. Twenty‐four male rats of Wistar strain, weighing at the beginning of the experiment 250 to 300 g, were used in this study. They were divided into 4 groups: group (C) served as controls, group (Eth) received 30% ethanol solution at 3 g/kg body weight, group (SPH) received only 7.27 mg of SPH/kg body weight, and group (Eth‐SPH) received ethanol and sardinelle proteins hydrolysate simultaneously. All treatments were made by gavage during 15 d. Treatment with ethanol revealed a significant elevation of malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl levels in the heart and of aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase activities in plasma. Nitric oxide levels and the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase decreased. Nonenzymatic antioxidant such as reduced glutathione did not significantly change and ascorbic acid was decreased. SPH intake concomitantly with ethanol restored these parameters to near control values. These modifications confirmed histopathological aspects of the heart. The results revealed that SPH could provide protection of the myocardium against ethanol‐induced oxidative damages in rats. This may be due to the high antioxidant potential of SPH.
The Functional Forecast Model of Emotion Expression Processing
Authors: Weisbuch Max , Adams Reginald B.
Published: July 2012

Fleeting nonverbal emotion expressions trigger a variety of spontaneous responses in human observers. To account for these effects, we introduce a functional forecast model (FFM) of emotion expression processing. The FFM assumes that emotion expressions provide timely forecasts of impending events. Responses to these forecasts are adaptive and may be learned or innately prepared, but in either case, observers need not infer mental states to exhibit immediate responses to emotion expressions. We postulate a diffuse route that operates pre‐attentively and activates appetitive and defensive motivational systems in response to gross affective meaning relevant to imminent environmental threats and available or scarce survival resources. We postulate a focal route that requires attention to efficiently and spontaneously activate specific, though tacit behavioral expectations. We explain how the FFM accounts for a variety of responses to emotion expressions, including physiological responses, affective responses, behavioral responses, trait attributions, and emotion recognition. Lastly, we describe how the FFM relates to other models of emotion, and describe future directions based on the model.
Provisional Elemental Values for IAEA‐Sewage Sludge by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis
Authors: Wasim Mohammad , Arif Mohammad , Iqbal Sajid , Daud Muhammad
Published: July 2012

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) organised a proficiency test (PT), IAEA‐CU‐2010‐02, for the determination of elements in sewage sludge. The PT sample was analysed by semi‐absolute standardless k0‐instrumental neutron activation analysis (k0‐INAA). Results for seven elements (As, Co, Cr, Fe, Hg, Se, Zn) were submitted to the IAEA by our laboratory. All of our results were scored ‘acceptable’ by the ‘result evaluation criteria’ adopted by the IAEA. The same analytical methodology produced quantitative results for twenty‐six additional elements. In total, thirty‐six elements were determined with uncertainty varying from 4 to 11%. This paper presents the provisional mass fractions of twenty‐six additional elements (Ag, Al, Br, Ca, Ce, Cl, Dy, Eu, Ga, Hf, I, K, La, Mg, Mn, Na, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sm, Ta, Tb, Th, V, U, W) not reported by the IAEA. The analytical methodology was discussed with important sources of spectral, nuclear and fission‐product interferences. It was shown that the important components of uncertainties were the k0 factor, Q0 factor, detector efficiency, mass and counting statistics. The methodology was validated by analysing the IAEA‐S7 reference material.
Genetics of type 2 diabetes in European populations
Authors: QI Qibin , HU Frank B.
Published: July 2012

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) has become a leading health problem throughout the world. It is caused by environmental and genetic factors, as well as interactions between the two. However, until very recently, the T2D susceptibility genes have been poorly understood. During the past 5 years, with the advent of genome‐wide association studies (GWAS), a total of 58 T2D susceptibility loci have been associated with T2D risk at a genome‐wide significance level (P < 5 × 10−8), with evidence showing that most of these genetic variants influence pancreatic β‐cell function. Most novel T2D susceptibility loci were identified through GWAS in European populations and later confirmed in other ethnic groups. Although the recent discovery of novel T2D susceptibility loci has contributed substantially to our understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease, the clinical utility of these loci in disease prediction and prognosis is limited. More studies using multi‐ethnic meta‐analysis, gene–environment interaction analysis, sequencing analysis, epigenetic analysis, and functional experiments are needed to identify new susceptibility T2D loci and causal variants, and to establish biological mechanisms.
Genetic advances of type 2 diabetes in Chinese populations
Authors: YU Weihui , HU Cheng , JIA Weiping
Published: July 2012

In recent decades, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in China has increased significantly, underscoring the importance of investigating the etiological mechanisms, including genetic determinants, of the disease in Chinese populations. Numerous loci conferring susceptibility to type 2 diabetes (T2D) have been identified worldwide, with most having been identified in European populations. In terms of ethnic heterogeneity in pathogenesis as well as disease predisposition, it is imperative to explore the specific genetic architecture of T2D in Han Chinese. Replication studies of European‐derived susceptibility loci have been performed, validating 11 of 32 loci in Chinese populations. Genetic investigations into heritable traits related to glucose metabolism are expected to provide new insights into the pathogenesis of T2D, and such studies have already inferred some new susceptibility loci. Other than replication studies of European‐derived loci, efforts have been made to identify specific susceptibility loci in Chinese populations using methods such as genome‐wide association studies. These efforts have identified additional new loci for the disease. Genetic studies can facilitate the prediction of risk for T2D and also promote individualized anti‐diabetic treatment. Despite many advances in the field of risk prediction and pharmacogenetics, the pace of clinical application of these findings is rather slow. As a result, more studies into the practical utility of these findings remain necessary.
Seroprevalence of Antibodies Against the Excreted Antigen Superoxide Dismutase by Trypanosoma Cruzi in Dogs From the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico)
Authors: López‐Cespedes A. , Longoni S. S. , Sauri‐Arceo C. H. , Rodríguez‐Vivas R. I. , Villegas N. , Escobedo‐Ortegón J. , Barrera‐Pérez M. A. , Sánchez‐Moreno M. , Bolio González M. E. , Marín C.
Published: July 2012

Numerous studies have shown the role of dogs as a reservoir for the American trypanosomiasis, as the bridge connecting sylvatic and peridomestic cycles. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of American trypanosomiasis in the dog population (630 sera) from seven localities in the Yucatan Peninsula (city of Mérida and the towns of Molas, Playa del Carmen, Akumal, Xcalacoop, Xcalac and Xahuachol). These data are key for developing control measures for the disease. The sera were analysed to detect antibodies against Trypanosoma cruzi, using Fe‐SOD excreted as the antigenic fraction by ELISA and Western blot as confirmation. The total prevalence found in the Yucatan Peninsula was some 14.76%, with 10.74% in the state of Yucatan (city of Mérida, towns of Molas and Xcalacoop) and 21.34% in the state of Quintana Roo (towns of Playa del Carmen, Akumal, Xcalac and Xahuachol). However, a more thorough epidemiological study of the dog population, both wild and urban, in the Yucatan Peninsula will be required to design a control strategy for these diseases, paying particular attention to the population affected and even broadening the study to other Mexican states as well as neighbouring countries. These results again confirm that iron‐superoxide dismutase excreted by T. cruzi constitutes a good source of antigen for serodiagnosis in epidemiological studies.