bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Complete removable prostheses: from expectation to (dis)satisfaction
Authors: De Souza e Silva Maria Elisa , De Magalhães Cláudia Silami , E Ferreira Efigênia Ferreira
Published: December 2008

Objective:  The purpose of this survey was to increase our knowledge on the experience and feelings of edentulous people, 6 months after having acquired and worn a pair of complete removable prostheses.

Background:  The incorporation of conventional, complete removable prostheses may be an appropriate treatment which can result in an improvement in the quality of life of people who have lost their teeth.

Methods:  The 12 patients of the sample were interviewed individually according to a semi‐structured questionnaire so as to create an atmosphere for open conversation regarding the subject matter. For each participant, photographs, before dental treatment and after the use of the prostheses, were taken. The images of the prostheses were reviewed and impressions were collected.

Results:  The analysis of participant’s statements allowed one to verify if the complete removable prostheses improved the quality of life; however, difficulties encountered could lead users to abandon their prostheses.

Conclusion:  Appropriate investment on the part of health professionals, together with the clarification of information and the monitoring of patients, may well minimise these difficulties.
Consideration of User Needs and Spatial Accuracy in Drought Mapping1
Authors: Dow Kirstin , Murphy Richard L. , Carbone Gregory J.
Published: December 2008

Abstract:  The increasing availability of web mapping tools creates new opportunities to bridge decision‐makers’ climate information needs with technical capabilities. These new tools, however, raise familiar, unresolved issues related to cartographic representation. Using an on‐line drought mapping tool, this study seeks to understand which spatial unit best meets the desire drought managers have for “local” information, their comprehension of uncertainties introduced in mapping information at local scales, and their willingness to trade off accuracy for information at a desired unit. We found that the most useful local map information includes regional context and boundaries which present their local area of interest. Even among this experienced, well‐educated, professional group, those who had not taken a GIS or cartography class did not fully recognize the role of interpolation in creating and introducing uncertainty to some drought maps. Those who did recognize the uncertainty introduced by interpolation still strongly favored maps that provided estimated values for all areas vs. station point accuracy. Mapping poses a unique set of challenges to communicating risk and uncertainty. As more decision‐support efforts incorporate web mapping, greater attention is needed to assure that users understand the tradeoffs between accuracy and precision in creating local information, the imprecision of boundaries, as well as the limits of forecasts. Clearly conveying spatial accuracy and uncertainty is a challenge that merits greater attention in using maps to communicate drought and other environmental risk information.
Isolation and characterization of microsatellite markers from the phytopathogenic fungus Alternaria dauci
Authors: BENICHOU SOUMAYA , DONGO ANITA , HENNI DJAMEL EDDINE , PELTIER DIDIER , SIMONEAU PHILIPPE
Published: December 2008

Eleven polymorphic microsatellite markers were isolated from the necrotrophic phytopathogenic fungus Alternaria dauci based on enriched genomic libraries. In order to assess allelic variability, the microsatellite loci were analysed in a collection of 43 isolates. The number of detected alleles in 11 loci ranged from two to 24 (mean 10.4). Test of cross‐species amplification and sequencing of the resulting amplicons showed that some of these microsatellites could be used in different species such as Alternaria solani, Alternaria bataticola and Alternaria zinniae.
Fifteen polymorphic microsatellite markers for the giant spiny frog, Paa spinosa
Authors: ZHENG RONG‐QUAN , YE RONGHUI , YU YANYAN , YANG GUANG
Published: December 2008

We characterized 15 polymorphic microsatellite loci for the giant spiny frog, Paa spinosa. These loci were highly polymorphic when screened in 38 individuals from two different populations, with nine to 23 alleles per locus. The range of observed and expected heterozygosities was 0.231–0.916 and 0.296–0.944, respectively. These polymorphic loci will be useful for assessing genetic diversity, population structure, gene flow, population assignment and determining paternity in the giant spiny frog.
Variations in the resting oxygen consumption of small babies.
Authors: Rutter N , Brown S M , Hull D
Published: December 2008

Over 200 measurements of the resting rate of oxygen consumption using an open-circuit method were made on 15 small babies nursed in their usual clinical setting during the first month of life. There were striking and persistent variations between babies that could not be explained by postnatal age, relationship to feed, sleep, or time of day. It was not possible from clinical examination to predict which babies had the higher or lower metabolic rates, except that babies who were light-for-dates generally had higher values. Because of these variations the appropriate thermal temperature for small babies cannot be predicted from average values adjusted for body weight and postnatal age alone.
Hypochondroplasia.
Authors: Glasgow J F , Nevin N C , Thomas P S
Published: December 2008

Clinical, radiological, and genetic features are described in 3 patients with hypochondroplasia. Early recognition of this disorder is possible from the abnormal body proportions with short limbs and lumbar lordosis without facial stigmata of achondroplasia. Radiological confirmation is possible provided a full skeletal survey is made. Two of our patients had a large head.
Implementation of universal newborn bloodspot screening for sickle cell disease and other clinically significant haemoglobinopathies in England: screening results for 2005–7
Authors: Streetly A , Latinovic R , Hall K , Henthorn J
Published: December 2008

Early results from the National Health Service Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Screening programme covering the whole of England are reported following the implementation of the national newborn blood-spot screening programme. Of the 13 laboratories performing screening, 10 chose high-performance liquid chromatography as the first screen, with isoelectric focusing as the second confirmatory test. Screening results for April 2005 to March 2007 are presented and include data from all the laboratories screening newborns in England, and almost 1.2 million infants. The screen-positive results show a national birth prevalence of almost 1 in 2000. The birth prevalence in London is five times that of most of the rest of the country. Over 17 000 carriers have been identified. Approximately seven per 1000 samples are reported as post-transfusion with wide ethnic category variation. Given the prevalence of the conditions, and coverage by ethnicity, 3–4 screen-positive cases could be missed each year. National implementation of newborn screening in England has increased the number of children identified with sickle cell disease, in many areas almost doubling the workload. Underascertainment of the condition has allowed a downplaying of the scale of need. It may also have contributed to infant mortality rates in urban areas as babies died without a diagnosis or treatment. The value of a co-ordinated national approach to policy development and implementation is emphasised by the English experience. The programme provides a model for Europe as well as other countries with significant minority populations, such as Canada. Potentially it also offers important lessons for Africa where the World Health Organization is supporting the introduction of newborn screening.
Neonatal haemoglobinopathy screening in Belgium
Authors: Gulbis B , Cotton F , Ferster A , Ketelslegers O , Dresse M F , Rongé-Collard E , Minon J M , Lé P Q , Vertongen F
Published: December 2008

Background:

A neonatal haemoglobinopathy screening programme was implemented in Brussels more than a decade ago and in Liège 5 years ago; the programme was adapted to the local situation.

Methods:

Neonatal screening for haemoglobinopathies was universal, performed using liquid cord blood and an isoelectric focusing technique. All samples with abnormalities underwent confirmatory testing. Major and minor haemoglobinopathies were reported. Affected children were referred to a specialist centre. A central database in which all screening results were stored was available and accessible to local care workers. A central clinical database to monitor follow-up is under construction.

Results:

A total of 191 783 newborns were screened. One hundred and twenty-three (1:1559) newborns were diagnosed with sickle cell disease, seven (1:27 398) with β thalassaemia major, five (1:38 357) with haemoglobin H disease, and seven (1:27 398) with haemoglobin C disease. All major haemoglobinopathies were confirmed, and follow-up of the infants was undertaken except for three infants who did not attend the first medical consultation despite all efforts.

Conclusions:

The universal neonatal screening programme was effective because no case of major haemoglobinopathy was identified after the neonatal period. The affected children received dedicated medical care from birth. The screening programme, and specifically the reporting of minor haemoglobinopathies, has been an excellent health education tool in Belgium for more than 12 years.
The fair innings argument and increasing life spans
Authors: Farrant A
Published: December 2008

The fair innings argument maintains that for healthcare resources to be distributed fairly every person should receive sufficient healthcare to provide them with the opportunity to live in good health for a normal span of years. What constitutes a normal span of years is often defined as life expectancy at birth, but this criterion fails to provide adequate grounds for the equal distribution of healthcare across and between generations. A more suitable criterion for the normal life span is the idea that the human life span is biologically limited. Many current gerontological theories argue that the biological limit to human life spans is related to the ageing process. If technological advances in medicine can retard the ageing process by treating and preventing the diseases and disorders associated with it, human longevity will be limited only by the developments in and the successful application of medicine. In consequence, the fair innings argument will no longer be able to justify denying people healthcare resources because they have lived longer than the normal life span.
A comparison of journal instructions regarding institutional review board approval and conflict-of-interest disclosure between 1995 and 2005
Authors: Rowan-Legg A , Weijer C , Gao J , Fernandez C
Published: December 2008

Objectives:

To compare 2005 and 1995 ethics guidelines from journal editors to authors regarding requirements for institutional review board (IRB) approval and conflict-of-interest (COI) disclosure.

Design:

A descriptive study of the ethics guidelines published in 103 English-language biomedical journals listed in theAbridged Index Medicusin 1995 and 2005. Each journal was reviewed by the principal author and one of four independent reviewers.

Results:

During the period, the proportion of journals requiring IRB approval increased from 42% (95% CI 32.2% to 51.2%, p<0.001) to 76% (95% CI 66.4% to 83.1%, p<0.001). In 2005, an additional 9% referred to theDeclaration of Helsinkior the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors’Uniform requirements for ethical guidelines; 15% (95% CI 8.5% to 22.5%, p<0.01) provided ambiguous or no requirements. The proportion of journals requiring COI disclosure increased from 75% (95% CI 66.6% to 83.3%, p<0.05) to 94% (95% CI 89.4% to 98.6%, p<0.05); 41% had comprehensive requirements, while some addressed only funding source (6%), were vague (10%) or both (14%). Criteria for authorship rose from 40% (95% CI 30.5% to 49.5%, p<0.05) to 72% (95% CI 63.3% to 80.7%, p<0.05). Journals with higher impact factors were more likely to require IRB approval (p<0.01). Journals in anaesthesia and radiology all required IRB approval; requirements in other disciplines varied.

Conclusions:

Instructions to authors regarding ethical standards have improved. Some remain incomplete, especially regarding the scope of disclosure of COI. The ethical guidelines presented to authors need further clarification and standardisation.
Provocative chelation with DMSA and EDTA: evidence for differential access to lead storage sites.
Authors: Lee B K , Schwartz B S , Stewart W , Ahn K D
Published: December 2008

OBJECTIVES--To validate a provocative chelation test with 2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) by direct comparison with the standard ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) test in the same subjects; and to compare and contrast the predictors of lead excretion after DMSA with those after EDTA. A metal chelating agent given orally, DMSA may mobilise and enhance the excretion of lead from the storage sites in the body that are most directly relevant to the health effects of lead. A provocative chelation test with DMSA could thus have wide potential application in clinical care and epidemiological studies. METHODS--34 male lead workers in the Republic of Korea were given a single oral dose of 10 mg/kg DMSA, urine was collected over the next eight to 24 hours, and urine volume and urinary lead concentration determined at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 24 hours. Either two weeks before or two weeks after the dose of DMSA 17 of these workers also received 1 g intravenous EDTA followed by an eight hour urine collection with fractionation at 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 hours. RESULTS--Urinary lead concentration peaked at two hours after DMSA and four hours after EDTA. Lead excretion after DMSA was less than after EDTA, and cumulative excretion after DMSA plateaued at six to eight hours. The two hour and four hour cumulative lead excretions after DMSA were highly correlated with the eight hour total (r = 0.76 and 0.95). In multiple linear regression analyses, blood lead was found to be an important predictor of EDTA-chelatable lead, whereas urinary aminolevulinic acid (ALAU) was associated with DMSA-chelatable lead. Notably, lead excretion after DMSA was greatly increased if EDTA was given first. An earlier dose of EDTA also modified the relation between ALAU and DMSA-chelatable lead in that workers who received EDTA before DMSA showed a much steeper dose-response relation between these two measures. CONCLUSIONS--The predictors of lead excretion after DMSA and EDTA are different and an earlier dose of EDTA may increase lead excretion after a subsequent dose of DMSA. The results suggest that two hour or four hour cumulative lead excretion after DMSA may provide an estimate of lead in storage sites that are most directly relevant to the health effects of lead.
Morbidity study of extruder personnel with potential exposure to brominated dioxins and furans. II. Results of clinical laboratory studies.
Authors: Ott M G , Zober A
Published: December 2008

OBJECTIVE: To test whether dioxins affect liver and thyroid function, lipid metabolism and glucose or immunological variables, in workers exposed to brominated dioxins and furans. METHODS: 34 male production employees (29 were extruder operators) and eight technical support personnel were studied, all of whom were potentially exposed to polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PBDDs) and furans (PBDFs) during production of resins containing polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Controls were from a similar resin producing plant that did not use PBDEs. Blood samples were analysed for tetra, penta, and hexabrominated congeners, but 2,3,7,8-TBDD was the only exposure measure used in the regression analyses. Seven liver function indicators, five measures of blood lipids and glucose, four haematology and blood coagulation measures, and three measures of thyroid function were examined. RESULTS: None of the variables was statistically related to concentration of 2,3,7,8-TBDD in the regression analyses. Cigarette smoking was related to several outcomes at the 0.05 level: aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH), erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and white blood cell count. Body mass index was also related to alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase, cholinesterase, GLDH, cholesterol, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein, and glucose concentrations. No definitive associations between liver, blood lipid, thyroid, or immunological variables and exposure to brominated dioxins or blood lipid concentration of 2,3,7,8-TBDD were found. CONCLUSIONS: The study population was small and hence the findings must be interpreted with caution. Nevertheless, these results provide a base for interpreting the results of clinical studies in similarly exposed populations.
Bubble trouble: a review of diving physiology and disease
Authors: Levett D Z H , Millar I L
Published: December 2008

Exposure to the underwater environment for recreational or occupational purposes is increasing. Approximately 7 million divers are active worldwide and 500 000 more are training every year. Diving related illnesses are consequently an increasingly common clinical problem with over 1000 cases of decompression illness reported annually in the USA alone. Divers are exposed to a number of physiological risks as a result of the hyperbaric underwater environment including: the toxic effects of hyperbaric gases, the respiratory effects of increased gas density, drowning, hypothermia and bubble related pathophysiology. Understanding the nature of this pathophysiology provides insight into physiological systems under stress and as such may inform translational research relevant to clinical medicine. We will review current diving practice, the physics and physiology of the hyperbaric environment, and the pathophysiology and treatment of diving related diseases. We will discuss current developments in diving research and some potential translational research areas.
Recent Advances in the Genetics of Autoimmune Disease
Authors: Gregersen Peter K. , Olsson Lina M.
Published: December 2008

Extraordinary technical advances in the field of human genetics over the past few years have catalyzed an explosion of new information about the genetics of human autoimmunity. In particular, the ability to scan the entire genome for common polymorphisms that associate with disease has led to the identification of numerous new risk genes involved in autoimmune phenotypes. Several themes are emerging. Autoimmune disorders have a complex genetic basis; multiple genes contribute to disease risk, each with generally modest effects independently. In addition, it is now clear that common genes underlie multiple autoimmune disorders. There is also heterogeneity among subphenotypes within a disease and across major racial groups. The current crop of genetic associations are only the start of a complete catalog of genetic factors for autoimmunity, and it remains unclear to what extent common variation versus multiple rare variants contribute to disease susceptibility. The current review focuses on recent discoveries within functionally related groups of genes that provide clues to novel pathways of pathogenesis for human autoimmunity.
Product Screening to Multicustomer Preferences: Multiresponse Unreplicated Nested Super-ranking
Authors: Besseris George J.
Published: December 2008

Modern production methods demand the synchronous multicharacteristic optimization of goods. There is a need to diversify a basic product to the importance placed on its individual quality components by a wide spectrum of concerned customers. This work shows how the super-ranking concept may be utilized taking into account relative weights among the implicated responses. The theoretical development is focused on the difficult situation where the optimization is attempted through unreplicated and saturated fractional factorial designs. A nested super-ranking scheme is devised to accommodate a dual weight assignment, first by setting up a single consolidated response per implicated customer and then, in a subsequent step, by incorporating a customer importance rating thus rendering an overall single master response. A demonstration of the proposed method on a pragmatic problem arising in aluminum milling involves optimization due to seven controlling factors concurrently influencing nine product responses modulated by six preference ratings set by a given customer base, respectively. Key benefits of this method are the offered ease of intermixing numerical and categorical data in mainstream multiresponse optimization problems, and keeping customer preferences in perspective through economical, short-cycle screening while relaxing stringent data normality and possible multidistributional effects among the implicated quality characteristics.
On the Essential Instabilities Caused by Fractional‐Order Transfer Functions
Authors: Merrikh-Bayat Farshad , Karimi-Ghartemani Masoud
Published: December 2008

The exact stability condition for certain class of
fractional‐order (multivalued) transfer functions is presented.
Unlike the conventional case that the stability is directly studied
by investigating the poles of the transfer function, in the systems
under consideration, the branch points must also come into
account as another kind of singularities. It is shown that a
multivalued transfer function can behave unstably because of
the numerator term while it has no unstable poles. So, in this
case, not only the characteristic equation but the numerator
term is of significant importance. In this manner, a family of
unstable fractional‐order transfer functions is introduced which
exhibit essential instabilities, that is, those which cannot be
removed by feedback. Two illustrative examples are presented;
the transfer function of which has no unstable poles but the
instability occurred because of the unstable branch points of
the numerator term. The effect of unstable branch points is
studied and simulations are presented.
Delay‐Dependent Exponential Stability for Discrete‐Time BAM Neural Networks with Time‐Varying Delays
Authors: Chen Yonggang , Bi Weiping , Wu Yuanyuan
Published: December 2008

This paper considers the delay‐dependent exponential stability for discrete‐time BAM neural networks
with time‐varying delays. By constructing the new Lyapunov functional, the improved delay‐dependent
exponential stability criterion is derived in terms of linear matrix inequality (LMI). Moreover, in order to
reduce the conservativeness, some slack matrices are introduced in this paper. Two numerical examples
are presented to show the effectiveness and less conservativeness of the proposed method.
AGQP‐Injective Modules
Authors: Zhu Zhanmin , Zhang Xiaoxiang
Published: December 2008

Let R be a ring and let M be a right R‐module with S = End(MR). M is called almost general quasi-principally injective (or AGQP-injective for short) if, for any 0 ≠ s ∈ S, there exist a positive integer n and a left ideal
of S such that sn ≠ 0 and . Some characterizations and properties of AGQP‐injective modules are given, and some properties of
AGQP‐injective modules with additional conditions are studied.
A Theorem of Nehari Type on Weighted Bergman Spaces of the UnitBall
Authors: Lu Yufeng , Yang Jun
Published: December 2008

This paper shows that if S is a bounded linear operator acting on
the weighted Bergman spaces on the unit ball in ℂn such that , where and
; and where P is the weighted Bergman projection, then S must be a Hankel operator.
Real-Time Communications in Large-Scale Wireless Networks
Authors: Song Liang , Hatzinakos Dimitrios
Published: December 2008

There is an emerging need for realizing real-time quality of service (QoS) over multihop wireless communications in large-scale wireless networks. The applications can include wireless mesh infrastructure for broadband Internet access supporting multimedia services, visual sensor networks for surveillance, and disaster-relief networks. However, a number of challenges still exist as revealed by recent works, where the dataflow QoS performance such as throughput and end-to-end delay can degrade fast with the number of wireless hops. We propose to use large-scale cognitive networking methods to resolve the wireless multihop challenges. By the cognitive-networking concept, data packets travel along opportunistically available paths in the network with opportunistically available spectrum in every hop. Reliable end-to-end communications can be achieved for real-time services, where we show that (1) dataflow throughput can be independent of any number of wireless hops, (2) end-to-end delay and delay variance increase linearly with the number of wireless hops, and (3) delay variance decreases to zero with higher network density. These results are supported by analysis, simulations, and experiments.
Proinflammatory Markers in Prediction of Posttraumatic Psychological Symptoms: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Sutherland Alasdair George , Cameron Gary A. , Alexander David A. , Hutchison James D.
Published: December 2008

Introduction. Posttraumatic psychopathology (PTP) describes the spectrum of conditions that can complicate the recovery from commonly occurring musculoskeletal trauma. There is a clear association with the activation of the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal axis (HPAA), and we wished to examine the predictive value of proinflammatory markers of the HPAA and of the GABA, which acts as an inhibitory regulator. Methods. Levels of proinflammatory markers and GABA were measured in 84 patients who had suffered musculoskeletal injuries requiring hospitalisation. PTP was assessed by the use of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) at presentation and again at two‐ and six‐month reviews. Results. Significant psychological disturbance was noted in 39% of patients at two months and falling back to 18% by six months. There was no correlation between any of the markers tested at presentation and PTP at follow‐up. Discussion. The HPAA response to trauma and the development of PTP are extremely complex. It is unlikely that a simple blood assay will provide significant predictive information, while incident specific information and patient perception are of more practical use.
Providing QoS for Networked Peers in Distributed Haptic Virtual Environments
Authors: Marshall Alan , Yap Kian Meng , Yu Wai
Published: December 2008

Haptic information originates from a different human sense (touch), therefore the quality of service (QoS) required to support haptic traffic is significantly different from that used to support conventional real‐time traffic such as voice or video. Each type of network impairment has different (and severe) impacts on the user′s haptic experience. There has been no specific provision of QoS parameters for haptic interaction. Previous research into distributed haptic virtual environments (DHVEs) have concentrated on synchronization of positions (haptic device or virtual objects), and are based on client‐server architectures. We present a new peer‐to‐peer DHVE architecture that further extends this to enable force interactions between two users whereby force data are sent to the remote peer in addition to positional information. The work presented involves both simulation and practical experimentation where multimodal data is transmitted over a QoS‐enabled IP network. Both forms of experiment produce consistent results which show that the use of specific QoS classes for haptic traffic will reduce network delay and jitter, leading to improvements in users′ haptic experiences with these types of applications.
Ciliary Body Toxicity of Subconjunctival Suramin Compared with Mitomycin-C in the Rabbit Eye: Determining the Toxic Concentration
Authors: Cetinkaya Altug , Akman Ahmet , Take Gulnur , Bilezikci Banu , Akova Yonca Aydin
Published: December 2008

Background/Aims: To evaluate the safety of suramin compared with mitomycin-C (MMC) as an adjunctive agent in trabeculectomy by determining its ciliary body toxicity at predetermined effective dosages in rabbit eyes. Methods: Thirty-two New Zealand albino rabbits received either suramin (200, 300, 400, or 800 mg/ml) or MMC (0.2, 0.3, 0.4, or 0.8 mg/ml) injections subconjunctivally in the right eye. Enucleations were performed on the 1st, 3rd, 7th and 28th day. Untreated left eyes were injected with balanced salt solution and served as controls. The injection-exposed ciliary body specimens were processed to be investigated under the light microscope and transmission electron microscope. Results: There was no pathologic abnormality in specimens under light microscopy. The morphologic evaluation with transmission electron microscopy showed severe changes in structure, except for eyes treated with 200 mg/ml suramin and 0.2 mg/ml of MMC. These changes were more prominent in eyes exposed to MMC, and appeared earlier compared to suramin-treated eyes. Conclusions: Suramin 200 mg/ml and MMC 0.2 mg/ml seem to be comparatively nontoxic to the ciliary body of the rabbit eye. Concentrations higher than these values caused severe damage.
Aqueous Humor Concentrations of Topically Administered Caspofungin in Rabbits
Authors: Vorwerk Christian K. , Tuchen S. , Streit F. , Binder L. , Hofmüller W. , Behrens-Baumann W.
Published: December 2008

Background: The echinocandin caspofungin (CAS) is a novel antifungal drug with fungicidal in vitro activity against all Candida spp., which are the most frequent cause of fungal keratitis. Penetration of CAS through the cornea into the aqueous humor after topical administration was investigated. Methods: A CAS solution with a concentration of 7 mg/ml was applied onto each rabbit’s cornea. Drug application after corneal epithelium abrasion was processed in different time intervals: single application with aqueous humor sampling after 1 and 2 h. In addition, after continuous application of CAS every 30 min, aqueous humor concentrations of CAS after 1, 2 and 5 h were analyzed by liquid-chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Results: Topical administration of CAS without corneal epithelium abrasion resulted in no detectable amounts of the drug in the aqueous humor. However, with corneal abrasion, after a single application, levels of 2.16 ± 1.57 μg/ml (n = 6) were reached after 1 h and then decreased to 1.76 ± 0.88 μg/ml (n = 2) after 2 h. After serial application every 30 min, the following intracameral levels of CAS were detected: after 1 h, 2.11 ± 1.09 μg/ml (n = 6); after 2 h, 4.94 ± 1.80 μg/ml (n = 5), and after 5 h, 3.45 ± 2.11 μg/ml (n = 6). Conclusion: In the aqueous humor, therapeutic drug levels can be reached that cover the MICs of most fungi after epithelial abrasion. To achieve a sustained high level of CAS as an effective antifungal therapy for corneal keratitis, CAS should be administered topically every 30 min after removal of the corneal epithelium.
Degradation of Collagen by Metalloproteinase 2 in Patients with Abdominal Hernias
Authors: Śmigielski J. , Kołomecki K. , Ziemniak P. , Drozda R. , Amsolik M. , Kuzdak K.
Published: December 2008

Background: The groin hernia is a significant social and economic problem of our times. The pathogenesis of the disease is not clear. The metalloproteinases (MMP) are the group of proteolytic enzymes responsible for the degradation of extracellular matrix proteins and the basic membrane of blood vessels. The aims of our study were: (1) to estimate the MMP-2 levels in the blood and tissues of patients with a groin hernia; (2) to answer the question of whether changes in MMP-2 activity correlate with the occurrence of inguinal hernias. Method: The study was performed on a group of 90 male patients suffering from inguinal hernias, aged 28–70 years (mean: 49 years). The control group was made up of 10 healthy (free from hernia) males, aged 30–68 years (mean: 46 years). Results: We noticed increased levels of MMP-2 in patients with all types of hernia and across all age groups. The MMP-2 mean serum levels were statistically higher in patients with a groin hernia when compared to the control group. The highest blood levels of MMP-2 were observed in young men with a direct hernia. Conclusions: This study confirmed the important role of MMP-2 in the pathogenesis of inguinal hernia. The increased activity may lead to dysfunctions in collagen fiber, which is responsible for forming fascial structures, and as a result weaken their durability.
Clinical Outcome After Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With Drug-Eluting and Bare Metal Stents in Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Jensen Lisette Okkels , Maeng Michael , Thayssen Per , Kaltoft Anne , Tilsted Hans Henrik , B�ttcher Morten , Lassen Jens Flensted , Hansen Knud N�rregaard , Krusell Lars Romer , Rasmussen Klaus , Pedersen Knud Erik , Pedersen Lars , Paaske Johnsen S�ren , S�rensen Henrik Toft , Thuesen Leif
Published: December 2008

Background—

The use of drug-eluting stents (DESs) versus bare metal stents (BMSs) in primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction is a matter of debate. Therefore, we examined the risk of target lesion revascularization (TLR), stent thrombosis, myocardial infarction, and death after the implantation of DES or BMS in primary PCI patients in Western Denmark.

Methods and Results—

A total of 3756 consecutive patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction treated with primary PCI and stent implantation, recorded in the Western Denmark Heart Registry from January 2002 through June 2005, were followed up for 2 years. We used Cox regression analysis to control for confounding. The 2-year incidence of definite stent thrombosis was 1.9% in the DES group and 1.1% in the BMS group (adjusted relative risk [RR]=1.53; 95% CI=0.84 to 2.78;
P
=0.17). Very late definite stent thrombosis (≥12 months) was seen in 0.4% in the DES group and 0.06% in the BMS group (adjusted RR=6.74; 95% CI=1.23 to 37.00;
P
=0.03). The 2-year incidence of myocardial infarction was similar in the 2 groups, 5.2% in the DES group versus 6.3% in the BMS group (
P
=0.28; adjusted RR=1.13; 95% CI=0.81 to 1.59;
P
=0.47). All-cause 2-year mortality was 7.8% in the DES group and 11.4% in BMS group (
P
<0.004; adjusted RR=0.79; 95% CI=0.60 to 1.04;
P
=0.09). The 2-year incidence of target lesion revascularization was 7.2% in the DES group and 8.7% in the BMS group (
P
=0.09; adjusted RR=0.70; 95% CI=0.52 to 0.92;
P
=0.012).

Conclusions—

In ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients treated with primary PCI, target lesion revascularization was reduced by 30% in patients treated with a DES. The risk of very late definite stent thrombosis was low but increased in patients treated with DES. DES was not associated with increased risk of myocardial infarction or death, when compared with BMS.
Application of Coupled Bred Vectors to Seasonal-to-Interannual Forecasting and Ocean Data Assimilation
Authors: Yang Shu-Chih , Keppenne Christian , Rienecker Michele , Kalnay Eugenia
Published: December 2008

Coupled bred vectors (BVs) generated from the NASA Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) coupled general circulation model are designed to capture the uncertainties related to slowly varying coupled instabilities. Two applications of the BVs are investigated in this study.

First, the coupled BVs are used as initial perturbations for ensemble-forecasting purposes. Results show that the seasonal-to-interannual variability forecast skill can be improved when the oceanic and atmospheric perturbations are initialized with coupled BVs. The impact is particularly significant when the forecasts are initialized from the cold phase of tropical Pacific SST (e.g., August and November), because at these times the early coupled model errors, not accounted for in the BVs, are small.

Second, the structure of the BVs is applied to construct hybrid background error covariances carrying flow-dependent information for the ocean data assimilation. Results show that the accuracy of the ocean analyses is improved when Gaussian background covariances are supplemented with a term obtained from the BVs. The improvement is especially noticeable for the salinity field.
Surface Temperature Variations in East Africa and Possible Causes
Authors: Christy John R. , Norris William B. , McNider Richard T.
Published: December 2008

Surface temperatures have been observed in East Africa for more than 100 yr, but heretofore have not been subject to a rigorous climate analysis. To pursue this goal monthly averages of maximum (TMax), minimum (TMin), and mean (TMean) temperatures were obtained for Kenya and Tanzania from several sources. After the data were organized into time series for specific sites (60 in Kenya and 58 in Tanzania), the series were adjusted for break points and merged into individual gridcell squares of 1.25°, 2.5°, and 5.0°.

Results for the most data-rich 5° cell, which includes Nairobi, Mount Kilimanjaro, and Mount Kenya, indicate that since 1905, and even recently, the trend of TMax is not significantly different from zero. However, TMin results suggest an accelerating temperature rise.

Uncertainty estimates indicate that the trend of the difference time series (TMax − TMin) is significantly less than zero for 1946–2004, the period with the highest density of observations. This trend difference continues in the most recent period (1979–2004), in contrast with findings in recent periods for global datasets, which generally have sparse coverage of East Africa.

The differences between TMax and TMin trends, especially recently, may reflect a response to complex changes in the boundary layer dynamics; TMax represents the significantly greater daytime vertical connection to the deep atmosphere, whereas TMin often represents only a shallow layer whose temperature is more dependent on the turbulent state than on the temperature aloft.

Because the turbulent state in the stable boundary layer is highly dependent on local land use and perhaps locally produced aerosols, the significant human development of the surface may be responsible for the rising TMin while having little impact on TMax in East Africa. This indicates that time series of TMax and TMin should become separate variables in the study of long-term changes.
Moisture Modes and the Madden–Julian Oscillation
Authors: Raymond David J. , Fuchs Željka
Published: December 2008

Moisture mode instability is thought to occur in the tropical oceanic atmosphere when precipitation is a strongly increasing function of saturation fraction (precipitable water divided by saturated precipitable water) and when convection acts to increase the saturation fraction. A highly simplified model of the interaction between convection and large-scale flows in the tropics suggests that there are two types of convectively coupled disturbances: the moisture mode instability described above and another unstable mode dependent on fluctuations in the convective inhibition. The latter is associated with rapidly moving disturbances such as the equatorially coupled Kelvin wave.

A toy aquaplanet beta-plane model with realistic sea surface temperatures produces a robust Madden–Julian oscillation–like disturbance that resembles the observed phenomenon in many ways. Convection in this model exhibits a strong dependence of precipitation on saturation fraction and does indeed act to increase this parameter in situations of weak environmental ventilation of disturbances, thus satisfying the criteria for moisture mode instability. In contrast, NCEP’s closely related Global Forecast System (GFS) and Climate Forecast System (CFS) models do not produce a realistic MJO. Investigation of moist entropy transport in NCEP’s final analysis (FNL), the data assimilation system feeding the GFS, indicates that convection tends to decrease the saturation fraction in these models, precluding moisture mode instability in most circumstances. Thus, evidence from a variety of sources suggests that the MJO is driven at least in part by moisture mode instability.
Particle Impact and Breakup in Aircraft Measurement
Authors: Vidaurre German , Hallett John
Published: December 2008

Measurements of cloud particle properties from aircraft by optical and impact techniques are subject to artifacts following particle breakup prior to detection. The impact kinetic energy to surface energy ratio (ℒ) provides a breakup criterion at ℒ ≥ 7 for water and ice with major fragmentation for ℒ > 100. This applies to optical imaging probes for particle concentration, size, and projected area spectra measurement. Uncertainty arises should impacting particles shatter and disperse, defeating the intent of the original measurements. Particle shatter is demonstrated in Formvar replicas (University of North Dakota Citation) and video records of particle approach and impact on the Cloudscope (NCAR C-130, NASA DC-8) at airspeeds of 130 and 200 m s−1. Sufficient impact kinetic energy results in drop splash and ice shatter, with conversion to surface energy and ultimately thermal energy through viscous dissipation and ice defect production occurring down to the molecular scale. The problem is minimized in design by reducing the regions responsible for particle breakup to a minimum and locating sensors in regions inaccessible to shatter fragments.
Vertical Air Motion from T-REX Radiosonde and Dropsonde Data
Authors: Wang Junhong , Bian Jianchun , Brown William O. , Cole Harold , Grubišić Vanda , Young Kate
Published: December 2008

The primary goal of this study is to explore the potential for estimating the vertical velocity (VV) of air from the surface to the stratosphere, using widely available radiosonde and dropsonde data. The rise and fall rates of radiosondes and dropsondes, respectively, are a combination of the VV of the atmosphere and still-air rise–fall rates. The still-air rise–fall rates are calculated using basic fluid dynamics and characteristics of radiosonde and dropsonde systems. This study validates the technique to derive the VV from radiosonde and dropsonde data and demonstrates its value. This technique can be easily implemented by other users for various scientific applications.

The technique has been applied to the Terrain-induced Rotor Experiment (T-REX) dropsonde and radiosonde data. Comparisons among radiosonde, dropsonde, aircraft, and profiling radar vertical velocities show that the sonde-estimated VV is able to capture and describe events with strong vertical motions (larger than ∼1 m s−1) observed during T-REX. The VV below ∼5 km above ground, however, is overestimated by the radiosonde data. The analysis of derived VVs shows interesting features of gravity waves, rotors, and turbulence. Periodic variations of vertical velocity in the stratosphere, as indicated by the radiosonde data, correspond to the horizontal wavelength of gravity waves with an averaged horizontal wavelength of ∼15 km. Two-dimensional VV structure is described in detail by successive dropsonde deployment.
Using Surface Pressure Variations to Categorize Diurnal Valley Circulations: Experiments in Owens Valley
Authors: Li Yanping , Smith Ronald B. , Grubišić Vanda
Published: December 2008

Harmonic analysis has been applied to data from nearly 1000 Automatic Surface Observation System (ASOS) stations over the United States to extract diurnal pressure signals. The largest diurnal pressure amplitudes (∼200 Pa) and the earliest phases (∼0600 LST for surface pressure maximum) were found for stations located within deep mountain valleys in the western United States. The origin of these unique characteristics of valley pressure signals is examined with a detailed study of Owens Valley, California. Analysis of observational data from the Terrain-Induced Rotor Experiment (T-REX) project shows that the ratio of the valley surface pressure to temperature amplitude can be used to estimate the daily maximum mixed-layer depth H. On days with strong westerly winds above the valley, the mixed layer is found to be shallower than on quiescent days because of a flushing effect in the upper parts of the valley. Idealized two-dimensional Weather Research and Forecasting Model simulations were used to explain the pressure signal. In agreement with observations, the simulations show a 3-h difference between the occurrence of a surface pressure minimum (1800 LST) and a surface temperature maximum (1500 LST). The resolved energy budget analysis reveals that this time lag is caused by the persistence of subsidence warming in the upper part of the valley after the surface begins to cool. Sensitivity tests for different valley depths and seasons show that the relative height of the mixed-layer depth with respect to the valley depth, along with the valley width-to-depth ratio, determine whether the diurnal valley circulation is a “confined” system or an “open” system. The open system has a smaller pressure amplitude and an earlier pressure phase.
Specific Dyslexia and Legislation
Authors: Barnes Ben
Published: December 2008

Over half of the states have either attempted or are currently attempting to add to present legislation or write new laws which will give protection, remediation and funding to the children suffering with a learning disability. The state of Texas spent a full year researching, asking professional advice and writing an addition for their existing law on handicapped children, which would give coverage to specific dyslexia. As Speaker Barnes points out, you may agree or disagree with the definition of terminology; however, what was necessary for Texas, and will be necessary for other states, is politically workable language. All states need legislation to cover learning disabilities, and all states will be able to learn by reading about Texas.—C.C.E.
All About Me
Authors: Oppenheimer Jess
Published: December 2008

Mr. Oppenheimer, who is world famous for creating and producing the ‘I Love Lucy” television series, has constructed a series of devices to help persons with perceptual and equalibrium problems. He has informed The Journal that he would be pleased to release these devices for research, testing and longitudenal studies to any qualified professional.—C. C. E.
Regarding the Current Literature for Parents
Authors: Ames Louise Bates
Published: December 2008

Parents and professionals are being inundated with a hodgepodge of new "how to" books. Perhaps it would be better to call them "what we are doing wrong and how to feel guilty about it". Because of her syndicated newspaper column, Dr. Ames reads nearly every book published in the fields of education, psychology, optometry, guidance and so on. In this special report she gives some very succinct views on this maze of literature with which we are being deluged.—C.C.E.
Rx-Child Care
Authors: Ross Samuel B.
Published: December 2008

The Green Chimneys School is well known throughout the country as a prime example of a fine private clinical facility. The words “private clinical school” no longer have an ominous ring to them and schools like the Green Chimneys have done much to help chaoge the public and professional attitudes.— C.C.E.
Further Evidence on the Hain Scoring Method for the Bender-Gestalt Test
Authors: Phelps William R.
Published: December 2008

Seventy-six Bender-Gestalt protocols were scored utilizing the Hain Scoring Method. The subjects were young adult moderately or mildly mentally retarded females. Protocols were scored for Hain's 15 differentiating signs identifying brain damage: 37% of the rehabilitated group and 39% of the nonrehabilitated group received critical scores. Characteristics of the procedure and limitations of the study are discussed.
Strictly for Parents
Authors: Green Pat
Published: December 2008

“We must have the opportunity to help this bright child!” These were the heartening words I heard from Dr. Richard Austin, in early August, 1966, when I was told that my daughter had dyslexia.