bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Serum S100A12 (EN-RAGE) Levels in Patients with Decreased Renal Function and Subclinical Chronic Inflammatory Disease
Authors: Zakiyanov Oskar , Kalousová Marta , Kříha Vítězslav , Zima Tomáš , Tesař Vladimír
Published: August 2011

Background: The calcium-binding protein S100A12 (EN-RAGE) causes inflammation through interaction with the multiligand receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE). The aim of the study was to determine S100A12 levels and describe their relationship to inflammatory markers in patients with decreased renal function. Methods: The studied group consisted of 46 patients with various degrees of chronic renal insufficiency (CHRI), 31 long-term hemodialysis (HD) patients and 24 healthy controls. S100A12 and soluble RAGE were assessed immunochemically (ELISA), and routine biochemical parameters were measured. Results: S100A12 levels were not different in CHRI (166 ± 140 ng/ml) and HD patients (127 ± 101 ng/ml) compared to controls (126 ± 106 ng/ml; p = 0.20, n.s.). In CHRI patients, S100A12 correlated with C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, orosomucoid, and inversely with α2-macroglobulin. In HD patients, S100A12 correlated with age, CRP, orosomucoid, fibrinogen and leukocyte levels. In multivariate regression analysis after adjustment for age, S100A12 levels remained correlated with: orosomucoid in CHRI patients; CRP, leukocytes, fibrinogen and negatively with sRAGE in HD patients; and leukocytes in controls. Conclusions: Although S100A12 levels were not elevated in patients with decreased kidney function, a relation to markers of inflammation was found. Further studies are required to demonstrate the significance of S100A12 in patients with decreased renal function.
Characterization of Pulmonary Venous Hypertension Patients with Reactive Pulmonary Hypertension as Compared to Proportional Pulmonary Hypertension
Authors: Berger Gidon , Hardak Emilia , Obaid Waleed , Shaham Beatrice , Carasso Shemi , Kerner Arthur , Yigla Mordechai , Azzam Zaher S.
Published: August 2011

Background: Patients with pulmonary venous hypertension (PVH) secondary to left heart disease can be further classified according to their hemodynamic profile: pulmonary hypertension (PH) in proportion to the pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) and PH out of proportion to the PCWP or reactive PH. Currently, there are no measures that enable prediction of the development of reactive PH in patients with left heart disease. Objectives: In this study, we aim to characterize PVH patients with reactive PH as compared to proportional PH in an attempt to create a distinct profile for patients with left heart disease carrying a high risk for the development of reactive PH. Methods: Thirty-three PVH patients with reactive PH and 29 PVH patients with proportional PH were analyzed retrospectively over a 6-year period. Clinical, laboratory, echocardiographic and hemodynamic parameters were noted and compared between subgroups. Results: There was no significant difference between PVH patients with reactive and proportional PH with regard to gender, age (65.91 ± 11.9 vs. 66.69 ± 10.5 years) and body surface area (1.89 ± 0.24 vs. 1.9 ± 0.23 m2). Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome components was similar in both groups. Interestingly, PCWP was similar in both groups, as were the structural and functional parameters of the left heart. Conclusions: PVH patients with reactive PH have a similar profile as patients with proportional PH; consequently, the evolution of reactive PH is unpredictable. Therefore, it is imperative that physicians maintain a high index of suspicion for the development of reactive PH even in the early stage of heart disease.
An Encapsulated Fruit and Vegetable Juice Concentrate Increases Skin Microcirculation in Healthy Women
Authors: De Spirt S. , Sies H. , Tronnier H. , Heinrich U.
Published: August 2011

Background/Aim: Microcirculation in the dermis of the skin is important for nutrient delivery to this tissue. In this study, the effects of a micronutrient concentrate (Juice Plus+®; ‘active group’), composed primarily of fruit and vegetable juice powder, on skin microcirculation and structure were compared to placebo. Study Design/Methods: This 12-week study had a monocentric, double-blind placebo and randomized controlled design with two treatment groups consisting of 26 healthy middle-aged women each. The ‘oxygen to see’ device was used to evaluate microcirculation. Skin density and thickness were measured using ultrasound. Measurements for skin hydration (Corneometer®), transepidermal water loss and serum analysis for carotenoids and α-tocopherol were also performed. Results: By 12 weeks, microcirculation of the superficial plexus increased by 39%. Furthermore, skin hydration increased by 9% while skin thickness increased by 6% and skin density by 16% in the active group. In the placebo group, microcirculation decreased, and a slight increase in skin density was observed. Conclusion: Ingestion of a fruit- and vegetable-based concentrate increases microcirculation of the skin at 12 weeks of intervention and positively affects skin hydration, density and thickness.
Successful icons of failed time: Rethinking post-communist nostalgia
Authors: Bartmanski Dominik
Published: August 2011

Under what cultural conditions can the relics of symbolically polluted time re-emerge as its purified signifiers and culturally successful icons within new circumstances? What does it mean when people articulate ‘nostalgic’ commitments to social reality they have themselves recently jettisoned? Drawing on the ideas of the iconic turn and American cultural sociology, the article offers a new framework for understanding post-communist nostalgia. Specifically, it provides a comparative reinterpretation of the phenomenon of so-called Ostalgie as manifest in the streetscapes of Berlin and its counterpart in Warsaw. One of the key arguments holds that ‘nostalgic’ icons are successful because they play the cultural role of mnemonic bridges to rather than tokens of longing for the failed communist past. In this capacity they forge a communal sense of continuity in the liquid times of systemic transformation. As such, the article contributes to broader debates about meanings of material objects and urban space in relation to collective memory destabilized by liminal temporality.
Unemployment in early career in the UK
Authors: Schmelzer Paul
Published: August 2011

In this article, I analyse the consequences of unemployment on the re-entry occupational status and subsequent occupational status growth of different educational groups in the first years of employment in the UK. I argue that phases of unemployment mean different things for different educational groups. The sequential nature of job offers causes job searchers either to accept a job offer immediately or to wait for the next offer. Higher aspirations and higher levels of savings mean that high-educated people are more likely to wait until they are offered a job that improves their occupational position. In the case of low-educated workers, however, waiting for a better job offer might not be the best strategy, because they might never get one; in addition, the low level of unemployment benefits from previous salaries, the regime of sanctions linked to the right to receive unemployment benefits and low household incomes push them into employment. I use growth curve models and parameterize in one model both the pre-unemployment and the post-unemployment phases. Based on British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) data, the results confirm my argumentation: high-educated people gain status while low-educated entrants lose status upon re-entering the labour market after unemployment.
The effect of unemployment on subsequent job quality in Europe: A comparative study of four countries
Authors: Dieckhoff Martina
Published: August 2011

This article examines the effect of past unemployment on labour market outcomes. While previous work on unemployment scarring has predominantly focused on re-employment wages as well as subsequent employment rates, this study examines how past unemployment affects non-pecuniary job attributes of re-employed workers. Using the European Community Household Panel, it undertakes a comparative analysis of the consequences of past unemployment in four European countries with very different institutional contexts: Austria, Denmark, Spain and the UK. The results present clear evidence of job quality scars and point to notable cross-country differences in the extent and pattern of scarring.
Viscoelastic behavior of polycaprolactone/clay nanocomposites
Authors: Ludueña L. , Vázquez A. , Alvarez V.
Published: August 2011

The creep behavior of polycaprolactone and polycaprolactone/clay nanocomposites prepared by melt intercalation was studied. Sodium montmorillonite and organo-modified montmorillonite were used as reinforcement in order to analyze the effect of clay dispersion degree. Both a viscoelastic creep model named Burgers (four parameters) and an empirical method called Findley power law were applied to fit the experimental data (elastic, primary creep stage, and secondary creep stages). An additional effort was conducted to relate the parameter analysis of the Burgers model with the experimental behavior at each creep stage. The variation of the theoretical parameters illustrated the influence of the nanofillers on the experimental creep performance of the bulk matrix. Time–temperature superposition principle was used to predict the long-term behavior based on the short-term experimental data. The Findley power law model was also employed to reproduce the master curves. Both experimental curves and models demonstrated that the incorporation of the clay produces a significant improvement on the creep resistance at short times. This effect was higher for the best-dispersed nanocomposite. The latter result was strictly related to the great enhancement of the elastic behavior since in that case the time-dependent deformations were higher than those of the neat matrix.
The Interplay Between Trust and Control in Governance Processes
Authors: Edelenbos Jurian , Eshuis Jasper
Published: August 2011

In this article we study the reciprocal relationship, the coevolution, between different forms of trust and control. We conduct comparative case study of two spatial planning projects in The Netherlands. We find that trust and control are related through contingent causation, resulting in divergent paths of coevolution. Our research shows that not only - and often stated in other research - that informal control can contribute to trust, but also formal control can lead to increasing trust. The coevolution of trust and control depends on the specific initial situation in which the relationship between trust and control unfolds.
Elias Canetti and the counter-image of resistance
Authors: Brighenti Andrea Mubi
Published: August 2011

The attempt by Arnason and Roberts to interpret Canetti’s work in the context of social theory is taken here as the point of departure to investigate Canetti’s view on the phenomenon of resistance. Resistance is explored in the context of Canetti’s reflection on power and transformation. Further, it is argued that through his substantive concern for crowds (but also for packs, or small bands), an epistemological challenge emerges for social theory. Canetti gives us some precious insights on phenomena of ambiguous multiplicity, which are neither simple sums of separate individuals nor an ontologized Durkheimian collective. Not only this, he resolutely ventures towards the contingency at the foundation of social order, the ‘just-thisness' of power, revealing its non-symbolic basis in gestures that impart affects. It is at this level that resistance can be best understood as a movement of liberation from the grip of power.
Civilizing Australia
Authors: Haese Richard
Published: August 2011

Against the background of the Second World War and post-war cultural change in Australia, this review article discusses the establishment of the profession of art history and art curatorial scholarship in Australia in the 1940s and 1950s. The key figures in this transformation were Franz Philipp and Ursula Hoff (European ‘savant’ refugees from Nazism and anti-Semitism), and the British scholar Joseph Burke (appointed as Herald Professor of Fine Arts at Melbourne University). These figures played pivotal roles in Sir Keith Murdoch's ‘civilizing mission’ to reform Australian culture – a mission centred on Melbourne University and the National Gallery of Victoria under its new director, Daryl Lindsay. Within the context of the ‘culture wars’ dividing the Australian art world at this time, these reformers and pioneering scholars found themselves opposed by a radical art avant-garde under the leadership of the art patron John Reed. The work of key modernist Australian artists, above all Sidney Nolan and Russell Drysdale, became touchstones for radical and conservative positions in this conflict.
Scale modeling studies on stack effect in tall vertical shafts
Authors: Chow W. K. , Zhao J. H.
Published: August 2011

Natural ventilation was provided by tall vertical shafts such as solar chimney while designing some green buildings. For buildings with a tall vertical shaft located in very cold countries, measured pressure difference due to stack effect was up to 300 Pa. Air motion induced by stack effect would give adequate ventilation flow rate. However, stack effect would also give adverse effect if not utilized properly in this green design. Smoke would spread faster to other parts of the building in an accidental fire. Therefore, estimations of stack pressure by simple hydrostatic equation used to be criticized in performance-based design. Further studies are required and will be justified by scale model experiments in this article. Stack effect in a vertical shaft was studied experimentally by a model shaft of size 0.05 × 0.05 m2 and height 2.0 m. Air temperature inside the model was kept at constant values above outdoor by wounding hot electric wires. Vertical air temperature profiles inside and outside of the model at different heights were measured. Measured air pressure difference profiles between indoor and outdoor were then compared with those estimated from the air temperature difference. Results were then applied to justify stack pressure estimations by the hydrostatic models. From this study, hydrostatic equations are confirmed to be acceptable for studying stack pressure in tall vertical shafts.
A “Major Career Woman”?
Authors: Damaske Sarah
Published: August 2011

Using data from 80 in-depth qualitative interviews with women randomly sampled from New York City, I ask: how do women develop expectations about their future workforce participation? Using an intersectional approach, I find that women’s expectations about workforce participation stem from gendered, classed, and raced ideas of who works full-time. Socioeconomic status, race, gender, and sexuality influenced early expectations about work and the process through which these expectations developed. Women from white and Latino working-class families were evenly divided in their expectations about their future workforce participation, while the vast majority of white, Asian, African American, and Latina middle-class women expected to work continually as adults. Unlike their working-class white and Hispanic peers, all of the working-class Black respondents developed expectations that they would work continuously as adults. The intersections of race, class, and gender play a central role in shaping women’s expectations about their participation in paid work.
Rewriting the Self-Fulfilling Prophecy of Social Rejection
Authors: Stinson Danu Anthony , Logel Christine , Shepherd Steven , Zanna Mark P.
Published: August 2011

Chronically insecure individuals often behave in ways that result in the very social rejection that they most fear. We predicted that this typical self-fulfilling prophecy is not immutable. Self-affirmation may improve insecure individuals’ relational security, and this improvement may allow them to express more welcoming social behavior. In a longitudinal experiment, a 15-min self-affirmation improved both the relational security and experimenter-rated social behavior of insecure participants up to 4 weeks after the initial intervention. Moreover, the extent to which self-affirmation improved insecure participants’ relational security at 4 weeks predicted additional improvements in social behavior another 4 weeks after that. Our finding that insecure participants continued to reap the social benefits of self-affirmation up to 8 weeks after the initial intervention demonstrates that it is indeed possible to rewrite the self-fulfilling prophecy of social rejection.
Oxidative stress is associated with liver damage, inflammatory status, and corticosteroid therapy in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Lozovoy MAB , Simão ANC , Panis C , Rotter MAC , Reiche EMV , Morimoto HK , Lavado E , Cecchini R , Dichi I
Published: August 2011

Oxidative stress exerts an important role on the pathophysiological mechanisms of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This study investigated oxidative stress in patients with SLE and its correlation with disease activity, corticosteroid therapy, and liver function biomarkers. The study included 58 patients with SLE and 105 healthy volunteers. Patients showed oxidative stress increase evaluated by tert-butyl hydroperoxide-initiated chemiluminescence (CL-LOOH), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), and nitric oxide metabolites. C-reactive protein (CRP) was associated with CL-LOOH and with AOPP. Aspartate aminotransferase correlated significantly with CL-LOOH and with AOPP. Patients with disease activity showed an inverse significant correlation of daily prednisone doses and CL-LOOH and a direct correlation with total antioxidant capacity. In conclusion, patients with SLE have persistent lipoperoxidation and protein oxidation even with inactive disease or mild disease activity. The significant correlation between oxidative stress and CRP suggests that, despite clinical remission, the persistence of an inflammatory condition favors oxidative stress. Oxidative stress was associated with liver enzymes, and this relationship seems to support the hypothesis of drug-induced oxidative stress with consequent liver injury. In relation to non-active disease, patients with active SLE did not present oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity changes, due to the antioxidant drugs used in SLE treatment, especially prednisone.
Cardioprotection by Ivabradine Through Heart Rate Reduction and Beyond
Authors: Heusch Gerd , Skyschally Andreas , Schulz Rainer
Published: August 2011

The present review summarizes the experimental and clinical evidence for the anti-ischemic action of the selective bradycardic agent ivabradine. Improvements in myocardial blood flow and contractile function during experimental myocardial ischemia and the clinical anti-anginal effect are largely mediated by heart rate reduction. However, a significant reduction in infarct size by ivabradine persists in the absence of heart rate reduction, and such protection can also be recruited when ivabradine is given only during early reperfusion. The mechanisms for such pleiotropic action of ivabradine remain to be resolved.
Myocardial Protection in Heart Surgery
Authors: Mentzer Robert M.
Published: August 2011

One of the unmet clinical needs in heart surgery is the prevention of myocardial stunning and necrosis that occurs as a result of ischemia-reperfusion. Myocardial stunning, a frequent consequence after heart surgery, is characterized by a requirement for postoperative inotropic support despite a technically satisfactory heart operation. In high-risk patients with marginal cardiac reserve, stunning is a major cause of prolonged critical care and may be associated with as much as a 5-fold increase in mortality. In contrast, the frequency of myocardial necrosis (myocardial infarction [MI]) after cardiac surgery is less appreciated and its consequences are much more subtle. The consequences may not be apparent for months to years. While we now have a much better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying myocardial stunning and MI, we still have no effective way to prevent these complications, nor a consistently effective means to engage the well-studied endogenous mechanisms of cardioprotection. The failure to develop clinically effective interventions is multifactorial and can be attributed to reliance on findings obtained from subcellular and cellular studies, to drawing conclusions from preclinical large animal studies that have been conducted in a disease-free state, and to accepting less than robust surrogate markers of injury in phase II clinical trials. These factors also explain the disappointing failure to identify effective adjuvant therapy in the setting of percutaneous coronary revascularization for acute MI (AMI) and reperfusion injury. These issues have contributed to the disappointing outcomes of large and costly phase III trials, resulting in a lack of enthusiasm on the part of the pharmaceutical industry to engage in further drug development for this indication. The purpose of this review is to (1) define the scope of the clinical problem; (2) summarize the outcomes of selected phases II and III clinical trials; and (3) identify the gap that needs to be closed in order to address the unmet clinical need.
Impact of cooking and drying on the phenolic, carotenoid contents and in vitro antioxidant capacity of Andean Arracacha (Arracacia xanthorrhiza Bancr.) root
Authors: Pedreschi R. , Betalleluz-Pallardel I. , Chirinos R. , Curotto C. , Campos D.
Published: August 2011

The influence of different cooking regimes such as boiling, oven, microwave and hot-air drying on the retention of total phenolics (TP), total carotenoids (TC) and in vitro antioxidant capacity (AC) for three colored arracacha roots was studied. Continuous losses of TP, TC and AC during the course of the different cooking processes were observed. Boiling at 99.5° C for 20 min turned to be the best method to cook this root due to a high retention of TP, TC and AC in comparison to oven cooking at 200° C for 45 min and microwave cooking at 800 W for 5 min. During boiling, chlorogenic and caffeic acids and derivatives remained relatively stable. The drying temperature was negatively correlated to the residual content of TP and AC for the yellow and cream arracacha roots, but for the cream/purple arracacha variety, blanching preserved the TP and AC. Significant losses in chlorogenic and caffeic acids and derivatives were mainly observed during hot-air drying. These results suggested that TP are responsible to a large extent of the AC displayed by arracacha root during the different evaluated cooking regimes.
Attitudes toward patients with multidrug-resistant bacteria: scale development and psychometric evaluation
Authors: Lindberg Maria , Lindberg Magnus , Skytt Bernice , Högman Marieann , Carlsson Marianne
Published: August 2011

There is a need for validated assessment tools for measuring attitudes towards patients with multid-rug-resistant bacteria. Such an assessment tool was developed and psychometrically evaluated in the present study. A literature review and discussions with experts and key informants were used to develop the questionnaire. To ensure item adequacy and interpretability, face validity and pre-tests were performed. Item validity, content validity and internal consistency reliability were evaluated in a non-random sample of 329 hemodialysis nurses. The psychometric properties were satisfactory, indicating good item validity. The content validity revealed three appropriate factors with good internal consistency reliability. The haemodialysis nurses′ knowledge about multidrug-resistant bacteria was not sufficient, and their intentional behaviour was unsatisfactory with respect to infection control precautions. The multidrug-resistant bacteria Attitude Questionnaire would be a valuable tool, in nursing practice and nursing education, in promoting quality improvements in patient safety with regard to healthcare associated infections.
Situs inversus totalis and secondary biliary cirrhosis: a case report
Authors: Sökmen Hacı Mehmet , Özdil Kamil , Çalhan Turan , Şahin Abdurrahman , Şenateş Ebubekir , Kahraman Resul , Niğdelioğlu Adil , Zemheri Ebru
Published: August 2011

Situs inversus totalis is is a congenital anomaly associated with various visceral abnormalities, but there is no data about the relationship between secondary biliary cirrhosis and that condition. We here present a case of a 58 year-old female with situs inversus totalis who was admitted to our clinic with extrahepatic cholestasis. After excluding all potential causes of biliary cirrhosis, secondary biliary cirrhosis was diagnosed based on the patient's history, imaging techniques, clinical and laboratory findings, besides histolopathological findings. After treatment with tauroursodeoxycholic acid, all biochemical parameters, including total/direct bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and gama glutamyl transferase, returned to normal ranges at the second month of the treatment. We think that this is the first case in literature that may indicate the development of secondary biliary cirrhosis in a patient with situs inversus totalis. In conclusion, situs inversus should be considered as a rare cause of biliary cirrhosis in patients with situs inversus totalis which is presented with extrahepatic cholestasis.
Update on External Beam Radiation Therapy in Thyroid Cancer
Authors: Brierley James D.
Published: August 2011

Surgery is the mainstay of treatment for thyroid cancer. The role for external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) as an adjuvant to surgery or as the primary therapy is established in anaplastic thyroid cancer but is controversial in differentiated thyroid cancer and uncertain in medullary thyroid cancer. This update reviews the recent reported success of combining EBRT with taxanes in anaplastic thyroid cancer. Also discussed are the recent reports from large single institutions that support the recommendations of the American and British Thyroid Associations on the use of EBRT in high-risk differentiated thyroid cancer. Further evidence on the role of EBRT in MTC is discussed. The important advances in the delivery of EBRT using intensity-modulated radiation and image-guided radiation that result in more accurate and potentially more effective radiation therapy with less toxicity are also discussed.
Reducing global health inequalities. Part 1
Authors: Stuart Kenneth , Soulsby EJL
Published: August 2011

This paper summarizes four UK reviews of socially stratified health inequalities that were undertaken during the past five decades. It describes the background of misplaced optimism and false hopes which characterized the UK's own record of health inequalities; the broken promises on debt cancellations which was the experience of developing countries. It describes why the UK's past leadership record in international health provides grounds for optimism for the future and for benefits for both developed and developing countries through the adoption of more collaborative approaches to global health than have characterized international relationships in the past. It recalls the enthusiasm generated in the UK, and internationally, by the establishment of the Global Commission on the Social Determinants of Health. It promotes the perception of health both as a global public good and as a developmental issue and why a focus on poverty is essential to the address of global health issues. It sees the designing of appropriate strategies and partnerships towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals as an important first step for achieving successful address to global public health issues.
Monochromatic Sums Equal to Products in ℕ
Authors: Hindman Neil
Published: August 2011

Csikvári, Gyarmati, and Sárközy asked whether, whenever the set ℕ of positive integers is finitely colored, there must exist monochromatic
Coincidences of Catalan and q-Catalan Numbers
Authors: Luca Florian , Young Paul Thomas
Published: August 2011

Let
On the Tennis Ball Problem
Authors: Freeman John M. , Schonbek Tomas , Wei Wandi
Published: August 2011

We generalize the original tennis ball problem to the case in which the number of balls received and the number of balls discarded can vary from move to move, and derive formulas solving the problem in that case. We then use these formulas to obtain new and simpler proofs of the relation between the solution to the original tennis ball problem and the Catalan numbers, as well as a considerably simpler proof for the generalization in which a fixed number
Free Standing Silicon as a Compliant Substrate for SiGe
Authors: Cohen G. M. , Mooney P. M. , Chu J.O.
Published: August 2011

We show that SiGe grown on free-standing silicon is elastically relaxed. The free-standing Si structure consists of a ∼30 nm-thick, 5 μm-square silicon slab supported by a SiO2 pedestal at a single contact point at the center of the square (the cross-section resembles a mushroom). A matrix of free-standing structures was made by patterning a bonded silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer and undercutting the SiO2 to form the pedestal. Un-patterned areas of the SOI wafer and the exposed bulk Si substrate were included as reference regions. A UHVCVD Si0.8Ge0.2 film, about 200 nm-thick, was grown epitaxially on both sides of the free-standing silicon and the surrounding exposed bulk Si. The SiGe was also grown on the un-patterned SOI and bulk substrate control areas. The SiGe film grown on both SOI and bulk silicon was found to be fully strained. In contrast, the SiGe layer grown on free-standing silicon is ∼89% strain-relaxed, and the free-standing silicon film was measured to be under tensile strain. Since the same lattice mismatch was found between the SiGe layer and the Si on the free-standing silicon and on the SOI and bulk Si control regions, we conclude that the strain relaxation of the SiGe film on freestanding Si is elastic with the strain accommodated entirely by the free-standing silicon film under tensile strain. This was further confirmed by AFM measurements. The SiGe film on the control regions showed a very smooth SiGe surface with only a few surface steps originating from misfit dislocations at the SiGe/Si interface. No surface steps from misfit dislocations were observed on the surface of the SiGe film on free-standing Si. These results show that freestanding silicon serves as an ideal compliant substrate for SiGe.
Low Temperature Growth of GaAs on Si Substrates for Ultra-fast Photoconductive Switches
Authors: Ma Kai , Urata Ryohei , Miller David A. B. , Harris James S.
Published: August 2011

We have grown GaAs directly on silicon substrates by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) at low substrate temperatures (∼250 °C). The silicon wafer surface cleaning and GaAs film growth processes were done at temperatures lower than the Si-Al eutectic temperature, in order to enable monolithic integration of low-temperature-grown-GaAs (LT-GaAs) photoconductive switches with Si-CMOS circuits. In situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED), ex situ x-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies were performed to characterize the LT-GaAs film quality. The film surfaces show less than 1 nm root-mean-square (rms) roughness and the anti-phase domain (APD) density is below the XRD detection limit. Metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photoconductive switches were made using this material. A time-resolved electro-optic sampling technique was used to determine the responsivity and speed of the switches. A full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) switching time of ∼2 picoseconds was achieved and the responsivity of switches made from LT-GaAs on Si material was comparable to that of switches made from LT-GaAs on GaAs material.
Diferenciais geográficos, socioeconômicos e demográficos da qualidade da informação da causa básica de morte dos idosos no Brasil
Authors: Kanso Solange , Romero Dalia Elena , Leite Iúri da Costa , Moraes Edgar Nunes de
Published: August 2011

Identificaram-se diferenciais geográficos e socioeconômicos do padrão de qualidade da informação sobre a causa básica de morte dos idosos no Brasil. Utilizaram-se três indicadores de qualidade: proporção de causas mal definidas; proporção de causas inespecíficas; e a combinação de ambas. Analisaram-se as principais causas mal definidas e inespecíficas e a associação destes indicadores com características individuais constantes na Declaração de Óbito (DO) e contextuais dos municípios. A proporção de causas inespecíficas é maior do que a de mal definidas e ambas aumentam com a idade. Escolaridade, cor/raça, porte do município e PIB per capita mostraram-se associados com a qualidade da informação, mas de forma mais intensa com as causas mal definidas do que com as inespecíficas. Ter recebido assistência médica diminui a chance de o óbito do idoso ser registrado como causas mal definidas e aumenta a de inespecíficas. Programas voltados para a melhoria da qualidade da informação da DO devem focar não apenas as causas de morte mal definidas entre os idosos, mas também as inespecíficas.
A sociedade civil contra a Aids: demandas coletivas e políticas públicas
Authors: Pereira Adriana Jimenez , Nichiata Lúcia Yasuko Izumi
Published: August 2011

Este artigo realiza uma discussão da produção bibliográfica acerca da organização da sociedade civil na luta contra a Aids no Brasil. O objetivo é analisar as diferentes formas de articulação dos atores sociais, segundo a manifestação das necessidades coletivas e a conquista de políticas públicas. Foram recuperadas bibliografias da área da saúde e das ciências sociais, produzidas desde o início da epidemia no país até o momento atual. A análise da produção mostra que a pressão exercida pelos grupos mobilizados, principalmente no período da emergência da epidemia, gerou respostas por parte do poder público que tinham como referência o direito ao acesso e à assistência integral das pessoas que vivem com HIV/Aids. Atualmente, observa-se a heterogeneidade dos grupos da sociedade civil organizada voltados, sobretudo ao aprimoramento das políticas públicas existentes e à consolidação dos espaços conquistados. A importância desse estudo revela-se diante da necessidade de fortalecimento da ação coletiva para que sejam reivindicadas do Estado respostas compatíveis com o enfrentamento das novas demandas levantadas pelo movimento de luta contra a Aids.
Qualidade de vida e saúde bucal em crianças - parte II: versão brasileira do Child Perceptions Questionnaire
Authors: Barbosa Taís de Souza , Gavião Maria Beatriz Duarte
Published: August 2011

O Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ11-14) é um instrumento auto-aplicável para avaliação da qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde bucal em crianças. O objetivo do estudo foi de traduzir e adaptar o questionário para seu uso no Brasil. O questionário foi traduzido do original em inglês ao português, utilizando o processo de tradução reversa (inglês/português/inglês), seguido de avaliação pelo comitê revisor e pela adaptação cultural em um grupo de 20 crianças. As crianças de 11 a 14 anos não compreenderam algumas questões do questionário. Inicialmente, as questões 4 e 11 apresentaram nível de incompreensão superior a 15%. Foram feitas as adaptações necessárias e a terceira versão em português foi auto-aplicada em uma nova amostra de 20 crianças. Nesta etapa, somente a questão 40 foi incompreendida e modificada. Q quarta versão em português foi considerada adequada para mais de 95% das crianças avaliadas. A versão para o português do instrumento CPQ11-14 é um instrumento útil para avaliação da qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde bucal em crianças brasileiras.
Programa Bolsa Família e estado nutricional infantil: desafios estratégicos
Authors: Oliveira Fabiana de Cássia Carvalho , Cotta Rosângela Minardi Mitre , Sant'Ana Luciana Ferreira da Rocha , Priore Silvia Eloíza , Franceschini Sylvia do Carmo Castro
Published: August 2011

Anemia e desnutrição, principais carências nutricionais na infância, têm como principais determinantes os socioeconômicos. Assim, por se tratar da principal política de combate à pobreza, espera-se que o Programa Bolsa Família (PBF) promova impacto no estado nutricional infantil. Objetivou-se analisar as diferenças na situação nutricional de crianças cadastradas no PBF de um município da Zona da Mata Mineira. Foram avaliadas 446 crianças com idade entre 6 e 84 meses, sendo que 262 eram beneficiárias e 184 não-beneficiárias. A avaliação nutricional constituiu-se da análise dos parâmetros peso e estatura, através dos índices peso/idade, peso/estatura, estatura/idade e Índice de Massa Corporal/idade, e dos níveis de hemoglobina, com uso do Hemocue. As prevalências de anemia, déficit estatural e obesidade foram 22,6, 6,3 e 5,2%, respectivamente, sendo que não houve diferença estatística entre os beneficiários e não-beneficiários. Inicialmente, o grupo beneficiário apresentava piores condições socioeconômicas, porém, com o recebimento do benefício, os grupos se igualaram financeiramente. É possível que a similaridade dos dois grupos também quanto ao estado nutricional possa ser atribuída ao recebimento do benefício, tanto devido ao incremento financeiro, quanto ao acompanhamento nutricional exigido como condicionalidade do programa.
Storm water infiltration in a monitored green roof for hydrologic restoration
Authors: Palla A. , Sansalone J. J. , Gnecco I. , Lanza L. G.
Published: August 2011

The objectives of this study are to provide detailed information about green roof performance in the Mediterranean climate (retained volume, peak flow reduction, runoff delay) and to identify a suitable modelling approach for describing the associated hydrologic response. Data collected during a 13-month monitoring campaign and a seasonal monitoring campaign (September–December 2008) at the green roof experimental site of the University of Genova (Italy) are presented together with results obtained in quantifying the green roof hydrologic performance. In order to examine the green roof hydrologic response, the SWMS_2D model, that solves the Richards' equation for two-dimensional saturated-unsaturated water flow, has been implemented. Modelling results confirm the suitability of the SWMS_2D model to properly describe the hydrologic response of the green roofs. The model adequately reproduces the hydrographs; furthermore, the predicted soil water content profile generally matches the observed values along a vertical profile where measurements are available.
Models for nitrification process design: one or two AOB populations?
Authors: Wett B. , Jimenez J. A. , Takács I. , Murthy S. , Bratby J. R. , Holm N. C. , Rönner-Holm S. G. E.
Published: August 2011

Models for engineering design of nitrifying systems use one ammonia oxidizer biomass (AOB) state variable. A simple extension using two AOB populations allows a more accurate prediction of nitrification systems at switching process environments. These two AOB subpopulations are characterized by two different sets of kinetic parameters. Selection pressure and competition between the two functional AOB populations are determined by process conditions as demonstrated by three case studies: Case study I describes dynamics of two AOB populations showing different temperature sensitivities (modified Arrhenius term on growth and decay) when bioaugmented from the warm sidestream treatment environment to the cold mainstream and vice-versa. Case study II investigates competition between fast growing μ-strategists and k-strategists adjusted to low ammonia levels depending on the internal mixed liquor recycle rate (IMLR). Case study III shows that AOB transferred from the waste activated sludge of an SBR to the parallel continuous flow system with different decay kinetics can overgrow or coexist with the original population.
Priority organic pollutants in the urban water cycle (Toulouse, France)
Authors: Sablayrolles C. , Breton A. , Vialle C. , Vignoles C. , Montréjaud-Vignoles M.
Published: August 2011

Application of the European Water Framework Directive requires Member States to have better understanding of the quality of surface waters in order to improve knowledge of priority pollutants. Xenobiotics in urban receiving waters are an emerging concern. This study proposes a screening campaign of nine molecular species of xenobiotics in a separated sewer system. Five sites were investigated over one year in Toulouse (France) using quantitative monitoring. For each sample, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, nonylphenols, diethelhexylphthalate, linear alkylbenzene sulphonates, methyl tert-butylether, total hydrocarbons, estradiol and ethinylestradiol were analysed. Ground, rain and roof collected water concentrations are similar to treated wastewater levels. Run-off water was the most polluted of the five types investigated, discharged into the aquatic environment. The wastewater treatment plant reduced xenobiotic concentrations by 66% before discharge into the environment. Regarding environmental quality standards, observed concentrations in waters were in compliance with standards. The results show that xenobiotic concentrations are variable over time and space in all urban water compartments.
Acute Sulfonylurea Therapy at Disease Onset Can Cause Permanent Remission of KATP-Induced Diabetes
Authors: Remedi Maria Sara , Agapova Sophia E. , Vyas Arpita K. , Hruz Paul W. , Nichols Colin G.
Published: August 2011

OBJECTIVE

Neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM) can be caused by gain-of-function ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channel mutations. This realization has led to sulfonylurea therapy replacing insulin injections in many patients. In a murine model of KATP-dependent NDM, hyperglycemia and consequent loss of β-cells are both avoided by chronic sulfonylurea treatment. Interestingly, KATP mutations may underlie remitting-relapsing, transient, or permanent forms of the disease in different patients, but the reason for the different outcomes is unknown.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

To gain further insight into disease progression and outcome, we examined the effects of very early intervention by injecting NDM mice with high-dose glibenclamide for only 6 days, at the beginning of disease onset, then after the subsequent progression with measurements of blood glucose, islet function, and insulin sensitivity.

RESULTS

Although ∼70% of mice developed severe diabetes after treatment cessation, ∼30% were essentially cured, maintaining near-normal blood glucose until killed. Another group of NDM mice was initiated on oral glibenclamide (in the drinking water), and the dose was titrated daily, to maintain blood glucose <200 mg/dL. In this case, ∼30% were also essentially cured; they were weaned from the drug after ∼4 weeks and again subsequently maintained near-normal blood glucose. These cured mice maintain normal insulin content and were more sensitive to insulin than control mice, a compensatory mechanism that together with basal insulin secretion may be sufficient to maintain near-normal glucose levels.

CONCLUSIONS

At least in a subset of animals, early sulfonylurea treatment leads to permanent remission of NDM. These cured animals exhibit insulin-hypersensitivity. Although untreated NDM mice rapidly lose insulin content and progress to permanently extremely elevated blood glucose levels, early tight control of blood glucose may permit this insulin-hypersensitivity, in combination with maintained basal insulin secretion, to provide long-term remission.
Prevalence and Management of Diabetes and Metabolic Risk Factors in Thai Adults
Authors: Aekplakorn Wichai , Chariyalertsak Suwat , Kessomboon Pattapong , Sangthong Rassamee , Inthawong Rungkarn , Putwatana Panwadee , Taneepanichskul Surasak ,   the Thai National Health Examination Survey IV Study Group
Published: August 2011

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence of impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and undiagnosed and diagnosed diabetes in Thai adults in 2009 and examine the extent of changes in proportions of diagnosis, treatment, and control for blood glucose, high blood pressure, and high total cholesterol between 2004 and 2009.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Data from the multistage cross-sectional National Health Examination Survey (NHES) IV of 18,629 Thai adults aged ≥20 years conducted in 2009 were used to analyze and compare with the data from NHES III in 2004.

RESULTS

The prevalence of IFG and diabetes was 10.6 and 7.5%, respectively. Of all diabetes diagnoses, 35.4% were not previously diagnosed, and the proportion was higher in men than in women (47.3 vs. 23.4%, P < 0.05). Compared with those in year 2004, the proportions of individuals with diabetes and concomitant hypertension did not significantly decrease in 2009 in both sexes, but the proportions of women with diabetes who were abdominally obese or had high total cholesterol (≥5.2 mmol/L) significantly increased in 2009 by 18.0 and 23.5%, respectively (all P < 0.01). The rates of treatment and control of blood glucose, high blood pressure, and high total cholesterol were favorably improved in 2009. However, in substantial proportions of individuals with diabetes these concomitants were still controlled suboptimally.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of diabetes and IFG remained high in Thai adults. Improvement in detection and control of diabetes and associated metabolic risk factors, particularly obesity and high serum cholesterol, are necessary.
Registration of Soybean Germplasm Line LG00‐3372
Authors: Nelson R. L. , Johnson E.O.C.
Published: August 2011

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] germplasm line LG00‐3372 (Reg. No. GP‐376, PI 660989) was developed and released by the USDA‐ARS and the Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station, Urbana, IL. LG00‐3372 is derived from an F5 plant from the cross PI 561319A × PI 574477 and is classified in late maturity group III. PI 561319A is an introduction from China that is not in the ancestry of any released germplasm or cultivar in the United States. PI 57447 is one of the parents of LG00‐6313, a germplasm line also released by the USDA‐ARS and the Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station, Urbana, IL. In cooperative tests at 8 locations with private industry, 11 locations in the USDA Uniform Soybean Tests–Northern States, Preliminary Test III, in 2003, and 18 locations in the USDA Uniform Soybean Tests–Northern States, Uniform Test III, in 2004, LG00‐3372 yielded 104, 105, and 102% of the cultivar ‘Macon’. LG00‐3372 is known to be susceptible to races 4 and 7 of Phytophthora sojae (Kaufmann & Gerdemann). LG00‐3372 can be used as a parent for soybean breeding programs to provide new genetic diversity to improve the yield of U.S. cultivars.
Registration of ‘CPCL 00‐4111’ Sugarcane
Authors: Glynn Neil C. , Milligan Scott B. , Gilbert Robert A. , Davidson R. Wayne , Comstock Jack C. , Glaz Barry , Edmé Serge J. , Hu Chen-Jian , Holder David G. , del Blanco Isabel A. , Sood Sushma , Zhao Duli
Published: August 2011

‘CPCL 00‐4111’ (Reg. No. CV‐144, PI 660673) sugarcane (a complex hybrid of Saccharum spp.) is the latest in a series of commercial sugarcane cultivar releases developed by the United States Sugar Corporation (USSC) and completed by the cooperative Canal Point sugarcane breeding and selection program, which included the USDA‐ARS, the University of Florida, and the Florida Sugar Cane League, Inc. CPCL 00‐4111, which was released in Florida on 18 Feb. 2011, was selected from a cross of genotype CL 83‐3431 × CL 89‐5189 made at Clewiston, FL on 4 Dec. 1998. The female and male parents, CL 83‐3431 and CL 89‐5189, respectively, are proprietary genotypes of USSC. CPCL 00‐4111 was released because of its high cane yield and commercial recoverable sucrose on organic (muck) soils and because of its resistance to brown rust (caused by Puccinia melanocephala H. & P. Sydow), orange rust (caused by Puccinia kuehnii E.J. Butler), smut (caused by Ustilago scitaminea H. & P. Sydow), and Sugarcane mosaic virus strain E (the causal agent of mosaic), as well as its moderate resistance to leaf scald [caused by Xanthomonas albilineans (Ashby) Dowson]. All of these diseases are of economic importance to sugarcane production in Florida.