bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comprehensive Proteome Analysis of an Apc Mouse Model Uncovers Proteins Associated with Intestinal Tumorigenesis
Authors: Hung Kenneth E. , Faca Vitor , Song Kenneth , Sarracino David A. , Richard Larissa Georgeon , Krastins Bryan , Forrester Sara , Porter Andrew , Kunin Alexandra , Mahmood Umar , Haab Brian B. , Hanash Samir M. , Kucherlapati Raju
Published: February 2009

Tumor-derived proteins may occur in the circulation as a result of secretion, shedding from the cell surface, or cell turnover. We have applied an in-depth comprehensive proteomic strategy to plasma from intestinal tumor–bearing Apc mutant mice to identify proteins associated with tumor development. We used quantitative tandem mass spectrometry of fractionated mouse plasma to identify differentially expressed proteins in plasma from intestinal tumor–bearing Apc mutant mice relative to matched controls. Up-regulated proteins were assessed for the expression of corresponding genes in tumor tissue. A subset of proteins implicated in colorectal cancer were selected for further analysis at the tissue level using antibody microarrays, Western blotting, tumor immunohistochemistry, and novel fluorescent imaging. We identified 51 proteins that were elevated in plasma with concordant up-regulation at the RNA level in tumor tissue. The list included multiple proteins involved in colon cancer pathogenesis: cathepsin B and cathepsin D, cullin 1, Parkinson disease 7, muscle pyruvate kinase, and Ran. Of these, Parkinson disease 7, muscle pyruvate kinase, and Ran were also found to be up-regulated in human colon adenoma samples. We have identified proteins with direct relevance to colorectal carcinogenesis that are present both in plasma and in tumor tissue in intestinal tumor–bearing mice. Our results show that integrated analysis of the plasma proteome and tumor transcriptome of genetically engineered mouse models is a powerful approach for the identification of tumor-related plasma proteins.
Incidence of Small Bowel Injury Induced by Low-Dose Aspirin: A Crossover Study Using Capsule Endoscopy in Healthy Volunteers
Authors: Endo Hiroki , Hosono Kunihiro , Inamori Masahiko , Kato Shingo , Nozaki Yuichi , Yoneda Kyoko , Akiyama Tomoyuki , Fujita Koji , Takahashi Hirokazu , Yoneda Masato , Abe Yasunobu , Kirikoshi Hiroyuki , Kobayashi Noritoshi , Kubota Kensuke , Saito Satoru , Matsuhashi Nobuyuki , Nakajima Atsushi
Published: February 2009

Background and Aims: Small intestinal toxicity of low-dose aspirin remains unclear. The purpose of this capsule endoscopy study was to assess the incidence of small bowel injury in healthy volunteers treated with short-term low-dose aspirin. Methods: Healthy subjects were randomly assigned to receive low-dose aspirin for 14 days (Aspirin group) or no drugs for 14 days (Control group). The two treatment occasions were separated by a washout period of at least 4 weeks. All subjects underwent capsule endoscopy at the end of each treatment period. Results: After 2 weeks of treatment, the percentages of subjects with small bowel pathology were 80% in the Aspirin group compared with 20% in the Control group (p = 0.023). The incidence of small bowel mucosal breaks in the Aspirin group was higher than that in the Control group, although the difference was not significant (30 vs. 0%; p = 0.210). Conclusions: This is the first pilot study using capsule endoscopy to report on the relation between small bowel injury and low-dose aspirin. Among the healthy subjects, the short-term administration of low-dose aspirin was associated with a mild mucosal inflammation of the small bowel.
Use of All-trans Retinoic Acid in Combination with Arsenic Trioxide for Remission Induction in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia and for Consolidation/Maintenance in CR Patients
Authors: Dai Chong-Wen , Zhang Guang-Sen , Shen Jian-Kai , Zheng Wen-Li , Pei Min-Fei , Xu Yun-Xiao , Cao Yi-Xiong , Yi Yan , Yang Jun-Jie , Peng Hong-Ling , Zhong Hai-Ying , Li Rui-Juan
Published: February 2009

In the present study, 90 patients with newly diagnosed acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) were studied for all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and arsenic trioxide (As2O3) combination treatment in remission induction and postremission therapy. In addition, 20 APL patients who had achieved complete remission (CR) with an ATRA-based regimen received ATRA/As2O3 combination for consolidation and maintenance were also enrolled. The results showed that ATRA/As2O3 combination therapy yielded a high CR rate of 93.3% and a significantly shorter time to enter CR (median: 31 days; range: 18–59 days) compared to the ATRA-based regimen (n = 72; median: 39 days; range: 25–62 days). With the ATRA/As2O3 combination for CR maintaining, regardless of the way by which CR was attained, the relapse-free survival was significantly better than with an ATRA plus cytotoxic chemotherapy regimen (92.9 ± 3.2% vs. 72.4 ± 7.6%, for the 3-year Kaplan-Meier estimate of relapse-free survival). The drug toxicity profile showed that with the use of As2O3, the incidence of hepatotoxicity was obviously high during remission induction but decreased significantly during postremission treatment. We conclude that APL patients may benefit from the early use of the combination of ATRA and As2O3, in either remission induction or consolidation/maintenance.
Distal Left Main Coronary Bifurcation Lesions Predict Worse Outcome in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Implantation of Drug-Eluting Stents: Results from the Drug-Eluting Stent for the Treatment of Left Main Disease (DISTAL) Study
Authors: Chen Shao-Liang , Ye Fei , Zhang Jun-jie , Liu Zhi-zhong , Lin Song , Zhu Zhong-Sheng , Sun Xue-wen , Li Feng , Zhang Ai-ping , Chen Jin-guo , Ji Qing-jiong , Qian Jun , Chen Feng , Kwan Tak W.
Published: February 2009

Objectives: We investigated the clinical outcome of stenting of unprotected left main coronary artery (LMCA). Methods: We studied 164 patients with nonbifurcated LMCA lesions (group A) and 96 patients with distal bifurcated lesions (group B). Results: Clinical follow-up was available in 100%. Angiographic follow-up was 87.3% in group A and 86% in group B (p = 0.922). There were significant differences in major adverse cardiac events at 1 (p = 0.014) and 2 years (p = 0.002) between group B (19.8%, 25.0%) and group A (9.1%, 10.4%), mainly due to increased target-vessel revascularization (16.7, 21.9% in group B vs. 6.1, 7.3% in group A, p = 0.006 and 0.001, respectively). The double-stent technique was associated with worse outcomes at 1 year in group B compared to group A. Bifurcation lesions (HR 3.42, 95% CI 1.34–5.61, p = 0.001), diabetes (HR 2.68, 95% CI 2.01–12.11, p = 0.015), three-vessel disease (HR 0.83, 95% CI 0.27–0.96, p = 0.001), incomplete revascularization (HR 0.15, 95% CI 0.11–0.35, p = 0.001) and stent diameter (HR 5.05, 95% CI 2.71–10.01, p = 0.03) were the independent factors of major adverse cardiac events in the whole patient cohort. Conclusion: Stenting unprotected distal bifurcated LMCA was associated with unfavorable results when compared to stenting other LMCA lesions.
Effect of Nitric Oxide/Cyclic Guanosine Mono-phosphate Pathway on Gallbladder Relaxant Response in Bile Duct-Ligated Guinea Pigs
Authors: Aydin C. , Bagcivan I. , Yildirim S. , Koyuncu A. , Topcu O. , Soylu S. , Özer H.
Published: February 2009

Background/Aims: Common bile duct ligation (CBDL) in the guinea pig is a well-defined model of acalculous cholecystitis. Nitric oxide (NO) mediates smooth muscle relaxation by stimulating the activity of soluble guanylate cyclase. The aim of this study was to determine whether the NO/cyclic guanosine monophosphate pathway plays a role in gallbladder relaxant response after CBDL. Methods: Relaxant response of gallbladder muscle strips from CBDL and sham-operated guinea pigs was studied in vitro. Animals were treated with saline, aminoguanidine or an aminoguanidine + L-arginine combination in vivo. Concentration-response curves of papaverine, diethylamine/NO, YC-1, sildenafil and amrinone were obtained and relaxations in each group were calculated as the percent of the contractions induced by carbachol (10–6 M). Results: There was a significant decrease in the gallbladder muscle relaxant responses to these substances in CBDL and aminoguanidine groups compared with sham surgical controls. The decreased relaxant response was reversed by aminoguanidine + L-arginine but not by aminoguanidine alone. Conclusion: Decreased relaxant responses might be due to the reduced guanylate cyclase enzyme activity, but further studies are required.
Mouse Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in Microbial Infections
Authors: Ermert David , Urban Constantin F. , Laube Britta , Goosmann Christian , Zychlinsky Arturo , Brinkmann Volker
Published: February 2009

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) play an important role in innate immunity to microbial infections. NETs have been described in several species, but the molecular details of NET formation and their role in infection has not been addressed, partly because we lack optimal experimental models. Here we describe tools to investigate NET formation in neutrophils isolated from mice. Upon in vitro stimulation of wild-type mouse neutrophils with PMA, we analyzed 3 important steps in the process of NET formation: reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, NET cell death and NET release. As expected, neutrophils from NADPH oxidase-deficient mice failed to produce ROS and did not die nor release NETs upon stimulation. We found that neutrophils from several mouse strains produced NETs with different efficiency and that NET formation correlated with the amount of ROS produced. Activation with Candida albicans also resulted in ROS production and NET cell death. The hyphal form of this fungus induced NETs more effectively than the yeast form. With this work, we provide tools to study in vitro NET assembly in the mouse system.
On-Site Customization of Silicone Stents: Towards Optimal Palliation of Complex Airway Conditions
Authors: Breen David P. , Dutau Hervé
Published: February 2009

Background: Stents may be indicated as treatment of benign and malignant conditions of the central airways. Occasionally, aberrant and/or distorted airways secondary to therapy or surgery may preclude the use of commercially manufactured stents. The customization of stents is well described for nonpulmonary diseases, but to date there are only limited data in the literature on prosthesis customization for airway disease. Objectives: To review all the different techniques and indications of on-site silicone stent customizations and their related complications. Methods: A retrospective study was undertaken to identify all patients who underwent treatment with a silicone stent which was customized on site by the physician. The study included subjects treated during an 8-year period. Results: Forty-nine on-site customizations were performed in 43 patients (34 males, mean age 63 ± 5.2 years). Stent customization was performed in 5.4% of the cases. Stent customization was performed for malignant and benign disease in 35 (81.3%) and 8 (18.7%) cases, respectively. In all cases, the stent deployed successfully and performed well while in situ. Stent manipulation did not increase complications. Conclusions: Customization of airway stents by the physician can lead to successful stenting of difficult airway lesions with a good short-term safety profile. Standard commercially available stents may have resulted in suboptimal management of complex airway pathologies. A prospective study is warranted to further investigate the safety profile and complications associated with stent customization.
A Delicate Balance: Negotiating Isolation and Globalization in the Burmese Performing Arts
Authors: Diamond Catherine
Published: February 2009

Because Myanmar's poverty and isolation somewhat protect its traditional performing arts from the competition of global influences, many of them flourish. The repressive military regime has appropriated the former court patronage of music and dance to assert its legitimacy. However, verbal arts such as literature, satire, spoken drama, and film are severely hampered by government censorship and lack of funding. Despite these obstacles, Burmese performers and their audiences demonstrate an amazing resilience: banned and formerly imprisoned performers continue to take to the stage, and audiences flock to see them.
A Proposed Modification to the Robert–Asselin Time Filter*
Authors: Williams Paul D.
Published: February 2009

The Robert–Asselin time filter is widely used in numerical models of weather and climate. It successfully suppresses the spurious computational mode associated with the leapfrog time-stepping scheme. Unfortunately, it also weakly suppresses the physical mode and severely degrades the numerical accuracy. These two concomitant problems are shown to occur because the filter does not conserve the mean state, averaged over the three time slices on which it operates. The author proposes a simple modification to the Robert–Asselin filter, which does conserve the three-time-level mean state. When used in conjunction with the leapfrog scheme, the modification vastly reduces the impacts on the physical mode and increases the numerical accuracy for amplitude errors by two orders, yielding third-order accuracy. The modified filter could easily be incorporated into existing general circulation models of the atmosphere and ocean. In principle, it should deliver more faithful simulations at almost no additional computational expense. Alternatively, it may permit the use of longer time steps with no loss of accuracy, reducing the computational expense of a given simulation.
Numerical Simulation of Modal Vibration Response of Wavy Carbon Nanotubes
Authors: Harrar Maninder S. , Gibson Ronald F.
Published: February 2009

The potential use of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in applications such as reinforcing materials in nanocomposites has motivated interest in the measurement of their mechanical properties. Several researchers have used the experimentally measured resonance frequencies of CNTs, along with classical beam theory for straight beams to `back out' CNT modulus values. However, from photomicrographic images of CNTs, it is clear that they are not straight, and that they typically have significant waviness or curvature associated with them. This research involves the development of carbon nanotube models using the finite element (FE) approach and the benchmarking of the developed models against results from other models and experiments. Subsequently, the FE models were used to study the effect of waviness and aspect ratio on the modal vibration response of CNTs, so that a better understanding of the characterization of their mechanical properties can be established. It was found that significant errors in `backed out' modulus values of CNTs can occur when waviness is not accounted for in modal analysis. For example, with a change in waviness factor (amplitude of waviness divided by the projected length of the CNT) from 0 to 0.6, frequency values can change by 29% for the fundamental mode, and the corresponding change in the `backed out' modulus from the straight beam equation can be as high as 66%. The analysis of vibrating CNTs is also important in studies of the sonication process for improving dispersion of CNTs in manufacturing of nanocomposites.
State Capacity, State Failure, and Human Rights
Authors: Englehart Neil A.
Published: February 2009

While it is universally recognized that states are responsible for human rights conditions in their jurisdictions, it is less often noticed that this responsibility has two dimensions, one normative and one empirical. Normatively, most people agree that states ought to prevent human rights abuses. Empirically, however, states may not always be able to do so. In weak and failing states, agency loss and the inability to police effectively can lead to abuses by private individuals and rogue agents of the state. Thus, on balance, weak states typically have worse human rights records than strong ones. This is demonstrated by a global time-series cross-section analysis showing that indicators of state weakness — low tax revenues, corruption, and lack of law and order — all have a negative impact on human rights to personal security. The effect differs for different kinds of rights. Extrajudicial killings are highly sensitive to state capacity, while political imprisonment is more sensitive to democracy. Overall, however, it appears that the totalitarian model of human rights abuse by excessively strong states applies to a restricted set of cases. The more common problem is states that cannot effectively protect human rights. We must take state failure seriously when thinking about the causes of — and remedies for — human rights abuse.
Introducing Archigos: A Dataset of Political Leaders
Authors: Goemans Henk E. , Gleditsch Kristian Skrede , Chiozza Giacomo
Published: February 2009

Scholars for a long time theorized about the role of political leaders, but empirical research has been limited by the lack of systematic data about individual leaders. Archigos is a new dataset with information on leaders in 188 countries from 1875 to 2004. We provide an overview of the main features of this data. Archigos specifically identifies the effective leaders of each independent state; it codes when and how leaders came into power, their age, and their gender, as well as their personal fate one year after they lost office. We illustrate the utility of the Archigos dataset by demonstrating how leader attributes predict other features of interest in International Relations and Comparative Politics. Crisis interactions differ depending on whether leaders face each other for the first time or have had prior interactions. Irregular leader changes can help identify political change in autocracies not apparent from data that consider only the democratic nature of institutions. Finally, transitions to democracy in the third wave are more likely to fail in instances where autocratic rulers were punished after leaving office. Our examples illustrate new empirical findings that simply could not be explored in existing data sources. Although selective, our overview demonstrates how Archigos bears considerable promise in providing answers to new and old research questions and opens up new avenues for research on individual leaders as decisionmakers.
The fascist body beautiful and the imperial crisis in 1930s British writing
Authors: Rau Petra
Published: February 2009

This essay deals with the representation of fascist corporeality in British fiction and travel writing about Nazi Germany. A conspicuous feature of contemporaneous accounts of 1930s Germany is the perception of a physical regeneration, which Nazi ideology itself fashions into a palingenetic myth. The British response to this corporeal phenomenology reveals cultural anxieties about imperial decline and physical inadequacy. In travel writing, the fascist body beautiful becomes the focus of a nostalgic desire for the British imperial past. In fiction, it also highlights a growing ambivalence about British imperialism by dramatizing English subjection in sadomasochistic scenarios in which the Anglo-Saxon body can enjoy relief from the white man's burden vis-à-vis German domination. In this way, travel writing and fiction enact border crossings into the fascist state that point to uncomfortable similarities between the legitimizing fictions of racial superiority in British imperialism and in fascist ideology.
Educating Families on Real Time Continuous Glucose Monitoring
Authors: Messer Laurel , Ruedy Katrina , Dongyuan Xing  , Coffey Julie , Englert Kimberly , Caswell Kimberly , Ives Brett
Published: February 2009

Purpose The purpose of this article is to describe the process of educating families and children with type 1 diabetes on real time continuous glucose monitoring (RT-CGM) and to note the similarities and differences of training patients using continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) versus multiple daily injections (MDI).

Methods A total of 30 CSII participants and 27 MDI participants were educated using the Navigator RT-CGM in a clinical trial. Time spent with families for visits and calls was tracked and compared between patient groups. The Diabetes Research in Children Network (DirecNet) educators were surveyed to assess the most crucial, time intensive, and difficult educational concepts related to CGM.

Results Of the 27 MDI families, an average of 9.6 hours was spent on protocol-prescribed visits and calls (not measured in CSII) and 2 hours on participant-initiated contacts over 3 months. MDI families required an average of 5.4 more phone contacts over 3 months than CSII families. According to the DirecNet educators, lag time and calibrations were the most crucial teaching concepts for successful RT-CGM use. The most time was spent on teaching technical aspects, troubleshooting, and insulin dosing. The most unanticipated difficulties were skin problems including irritation and the sensor not adhering well.

Conclusion Educators who teach RT-CGM should emphasize lag time and calibration techniques, technical device training, and sensor insertion. Follow-up focus should include insulin dosing adjustments and skin issues. The time and effort required to introduce RT-CGM provided an opportunity for the diabetes educators to reemphasize good diabetes care practices and promote self-awareness and autonomy to patients and families.
Psychometric Properties of an Instrument for Assessing Treatment Satisfaction Associated With Pramlintide Use
Authors: Rubin Richard R. , Peyrot Mark
Published: February 2009

Background The clinical benefits of any new treatment depend substantially on patient acceptance and treatment satisfaction, because only well-accepted treatments will be widely used. Thus, it is important to understand how patients experience a new treatment.

Objective This study assessed the psychometric properties of a questionnaire (PRAM-TSQ) designed to measure treatment satisfaction in patients using pramlintide (an analog of amylin, a glucoregulatory hormone co-secreted with insulin), which is designed to improve glucose control.

Methods Patients with diabetes completed the 14-item PRAM-TSQ at the end of 2 separate placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized clinical trials in which they added active or placebo pramlintide to their established insulin regimen. Factor analysis was used to assess item clustering for the PRAM-TSQ, and the Cronbach's α measure of inter-item agreement was used to assess scale reliability. PRAM-TSQ validity was assessed by comparing scores between treatment arms, and effect sizes were measured by the η statistic. Validity was also assessed by associations (Pearson correlations) between the PRAM-TSQ and clinical study outcomes (end of study values and during study changes in clinical measures: postprandial glucose [PPG], A1C, weight, and insulin requirements).

Results Scaling revealed 4 PRAM-TSQ components: Global Benefits, Specific Benefits, Absence of Side Effects, Treatment Preference. The total composite PRAM-TSQ had good reliability in both studies (type 1 α = .93; type 2 α = .94); subscale reliabilities ranged from .65 to 94. Composite scores differed for pramlintide-treated and placebo-treated patients (type 1 P < .01; type 2 P < .05), and were associated with lower PPG, weight, and insulin requirements (all P < .05). Results were similar for PRAM-TSQ subscales assessing Global Benefits and Treatment Preference; Specific Benefits subscale scores were associated with lower PPG and weight (all P < .05).

Conclusions The PRAM-TSQ shows evidence of being a valid, reliable instrument for assessing treatment satisfaction in patients using pramlintide. The subscales are comprehensive and sensitive to the known potential effects of pramlintide treatment. Diabetes educators can use patient responses to the PRAM-TSQ to facilitate treatment adherence by reminding patients of treatment benefits they experience and by helping patients overcome negative effects they report.
`Let's Talk about Europe'
Authors: Brüggemann Michael , Kleinen-von Königslöw Katharina
Published: February 2009

■ This article contributes to the ongoing quest for a European public sphere understood as a structural transformation of national public debates. This process of Europeanization of national public spheres has a vertical and a horizontal dimension: an increased focus on the EU as well as more attention to other European countries. A content analysis of quality newspapers in five EU member states covering a period of 20 years reveals common trends across different countries but no convergence over time. Four different patterns of Europeanization can be identified: comprehensive Europeanization, segmented Europeanization, Europeanization aloof from the EU and a parochial public sphere. This article pushes research in this area ahead by identifying and testing factors that explain these differences in newspaper coverage. In-depth case analysis as well as regression analysis show that the editorial mission of a newspaper and the size of the member state it is situated in have a significant effect on patterns of Europeanization. Contrary to common expectations, the number of correspondents in Brussels and the degree of popular identification with Europe did not significantly affect patterns of Europeanization. ■
Research Note: Breaking into the Popular Record Industry
Authors: Zwaan Koos , ter Bogt Tom F.M.
Published: February 2009

■ This study focuses on the career entry and development of professional musicians in the Netherlands. Ten artist and repertoire (A&R) managers, key decision-makers in the selection process at the input side of the record industry, were interviewed to investigate the essential characteristics a musician requires to become a successful professional. In addition, the practices and criteria applied in the A&R manager's selection process were discussed. Based on these interviews, a number of background, personality and contextual factors influencing career success were identified. The musician's social environment should be supportive but critical, while likeability, perfectionism, motivation, insecurity and self-criticism were said to be key personality traits to become successful. For A&R managers, the most important source for finding out about new talent is their professional network. The main criteria for selection are the musician's skills, quality of their music and live performance, and the perceived possibility to sell their music and attract media exposure. The study's findings are consistent with earlier research on the American and British record industry practices, indicating that such practices in the record industry are persistent over time, and that they are similar in other, smaller European music markets.
Memories for the Future
Authors: Lentin Ronit
Published: February 2009

Memory studies represent one of the latest `turns' in the social sciences since the 1980s, following the linguistic, narrative and cultural turns. Memory of catastrophe has become not merely a currency of our liquid modernity's `confessional culture', it is also becoming an increasingly valid social sciences theme, no longer the exclusive realm of historians and psychologists. The insight that traumatic memories take up to one generation to surface — due to survivors (and perpetrators) being silenced and silencing themselves, and due to histories mostly being written by the victors — is not only psychoanalytic but is also taken on board by a new generation of social scientists. In the aftermath of the World Wars, the Holocaust and also the Palestinian Nakba, they have increasingly been studying the complex implications of the construction of memory as a collective political artefact. This review article surveys two new collections which make memory their focus — one, by Ahmad Sa'di and Lila Abu-Lughod, focusing on the memory of the Palestinian Nakba, and the other, by Judith Gerson and Diane Wolf, focusing on the sociological aspects and legacy of the memory of the Holocaust.
Performance of a full-scale biofilter with peat and ash as a medium for treating industrial landfill leachate: a 3-year study of pollutant removal efficiency
Authors: Kängsepp Pille , Mathiasson Lennart
Published: February 2009

Shredder residues of end-of-life vehicles and white goods are a complex waste stream, which nowadays most often is disposed of at industrial landfills. This paper describes the most important findings concerning the complex composition of the landfill leachate and its on-site, year-round treatment under cold-climate conditions. A 3-year investigation has confirmed that concentrations of different types of pollutants, most of them at low initial concentrations, can be simultaneously reduced in vertical-flow biofilters consisting of a mixture of peat and carbon-containing ash. For metals such as Mn, Cu, Sn, Cd, Pb, Fe and Ni the average removal was 73, 72, 66, 60, 55, 55 and 37%, respectively. An average reduction of NH4-N (45%), Ntot (25%), total organic carbon (30%), dissolved organic carbon (28%) and suspended solids (38%) was also obtained. A good reduction was achieved for phenols (between 75 and 95%), polychlorinated biphenyls (between 22 and 99%), and gas chromatography—mass spectrometry amenable pollutants, considered at initial concentration above 50 µg L —1 (between 80 and 100%). The performance of the biofilter system was good in spite of large variations of inlet concentration during the considered period.
Co-composting of poultry manure with low quantities of carbon-rich materials
Authors: Silva Maria E. , Lemos Luis T. , Cunha-Queda A. Cristina , Nunes Olga C.
Published: February 2009

To study the feasibility of co-composting poultry manure with low quantities of high-value, carbon-rich materials experiments to characterize three pilot-scale piles were carried out. The piles comprised poultry manure (pile 1), poultry manure and straw (pile 2) and poultry manure and sawdust (pile 3), using wood chips as bulking agent. Pile 1 presented the highest losses of organic matter and nitrogen contents (≥ 92.9% and 92.0%, respectively). Although a thermophilic phase (temperature > 40 °C) was not verified for this pile, the final compost was stable (class IV) and free of pathogen indicator micro-organisms but it was the most phytotoxic, and presented a humic and fulvic acids ratio (HA/FA) that was less than 1. In contrast, piles 2 and 3 sustained thermophilic phases and produced stable (class V) and mature (HA/FA > 1) composts. Pile 2 showed the lowest loss in nitrogen content (88.9%) and produced the final compost with the highest C/N ratio (14.7) and the lowest value of electrical conductivity (3.9 mS cm—1). This study showed that it is possible to reduce the costs of poultry manure composting, namely the costs associated with the use of carbon-rich materials, given that the final co-composts presented parameters within the range of those recommended by the Second Draft Proposal for compost quality.
Psychometric Properties of the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment in a Head Start Sample
Authors: Lien My T. , Carlson John S.
Published: February 2009

Effective and efficient methods are needed for identifying children who are at risk for later social—emotional challenges. Internal consistencies on the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA) within this sample (N = 1208) are comparable to the DECA standardization sample. Mean t scores and standard deviations on the behavior concerns subscale are significantly higher, t(1,292) = 2.71, p = .007, than the DECA community sample, t = 55.70, but significantly lower than the DECA identified sample. Total Protective Factors scale scores are inversely related to Behavior Concerns scale scores. The same three protective factors structure exists in the Head Start sample; however, there are differences in item loadings when compared to the DECA standardization sample. Overall, the psychometric properties of the DECA for this Head Start sample provide additional support for its inclusion within the mental health services provided to Head Start populations.
Impact of Test-Taking Behaviors on Full-Scale IQ Scores From the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—IV Spanish Edition
Authors: Oakland Thomas , Harris Josette G.
Published: February 2009

Research on children’s counterproductive test behavior supports a three-factor model for behaviors: inattentiveness, avoidance, and uncooperative mood. In this study, test behaviors measured by the Guide to the Assessment of Test Session Behaviors (GATSB) are rated on a sample of 110 Hispanic Spanish-speaking children included in the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—IV (WISC-IV) Spanish standardization to further understand the relationship of test behavior to test performance in Spanish-speaking children tested in their native language. GATSB scores generally are within the average range. Correlations between WISC-IV Spanish Full-Scale IQ and GATSB Total Score are significant for the total group, females and males, and ages 13-16 but not for ages 6-8 or 9-12. The amount of variance accounted for by the GATSB score is substantially less than in prior studies of Hispanic children tested in English with the WISC-III. Possible reasons for these discrepant findings are discussed.
Determination of the Smoke Layer Interface Height for Hot Smoke Tests in Big Halls
Authors: Chow W.K.
Published: February 2009

Hot smoke tests are required to carry out in the site of tall halls in the Far East including Hong Kong and Taiwan. The objective is to evaluate the performance of smoke exhaust systems. In the field tests, it is difficult to determine the smoke layer interface height, especially in those tall halls with irregular shapes. A common practice is to measure the vertical temperature profile at distance away from the test fire. The position with sharp changes of vertical temperature is taken as the hot air layer interface. In addition, the N-percentage rule on the measured vertical temperature profile was also applied. There are arguments on determining the percentage N. This point will be studied in this article based on hot smoke test results in five atriums of height up to 33 m. In the field tests, a 2 MW methanol pool fire was approved to generate heat. Smoke guns were used to generate tracers for observing the smoke layer. A thermocouple tree was placed at distance away from the test fire. Visual observations of smoke layer would be compared with the positions giving sharp changes in vertical temperature profile. The N-percentage rule was also applied to determine the smoke layer interface height based on the measured vertical temperature profiles. Values of N varied from 10, 15, and 20%. In this way, elevation of the hot air layer interface can be determined even when a clear smoke layer is not observed.
Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneuropathy, in an 8-Year-Old Girl, Complicated by Deafness and Kidney Fibrosis
Authors: Stojanovic Vesna D. , Doronjski Aleksandra R. , Spasojevic Slobodan D. , Pavlovic Vesna S. , Nikolic Marko M. , Kovacevic Branka B.
Published: February 2009

Based on case history and clinical and electrophysiological examinations, the authors report on a case of an 8-year-old girl who was diagnosed with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy. The disease was complicated by deafness and kidney fibrosis. During treatment with methylprednisolone and intravenous immunoglobulin, followed by mycophenolate mofetil, prompt improvement of neurological findings occurred. The improvement of hearing was poor. Because the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy has still not been clear, and on the grounds of several cases of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy conjoined with the kidney disease described in literature (glomerulopathy, interstitial nephritis), every patient with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy needs to undergo the urinalyses.
Safety evaluation of the aqueous extract of Leonotis leonurus shoots in rats
Authors: Maphosa V , Masika PJ , Adedapo AA
Published: February 2009

The aqueous extract from Leonotis leonurus (L) R.Br. (Lamiaceae) shoots was evaluated in female rats for its acute, sub acute, and chronic toxicity together with hematological, biochemical, and histopathological changes. In the acute toxicity test, the extract caused death in animals receiving 3200 mg/kg dose. The extract also caused significant ( P < 0.05) changes in red blood cells, packed cell volume, hemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular volume, platelets, white blood cells and its differentials at doses of 1600 mg/kg in sub-acute toxicity and in as low as 200 mg/kg in chronic toxicity. In biochemical parameters, the extract caused a significant ( P < 0.05) decrease in the levels of urea and creatinine at 1600 mg/kg dose and a significant ( P < 0.05) reduction in urea, total bilirubin, total protein, albumin, globulin, glutamine transference gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and alanine transminase in the 400 mg/kg dose in chronic toxicity. Changes were also noted in body weights, but no significant changes were observed in the levels of electrolytes (sodium, potassium, and chloride). Clinico-pathologically, starry hair coat, respiratory distress, and mortality were recorded. The extract also caused various histopathological changes in the organs. The study concluded that farmers need to exercise caution in the use of the plant for medicinal purposes.
A preliminary survey of mycological and fumonisin and aflatoxin contamination of African traditional herbal medicines sold in South Africa
Authors: Katerere DR , Stockenström S , Thembo KM , Rheeder JP , Shephard GS , Vismer HF
Published: February 2009

Traditional medicine is an important aspect of healthcare delivery in South Africa and is used by at least 70% of the country’s population. The trade in medicinal plants is a multi-million rand business which is a major driver for rural economies. However, the conditions in which these plant products are transported and stored make them prone to fungal contamination which results in economic losses to the traders and pose potential health hazards to consumers. Of major concern is the possible presence of toxigenic fungi and mycotoxins. This study assessed fungal and mycotoxin contamination of African herbal products sold in Cape Town and Tshwane (formerly Pretoria) in South Africa. Of the 16 samples analyzed, 15 were contaminated with at least one of these three fungal genera: Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium. Fumonisin B1 was present in 13 of the samples in quantities ranging from 14 to 139 μg/kg (detection limit 5 μg/kg). None of the samples was contaminated with aflatoxigenic fungi or aflatoxin (detection limit 0.5 μg/kg). This is the first study to report on mycological and mycotoxin contamination of commercial traditional African medicines in South Africa. There is a need to expand the study to other urban centers to gain enough insight into this problem and then to intervene with measures that can protect the public from potential harm.
The ability of Warburgia salutaris extracts to protect against crystalline silica-induced cell injury
Authors: Leshwedi M , Steenkamp V , Dutton M , Gulumian M
Published: February 2009

In Southern Africa, the medicinal plant Warburgia salutaris is commonly used for the treatment of inflammatory and other diseases. The methanol extracts of W. salutaris were investigated with regard to a) production of proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, and interferon-γ; b) activation of the transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B; and c) induction of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage and lipid peroxidation in the presence of crystalline silica particles. Due to its antioxidant properties, extracts of W. salutaris showed protective effects against crystalline silica-induced inflammatory cytokine expression, activation of nuclear transcription factor-κB, DNA strand breakage, and lipid peroxidation. Hence, W. salutaris may be a potential therapeutic agent against the fibrogenic and carcinogenic effects of crystalline silica.
MEMPHIS: New Framework for Realistic Virtual Engineering
Authors: Sang Su Choi  , Herter Johannes , Bruening Andreas , Sang Do Noh
Published: February 2009

In the manufacturing industry, they are using various concepts and solutions in order to reduce time and costs in the product development. This article introduces an approach that enables Virtual Engineering and links engineering applications with Virtual Reality (VR) solutions. Thus an environment is provided to implement virtual design reviews and enable the application of virtual prototyping methods. Middleware for Exchanging Machinery and Product Data in Highly Immersive Systems (MEMPHIS) enables interoperability between the IT infrastructure for engineering and VR applications to interconnect existing information and extend that knowledge to a VR application. MEMPHIS provides several interfaces for integrating commercial Product Lifecycle Management applications and provides enriched VR data in standard formats. Interoperability and enriched VR information during product development can reduce the Time to Market. Development/ manufacturing costs are reduced by avoiding geometrical defects and errors in product design, product assembly, and usability through simulation of product production processes. Productivity can be increased by providing an environment for collaboration where there is convenient and transparent access to the information required for the manufacturing process.
A Modular Decision-centric Approach for Reusable Design Processes
Authors: Panchal Jitesh H. , Gero Fernández Marco , Paredis Christiaan J. J. , Allen Janet K. , Mistree Farrokh
Published: February 2009

The reusability of design processes modeled in existing Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) frameworks has been limited to the level of flow charts or activity-based diagrams that serve as planning and organizational aids. Current simulation-based design frameworks provide limited support for reuse of design processes at a level where design processes are networks of computational operations, specifically the capabilities to reuse (a) design processes for different products, and (b) collaborative design strategies. In this article, we address these limitations by providing a modeling approach for simulation-based design processes so that they can be archived in a generic modular fashion and reused for collaborative design of different products. The proposed approach is based on four foundations: (a) modeling design processes as hierarchical systems, (b) separation of declarative and procedural information, (c) modeling design processes as decision-centric activities, and (d) modeling interactions between decision makers using game theoretic protocols. These four fundamentals of the approach are instantiated in the form of generic computational templates for products, processes, decisions, and pertinent interfaces. The approach is illustrated using a proof of concept implementation in ModelCenter. The implementation is validated by showing the reusability of design processes for two different products, a spring and a pressure vessel, in individual and collaborative design scenarios. The approach has potential for supporting reusability of broader PLM processes.
Political Distrust and Conservative Voting in Ballot Measure Elections
Authors: Dyck Joshua J.
Published: February 2009

Over the past thirty years, the cumulative effects of direct democracy have served to decrease both levels of taxation and spending in the American states. Yet conservative budgetary policy measures passed during this time period were likely to occur in liberal states. Using data on over thirty separate ballot issues, the author offers a solution to this puzzle, demonstrating that distrusting government serves as a consistently robust predictor of conservative policy choice. The implication of this finding is that citizens often choose conservative policy outcomes because they believe that government is functionally incapable of giving them what they want.
Dose-dependent Effect of Rosuvastatin Treatment on HDL-subfraction Phenotype in Patients With Primary Hyperlipidemia
Authors: Kostapanos Michael S. , Milionis Haralampos J. , Filippatos Theodosios D. , Christogiannis Leonidas G. , Bairaktari Eleni T. , Tselepis Alexandros D. , Elisaf Moses S.
Published: February 2009

Although the raising effect of rosuvastatin on high-density lipoprotein cholesterol is well-established, there is a paucity of data regarding the effect of this statin on the high-density lipoprotein subfraction phenotype. A total of 150 participants without evidence of cardiovascular disease were randomized to therapeutic lifestyle modification (nonstatin-treated group) or to therapeutic lifestyle modification plus rosuvastatin at 10 mg/d (RSV10 group) or 20 mg/d (RSV20 group). We assessed the effect of rosuvastatin on the cholesterol mass of high-density lipoprotein subfractions at baseline as well as after 12 weeks post-treatment. Rosuvastatin treatment dose-dependently increased the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (3.4% vs 5.3% in the RSV10 and RSV20 groups, respectively, P = .02). A dose-related rosuvastatin-induced increase in the cholesterol concentration of large high-density lipoprotein particles was also noted (by 11.4% in RSV10 group vs 22.0% in the RSV20 group, P = .01). Rosuvastatin treatment increases the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol by increasing the cholesterol mass only of the larger high-density lipoprotein particles in a dose-dependent manner.
Opening Doors: Poetic Representation of the Sport Experiences of Men With Severe Mental Health Difficulties
Authors: Carless David , Douglas Kitrina
Published: February 2009

We present here a series of poetic representations that stem from our research into the sport and exercise experiences of men with severe mental health difficulties. Relying exclusively on scientific or realist tales risks omitting or misrepresenting participants’ sometimes “messy” stories. By allowing space for these stories, which may not be considered “good stories” in terms of traditional narrative criteria of content, form, coherence, or plot, poetic approaches can contribute to a richer and more complex understanding of others’ lives. The first poem was written in response to our experiences of doing qualitative research in the context of a rehabilitation day center for people with severe mental health difficulties. We created the subsequent poems, using only the participants’ own words, as a way to further explore and represent their experiences of, and responses to, a golf activity group that was offered within the context the day center.
Current Perioperative Management of the Patient With a Cardiac Rhythm Management Device
Authors: Stone Marc E. , Apinis Andrey
Published: February 2009

The safe and effective perioperative management of the patient with a cardiac rhythm management device (ie, pacemaker and/or implantable cardioverter defibrillator) is based entirely on the avoidance of adverse outcomes, including damage to the device, the leads, or the site of lead implantation that might prevent the device from functioning as intended. An important management principle is the potential reprogramming of such a device in the perioperative period to avoid transient interruption of device function or the delivery of inappropriate electrophysiological therapy (eg, unnecessary defibrillation or pacing). Given the large numbers of patients worldwide currently implanted with these devices, the anesthesia practitioner should become electively familiar with the current technology. This article describes the current status of cardiac rhythm management devices and discusses recommended perioperative management.