bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Commentary on Fitzpatrick and Colleagues (2012): Forecasting the Effect of the Amethyst Initiative on College Drinking
Authors: Voas Robert B. , Fell James C.
Published: July 2012

Background

There is considerable evidence that heavy episodic drinking (HED) is a serious problem among college students. Concern with this problem has led 135 college presidents to endorse the Amethyst Initiative, which promotes the lowering of the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) from 21 to 18. The Amethyst Initiative claims that the current MLDA of 21 encourages underage college students to drink in unsupervised locations where they adopt misconceptions regarding the normative level of student drinking that leads to excessive consumption or HED. The study by Fitzpatrick and colleagues (2012) in this issue challenges this hypothesis by contrasting the potential reduction in misapprehension of the drinking norm against the increase in consumption that would be expected if the MLDA was lowered to 18.

Methods

This commentary places the Fitzpatrick study within the larger context of the MLDA, noting that full consideration of the lowering the MLDA requires the inclusion of 18‐ to 20‐year‐old noncollege youths in the work force and 15‐ to 17‐year‐old high school students who will have increased access to alcohol through their 18‐year‐old peers.

Results

Research suggests that alcohol consumption and its associated problems will increase for 15‐ to 20‐year‐olds if the MLDA was lowered. This commentary also identifies alternative strategies for reducing college student HED that do not require lowering the MLDA.

Conclusions

Although college binge drinking is a significant problem, reducing the drinking age is unlikely to be effective. Instead, it will increase the risk of alcohol problems faced by even younger high school students.
The influence of adverse reactions, subjective distress, and anxiety on retention of first‐time blood donors
Authors: van Dongen Anne , Abraham Charles , Ruiter Robert A.C. , Veldhuizen Ingrid J.T.
Published: July 2012

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the effects of adverse events (i.e., needle reactions, fatigue, and vasovagal reactions) and feelings of distress and anxiety on retention of first‐time blood donors. All effects were explored separately for men and women.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: First‐time blood donors (n = 2438) received a questionnaire, asking them about their experience of adverse events, subjective distress, and anxiety at their first donation. Provision of a second donation was checked approximately 18 months later. After exclusion of nonresponders and donors who did not experience an adverse event, 1278 first‐time donors were included in the logistic regression analyses.

RESULTS: Nine percent of donors who experienced an adverse event at their first donation did not return for a second donation. Vasovagal reactions decreased retention in both males and females (men—odds ratio [OR], 0.45; 95% CI, 0.23‐0.89; women—OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.51‐0.98). Fatigue decreased retention in males only (OR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.42‐0.91), and subjective distress decreased retention in females only (OR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.65‐0.92).

CONCLUSION: In addition to decreasing vasovagal reactions, retention interventions could productively target coping with fatigue and reducing subjective distress after adverse reactions.
Infrequent Housing Adjustment, Limited Participation, and Monetary Policy
Authors: GHENT ANDRA
Published: July 2012

This paper asks why monetary contractions have strong effects on the housing market. The paper presents a model with staggered housing adjustment in which monetary policy has real effects in the absence of any rigidity in producer pricing or wages. Limited participation in financial markets leads to a rise in the real mortgage rate following an increase in the nominal short rate. Since households must take on a mortgage to consume housing, the rise in the real interest rate reduces the share of residential investment in output.
Credit Relationships: Evidence from Experiments with Real Bankers
Authors: CORNÉE SIMON , MASCLET DAVID , THENET GERVAIS
Published: July 2012

We experimentally examine to what extent long‐term “lender–borrower” relationships mitigate moral hazard. The originality of our research lies in recruiting not only students but also commercial and social bankers. The opportunity to engage in bilateral long‐term relationships mitigates the repayment problem. Lenders take advantage of their long‐term situation by increasing their rates. Consequently, borrowers are incited to take more risk. Improving information disclosure ameliorates the repayment but does not incite lenders to offer more credits. Social bankers exhibit a higher probability of granting a loan and make fairer credit offers to borrowers than the other subject pools do.
Markups and the Welfare Cost of Business Cycles: A Reappraisal
Authors: HAIRAULT JEAN‐OLIVIER , LANGOT FRANÇOIS
Published: July 2012

Gali, Gertler, and Lopez‐Salido (2007) recently show quantitatively that fluctuations in the efficiency of resource allocation do not generate sizable welfare costs. In their economy, which is distorted by monopolistic competition in the steady state, we show that they underestimate the welfare cost of these fluctuations by ignoring the negative effect of aggregate volatility on average consumption and leisure. As monopolistic suppliers, both firms and workers aim to preserve their expected markups; the interaction between aggregate fluctuations and price‐setting behavior results in average consumption and employment levels that are lower than their counterparts in the flexible‐price economy. This level effect increases the efficiency cost of business cycles. It is all the more sizable with the degree of inefficiency in the steady state, lower labor–supply elasticities, and when prices instead of wages are rigid.
Estimating Propensity Scores and Causal Survival Functions Using Prevalent Survival Data
Authors: Cheng Yu‐Jen , Wang Mei‐Cheng
Published: July 2012

SummaryThis article develops semiparametric approaches for estimation of propensity scores and causal survival functions from prevalent survival data. The analytical problem arises when the prevalent sampling is adopted for collecting failure times and, as a result, the covariates are incompletely observed due to their association with failure time. The proposed procedure for estimating propensity scores shares interesting features similar to the likelihood formulation in case‐control study, but in our case it requires additional consideration in the intercept term. The result shows that the corrected propensity scores in logistic regression setting can be obtained through standard estimation procedure with specific adjustments on the intercept term. For causal estimation, two different types of missing sources are encountered in our model: one can be explained by potential outcome framework; the other is caused by the prevalent sampling scheme. Statistical analysis without adjusting bias from both sources of missingness will lead to biased results in causal inference. The proposed methods were partly motivated by and applied to the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)‐Medicare linked data for women diagnosed with breast cancer.
Giant benign lymphangioendothelioma
Authors: Revelles Juan M. , Díaz Jose L. , Angulo Jorge , Santonja Carlos , Kutzner Heinz , Requena Luis
Published: July 2012

Benign lymphangioendothelioma is a rare locally infiltrative vascular neoplasm, presenting as a slow‐growing, asymptomatic, reddish‐violaceous plaque. Histopathologically, it is characterized by irregular and thin‐walled vascular spaces, lined by a single and discontinuous layer of flat endothelial cells, dissecting dermal collagen bundles. We present the case of a 75‐year‐old man with a giant benign lymphangioendothelioma, to our knowledge, the largest example described in the literature. The immunohistochemical expression of Wilms tumor 1 gene is useful in vascular lesions to differentiate malformations from proliferative endothelial lesions. In our case, the positivity for WT1 supports the neoplastic nature of this lesion.
Butyrate induces reactive oxygen species production and affects cell cycle progression in human gingival fibroblasts
Authors: Chang M.‐C. , Tsai Y.‐L. , Chen Y.‐W. , Chan C.‐P. , Huang C.‐F. , Lan W.‐C. , Lin C.‐C. , Lan W.‐H. , Jeng J.‐H.
Published: July 2012

Background and Objective:  Short‐chain fatty acids, such as butyric acid and propionic acid, are metabolic by‐products generated by periodontal microflora such as Porphyromonas gingivalis, and contribute to the pathogenesis of periodontitis. However, the effects of butyrate on the biological activities of gingival fibroblasts (GFs) are not well elucidated.

Material and Methods:  Human GFs were exposed to various concentrations of butyrate (0.5–16 mm) for 24 h. Viable cells that excluded trypan blue were counted. Cell cycle distribution of GFs was analyzed by propidium iodide‐staining flow cytometry. Cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was measured by flow cytometry using 2’,7’‐dichlorofluorescein (DCF). Total RNA and protein lysates were isolated and subjected to RT‐PCR using specific primers or to western blotting using specific antibodies, respectively.

Results:  Butyrate inhibited the growth of GFs, as indicated by a decrease in the number of viable cells. This event was associated with an induction of G0/G1 and G2/M cell cycle arrest by butyrate (4–16 mm) in GFs. However, no marked apoptosis of GFs was noted in this experimental condition. Butyrate (> 2 mm) inhibited the expression of cdc2, cdc25C and cyclinB1 mRNAs and reduced the levels of Cdc2, Cdc25C and cyclinB1 proteins in GFs, as determined using RT‐PCR and western blotting, respectively. This toxic effect of butyrate was associated with the production of ROS.

Conclusion:  These results suggest that butyrate generated by periodontal pathogens may be involved in the pathogenesis of periodontal diseases via the induction of ROS production and the impairment of cell growth, cell cycle progression and expression of cell cycle‐related genes in GFs. These events are important in the initiation and prolongation of inflammatory processes in periodontal diseases.
Malaria Parasite Signal Peptide Peptidase is an ER‐Resident Protease Required for Growth but not for Invasion
Authors: Marapana Danushka S. , Wilson Danny W. , Zuccala Elizabeth S. , Dekiwadia Chaitali D. , Beeson James G. , Ralph Stuart A. , Baum Jake
Published: July 2012

The establishment of parasite infection within the human erythrocyte is an essential stage in the development of malaria disease. As such, significant interest has focused on the mechanics that underpin invasion and on characterization of parasite molecules involved. Previous evidence has implicated a presenilin‐like signal peptide peptidase (SPP) from the most virulent human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, in the process of invasion where it has been proposed to function in the cleavage of the erythrocyte cytoskeletal protein Band 3. The role of a traditionally endoplasmic reticulum (ER) protease in the process of red blood cell invasion is unexpected. Here, using a combination of molecular, cellular and chemical approaches we provide evidence that PfSPP is, instead, a bona fide ER‐resident peptidase that remains intracellular throughout the invasion process. Furthermore, SPP‐specific drug inhibition has no effect on erythrocyte invasion whilst having low micromolar potency against intra‐erythrocytic development. Contrary to previous reports, these results show that PfSPP plays no role in erythrocyte invasion. Nonetheless, PfSPP clearly represents a potential chemotherapeutic target to block parasite growth, supporting ongoing efforts to develop antimalarial‐targeting protein maturation and trafficking during intra‐erythrocytic development.
Treatment satisfaction and health status in patients with systemic sclerosis
Authors: Rehberger Philipp , Müller Hannah , Günther Claudia , Schmitt Jochen
Published: July 2012

Background: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare connective tissue disease. Few data are available on treatment satisfaction, determinants of quality of life, and the health status of dermatology patients with SSc.

Patients and methods: Cross‐sectional study based on 72 consecutive dermatological patients with SSc. Objective clinical data were collected with a physician's questionnaire and subjective data were collected with a patients’ questionnaire on disease characteristics, treatment satisfaction, quality of life, depressive symptoms, and Antonovsky's sense of coherence (SOC). We also tested the significance of possible determinants of treatment satisfaction.

Results: Treatment satisfaction was 72.0 (± 22.2; VAS 1–100). The assessment of professional competence of the treating physician was the most important determinant of treatment satisfaction and was independent of the patient's age and sex. The assessment of physician empathy, information about the disease, and the patient's own evaluation of the severity of disease were also associated with treatment satisfaction. The mean health‐related quality of life (QoL; EQ‐5D) was 0.74 (± 0.28) and the mean SOC was 72.6 (± 10.6). 58 % of patients reported moderate to severe pain and 13 % were treated for pain symptoms. In 69 % there was evidence of probable depression (CES‐D $ 22); 8 % were on antidepressants.

Conclusions: Treatment satisfaction was average and correlated especially with the sense of professional competence of the treating physician. In SSc patients, a diminished health‐related quality of life as well as pain and evidence of depression are common and seem to be inadequately treated. However, the SOC indicates a lower general vulnerability. In the future, screening for pain and symptoms of depression should part of routine practice in SSc patients and, if necessary, interdisciplinary care should be initiated.
Langerhans cell histiocytosis in children born 1982–2005 after in vitro fertilization
Authors: Åkefeldt Selma O , Finnström Orvar , Gavhed Désirée , Henter Jan‐Inge
Published: July 2012

Aim:  In a recent Swedish study, comparing data from the Swedish Cancer Register with the Medical Birth Register including data on IVF, an increased risk of Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) was found in children born 1982–2005 after IVF. Here, we aimed to verify the LCH diagnoses and examine whether any special forms of the disease were overrepresented in this population.

Methods:  Medical records for all children with LCH conceived by IVF were acquired and the diagnosis confirmed or discarded. Disease characteristics were compared with data from children diagnosed with LCH 1992–2001 in the Stockholm County.

Results:  We verified LCH in seven children born after IVF, all born prior to 2002. These children did not have milder disease forms. The odds ratio (OR) to develop LCH for the whole group born after IVF was 3.2 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.4–7.3] and for children born before 2002, 5.2 [95% CI, 2.3–11.9], compared with children in Stockholm County 1992–2001.

Conclusion:  LCH was overrepresented in children born after IVF prior to 2002. Affected children did not have milder disease forms. These findings may be valuable to understand LCH aetiology. Additional studies on a putative correlation between IVF and LCH in the offspring are encouraged.
Contrasting reproductive traits in two species of mangrove‐dwelling littorinid snails in a seasonal tropical habitat
Authors: Ng Terence P. T. , Williams Gray A.
Published: July 2012

Previous studies on the reproductive biology of littorinid snails have focused on rocky shore species, investigating how these gastropods can achieve maximal reproductive success, as well as on processes of sexual selection. This study documented differences in the reproductive traits of two mangrove‐dwelling littorinids,Littoraria ardouinianaandL. melanostoma,inHongKong. Reproductive activity of both species was most intense during the summer months. Mating pairs of the two species generally occurred in the tree canopies. Few false mating pairs (same sex or heterospecific pairs: <10%) were recorded, and members of both species showed size‐assortative mating.Littoraria ardouinianahad a shorter reproductive season but a higher intensity of mating and higher seasonal fecundity, than didL. melanostoma. Members of both species showed bi‐lunar periodicities of egg or larval release, synchronized with spring tides. Fecundity showed a strong positive relationship with body size inL. ardouiniana,but not inL. melanostoma. Females ofL. ardouinianareleased entire broods of larvae in a single brief event, whereas females ofL. melanostomareleased fewer eggs over 1–8 d. Release of larvae inL. ardouinianainvolved a series of short bursts and was much faster than the trickle release of eggs inL. melanostoma. The contrasting reproductive traits in these two species represent different strategies to optimize reproductive success in mangrove habitats.
Constraining stellar assembly and active galactic nucleus feedback at the peak epoch of star formation
Authors: Kimm T. , Kaviraj S. , Devriendt J. E. G. , Cohen S. H. , Windhorst R. A. , Dubois Y. , Slyz A. , Hathi N. P. , Ryan R. E. , O'Connell R. W. , Dopita M. A. , Silk J.
Published: July 2012

We study stellar assembly and feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGN) around the epoch of peak star formation (1 ≲ z ≲ 2), by comparing hydrodynamic simulations to rest-frame UV-optical galaxy colours from the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) Early Release Science (ERS) programme. Our adaptive mesh refinement simulations include metal-dependent radiative cooling, star formation, kinetic outflows due to supernova explosions and feedback from supermassive black holes. Our model assumes that when gas accretes on to black holes, a fraction of the energy is used to form either thermal winds or subrelativistic momentum-imparting collimated jets, depending on the accretion rate. We find that the predicted rest-frame UV-optical colours of galaxies in the model that includes AGN feedback are in broad agreement with the observed colours of the WFC3 ERS sample at 1 ≲ z ≲ 2. The predicted number of massive galaxies also matches well with observations in this redshift range. However, the massive galaxies are predicted to show higher levels of residual star formation activity than the observational estimates, suggesting the need for further suppression of star formation without significantly altering the stellar mass function. We discuss possible improvements, involving faster stellar assembly through enhanced star formation during galaxy mergers while star formation at the peak epoch is still modulated by the AGN feedback.
ANTIQUORUM SENSING AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF NATURAL AGENTS WITH POTENTIAL USE IN FOOD
Authors: ALVAREZ MARíA V. , MOREIRA MARíA R. , PONCE ALEJANDRA
Published: July 2012

Quorum sensing (QS) is a bacterial communication mechanism that depends on population density. QS inhibitory activity of four bioactive agents and two essential oils was evaluated using the bacteria model Chromobacterium violaceum. On the other hand, antimicrobial activity was tested using two foodborne pathogens, Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli. Agents were able to inhibit the violacein production, being tea tree and rosemary more effective than propolis and pollen, and resveratrol more effective than pomegranate. Tea tree and rosemary essential oils, applied at 0.5 μL/mL, reduced violacein production by more than 80%. In order to evaluate whether the inhibition of violacein production owed to the microbial growth reduction or acylated homoserine lactone inhibition, the antimicrobial activity was analyzed using C. violaceum as indicator. None of the tested agents showed antimicrobial activity at the minimal QS inhibitory concentration. Agents showed varying degrees of antibacterial activity against pathogens. Tea tree and rosemary resulted more effective than the others. These essential oils showed bacteriostatic effect on pathogen counts at low concentrations (0.5–1 μL/mL). When they were applied at concentrations higher than 2 μL/mL, bactericidal effect was observed against E. coli and L. monocytogenes. These findings strongly suggest that these agents have potential to be good preservatives because of anti‐QS capacity and antimicrobial properties.

Practical Applications

Food spoilage is a complex process, and excessive amounts of foods are lost due to microbial spoilage even with modern day preservation techniques. Another problem related to public health is the contamination of foods with human pathogen microorganisms. Quorum sensing (QS) is a cell‐to‐cell communication mechanism by which bacterial population measures its cell density. Because many important animal and plant pathogens use QS to regulate virulence, the interruption of bacteria QS have broad applicability for biological control of disease‐causing organisms. It is considered a good strategy to reduce or prevent spoilage reaction in foods. In this work, we investigated antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogens and anti‐QS activity (using Chromobacterium violaceum) of some bioactive extracts and essential oils. The results obtained from this study indicate that agents tested could potentially be used as natural preservatives to prolong shelf life and ensure safety of foods.
Engagement in Environmental Behaviors Among Supply Chain Management Employees: An Organizational Support Theoretical Perspective
Authors: Cantor David E. , Morrow Paula C. , Montabon Frank
Published: July 2012

While environmental management is an important topic in supply chain management, there is little theoretical understanding of how firm practices (supervisory support, rewards, and training) relate to employee engagement in environmental behaviors. Drawing upon behavioral research literature, the purpose of our article is to use organizational support theory to develop a model of how employee perceptions of management practices influence employee engagement in environmental behaviors such as participating in environmental management activities, promoting environmental initiatives, and proposing innovative environmental practices. The theoretical model was evaluated using a sample of supply chain management employees employed by a major retailer and support was found for all of the hypothesized relationships except those entailing rewards. Study findings demonstrate the importance of employee perceptions in advancing employee‐level involvement in environmental behaviors and how organizations can modify their internal infrastructures to champion environmental behaviors through their effects on employee perceptions of support for the environment and commitment to the environment. Additionally, the research illustrates how an extant behavioral theory, organizational support theory, can profitably be modified and adopted to explain behavior in the field of supply chain management.
Experimental Study of the Effects of DNAPL Distribution on Mass Rebound
Authors: Wilking Bart T. , Rodriguez Derrick R. , Illangasekare Tissa H.
Published: July 2012

The release of stored dissolved contaminants from low permeability zones contributes to plume persistence beyond the time when dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) has completely dissolved. This is fundamental to successfully meeting acceptable low concentrations in groundwater that are driven by site‐specific cleanup goals. The study goals were to assess the role of DNAPL entrapment morphology on mass storage and plume longevity. As controlled field studies are not feasible, two‐dimensional (2D) test tanks were used to quantify the significance of mass loading processes from source dissolution and stored mass rebound. A simple two‐layer soil domain representing a high permeable formation sand overlying a zone of lower permeability sand was used in the tests. DNAPL mass depletion through dissolution was monitored via X‐ray photon attenuation, and effluent samples were used to monitor the plume. These data enabled analysis of the DNAPL distribution, the dissolved plume, and the dissolved phase distribution within the low permeability layer. Tests in an intermediate tank showed that mass storage contributes substantially to plume longevity. Detectable effluent concentrations persisted long after DNAPL depletion. The small tank results indicated that the DNAPL morphology influenced the flow field and caused distinctive transport mechanisms contributing to mass storage. Zones of high DNAPL saturation at the interface between the low and high permeability layers exhibited flow bypassing and diffusion dominated transport into the low permeability layer. In the absence of a highly saturated DNAPL zone near the soil interface the contaminant penetrated deeper into the low permeability layer caused by a combination of advection and diffusion.
Predicting Water Table Response to Rainfall Events, Central Florida
Authors: van Gaalen J.F. , Kruse S. , Lafrenz W.B. , Burroughs S.M.
Published: July 2012

A rise in water table in response to a rainfall event is a complex function of permeability, specific yield, antecedent soil‐water conditions, water table level, evapotranspiration, vegetation, lateral groundwater flow, and rainfall volume and intensity. Predictions of water table response, however, commonly assume a linear relationship between response and rainfall based on cumulative analysis of water level and rainfall logs. By identifying individual rainfall events and responses, we examine how the response/rainfall ratio varies as a function of antecedent water table level (stage) and rainfall event size. For wells in wetlands and uplands in central Florida, incorporating stage and event size improves forecasting of water table rise by more than 30%, based on 10 years of data. At the 11 sites studied, the water table is generally least responsive to rainfall at smallest and largest rainfall event sizes and at lower stages. At most sites the minimum amount of rainfall required to induce a rise in water table is fairly uniform when the water table is within 50 to 100 cm of land surface. Below this depth, the minimum typically gradually increases with depth. These observations can be qualitatively explained by unsaturated zone flow processes. Overall, response/rainfall ratios are higher in wetlands and lower in uplands, presumably reflecting lower specific yields and greater lateral influx in wetland sites. Pronounced depth variations in rainfall/response ratios appear to correlate with soil layer boundaries, where corroborating data are available.
Modeling Variably Saturated Subsurface Solute Transport with MODFLOW‐UZF and MT3DMS
Authors: Morway Eric D. , Niswonger Richard G. , Langevin Christian D. , Bailey Ryan T. , Healy Richard W.
Published: July 2012

The MT3DMS groundwater solute transport model was modified to simulate solute transport in the unsaturated zone by incorporating the unsaturated‐zone flow (UZF1) package developed for MODFLOW. The modified MT3DMS code uses a volume‐averaged approach in which Lagrangian‐based UZF1 fluid fluxes and storage changes are mapped onto a fixed grid. Referred to as UZF‐MT3DMS, the linked model was tested against published benchmarks solved analytically as well as against other published codes, most frequently the U.S. Geological Survey's Variably‐Saturated Two‐Dimensional Flow and Transport Model. Results from a suite of test cases demonstrate that the modified code accurately simulates solute advection, dispersion, and reaction in the unsaturated zone. Two‐ and three‐dimensional simulations also were investigated to ensure unsaturated‐saturated zone interaction was simulated correctly. Because the UZF1 solution is analytical, large‐scale flow and transport investigations can be performed free from the computational and data burdens required by numerical solutions to Richards' equation. Results demonstrate that significant simulation runtime savings can be achieved with UZF‐MT3DMS, an important development when hundreds or thousands of model runs are required during parameter estimation and uncertainty analysis. Three‐dimensional variably saturated flow and transport simulations revealed UZF‐MT3DMS to have runtimes that are less than one tenth of the time required by models that rely on Richards' equation. Given its accuracy and efficiency, and the wide‐spread use of both MODFLOW and MT3DMS, the added capability of unsaturated‐zone transport in this familiar modeling framework stands to benefit a broad user‐ship.
Enhanced chemiluminescence as an indicator of air pollution
Authors: Cartwright R.B. , Spindlow A.L. , Thorpe G.H.G.
Published: July 2012

Investigations were conducted to determine the pollution levels of air condensate and rain samples using the enhanced chemiluminescence (ECL) reaction. Air condensate samples were initially collected from roadside sites, non‐roadside sites, smoking‐exposed sites and non‐smoking‐exposed sites using an automatic dew collector. Rainwater was also collected throughout the sampling period. Samples were subsequently analysed using the ECL reaction, and pollution levels (Eclox Units) were calculated. Air condensate samples collected from roadside‐ and smoking‐exposed sites generally had higher pollution levels than those from non‐roadside‐ and non‐smoking‐exposed sites. Samples from both smoking‐exposed and traffic‐exposed sites generally had higher pollution levels than rainwater. Finally, in samples collected from roadside‐exposed sites and rainwater, the main polluting constituents were determined to be cationic/anionic components. In samples collected from smoking‐exposed sites, the main polluting constituents were determined to be organic components.
Geriatric screening in first opinion practice – results from 45 dogs
Authors: Davies M.
Published: July 2012

Objectives

To evaluate and report the results of screening geriatric dogs in a first opinion practice.

Methods

A prospective health screen of dogs over nine‐years‐old involving history taking, physical examination and urinalysis.

Results

At least one previously unrecognised problem was identified in 80% of 45 dogs and 353 findings (mean 7·8 per dog) were recorded. Owners often failed to recognise and report serious signs of age‐related disease. However, they most often reported increased sleeping (31%), loss of hearing (29%) or sight (20%), stiffness or lameness (22%) and “slowing down” (20%). Increased lens opacity (64%), increased thirst (58%), pain (24%), increased frequency of urination (24%), signs of osteoarthritis (24%) and dental disease (22%) were most frequently identified at the time of consultation. Potentially, life‐threatening findings included respiratory distress, palpable abdominal masses and metastatic lung disease. Screening resulted in 29 further diagnostic procedures, including 10 dental procedures, seven medical treatments, two surgical procedures and euthanasia of two dogs.

Clinical Significance

Screening elderly dogs identified unrecognised and unreported health risk factors resulting in lifestyle modification and ongoing monitoring, as well as signs of age‐related diseases resulting in diagnostic investigations, early diagnoses and surgical and medical interventions to improve quality of life.
Worker responses to HR practice in adult social care in England
Authors: Atkinson Carol , Lucas Rosemary
Published: July 2012

In this article, we consider care worker (CW) responses to enacted HR practices and CW attitudes in adult social care (ASC) in England. Our findings derive from a project that examined HR practices and comprised interviews with 18 managers and 58 CWs. We argue that both HR practice and employee attitudes are more robust than other research in this sector has suggested. Our contributions are threefold: first, we present the under‐reported CW perspective. Second, we contribute to understanding of HR practice in low‐wage sectors, research in ASC being limited despite increasing elsewhere in low‐wage sectors. Finally, we question the likely effectiveness of regulation in achieving its aims of enhancing labour supply and ensuring high quality care delivery.
Moving toward a generalizable application of central thalamic deep brain stimulation for support of forebrain arousal regulation in the severely injured brain
Authors: Schiff Nicholas D.
Published: July 2012

This review considers the challenges ahead for developing a generalizable strategy for the use of central thalamic deep brain stimulation (CT/DBS) to support arousal regulation mechanisms in the severely injured brain. Historical efforts to apply CT/DBS to patients with severe brain injuries and a proof‐of‐concept result from a single‐subject study are discussed. Circuit and cellular mechanisms underlying the recovery of consciousness are considered for their relevance to the application of CT/DBS, to improve consciousness and cognition in nonprogressive brain injuries. Finally, directions for development, and testing of generalizable criteria for CT/DBS are suggested, which aim to identify neuronal substrates and behavioral profiles that may optimally benefit from support of arousal regulation mechanisms.
Combination fibrinolytic therapy in the treatment of chronic septic pleuropneumonia in aThoroughbred gelding
Authors: Rendle DI , Armstrong SK , Hughes KJ
Published: July 2012

This report documents the treatment of a case of chronic pleuropneumonia in a 3‐year‐oldThoroughbred gelding. A recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (tenecteplase) and a recombinant deoxyribonucleic acidase (alphadornase) were infused into the pleural cavity as adjunctive therapy in the early stages of treatment. Instillation of fibrinolytic drugs was associated with a subjective reduction in the amount of fibrin deposition and decreased fluid accumulation within the pleural cavities. Fibrinolytic therapy may be a useful adjunctive therapy in selected cases of intrapleural disease in horses.
Serum cardiac troponin I concentrations in horses with cardiac disease
Authors: Nath LC , Anderson GA , Hinchcliff KW , Savage CJ
Published: July 2012

Objectives

To measure the cardiac troponin I (cTnI) concentration in horses and determine whether it could be used in the diagnosis of myocardial disease, as well as determining the association between cTnI and survival.

Design

Prospective, observational study.

Procedure

Physical examination, echocardiography, telemetric electrocardiography and postmortem were used to diagnose cardiac disease. Diagnoses were grouped as myocardial disease, structural heart disease or lone arrhythmia. Blood samples were collected at admission for cTnI analysis and the results were compared with those for 18 healthy horses.

Results

In total, 49 horses were admitted with cardiac disease. Elevated cTnI concentration (>0.03 ng/mL) was observed in a greater proportion of horses with myocardial disease (7/7), compared with healthy horses (0/18; P < 0.0001), horses with structural heart disease (7/25; P = 0.001), and horses with a lone arrhythmia (2/17; P = 0.0001). The median cTnI concentration for horses with myocardial disease was 17.5 ng/mL (range 0.78–49.87 ng/mL), which was higher than in the healthy horses (0.01 ng/mL, range 0.01–0.03 ng/mL; P < 0.0001). Of the 49 horses with cardiac disease, the median cTnI concentration for non‐survivors (0.28 ng/mL, range 0.01–49.87 ng/mL) was higher than for survivors (0.01 ng/mL, range 0.01–30.31 ng/mL; P = 0.0035). However, the proportion of surviving horses with an elevated cTnI (10/39, 26%) was not significantly different from the proportion of non‐surviving horses with an elevated cTnI (6/10, 60%; P = 0.060).

Conclusions

cTnI is elevated in horses with myocardial disease and elevated to a lesser degree in some horses with structural heart disease or lone arrhythmias. The association between cTnI concentration and survival was not clear.
Meat inspection in the Australian red‐meat industries: past, present and future
Authors: Webber JJ , Dobrenov B , Lloyd J , Jordan D
Published: July 2012

Postmortem inspection of carcases and offal has been a cornerstone of consumer protection in the red‐meat industry for over a century. In 2011, there began strong moves to reform the traditional process of meat inspection applied to cattle, sheep and goats in Australia. A major motivation was the widespread acceptance that organoleptic inspection does little to control the most important hazards in meat products – microbial pathogens derived from gut flora. The watershed reforms in international trade provided another incentive by encouraging the application of a risk‐based approach to food safety, which allows for the discontinuation of processes that do not enhance public health outcomes. As well, there was a strong imperative to ensure that resources allocated to quality assurance delivered maximum economic benefit for both consumers and processors. This review discusses how the role of meat inspection is likely to evolve into the future under the influence of these forces. It summarises how the current system was derived through repeated modification over time, mainly to satisfy the requirements of trading partners. Major developments are summarised, focusing especially on how the inclusion of particular organoleptic techniques was initially justified and the relevance of these to modern meat production. Overall, analysis of past and present practices suggests that in the future both public health and efficiency will be better served by strategically integrating the most effective elements of traditional organoleptic inspection with information from the preslaughter period and the use of modern technology for rapid and accurate detection of hazards.
Infield greenhouse gas emissions from sugarcane soils in Brazil: effects from synthetic and organic fertilizer application and crop trash accumulation
Authors: Carmo Janaina Braga do , Filoso Solange , Zotelli Luciana C. , de Sousa Neto Eraclito R. , Pitombo Leonardo M. , Duarte‐Neto Paulo J. , Vargas Vitor P. , Andrade Cristiano A. , Gava Glauber J. C. , Rossetto Raffaella , Cantarella Heitor , Neto André E. , Martinelli Luiz A.
Published: July 2012

Bioethanol from sugarcane is becoming an increasingly important alternative energy source worldwide as it is considered to be both economically and environmentally sustainable. Besides being produced from a tropical perennial grass with high photosynthetic efficiency, sugarcane ethanol is commonly associated with low N fertilizer use because sugarcane from Brazil, the world's largest sugarcane producer, has a low N demand. In recent years, several models have predicted that the use of sugarcane ethanol in replacement to fossil fuel could lead to high greenhouse gas (GHG) emission savings. However, empirical data that can be used to validate model predictions and estimates from indirect methodologies are scarce, especially with regard to emissions associated with different fertilization methods and agricultural management practices commonly used in sugarcane agriculture in Brazil. In this study, we provide in situ data on emissions of three GHG (CO2, N2O, and CH4) from sugarcane soils in Brazil and assess how they vary with fertilization methods and management practices. We measured emissions during the two main phases of the sugarcane crop cycle (plant and ratoon cane), which include different fertilization methods and field conditions. Our results show that N2O and CO2 emissions in plant cane varied significantly depending on the fertilization method and that waste products from ethanol production used as organic fertilizers with mineral fertilizer, as it is the common practice in Brazil, increase emission rates significantly. Cumulatively, the highest emissions were observed for ratoon cane treated with vinasse (liquid waste from ethanol production) especially as the amount of crop trash on the soil surface increased. Emissions of CO2 and N2O were 6.9 kg ha−1 yr−1 and 7.5 kg ha−1 yr−1, respectively, totaling about 3000 kg in CO2 equivalent ha−1 yr−1.
Near‐infrared spectroscopy of bipolar disorder may be distinct from that of unipolar depression and of healthy controls
Authors: Shimodera Shinji , Imai Yutaka , Kamimura Naoto , Morokuma Ippei , Fujita Hirokazu , Inoue Shimpei , Furukawa Toshi A.
Published: July 2012

Introduction

Differential diagnosis between bipolar and unipolar mood disorder is therapeutically critical but remains clinically difficult. Neurophysiological measures, if validly demonstrated, can greatly enhance current clinical practices. We have examined differential performances of near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) during cognitive tasks among euthymic bipolar and unipolar subjects and healthy controls.

Methods

Fourteen remitted patients with bipolar disorder and 39 remitted patients with major depression along with 24 healthy controls were administered a verbal fluency task and their prefrontal activation was measured with NIRS. The time courses of oxygenated hemoglobin concentration in the bilateral prefrontal cortices were averaged to yield two indices of cortical activation: area under the curve (AUC) and weighted center (WC).

Results

The AUC was significantly different among the three groups, with both bipolar and unipolar subjects showing significantly smaller AUC than healthy controls (P = 0.01 and P < 0.001). The WC was also significantly different among the three groups, but this time with unipolar patients showing significantly smaller WC than bipolar or healthy controls (P = 0.023 and P = 0.008). The discriminant function combining AUC and WC had a sensitivity of 0.71 (95%CI: 0.42 to 0.86) and a specificity of 0.46 (0.30 to 0.60) to differentially diagnose euthymic bipolar from unipolar patients.

Discussion

Given the current promising findings, a more rigorous study of NIRS with a larger number of untreated patients with bipolar and unipolar patients is warranted.
A Study of Risk Factors for Infection with HPAI H5N1 in Small Poultry Farms in Thailand Using a Questionnaire Survey
Authors: Siengsanan‐Lamont J. , Robertson I. D. , Blacksell S. D. , Ellis T. , Saengchoowong S. , Suwanpukdee S. , Yongyuttawichai P. , Cheewajorn K. , Jangjaras J. , Chaichoun K. , Wiriyarat W. , Ratanakorn P.
Published: July 2012

A questionnaire was used to collect data on small poultry farm management and wild bird observed in poultry keeping areas to identify putative risk factors for infection with HPAI H5N1. The study was conducted in 2008 in four subdistricts of central Thailand that had experienced outbreaks of HPAI H5N1 in poultry. Descriptive and inferential analyses including univariable analyses and multivariable logistic regression were used to identify putative risk factors. Risk factors included purchasing native chickens/fighting cocks from commercial hatcheries, replacing or restocking birds individually, and observing lesser whistling ducks (Dendrocygna javanica) on the farm daily. Selecting healthy animals when purchasing animals to ensure that they were disease free was a protective factor. To fully understand the epidemiology of infection of small poultry farms with HPAI H5N1, control of movement of domestic poultry and serological and virological testing of the poultry population should be applied.
Luminescent properties and structural characteristics of sputter-deposited ZnGa2O4:Mn phosphor thin films
Authors: Kim Joo Han , Holloway Paul H.
Published: July 2012

The correlation between the luminescent properties and structural characteristics of ZnGa2O4:Mn phosphor thin films has been investigated. The ZnGa2O4:Mn films have been prepared by radio frequency planar magnetron sputter deposition from a 2 mol. % Mn-doped ZnGa2O4 target in an Ar-O2 gas mixture whose pressure ranged between 2 and 20 mTorr. Films deposited at gas pressures above 10 mTorr showed a random crystallographic orientation, while the films deposited ≤10 mTorr exhibited a preferential orientation of the [110] direction perpendicular to the film surface. Internal stress in the ZnGa2O4:Mn films became increasingly compressive upon decreasing the gas pressure, reaching a value of ∼1.7 × 1010 dyne/cm2 at 2 mTorr. The observed change in internal stress correlated with the changes in the crystalline structure of the films. After a post-deposition anneal at 800 °C, the crystallinity of the films was improved. The rms surface roughness of the annealed ZnGa2O4:Mn films did not systematically depend on the gas pressure. Both photoluminescence (PL) and cathodoluminescence (CL) resulted in green light, and the emission peaked at ∼505 nm. This was attributed to the Mn2+ 3d-3d intrashell 4T1 → 6A1 transition. The intensities of both PL and CL emission increased as the gas pressure decreased, presumably due to the better crystalline quality with a highly [110]-textured structure and a more densely-packed microstructure in the ZnGa2O4:Mn films deposited at lower pressures.
Organic photovoltaic devices with low resistance multilayer graphene transparent electrodes
Authors: Un Jung Yong , Na Seok-In , Kim Han-Ki , Jun Kang Seong
Published: July 2012

The authors report the characteristics of organic solar cells (OSCs) fabricated on HNO3-treated multilayer graphene (MLG) transparent electrodes. MLG transparent electrodes were prepared using chemical vapor deposition and a multitransfer process. Compared to untreated-MLG electrodes with a fairly high sheet resistance (274 ± 1 Ω/sq) even though three layers of graphene were stacked together, HNO3-treated MLG electrode shows a lower sheet resistance of 119 ± 1 Ω/sq. OSCs (MLG/poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate)/Poly(3-hexylthiophere)/1-(3-methoxycarbonyl)-propyl-1-phenyl-(6,6)C61/Ca/Al) fabricated on untreated-MLG transparent electrodes had an open-circuit voltage of 0.575 V, a short-circuit current of 8.08 mA/cm2, a fill factor of 43.5%, and a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 2.02%. In contrast, application of HNO3-treated MLG films as transparent electrodes for OSCs led to improved performance with an open-circuit voltage of 0.602 V, a short-circuit current of 8.26 mA/cm2, a fill factor of 57.5%, and a PCE of 2.86%. These results suggest that HNO3 treatment is a promising method for improving the performance of large-area OSCs based on MLG electrodes.