bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Caracterización morfológica de cuarenta y seis accesiones de uchuva (Physalis peruviana L.), en Antioquia (Colombia)
Authors: Trillos González Ofelia , Cotes Torres José Miguel , Medina Cano Clara Inés , Lobo Arias Mario , Navas Arboleda Alejandro Alberto
Published: November 2008

La uchuva, Physalis peruviana L., crece como planta silvestre en las zonas tropicales altas de América, estando el centro de origen y diversificación en los Andes Suramericanos, principalmente de Colombia, Perú y Ecuador. Se realizó la caracterización morfológica de 46 accesiones de uchuva provenientes del Banco de Germoplasma de la nación Colombiana, a cargo de La Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuarias, CORPOICA, en el Centro de Investigación La Selva, ubicado en la vereda Llanogrande del municipio de Rionegro (Antioquia, Colombia). Los genotipos de uchuva se sembraron utilizando un diseño látice siete por siete simple desbalanceado duplicado. Las accesiones se ubicaron en parcelas constituidas por cinco plantas, de las cuales se evaluaron las tres plantas centrales de las dos replicaciones y cinco estructuras por planta. Se empleó un listado de 69 descriptores, 40 de ellos cualitativos y 29 cuantitativos, 56 de los cuales (81,16%) fueron útiles en la diferenciación de las accesiones. Para las variables cualitativas se estimaron los coeficientes de disimilaridad de Gower, que fluctuaron desde 0 a 0,20; y para las variables cuantitativas se estimaron los valores de distancia Euclediana, que fluctuaron entre 0,25 y 1,22.
Development of a warning system for wheat blast caused by Pyricularia grisea
Authors: Cardoso Cinara Araújo de Andrade , Reis Erlei Melo , Moreira Eder Novaes
Published: November 2008

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) blast caused by Pyricularia grisea is a new disease in Brazil and no resistant cultivars are available. The interactions between temperature and wetness durations have been used in many early warning systems. Hence, growth chamber experiments to assess the effect of different temperatures (10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35ºC) and the duration of spike-wetness (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 hours) on the intensity of blast in cultivar BR23 were carried out. Each temperature formed an experiment and the duration of wetness the treatments. The highest blast intensity was observed at 30°C and increased as the duration of the wetting period increased while the lowest occurred at 25°C and 10 hours of spike wetness. Regardless of the temperature, no symptoms occurred when the wetting period was less than 10 hours but at 25°C and a 40 h wetting period blast intensity exceeded 85%. These variations in blast intensity as a function of temperature are explained by a generalized beta model and as a function of the duration of spike wetness by the Gompertz model. Disease intensity was modeled as a function of both temperature and the durations of spike wetness and the resulting equation provided a precise description of the response of P. grisea to temperatures and the durations of spike wetness. This model was used to construct tables that can be used to predict the intensity of P. grisea wheat blast based on the temperatures and the durations of wheat spike wetness obtained in the field.
Ciclo de vida de Heterodera glycines raça 9 em soja no Estado do Maranhão
Authors: Cunha Rafael Pereira , Maia Gerliane Lorena , Rodacki Marcelo Eduardo Prado , Silva Gilson Soares da , Meyer Maurício Conrado
Published: November 2008

O nematóide de cisto da soja, Heterodera glycines, causa consideráveis reduções de produtividade à cultura da soja. Ocorrem 11 raças do NCS no Brasil e, no Maranhão, há registro somente da raça 9. O objetivo deste trabalho foi estabelecer o ciclo de vida de uma população de H. glycines raça 9, em soja, sob condições de clima tropical. O ensaio foi conduzido em casa-de-vegetação telada, no Campo Experimental da Embrapa Soja, em Balsas, Maranhão. As médias de temperaturas neste período foram de 28,7 °C no solo e 31,7 °C no ar e a média da umidade relativa do ar foi de 49,8 %. Plântulas de soja BRS Sambaíba foram transplantadas para vasos contendo solo areno-argiloso infestado com 4000 ovos de H. glycines raça 9. Foram avaliados os números de fêmeas e de cistos por sistema radicular aos 17, 20, 23, 26, 29 e 32 dias após a infestação. O número médio de fêmeas por sistema radicular de soja aumentou significativamente entre o 17º e o 29º dia após a infestação do solo, diminuindo no 32º dia, quando começaram a surgir os primeiros cistos. Nas condições testadas, H. glycines raça 9 completou o ciclo de vida em 29 dias após a infestação do solo. Desta forma, é possível a ocorrência de 3 a 4 gerações do nematóide durante o ciclo da soja em Balsas, Maranhão.
Meio semi-seletivo para detectar Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. phaseoli em sementes de feijoeiro e sua erradicação através do tratamento de sementes com o fungicida tolylfluanid
Authors: Lopes Lucilene Paula , Alves Priscila Fernanda Rocha , Zandoná Carla , Nunes Maria Paula , Mehta Yeshwant Ramchandra
Published: November 2008

Estudou-se a eficiência do meio semi-seletivo desenvolvido para Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. malvacearum (Xam) do algodoeiro, com algumas modificações, na detecção de Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. phaseoli (Xap) em sementes de feijoeiro, bem como a eficiência do fungicida tolylfluanid na erradicação de Xap através do tratamento de sementes. Foram utilizadas sementes naturalmente infectadas por Xap, procedentes de diferentes municípios do Estado do Paraná. Houve o desenvolvimento de colônias bacterianas ao redor das sementes infectadas sob meio semi-seletivo entre seis e 12 dias de incubação. A freqüência de recuperação de colônias da bactéria em relação ao meio Agar nutriente (AN) variou entre 30 a 112%. O crescimento de Xap foi inibido a concentrações entre 54 a 1500 ppm do fungicida tolylfluanid. A bactéria foi recuperada das sementes não tratadas em meio semi-seletivo, mas não das sementes tratadas em solução do fungicida tolylfluanid (1,20g/L água). Em casa de vegetação, das 400 sementes tratadas com tolylfluanid não foi produzida nenhuma planta com sintomas da doença até 30 dias após a semeadura, enquanto que 9,75% das sementes não tratadas apresentaram sintomas de Xap. Em um outro experimento, das 1200 sementes não tratadas um total de 7,08% e 11,67% das plantas mostraram-se com sintomas da doença, enquanto que das sementes tratadas 0,5% e 2,4% apresentaram sintomas, 26 e 46 dias após a semeadura, respectivamente.
Redução de ordem no domínio da freqüência baseada na minimização da norma dos coeficientes polinomiais do erro
Authors: Araújo José M. , Castro Alexandre C. , Santos Eduardo T. F.
Published: November 2008

Redução de ordem de modelos monovariáveis, de sistemas lineares invariantes no tempo, contínuos, descritos por uma função de transferência racional, é uma técnica amplamente difundida na simplificação de modelos, como forma de reduzir complexidade envolvida em análise e projeto. Um método simples para redução de ordem baseado na minimização da norma dos coeficientes do numerador do polinômio de erro é proposto, e diversos resultados apresentados demonstram a validade e o mérito da abordagem.
A adição de diferentes produtos químicos e o efeito da umidade na volatilização de amônia em cama de frango
Authors: Medeiros Rangel , Santos Bruno José Martini , Freitas Marcela , Silva Odete Andrade , Alves Fabrício Ferreira , Ferreira Elvino
Published: November 2008

Foi avaliada a redução da volatilização de amônia em cama de frangos por meio da adição de aditivos químicos em três experimentos. No primeiro experimento foram estudadas diferentes doses de fosfato: testemunha; 5, 10, 15, 20 e 25%, adicionado à cama No segundo, foi estudado o efeito da umidade, para os mesmos tratamentos realizados no primeiro experimento. No terceiro experimento, foram testados diferentes aditivos na cama de frango (testemunha, Sal de Glauber, Enxofre, Sulfato de cobre, Fosfato, Sulfato de alumínio e Carbonato de sódio, nos níveis de concentração de: 1,2,3,4 e 5%). Como resultado, obteve-se que a dose de 15% de superfosfatosimples foi a mais eficiente (P<0,05), inibindo em 95% a volatilização. Pela variação no teor de umidade da cama, comprovou-se a influência inibitória da água na volatilização de amônia. Para os diferentes aditivos testados, foi constatado que o sulfato de cobre foi o melhor aditivo (P<0,05) a inibir a volatilização (62%), seguido do sulfato de alumínio (53%) e o superfosfato simples (43%). O uso do carbonato de sódio aumentou os níveis de volatilização de amônia (+41%) originados da cama de frangos.
Gestão da educação básica e o fortalecimento dos Conselhos Escolares
Authors: Aguiar Márcia Angela da S.
Published: November 2008

Examina-se a estratégia de implementação do Programa Nacional de Fortalecimento dos Conselhos Escolares adotada pela Secretaria de Educação Básica do Ministério da Educação com o objetivo de identificar os mecanismos utilizados para a inscrição da temática da gestão democrática na agenda das secretarias de educação e das escolas, bem como o envolvimento dos gestores e conselheiros escolares nos processos de formação promovidos pelo MEC, no período de 2004 a 2006.
Desenvolvimento regional e descentralização político-administrativa: um estudo comparativo dos casos de Minas Gerais, Ceará e Santa Catarina
Authors: Birkner Walter Marcos Knaesel
Published: November 2008

O trabalho apresenta sucintamente três experiências de descentralização governativa. São os casos dos estados de Minas Gerais, do Ceará e de Santa Catarina. A análise dos referidos casos permitiu observar dois importantes aspectos para avaliar as políticas de descentralização governativa e de desenvolvimento regional: o primeiro é o problema das soluções de continuidade, que afetam as políticas públicas e representam ameaça a cada sucessão eleitoral. O segundo relaciona-se à necessidade de qualificação dos agentes governamentais envolvidos com as mencionadas políticas, cujo êxito está em parcial dependência desse aspecto. No estado de Minas Gerais, um processo de descentralização sofreu interrupção definitiva. No estado do Ceará, observa-se um continuísmo modernizante. Já no caso catarinense, a substituição de uma iniciativa por outra provocou inflexões, mas não interrompeu a dinâmica.
Fatores relevantes para o estabelecimento de redes de cooperação entre empresas do Rio Grande do Sul
Authors: Verschoore Jorge Renato , Balestrin Alsones
Published: November 2008

A cooperação entre empresas, na forma de redes, tem-se destacado como configuração organizacional alternativa, em resposta às recentes transformações econômicas. O elevado número de iniciativas e a carência de pesquisas empíricas, acerca da formação de redes no Brasil, motivaram a realização do presente estudo. O objetivo principal deste artigo é compreender os fatores que afetam o estabelecimento de redes de cooperação no contexto sul-brasileiro. Para alcançar tal objetivo, empreendeu-se uma pesquisa quantitativa em 443 representantes de empresas associadas a 120 redes de cooperação. Os dados empíricos foram coletados pelos pesquisadores em 2005 e processados estatisticamente pelo método de análise conjunta. Os resultados obtidos confirmam as proposições teóricas construídas pelos pesquisadores, apontando a importância de fatores como aprendizagem e inovação, aumento de escala e de poder de mercado, e acesso a soluções.
Racism in the Chemotherapy Infusion Unit: A Nurse's Story
Authors: Schapira Lidia , Gordon-Rowe Leah , Martignetti Rosalba , Washington Deborah , Bartholomay Mimi , Greenberg Donna , Lathan Christopher , LaFrancesca Joanne , Lynch Thomas , Chabner Bruce
Published: November 2008

Shortly before his death in 1995, Kenneth B. Schwartz, a cancer patient at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), founded The Kenneth B. Schwartz Center at MGH. The Schwartz Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and advancing compassionate health care delivery that provides hope to the patient and support to caregivers, and encourages the healing process. The Center sponsors the Schwartz Center Rounds, a monthly multidisciplinary forum where caregivers reflect on important psychosocial issues faced by patients, their families, and their caregivers, and gain insight and support from fellow staff members.

In this article a nurse relates her experience as caregiver for a patient who made repeated racially motivated comments. She reflects on her response and the support she received from her colleagues.
Are neuroendocrine tumours a feature of tuberous sclerosis? A systematic review
Authors: Dworakowska Dorota , Grossman Ashley B
Published: November 2008

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is an autosomal dominant multisystem disorder characterised by the development of multiple hamartomas in numerous organs. It is caused by mutations of two tumour suppressor genes, TSC1 on chromosome 9q34 and TSC2 on chromosome 16p13.3, which encode for hamartin and tuberin respectively. The interaction between these two proteins, the tuberin–hamartin complex, has been shown to be critical to multiple intracellular signalling pathways, especially those controlling cell growth and proliferation. TSC may affect skin, central nervous system, kidneys, heart, eyes, blood vessels, lung, bone and gastrointestinal tract. Small series and case reports have documented that in tuberous sclerosis patients many endocrine system alterations might occur, affecting the function of the pituitary, parathyroid and other neuroendocrine tissue. There have been scattered reports of the involvement of such tissue in the pathological process of TSC, but no systematic review as to whether this is a true association. We have therefore systematically assessed all available published literature in this area. We conclude that there may be an association with pituitary and parathyroid tumours, and two recent descriptions of Cushing's disease are especially intriguing. However, the evidence seems more firm in the case of islet cell tumours, particularly insulinomas. As these latter may cause changes in mental state that may be confused with the cerebral manifestations of TSC per se, it is particularly important for physicians working with these patients to be aware of the putative and indeed likely association.
Boys and the American Education System: A Biocultural Review of the Literature
Authors: Stolzer J. M.
Published: November 2008

Over the past 15 to 20 years, feminist scholars, the media, and various governmental agencies have asserted that girls are facing an unprecedented crisis in the American education system. According to this relatively recent feminist-based theory, the American public school system is built on an oppressive, patriarchal foundation, and as a direct result of this foundation, an innate and measurable masculine bias exists in schools throughout America. This article challenges feminist theory constructs and instead focuses on male children and the problems that they are currently experiencing in the education system throughout the United States. Political, economic, neurobiological, contextual, phenomenological, cultural, and evolutionary corollaries are explored in depth in order to gain new insight into the gender differences that exist in the American education system. The goal of this article is to offer a theoretically sound alternative to current feminist theory and to challenge the existing perceptions of maleness in the American school system.
Psychiatry’s “Chemical Imbalance” Fraud: Who Killed Rebecca Riley?
Authors: Baughman Fred A.
Published: November 2008

All physicians attend medical school and learn of (a) all things physically normal; anatomy, physiology, and chemistry, (b) all things physically abnormal; pathology, disease, and (c) how to tell the difference. Diagnosis is the first obligation of every physician to every patient, and must precede treatment. Diagnosis first asks, “Is there a physical abnormality (physical abnormality = disorder = disease), yes or no?” Patients with no abnormality (no physical abnormality = no disorder = no disease = normal) are referred to as having “no evidence or disease” (NED) or “no organic disease” (NOD). Their problems may be psychological or psychiatric, but they are not medical or surgical. In patients found to have an abnormality, diagnosis now asks, “Which disease?” Psychiatrists are the only physicians who do not perform physical diagnosis. The absence of disease is determined for them by other physicians, usually referring physicians. In 1948 the previously conjoint specialty of neuropsychiatry was divided into neurology—responsible for the diagnosis and treatment or physical/organic disease of the nervous system—and psychiatry—responsible for the treatment of emotional and psychological problems, none of them due to organic diseases. Nor did psychiatry object to this scientific division of labor at the time. However, in the 1950s, with the advent of psychotropic drugs, psychiatry, increasingly in league with the pharmaceutical industry, began referring to psychological diagnoses as disorders/diseases/chemical imbalances of the brain, albeit with no proof or science. In a congressional hearing in 1970, psychiatrists and federal officials, including the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, represented hyperkinetic disorder (HKD) to be a disorder/disease of the brain leading to the appropriation of millions of dollars for research, diagnosis and treatment into the drug treatment of school children said to have the new disease HKD. HKD became ADD, then ADHD, a disorder/disease/chemical imbalance always in need of a “chemical balancer”—a pill. Without proof of an abnormality/disorder/disease, the ADHD epidemic grew from 150,000 in 1970 to 6 million to 7 million today, the most common childhood diagnosis in the United States, a multi-billion dollar industry, and a model for all 374 DSM–IV psychological/psychiatric diagnoses—none of them actual diseases. As such, psychiatry is not a legitimate branch of medicine deserving scientific-fiscal parity; rather, collectively, it is the greatest health care fraud in history. Every time a so-called chemical imbalance is diagnosed, a patient’s right to informed consent has been abrogated. Every time a medically normal person is treated with a psychotropic chemical balancer—a pill—their first and only abnormality is the iatrogenic intoxication: poisoning.
Psychophysiological Changes During EMDR and Treatment Outcome
Authors: Sack Martin , Hofmann Arne , Wizelman Leah , Lempa Wolfgang
Published: November 2008

This study was designed to investigate the question of whether psychophysiological changes during EMDR sessions are related to subjective and objective reduction of PTSD symptoms. During-session changes in autonomic tone in relation to session-to-session changes of subjective stress, trauma-related symptoms, and psychophysiological reactions during a traumatic reminder were investigated in 10 patients suffering from single-trauma PTSD. Treatment duration followed each patient’s individual needs and ranged between 1 and 4 sessions, resulting in a total of 24 EMDR treatment sessions from which psychophysiological data were completely recorded. Treatment with EMDR was followed by a significant reduction of trauma-related symptoms, elimination of the PTSD diagnosis in 8 of the 10 participants, as well as by significantly reduced psychophysiological reactivity to an individualized trauma script. Psychophysiological dearousal in sessions correlated significantly with decrease in script-related reactions in heart rate and parasympathetic tone, and with changes in subjective disturbance. Our results indicate that information processing during EMDR is followed by during-session decrease in psychophysiological activity, reduced subjective disturbance and reduced stress reactivity to traumatic memory.
A Working Memory Explanation for the Effects of Eye Movements in EMDR
Authors: Maxfield Louise , Melnyk William T. , Hayman Gordon C. A.
Published: November 2008

Research has consistently demonstrated that performance is degraded when participants engage in two simultaneous tasks that require the same working memory resources. This study tested predictions from working memory theory to investigate the effects of eye movement (EM) on the components of autobiographical memory. In two experiments, 24 and 36 participants, respectively, focused on negative memories while engaging in three dual-attention EM tasks of increasing complexity. Compared to No-EM, Slow-EM and Fast-EM produced significantly decreased ratings of image vividness, thought clarity, and emotional intensity, and the more difficult Fast-EM resulted in larger decreases than did Slow-EM. The effects on emotional intensity were not consistent, with some preliminary evidence that a focus on memory-related thought might maintain emotional intensity during simple dual-attention tasks (Slow-EM, No-EM). The findings of our experiments support a working memory explanation for the effects of EM dual-attention tasks on autobiographical memory. Implications for understanding the mechanisms of action in EMDR are discussed.
Crucial Processes in EMDRMore Than Imaginal Exposure
Authors: Lee Christopher W.
Published: November 2008

The processes that underlie the effectiveness of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) are examined by evaluating the procedural differences between it and exposure therapy. Major factors include the degree of emphasis placed on reliving versus distancing in the therapies and the degree to which clients are encouraged to focus on direct trauma experiences versus experiences associated with the trauma. Research results indicate that, unlike traditional imaginal exposure, reliving responses in EMDR did not correlate with symptom improvement. Instead, consistent with an information processing model, the degree of distancing in EMDR was significantly associated with improvement. A case study is described to highlight these methodological divergences in the respective therapies relating to reliving. Finally, the research regarding the possible sources of the distancing response within EMDR was examined. The results indicate that the distancing process was more likely to be an effect produced by eye movements than by any therapist instructions. Theoretical and research evaluations indicate that the mechanisms underlying EMDR and traditional exposure therapy are different.
Interhemispheric Interaction and Saccadic Horizontal Eye MovementsImplications for Episodic Memory, EMDR, and PTSD
Authors: Propper Ruth E. , Christman Stephen D.
Published: November 2008

The growing body of literature on the effects of bilateral saccadic eye movements, patterned after those employed in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), on memory is reviewed. Research indicates that engaging in bilateral saccadic eye movements prior to lab-based memory testing results in significant improvement in episodic memory across a wide range of memory tests. Other effects of these types of eye movements on hemispheric activation and emotional state are also discussed. The findings are interpreted within a framework suggesting that bilateral saccadic eye movements, such as those employed in EMDR, increase interaction between the left and right cerebral hemispheres. This framework is also used to explain the effects of such eye movements on memory during EMDR treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder.
Psychophysiological Studies of EMDR
Authors: Söndergaard Hans Peter , Elofsson Ulf
Published: November 2008

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) has been established as an efficacious therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The working mechanism of the procedure is, however, still partly unknown. It is therefore important to explore the physiological effects of eye movements and alternative bilateral stimulation. This article describes our research on the effects of eye movements during authentic EMDR sessions of chronic PTSD in refugees with war and torture experiences and places this research in the context of other findings. The findings point to defi nite physiological effects of eye movements; namely a dearousal with increased fi nger temperature and changes in the balance between the parasympathetic and sympathetic autonomous nervous systems.
Sleep-Dependent Memory Processing and EMDR Action
Authors: Stickgold Robert
Published: November 2008

The unique efficacy of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder is thought to result from changes in the brain/mind state induced by bilateral sensory stimulation, but the nature and specific consequences of these changes remain unknown. The possibility that bilateral stimulation induces a brain/mind state similar to that of rapid eye movement sleep is supported by studies showing that sleep facilitates forms of memory processing arguably necessary for the resolution of trauma. Such studies, along with direct studies of the impact of bilateral stimulation on memory and emotional processing, and dismantling studies identifying the requisite features of such bilateral stimulation for effective trauma processing, will eventually lead to an understanding of the neurobiological basis of EMDR.
The Neurobiology of EMDR: Exploring the Thalamus and Neural Integration
Authors: Bergmann Uri
Published: November 2008

Recent neuroimaging studies on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have revealed a consistent decrease in thalamic activity, relative to non-PTSD controls. Empirical studies of the past decade have shown the thalamus to be centrally involved in the integration of perceptual, somatosensory, memorial, and cognitive processes (thalamo-cortical-temporal binding). A theoretical model is proposed to suggest that one underlying mechanism of EMDR stimulation (dual-attention stimulation/bilateral stimulation [DAS/BLS] ) is thalamic activation, specifically of the ventrolateral and central-lateral nuclei. It is hypothesized that this may facilitate the repair and integration of somatosensory, memorial, cognitive, frontal lobe and synchronized hemispheric functions that are disrupted in PTSD.
EMDR and the Adaptive Information Processing ModelPotential Mechanisms of Change
Authors: Solomon Roger M. , Shapiro Francine
Published: November 2008

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a therapeutic approach guided by the adaptive information processing (AIP) model. This article provides a brief overview of some of the major precepts of AIP. The basis of clinical pathology is hypothesized to be dysfunctionally stored memories, with therapeutic change resulting from the processing of these memories within larger adaptive networks. Unlike extinction-based exposure therapies, memories targeted in EMDR are posited to transmute during processing and are then again stored by a process of reconsolidation. Therefore, a comparison and contrast to extinction-based information processing models and treatment is provided, including implications for clinical practice. Throughout the article a variety of mechanisms of action are discussed, including those inferred by tenets of the AIP model, and the EMDR procedures themselves, including the bilateral stimulation. Research suggestions are offered in order to investigate various hypotheses.
Comprehensive Simulator (CSFMB) Applied to Circulating Fluidized Bed Boilers and Gasifiers
Authors: de Souza-Santos Marcio L.
Published: October 2008

A comprehensive simulation program of bubbling fluidized beds (CSFB or CSFMB) has been able to reproduce
operations of circulating fluidized beds. The main considerations that allow such application as well comparisons between
simulation results and real operational data are shown. In addition, criteria for scaling-up pilot operations to industrial
units are illustrated.
Letter: Should Liberals (or Anyone Else) Really Support Social Security "Personal Accounts"?
Authors: Skidmore Max J.
Published: November 2008

Although Konstantin Magin is confident that liberals should support Social Security privatization "enthusiastically," his argument adds little new to the literature, and misunderstands what antiprivatizers see in the Social Security system, according to Max Skidmore.
Systematic Follow-Up of a Cohort of Smokers Who Received a Standard Smoking Cessation Intervention with Soft Laser Therapy
Authors: Collet Jean-Paul , Ducruet Thierry , Robinson Ann Ross
Published: November 2008

Background:Different techniques may help smokers quitting smoking. Recently soft laser treatment (SLT) has been used with reported  not documented  high success rates. We decided to conduct a systematic assessment of the charts of subjects treated at one SLT clinic in Montreal.Method: Historical cohort: Subjects treated by SLT during the period May to September 2005. Primary outcome: "not smoking" 6 months after the intervention. The intervention included SLT supported by complementary natural products  for comfort. 84 points were treated according to auriculotherapy principles. Sample size was calculated for precision around success rate. Statistical analysis was intent to treat (ITT) and per protocol.Results:Primary outcome: proportion of success at 6 months were 117/210 (44%), 95% CI: 38% - 51% with ITT approach and 93/167 (56%), 95% CI: 48% - 63% with per protocol analysis. Results at 12 months were 40% (33% - 46%) and 62% (54% - 70%) for the two approaches, respectively.Discussion:Our results suggest a possible effect of the SLT that would be in the high range of those observed with other interventions. However, absence of control group and other limitations prevent making any conclusion. Double blind placebo controlled randomized trials need to be conducted.
All-transRetinoic Acid Inhibits Type 1 Diabetes by T Regulatory (Treg)-Dependent Suppression of Interferon-γ–Producing T-cells Without Affecting Th17 Cells
Authors: Van Yang-Hau , Lee Wen-Hui , Ortiz Serina , Lee Mi-Heon , Qin Han-Jun , Liu Chih-Pin
Published: November 2008

OBJECTIVE—All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), a potent derivative of vitamin A, can regulate immune responses. However, its role in inducing immune tolerance associated with the prevention of islet inflammation and inhibition of type 1 diabetes remains unclear.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—We investigated the mechanisms underlying the potential immunoregulatory effect of ATRA on type 1 diabetes using an adoptive transfer animal model of the disease.

RESULTS—Our data demonstrated that ATRA treatment inhibited diabetes in NOD mice with established insulitis. In addition, it suppressed interferon (IFN)-γ–producing CD4+ and CD8+ T effector (Teff) cells and expanded T regulatory (Treg) cells in recipient mice transferred with diabetic NOD splenocytes, without affecting either interleukin (IL)-17 –or IL-4–producing cells. Consistent with these results, ATRA reduced T-bet and STAT4 expression in T-cells and decreased islet-infiltrating CD8+ T-cells, suppressing their activation and IFN-γ/granzyme B expression. Depletion of CD4+CD25+ Treg cells impaired the inhibitory effect of ATRA on islet-infiltrating T-cells and blocked its protective effect on diabetes. Therefore, ATRA treatment induced Treg cell–dependent immune tolerance by suppressing both CD4+ and CD8+ Teff cells while promoting Treg cell expansion.

CONCLUSIONS—These results demonstrate that ATRA treatment promoted in vivo expansion of Treg cells and induced Treg cell–dependent immune tolerance by suppressing IFN-γ–producing T-cells, without affecting Th17 cells. Our study also provides novel insights into how ATRA induces immune tolerance in vivo via its effects on Teff and Treg cells.
Associations of Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Obesity With Risks of Impaired Fasting Glucose and Type 2 Diabetes in Men
Authors: Lee Duck-chul , Sui Xuemei , Church Timothy S. , Lee I.-Min , Blair Steven N.
Published: November 2008

OBJECTIVE—The purpose of this study was to examine the associations of cardiorespiratory fitness (hereafter fitness) and various obesity measures with risks of incident impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and type 2 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—This was a prospective cohort study of 14,006 men (7,795 for the analyses of IFG), who did not have an abnormal electrocardiogram or a history of heart attack, stroke, cancer, or diabetes.

RESULTS—Of the men, 3,612 (39,610 person-years) and 477 (101,419 person-years) developed IFG and type 2 diabetes, respectively. Compared with the least fit 20% in multivariate analyses, IFG and type 2 diabetes risks in the most fit 20% were 14 and 52% lower, respectively (both P < 0.001). Men with BMI ≥30.0 kg/m2, waist girth >102.0 cm, or percent body fat ≥25 had 2.7-, 1.9-, and 1.3-fold higher risks for type 2 diabetes, respectively, compared with those for nonobese men (all P < 0.01), and the results for IFG were similar. In the combined analyses, obese unfit (least fit 20%) men had a 5.7-fold higher risk for type 2 diabetes compared with normal-weight fit (most fit 80%) men. We observed similar trends for the joint associations of BMI and fitness with IFG and those of waist girth or percent body fat and fitness with both IFG and type 2 diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS—Low fitness and obesity increased the risks of IFG and type 2 diabetes by approximately similar magnitudes. When considered simultaneously, fitness attenuated but did not eliminate the increased risks of IFG and type 2 diabetes associated with obesity, and the highest risk was found in obese and unfit men.
Effects of topical administration of 1% brinzolamide on intraocular pressure in clinically normal horses
Authors: GERMANN S. E. , MATHEIS F. L. , RAMPAZZO A. , BURGER D. , ROOS M. , SPIESS B. M.
Published: November 2008

Reasons for performing study: Only few drugs with limited efficacy are available for topical treatment of equine glaucoma.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of topical administration of 1% brinzolamide on intraocular pressure (IOP) in clinically normal horses.

Methods: Healthy mature horses (n = 20) with normal ocular findings, were studied. The IOP was measured 5 times daily (07.00, 11.00, 15.00, 19.00 and 23.00 h) over 10 days. On Days 1 and 2, baseline values were established. On Days 3–5 one eye of each horse was treated with one drop of 1% brinzolamide every 24 h immediately following the 07.00 h measurement. On Days 6–8 the same eye was treated with 1% brinzolamide every 12 h (07.00 and 19.00 h). Measurements on Days 9 and 10 documented the return of IOP to baseline values. Statistical analysis of the data was performed.

Results: In the treated eye a significant decrease in IOP compared to baseline values was noted during both the 24 and 12 h dosing periods (P<0.001). During the once‐daily treatment protocol an IOP reduction of 3.1 ±1.3 mmHg (14%) from baseline was recorded. During the twice‐daily protocol a total IOP reduction of 5.0 ± 1.5 mmHg (21%) was achieved.

Conclusion: Intraocular pressure was significantly decreased by 1% brinzolamide in a once‐daily and a twice‐daily treatment protocol in normotensive eyes. These findings suggest that brinzolamide might also be effective in horses with an elevated IOP.

Potential relevance: This drug may be useful for treatment of equine glaucoma.
Diagnostic accuracy of digital photography and image analysis for the measurement of foot conformation in the horse
Authors: WHITE J. M. , MELLOR D. J. , DUZ M. , LISCHER C. J. , VOUTE L. C.
Published: November 2008

Reasons for performing study: Rigorous evaluation of practicable methods for the objective assessment of foot conformation has not been performed.

Objectives: To assess the practicability, precision and accuracy of the process of obtaining measurements of horses' feet using photography and image processing software.

Methods: Precision study: Lateral photographs of horses' feet were obtained twice by 2 veterinary surgeons (image acquisition ‐ IAc). Photographs were analysed by 2 masked veterinary surgeons on 2 occasions (image analysis ‐ IAn). Measurements were compared within and between operators for self and non‐self acquired photographs. Agreement indices (AIs) and 95% limits of agreement (LOA) were calculated for the IAn process alone and for the combined IAc + IAn processes.Accuracy study: Measurements obtained from lateral photographs were compared with those obtained from lateromedial radiographs. AIs and 95% LOA were calculated for each measurement.

Results: Precision study: Mean intra‐ and interoperator AIs for the IAn process alone were ≥0.90 while those for the combined IAc + IAn processes were ≥0.89 for all measurements. Similar mean AIs and 95% LOA were calculated regardless of image origin. The 95% LOA for hoof angle, heel height/toe height% and coronary band angle for all comparisons were within target values.Accuracy study: Mean AIs were ≥0.89 for all measurements. The 95% LOA for heel height/toe height% and coronary band angle were within target values.

Conclusions: Excellent precision was identified within and between operators regardless of image origin. High levels of accuracy were also identified, especially for heel height/toe height% and coronary band angle, indicating that photography and radiography may be used interchangeably.

Potential relevance: Acquisition and analysis of photographic images is an appropriate method for the objective measurement of foot conformation, both in clinical and research settings.
Early pathogenesis of equineStreptococcus equiinfection (strangles)
Authors: TIMONEY J. F. , KUMAR P.
Published: November 2008

Reasons for performing study: Little is known about entry and subsequent multiplication ofStreptococcus equifollowing exposure of a susceptible horse. This information would have value in design of intranasal vaccines and understanding of shedding and protective immune responses.

Objectives: To determine entry points and sites of subsequent replication and dispersion ofS. equiat different times after intranasal infection or commingling exposure.

Methods: Previously unexposed horses and ponies were subjected to euthanasia 1, 3, 20 or 48 h following intranasal inoculation with biotin labelled or unlabelledS. equiCF32. Some ponies were inoculated with suspensions of equal numbers of CF32 and its mutants lacking capsule,S. equiM‐like protein or streptolysin S. Others were infected by commingling exposure and subjected to euthanasia after onset of fever. Tonsils and lymph nodes were cultured forS. equiand tissues sectioned for histopathological examination and fluorescent microscopy.

Results: Tonsillar tissues of both the oro‐ and nasopharynx served as portals of entry. Entry was unexpectedly rapid but involved few bacteria. Small numbers of organisms were detected in tonsillar crypts, in adjacent subepithelial follicular tissue and draining lymph nodes 3 h after inoculation. By 48 h, clumps ofS. equiwere visible in thelamina propria.At onset of fever, tonsillar tissues and one or more mandibular and retropharyngeal lymph nodes were heavily infiltrated by neutrophils and long chains of extracellularS. equi.MutantS. equilacking virulence factors were not seen in draining lymph nodes.

Conclusions: Although very small numbers ofS. equientered the lingual and nasopharyngeal tonsils, carriage to regional lymph nodes occurred within hours of inoculation. This observation, together with visual evidence of intracellular and extracellular multiplication ofS. equiin tonsillar lymphoid tissue and lymph nodes over the following days, indicates involvement of potent antiphagocytic activity and failure of innate immune defences.

Relevance: Future research should logically address the tonsillar immune mechanisms involved including identification of effector cell(s) and antigens.
OB‐cadherin cloning and expression in a model of wound repair in horses
Authors: MIRAGLIOTTA V. , LEFEBVRE‐LAVOIE J. , LUSSIER J. G. , THEORET C. L.
Published: November 2008

Reason for performing study: Horses suffer from a debilitating impediment in repairing wounds located on the lower limb that leads to the development of a fibroproliferative disorder (exuberant granulation tissue). This condition is a source of wastage since it often forces retirement from competition. Treatments that resolve or prevent this condition are still lacking, maybe due to deficient knowledge of the underlying molecular mechanisms. Fibroblast‐to‐myofibroblast conversion is an essential step allowing contraction during wound repair and is accompanied by an increase in OB‐cadherin expression.

Objectives: To clone equine cadherin‐11 (CDH11) cDNA and to study its spatiotemporal expression profile during the repair of body and limb wounds, thereby contributing to a better understanding of the repair process.

Methods: Cloning was by a PCR technique. Expression was studied in intact skin and in 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6‐week‐old wounds of the body and limb. Temporal CDH11 gene expression was determined by RT‐PCR while OB‐cadherin protein expression was mapped immunohistochemically.

Results: Equine CDH11 is a highly conserved gene and protein. mRNA was not expressed in equine skin whereas the wound repair process was characterised by a significantly higher expression in the thorax than in limb samples. mRNA expression pattern was paralleled by protein data as confirmed by immunohistochemistry.

Conclusions: The data suggest that deficient OB‐cadherin expression in the first phases of wound repair contributes to the excessive proliferative response seen in horse limb wounds.

Potential relevance: Future studies should verify the quantitative, temporal expression of this protein in order to provide the basis for targeted therapies that might prevent the development of EGT in horse wound repair.
The effects of maternal health and body condition on the endocrine responses of neonatal foals
Authors: OUSEY J. C. , FOWDEN A. L. , WILSHER S. , ALLEN W. R.
Published: November 2008

Reasons for performing the study: Chronic and acute alterations in maternal nutrient intake during pregnancy alter pancreatic and hypothalamo‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis function in the offspring, before and after birth. Little is known about these effects.

Objective: To determine whether maternal nutrient restriction caused by natural infection with Streptococcus equi altered endocrine function in neonatal foals born from mares fed a maintenance or high plane of nutrition throughout pregnancy.

Methods: Ten primiparous mares received either a diet to maintain moderate body condition score (Moderate, n = 5) or a near ad libitum feeding regime to maintain a high body condition score (High, n = 5) throughout pregnancy. All mares inadvertently became infected with Streptococcus equi in mid gestation and lost approximately 10% body mass.

Results: Maternal insulin and glucose concentrations decreased (P<0.05) during, and one month following, the weight loss period. High mares weighed more (P<0.05) at parturition than Moderate mares; all foals were healthy. Gestational age, foal bodyweights, placental and clinical parameters after birth were no different between the 2 groups. Foal plasma cortisol and glucose responses to exogenous adrenocorticotrophic hormone and insulin, respectively, were similar for both groups. Insulin concentrations during glucose tolerance test were significantly higher (P<0.05) in foals from Moderate than High mares and compared with foals studied previously from healthy, well‐fed mares, suggesting that the β cell sensitivity to glucose was enhanced in Moderate.

Conclusion: Acute nutrient restriction in mid gestation caused by maternal illness and inappetence, superimposed on a maintenance feed intake throughout pregnancy, enhanced insulin secretion to glucose in foals. Nutritional programming of pancreatic β cells, but not the HPA axis, appeared to depend on the level of nutrition before and after the weight loss period.

Potential relevance: Disturbances in neonatal pancreatic β cell function programmed during pregnancy may predispose foals to metabolic problems in later life.
Implications of different degrees of arytenoid cartilage abduction on equine upper airway characteristics
Authors: RAKESH V. , DUCHARME N. G. , CHEETHAM J. , DATTA A.K. , PEASE A. P.
Published: November 2008

Reason for performing study: The necessary degree of arytenoid cartilage abduction (ACA) to restore airway patency at maximal exercise has not been determined.

Objectives: Use computational fluid dynamics modelling to measure the effects of different degrees of ACA on upper airway characteristics of horses during exercise.

Hypothesis: Maximal ACA by laryngoplasty is necessary to restore normal peak airflow and pressure in Thoroughbred racehorses with laryngeal hemiplegia.

Methods: The upper airway was modeled with the left arytenoid in 3 different positions: maximal abduction; 88% cross‐sectional area of therima glottis;and 75% cross‐sectional area of therima glottis.The right arytenoid cartilage was maximally abducted. Two models were assumed:Model 1: no compensation of airway pressures; andModel 2: airway pressure compensation occurs to maintain peak airflow. The cross‐sectional pressure and velocity distributions for turbulent flow were studied at peak flow and at different positions along the airway.

Results: Model 1: In the absence of a change in driving pressure, 12 and 25% reductions in cross‐sectional area of the larynx resulted in 4.11 and 5.65% reductions in peak airflow and 3.68 and 5.64% in tidal volume, respectively, with mild changes in wall pressure.Model 2: To maintain peak flow, a 6.27% increase in driving tracheal pressure was required to compensate for a cross‐sectional reduction of 12% and a 13.63% increase in driving tracheal pressure was needed for a cross‐sectional area reduction of 25%. This increase in negative driving pressure resulted in regions with low intraluminal and wall pressures, depending on the degree of airway diameter reduction.

Conclusion: Assuming no increase in driving pressure, the decrease in left ACA reduced airflow and tidal volume. With increasing driving pressure, a decrease in left ACA changed the wall pressure profile, subjecting the submaximally abducted arytenoid cartilage and adjacent areas to airway collapse.

Clinical relevance: The surgical target of ACA resulting in 88% of maximal cross‐sectional area seems to be appropriate.
Accuracy of the TurfTrax Racing Data System for determination of equine speed and position
Authors: SPENCE A. J. , TAN H. , WILSON A.
Published: November 2008

Reasons for performing study: The speed and position data collected by TurfTrax Racing Data Limited during UK Thoroughbred racing have potential to benefit equine science and welfare. The size (the 2006 data set alone consists of 30,932 individual horse starts across 2667 races) and nature (speed and 2D position for each horse at 4 updates per second) of the data make it a unique resource for questions in equine safety, welfare, performance, and animal locomotion.

Objective: To determine the accuracy of the TurfTrax tracking system in estimating the speed and position of horses during racing.

Methods: Measurements from the TurfTrax wireless tracking system were compared with those of a survey‐grade global positioning system (GPS) receiver.

Results: The TurfTrax system was found to give position measurements to within ± 11 and ± 64 cm in the fore‐aft and lateral directions, respectively, averaging ± 38 cm (interquartile range) and speed to within 0.15 m/s.

Potential relevance: The data collected by the TurfTrax system are of sufficient accuracy to inform new diagnoses, training regimens and basic locomotor scientific studies. The position data can provide the precise distance, going, inclination, rate of turn and pack positioning through which each horse has raced. The speed profile can be used to examine the level of exertion, effect of training regimens and influence of racecourse features on performance. A first clinical application would be to analyse retrospectively these factors on occurrence of injury to compare with past training regimens, levels of exertion, and/or racecourse conditions.