bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pandemic influenza A (H1N1v) infection in pediatric population: a multicenter study in a North-East area of Italy
Authors: Da Dalt Liviana , Chillemi Chiara , Cavicchiolo Maria Elena , Bressan Silvia , Calistri Arianna , Palù Giorgio , Perilongo Giorgio
Published: May 2011

Background -

Data on clinical presentation, morbidity and mortality of 2009 pandemic influenza virus (H1N1v) in paediatric population are still emerging; most of the data so far available came from selected cohorts of children admitted to tertiary care paediatric hospitals.

Methods -

An observational study involving all the 19 Divisions of Paediatrics of the Veneto Region was conducted with the aim of investigating into the demographic and clinical characteristics, the treatment, the outcome and the risk factors for disease severity of H1N1v infection occurring in children.

Results -

Two hundred children, median age of 4.15 years (range 0-15) were enrolled from the last week of October till the first week of January 2010 for an overall hospitalization rate of 23/100.000. At least one underlying medical condition was found in 44% of patients. Fever and cough were the most frequent symptoms (93% and 65% respectively). 11 patients (6%) were admitted to a PICU and 5 (2.5%) required mechanical ventilation. Antiviral therapy was administered in 103 patients (51.5%) Death occurred in 2 patients (1%); both had severe prior medical conditions. Pre-existing neurologic diseases (OR 7.82; 95%CI: 1.15-53.34), the presence of hypoxemia (OR 10.47; 95%CI: 2.12-51.70) and anemia (Haemoglobin < 10 g/dL) (OR 14.15; 95%CI: 2.36-84.64) were risk factor for Intensive Care Unit admission.

Conclusions -

This observational study in a given area of North-East Italy confirms the rather favourable prognosis of children with influenza A H1N1 (2009). Pre-existing conditions, and which is new, significant anemia, are risk factors for a complicated course.
How orthogonal are the OBO Foundry ontologies?
Authors: Ghazvinian Amir , Noy Natalya F , Musen Mark A
Published: May 2011

Background

Ontologies in biomedicine facilitate information integration, data exchange, search and query of biomedical data, and other critical knowledge-intensive tasks. The OBO Foundry is a collaborative effort to establish a set of principles for ontology development with the eventual goal of creating a set of interoperable reference ontologies in the domain of biomedicine. One of the key requirements to achieve this goal is to ensure that ontology developers reuse term definitions that others have already created rather than create their own definitions, thereby making the ontologies orthogonal.

Methods

We used a simple lexical algorithm to analyze the extent to which the set of OBO Foundry candidate ontologies identified from September 2009 to September 2010 conforms to this vision. Specifically, we analyzed (1) the level of explicit term reuse in this set of ontologies, (2) the level of overlap, where two ontologies define similar terms independently, and (3) how the levels of reuse and overlap changed during the course of this year.

Results

We found that 30% of the ontologies reuse terms from other Foundry candidates and 96% of the candidate ontologies contain terms that overlap with terms from the other ontologies. We found that while term reuse increased among the ontologies between September 2009 and September 2010, the level of overlap among the ontologies remained relatively constant. Additionally, we analyzed the six ontologies announced as OBO Foundry members on March 5, 2010, and identified that the level of overlap was extremely low, but, notably, so was the level of term reuse.

Conclusions

We have created a prototype web application that allows OBO Foundry ontology developers to see which classes from their ontologies overlap with classes from other ontologies in the OBO Foundry (http://obomap.bioontology.org). From our analysis, we conclude that while the OBO Foundry has made significant progress toward orthogonality during the period of this study through increased adoption of explicit term reuse, a large amount of overlap remains among these ontologies. Furthermore, the characteristics of the identified overlap, such as the terms it comprises and its distribution among the ontologies, indicate that the achieving orthogonality will be exceptionally difficult, if not impossible.
Mining of vaccine-associated IFN-γ gene interaction networks using the Vaccine Ontology
Authors: Özgür Arzucan , Xiang Zuoshuang , Radev Dragomir R , He Yongqun
Published: May 2011

Background

Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) is vital in vaccine-induced immune defense against bacterial and viral infections and tumor. Our recent study demonstrated the power of a literature-based discovery method in extraction and comparison of the IFN-γ and vaccine-mediated gene interaction networks. The Vaccine Ontology (VO) contains a hierarchy of vaccine names. It is hypothesized that the application of VO will enhance the prediction of IFN-γ and vaccine-mediated gene interaction network.

Results

In this study, 186 specific vaccine names listed in the Vaccine Ontology (VO) and their semantic relations were used for possible improved retrieval of the IFN-γ and vaccine associated gene interactions. The application of VO allows discovery of 38 more genes and 60 more interactions. Comparison of different layers of IFN-γ networks and the example BCG vaccine-induced subnetwork led to generation of new hypotheses. By analyzing all discovered genes using centrality metrics, 32 genes were ranked high in the VO-based IFN-γ vaccine network using four centrality scores. Furthermore, 28 specific vaccines were found to be associated with these top 32 genes. These specific vaccine-gene associations were further used to generate a network of vaccine-vaccine associations. The BCG and LVS vaccines are found to be the most central vaccines in the vaccine-vaccine association network.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrate that the combined usages of biomedical ontologies and centrality-based literature mining are able to significantly facilitate discovery of gene interaction networks and gene-concept associations.

Availability

VO is available at:http://www.violinet.org/vaccineontology; and the SVM edit kernel for gene interaction extraction is available at:http://www.violinet.org/ifngvonet/int_ext_svm.zip
Representation of research hypotheses
Authors: Soldatova Larisa N , Rzhetsky Andrey
Published: May 2011

Background

Hypotheses are now being automatically produced on an industrial scale by computers in biology, e.g. the annotation of a genome is essentially a large set of hypotheses generated by sequence similarity programs; and robot scientists enable the full automation of a scientific investigation, including generation and testing of research hypotheses.

Results

This paper proposes a logically defined way for recording automatically generated hypotheses in machine amenable way. The proposed formalism allows the description of complete hypotheses sets as specified input and output for scientific investigations. The formalism supports the decomposition of research hypotheses into more specialised hypotheses if that is required by an application. Hypotheses are represented in an operational way – it is possible to design an experiment to test them. The explicit formal description of research hypotheses promotes the explicit formal description of the results and conclusions of an investigation. The paper also proposes a framework for automated hypotheses generation. We demonstrate how the key components of the proposed framework are implemented in the Robot Scientist “Adam”.

Conclusions

A formal representation of automatically generated research hypotheses can help to improve the way humans produce, record, and validate research hypotheses.

Availability

http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/cs/research/cb/projects/robotscientist/results/
Therapeutic concentrations of glucagon-like peptide-1 in cerebrospinal fluid following cell-based delivery into the cerebral ventricles of cats
Authors: Glage Silke , Klinge Petra M , Miller Miles C , Wallrapp Christine , Geigle Peter , Hedrich Hans J , Brinker Thomas
Published: May 2011

Background

Neuropeptides may have considerable potential in the treatment of acute and chronic neurological diseases. Encapsulated genetically engineered cells have been suggested as a means for sustained local delivery of such peptides to the brain. In our experiments, we studied human mesenchymal stem cells which were transfected to produce glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1).

Methods

Cells were packed in a water-permeable mesh bag containing 400 polymeric microcapsules, each containing 3000 cells. The mesh bags were either transplanted into the subdural space, into the brain parenchyma or into the cerebral ventricles of the cat brain. Mesh bags were explanted after two weeks, and cell viability, as well as GLP-1 concentration in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), was measured.

Results

Viability of cells did not significantly differ between the three implantation sites. However, CSF concentration of GLP-1 was significantly elevated only after ventricular transplantation with a maximum concentration of 73 pM (binding constant = 70 pM).

Conclusions

This study showed that ventricular cell-based delivery of soluble factors has the capability to achieve concentrations in the CSF which may become pharmacologically active. Despite the controversy about the pharmacokinetic limitations of ventricular drug delivery, there might be a niche in this for encapsulated cell biodelivery of soluble, highly biologically-effective neuropeptides of low molecular weight like GLP-1.
Histone deacetylase inhibition alters dendritic cells to assume a tolerogenic phenotype and ameliorates arthritis in SKG mice
Authors: Misaki Kenta , Morinobu Akio , Saegusa Jun , Kasagi Shimpei , Fujita Masaaki , Miyamoto Yoshiaki , Matsuki Fumichika , Kumagai Shunichi
Published: May 2011

Introduction

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the effects of histone deacetylase inhibition on the phenotype and function of dendritic cells and on arthritis in SKG mice.

Methods

Arthritis was induced in SKG mice by zymosan A injection. Trichostatin A, a histone deacetylase inhibitor, was administered and its effects on arthritis were evaluated by joint swelling and histological evaluation. Interleukin-17 production in lymph node cells was determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Foxp3 expression in lymph node cells and the phenotypes of splenic dendritic cells were examined by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BM-DC) were generated with granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor. The effects of trichostatin A on cell surface molecules, cytokine production, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) expression and T cell stimulatory capacity were examined by FACS, ELISA, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot, and the allo-mixed lymphocyte reaction, respectively.

Results

Trichostatin A, when administered before the onset of arthritis, prevented SKG mice from getting arthritis. Trichostatin A treatment also showed therapeutic effects on arthritis in SKG mice, when it was administered after the onset of arthritis. Trichostatin A treatment reduced Th17 cells and induced regulatory T cells in lymph node, and also decreased co-stimulatory molecule expression on splenic dendritic cells in vivo. In vitro, trichostatin A markedly suppressed zymosan A-induced interleukin-12 and interleukin-6 production by BM-DC and up-regulated IDO expression at mRNA and protein levels. Trichostatin A-treated BM-DC also showed less T cell stimulatory capacity.

Conclusions

Histone deacetylase inhibition changes dendritic cells to a tolerogenic phenotype and ameliorates arthritis in SKG mice.
Technical Advance: Surface plasmon resonance-based analysis of CXCL12 binding using immobilized lentiviral particles
Authors: Vega Beatriz , Muñoz Laura Martínez , Holgado Borja L , Lucas Pilar , Rodríguez-Frade J M , Calle Ana , Rodríguez-Fernández J L , Lechuga Laura M , Rodríguez José F , Gutiérrez-Gallego Ricardo , Mellado Mario
Published: May 2011

Use of SPR-based biosensors is an established method for measuring molecular interactions. Their application to the study of GPCRs is nonetheless limited to detergent-solubilized receptors that can then be reconstituted into a lipid environment. Using the chemokine receptor CXCR4 and its specific ligand CXCL12, we outline here a highly reproducible biosensor method based on receptor presentation on the surface of lentiviral particles; the approach is simple and does not require the use of antibodies to achieve correct receptor orientation on the sensorchip surface. We measured the kinetic parameters of CXCR4/CXCL12 binding in a single step and in real time and evaluated the effect of GAG presentation of chemokines on this interaction. The data indicate that at low concentrations, soluble heparin modulates CXCR4/CXCL12 interaction and at high concentrations, abrogates binding. These observations suggest that in addition to their known role in modulating local chemokine availability, GAG affect the receptor/ligand interaction, although their influence on affinity parameters is very limited. The method will also be useful for quantifying these biomarkers in biological fluids and for the development of high-throughput screening for their antagonists.
Valproatev.lithium in the treatment of bipolar disorder in clinical practice: observational nationwide register-based cohort study
Authors: Kessing Lars Vedel , Hellmund Gunnar , Geddes John R. , Goodwin Guy M. , Andersen Per Kragh
Published: May 2011

Background

Valproate is one of the most used mood stabilisers for bipolar disorder, although the evidence for the effectiveness of valproate is sparse.

Aims

To compare the effect of valproatev.lithium for treatment of bipolar disorder in clinical practice.

Method

An observational cohort study with linkage of nationwide registers of all people with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder in psychiatric hospital settings who were prescribed valproate or lithium in Denmark during a period from 1995 to 2006.

Results

A total of 4268 participants were included among whom 719 received valproate and 3549 received lithium subsequent to the diagnosis of bipolar disorder. The rate of switch/add on to the opposite drug (lithium or valproate), antidepressants, antipsychotics or anticonvulsants (other than valproate) was increased for valproate compared with lithium (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.86, 95% CI 1.59–2.16). The rate of psychiatric hospital admissions was increased for valproatev.lithium (HR = 1.33, 95% CI 1.18–1.48) and regardless of the type of episode leading to a hospital admission (depressive or manic/mixed). Similarly, for participants with a depressive index episode (HR = 1.87, 95% CI 1.40–2.48), a manic index episode (HR = 1.24, 95% CI 1.01–1.51) and a mixed index episode (HR = 1.44, 95% CI 1.04–2.01), the overall rate of hospital admissions was significantly increased for valproate compared with lithium.

Conclusions

In daily clinical practice, treatment with lithium seems in general to be superior to treatment with valproate.
Skeletal Fluorosis from Brewed Tea
Authors: Izuora Kenneth , Twombly Jennifer G. , Whitford Gary M. , Demertzis Jennifer , Pacifici Roberto , Whyte Michael P.
Published: May 2011

Background:

High fluoride ion (F−) levels are found in many surface and well waters. Drinking F−-contaminated water typically explains endemic skeletal fluorosis (SF). In some regions of Asia, however, poor quality “brick tea” also causes this disorder. The plant source of brick, black, green, orange pekoe, and oolong tea, Camellia sinensis, can contain substantial amounts of F−. Exposure to 20 mg F− per day for 20 yr of adult life is expected to cause symptomatic SF. High F− levels stimulate osteoblasts and enhance bone apposition but substitute for OH− groups in hydroxyapatite crystals and thereby result in skeletal fragility and perhaps lead to secondary hyperparathyroidism. Beginning in 2005, we showed that daily consumption of 1–2 gallons of instant tea made from this plant can lead to SF.

Aim:

We describe a 48-yr-old American woman who developed SF from brewed tea.

Patient and Methods:

Our patient had elevated bone mineral density revealed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (spine Z-score, +9.9), severe chronic bone and joint pain, and kyphosis after consuming 1–2 gallons of brewed orange pekoe tea daily for more than three decades. F− levels were high in her serum, urine, and clippings of fingernails and toenails, as well as in our reproduction of her beverage. Renal function was normal. She had vitamin D deficiency. Elevated serum PTH levels were unresponsive to adequate vitamin D supplementation. Pain resolved over several months when she stopped drinking tea and continued ergocalciferol.

Conclusion:

Our patient shows that SF can result from chronic consumption of large volumes of brewed tea.
The Case of the Missing Mahatma: Gandhi and the Hindi Cinema
Authors: Dwyer Rachel
Published: May 2011

While Gandhi's image is well known in India and throughout the world, mostly in photographs, chromolithographs, and newsreels, there are surprisingly few Indian films about the father of the nation and his role in the national drama, the historic struggle for independence, perhaps the most important event in twentieth-century India. Gandhi made the freedom struggle a popular movement in part through his manipulation of symbols such as khadi, the spinning wheel, and his dress, yet though a prolific writer, he eschewed the new medium of film for promulgating his message. Gandhi appears frequently in costume dramas and in other genres, but the biopic is largely absent in mainstream cinema. This article looks at the biopic in popular Hindi cinema and at Richard Attenborough's Gandhi to examine what this tells us about the presence and absence of Gandhi in independent India.
Hindu Modern: Considering Gandhian Aesthetics
Authors: Rao Vyjayanthi
Published: May 2011

This article analyzes the Gandhian legacy in contemporary Indian art practices, including photography, architecture, and film, and investigates the possibilities and impasses of a specifically Gandhian modern aesthetic practice. Situating a specific set of artistic projects in relation to the rise of Hindu fundamentalist politics in contemporary India, the article then proposes the ways in which the possibility of a Gandhian modern aesthetic has been increasingly submerged in the broader politics of constructing a universalist, Hindu modern political aesthetic. Finally, turning to Hind Swaraj, the article proposes an alternative understanding of the emergence of this Hindu modern by examining Gandhi's particular articulation of the relation among ethics, aesthetics, and politics.
Might as Well Face It, We're Addicted to Gandhi
Authors: Birla Ritu
Published: May 2011

Gandhi's thematics of addiction mark him as acutely present in his time, even as they launch his temporal performativity. Publicized via transnational debates on the legality of opium and anxieties about the market as casino, the problem of addiction reflected the circulation of law and economy as global technologies and Gandhi's travels with them. At the same time, addiction named Gandhi's condemnation of modern civilization and its slavish relation to technology and futurity. This would be counteracted not with an easy cure but by recasting law and economy as tools and habits of self-mastery.
Gandhi and the Goa Question
Authors: Gupta Pamila
Published: May 2011

Gandhi's Hind Swaraj is analyzed as a statement of transnational politics and circulation, its ideas enabled by the Indian Ocean and applicable to Goa's independence from Portuguese colonial rule.
A randomized controlled trial of home telerehabilitation for post-knee arthroplasty
Authors: Tousignant Michel , Moffet Hélène , Boissy Patrick , Corriveau Hélène , Cabana François , Marquis François
Published: May 2011

We compared the effectiveness of home telerehabilitation with conventional rehabilitation following knee replacement surgery (total knee arthroplasty, TKA). Forty-eight patients (mean age 66 years) who received TKA were recruited prior to discharge from hospital after surgery and were randomly assigned to telerehabilitation or usual care. Telerehabilitation sessions (16 per participant over two months) were conducted by trained physiotherapists using videoconferencing to the patient's home via an Internet connection (512 kbit/s upload speed). Disability and function were measured using standardized outcome measures in face-to-face evaluations at three times (prior to and at the end of treatment, and four months after the end of treatment). Clinical outcomes improved significantly for all subjects in both groups between endpoints. Some variables showed larger improvements in the usual care group two months post-discharge from therapy than in the telerehabilitation group. Home telerehabilitation is at least as effective as usual care, and has the potential to increase access to therapy in areas with high speed Internet services.
Third generation cellular multimedia teleconsultations in plastic surgery
Authors: Farber Nimrod , Haik Josef , Liran Alon , Weissman Oren , Winkler Eyal
Published: May 2011

We conducted a study to test whether new third generation (3G) mobile phones could be integrated into service as a working tool between plastic surgeons. During an eight-month period, 58 multimedia consultations were performed involving 57 patients. The majority of the consultations were for trauma or wounds. All consultations comprised a digital photograph taken with the integrated camera and sent via the Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS). In 86% of the cases the residents reported that multimedia information contributed to their ability to independently handle similar cases in future. Satisfaction scores were high among all participants. We believe that a multimedia consultation in a hospital setting adds information to an ordinary telephone call, thus decreasing medico-legal risks. We recommend it for routine use.
Telesurveillance of circular frame pin sites: one year's experience at a specialist unit
Authors: Khan Sameer K , Abraham Alwyn
Published: May 2011

Circular frame treatment for limb reconstruction involves repeated follow-up visits, and a substantial number of these appointments are for pin site review only. We have encouraged our frame patients to take photographs of their pin sites when they carry out their weekly dressing changes. The photographs are taken with mobile phones or digital cameras by the patients themselves, and the images sent to us by email. We reply within 24 hours, with either reassurance or appropriate instructions as indicated. In the past 12 months, five patients have had their pin sites reviewed remotely using this method, and have expressed a high level of satisfaction. These early results are encouraging.
Career decision difficulties post foundation training – the medical student perspective
Authors: Luther Vishal
Published: May 2011

Objectives

Since 2005, newly qualified doctors in the UK have had their time to prepare for career subspecialization application cut short to 16 months. To have enough time to become a competitive applicant, the choice of specialization may now have to be made as early as in medical school. This study aimed to assess how prepared medical students are towards committing to a specialty while in medical school, and their opinion about having to make such a decision.

Design

A cross-sectional questionnaire. A list of all career specialties available to doctors at the point of specialization was provided and asked students to rank their top choice. An assessment of the certainty of their choice was then determined.

Setting

Questionnaires were distributed at the end of an optional final year medical student academic meeting held at a leading London medical school university.

Participants

One hundred and thirty final year students attended the meeting. Questionnaires were distributed to all attenders; 115 responses were collected.

Main outcome measures

The certainty of career specialization choice was assessed in qualitative form, with responses ranging from ‘not likely’, ‘maybe’, ‘probably’, ‘almost certainly’ and ‘definitely’. Their feelings in having to decide upon career specialty while in medical school was assessed through either a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response.

Results

A total of 115 responses were collected. The second most common selection was the ‘undecided’ option at 15%. The highest certainty factor occurred at ‘maybe’ with 41% and progressively fewer responses occurred as the certainty factor increased, with only 10% at ‘definitely'; 95% voted ‘no’ to having to decide what they want to specialize in by the end of medical school.

Conclusions

The majority of students have yet to commit to a specialty and almost all agree that they should not have to decide what they want to specialize in by the end of medical school. There is thus greater responsibility from medical schools to incorporate more career discussions into their syllabus.
An Exact Algorithm for the Pickup and Delivery Problem with Time Windows
Authors: Baldacci Roberto , Bartolini Enrico , Mingozzi Aristide
Published: May 2011

The pickup and delivery problem with time windows (PDPTW) is a generalization of the vehicle routing problem with time windows. In the PDPTW, a set of identical vehicles located at a central depot must be optimally routed to service a set of transportation requests subject to capacity, time window, pairing, and precedence constraints. In this paper, we present a new exact algorithm for the PDPTW based on a set-partitioning–like integer formulation, and we describe a bounding procedure that finds a near-optimal dual solution of the LP-relaxation of the formulation by combining two dual ascent heuristics and a cut-and-column generation procedure. The final dual solution is used to generate a reduced problem containing only the routes whose reduced costs are smaller than the gap between a known upper bound and the lower bound achieved. If the resulting problem has moderate size, it is solved by an integer programming solver; otherwise, a branch-and-cut-and-price algorithm is used to close the integrality gap. Extensive computational results over the main instances from the literature show the effectiveness of the proposed exact method.
The Irrevocable Multiarmed Bandit Problem
Authors: Farias Vivek F. , Madan Ritesh
Published: May 2011

This paper considers the multiarmed bandit problem with multiple simultaneous arm pulls and the additional restriction that we do not allow recourse to arms that were pulled at some point in the past but then discarded. This additional restriction is highly desirable from an operational perspective, and we refer to this problem as the “irrevocable multiarmed bandit” problem. We observe that natural modifications to well-known heuristics for multiarmed bandit problems that satisfy this irrevocability constraint have unsatisfactory performance and, thus motivated, introduce a new heuristic: the “packing” heuristic. We establish through numerical experiments that the packing heuristic offers excellent performance, even relative to heuristics that are not constrained to be irrevocable. We also provide a theoretical analysis that studies the “price” of irrevocability, i.e., the performance loss incurred in imposing the constraint we propose on the multiarmed bandit model. We show that this performance loss is uniformly bounded for a general class of multiarmed bandit problems and indicate its dependence on various problem parameters. Finally, we obtain a computationally fast algorithm to implement the packing heuristic; the algorithm renders the packing heuristic computationally cheaper than methods that rely on the computation of Gittins indices.
Fixed-Point Approaches to Computing Bertrand-Nash Equilibrium Prices Under Mixed-Logit Demand
Authors: Morrow W. Ross , Skerlos Steven J.
Published: May 2011

This article describes numerical methods that exploit fixed-point equations equivalent to the first-order condition for Bertrand-Nash equilibrium prices in a class of differentiated product market models based on the mixed-logit model of demand. One fixed-point equation is already prevalent in the literature, and one is novel. Equilibrium prices are computed for the calendar year 2005 new-vehicle market under two mixed-logit models using (i) a state-of-the-art variant of Newton's method applied to the first-order conditions as well as the two fixed-point equations and (ii) a fixed-point iteration generated by our novel fixed-point equation. A comparison of the performance of these methods for a simple model with multiple equilibria is also provided. The analysis and trials illustrate the importance of using fixed-point forms of the first-order conditions for efficient and reliable computations of equilibrium prices.
TECHNICAL NOTE—A Comparison of Bertrand and Cournot Profits in Oligopolies with Differentiated Products
Authors: Farahat Amr , Perakis Georgia
Published: May 2011

We compare equilibrium profits of Bertrand (price) and Cournot (quantity) competition in oligopolies with an arbitrary number of nonsymmetric firms offering differentiated substitutable products under an affine demand function. We provide a precise characterization of the profit relationship in terms of (1) the number of firms, (2) their relative quality and cost differences, and (3) the competition intensity, defined as the maxiumum absolute value of total change in competitors' demand over change in own demand due to a unit change in own price. We first examine the case where firms have the same demand sensitivity to own price and the same demand sensitivity to competitor prices but different cost and quality parameters. For this case, we prove that the total profit of the industry under Cournot competition is at least as high as the total profit under Bertrand competition if the number of firms is less than 28 or if the competition intensity is less than 0.909 or if the differences in quality and cost competitiveness between firms are small. We also prove that for each firm, the profit achieved under Cournot competition is at least as high as the profit achieved under Bertrand competition if the number of firms is less than eight or if the competition intensity is less than 0.739. We then provide numerical and analytical results that qualitatively support the same conclusions for general affine demand functions with variable demand sensitivities to prices.
Unintended Pregnancy and Taxpayer Spending
Authors: Monea Emily , Thomas Adam
Published: May 2011

CONTEXT: Nearly half of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended. These pregnancies likely represent a substantial cost to taxpayers, but national‐level estimates of these public costs have been lacking.

METHODS: Taxpayer spending on unintended pregnancy is measured by multiplying estimates of the 2001 incidence of publicly financed unintended pregnancy outcomes (abortions, fetal losses, births and need for infant medical care) by average per‐incident costs. Public savings that would result from preventing unintended pregnancies are estimated by assuming that the prevention of an unwanted pregnancy would save the full cost of financing the pregnancy, while the prevention of a mistimed pregnancy would save the cost of financing the pregnancy today minus the present value of the cost of financing the pregnancy when it eventually occurs.

RESULTS: Lower‐bound, mean and upper‐bound estimates of the annual cost of unintended pregnancy are, respectively, $9.6 billion, $11.3 billion and $12.6 billion. Corresponding estimates of the savings that would accrue to taxpayers by preventing unintended pregnancies are $4.7 billion, $5.6 billion and $6.2 billion. The mean estimate of the taxpayer cost per publicly subsidized unintended pregnancy is $9,000; the prevention of such a pregnancy would save taxpayers about half that amount.

CONCLUSIONS: The prevention of unintended pregnancy represents an important opportunity for the public to reap substantial savings, especially given the current fiscal climate. The enactment or expansion of cost‐effective policies to prevent unintended pregnancies is therefore a timely and sensible strategy.
The Public Costs of Births Resulting from Unintended Pregnancies: National and State‐Level Estimates
Authors: Sonfield Adam , Kost Kathryn , Gold Rachel Benson , Finer Lawrence B.
Published: May 2011

CONTEXT:Births resulting from unintended pregnancies are associated with substantial maternity and infant care costs to the federal and state governments; these costs have never been estimated at the national and state levels.

METHODS:The proportions of births paid for by public insurance programs in 2006 were estimated, by pregnancy intention status, using data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System and similar state surveys, or were predicted by multivariate linear regression. Public costs were calculated using state‐level estimates of the number of births, by intention status, and of the cost of a publicly funded birth.

RESULTS:In 2006, 64% of births resulting from unintended pregnancies were publicly funded, compared with 48% of all births and 35% of births resulting from intended pregnancies. The proportion of births resulting from unintended pregnancies that were publicly funded varied by state, from 42% to 81%. Of the 2.0 million publicly funded births, 51% resulted from unintended pregnancies, accounting for $11.1 billion in costs—half of the total public expenditures on births. In seven states, the costs for births from unintended pregnancies exceeded a half billion dollars.

CONCLUSIONS:Public insurance programs are central in assisting American families in affording pregnancy and childbirth; however, they pay for a disproportionately high number of births resulting from unintended pregnancy. The resulting budgetary impact warrants increased public efforts to reduce unintended pregnancy.
Continuity and discontinuity in the semantics of the Latin preposition per: a cognitive hypothesis
Authors: Brucale Luisa , Mocciaro Egle
Published: May 2011

We propose a description of the semantic network of the Latin prepositional phrase per ‘through’ + Accusative in the early stage of this language. Drawing upon the insights of Cognitive Grammar, we analyze the role of the schematic import in the spread from basic to abstract meanings. Finally, we draw a map of the polysemous network of per, showing that the continuity of the different, but consistently linked, meanings does not necessarily imply the unidirectionality of the concrete-to-abstract shifts.
Word order in Latin locative constructions: a corpus study in Caesar’s De bello gallico
Authors: Skopeteas Stavros
Published: May 2011

Classical Latin is a free word order language, i.e., the order of the constituents is determined by information structure rather than by syntactic rules. This article presents a corpus study on the word order of locative constructions and shows that the choice between a Theme-first and a Locative-first order is influenced by the discourse status of the referents. Furthermore, the corpus findings reveal a striking impact of the syntactic construction: complements of motion verbs do not have the same ordering preferences with complements of static verbs and adjuncts. This finding supports the view that the influence of discourse status on word order is indirect, i.e., it is mediated by information structural domains.
Ken Burns's The National Parks: America's Best Idea: Compelling Stories and Missed Opportunities
Authors: Linenthal Edward T.
Published: May 2011

Burns's documentary The National Parks: America's Best Idea offers compelling portraits of “American originals,” including John Muir, Gifford Pinchot, Stephen Mather, and Horace Albright. It offers breathtaking “god's-eye” views of national park landscapes. It offers fascinating biographies of Yellowstone and Yosemite, in particular the enduring tension between processes of preservation and commercialization. However, there were missed opportunities to focus on so-called historic sites, to inform viewers of the many enduring threats to the “park idea,” and to help viewers appreciate the creative potential of this idea in a new century.
Clinicogenetic care of women of BRCA mutation carrier women: prevention, diagnosis and therapy
Authors: Nagy Zsolt , Csanád Mónika , Tóth Katalin , Máté Szabolcs , Joó József Gábor
Published: May 2011

Predictive genetics opens a considerable perspective in the diagnostics as well as the treatment of breast and ovarian cancer. Current recommendations and guidelines for the management of BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 mutation carriers are not based on controlled randomized trials, but on expert opinions. The existing options of prevention, early diagnosis and treatment must be clearly interpreted to the patient. In the context of a dedicated genetic counseling the participation of all involved professionals (geneticist, oncologist, surgeon, gynecologist) is required. The decision-making process concerning the possibilities of prevention, diagnosis and treatment is always deeply influenced by the patient’s own experience with the cancer occurred in the family, as well as by her values and expectations of life. The focused multidisciplinary approach, with the application of results from prospective studies in cohorts of BRCA mutation carriers allow the concerned individuals to benefit from this kind of approach of medical treatment. Orv. Hetil., 2011, 152, 913–918.
Metabolismo de carbono de plantas cultivadas e o aumento de CO2 e de O3 atmosférico: situação e previsões
Authors: Pimentel Carlos
Published: May 2011

A atividade de gases da atmosfera, principalmente os "Gases de Efeito Estufa" (GEE), como o vapor d'água, o gás carbônico, o metano, os óxidos de nitrogênio e o ozônio, passou a ser objeto de estudos devido ao seu aumento, causando as mudanças climáticas globais, como o aumento da temperatura do ar, secas e outras. Além do gás carbônico, está havendo aumento da emissão de Compostos Orgânicos Voláteis (COV) na troposfera, além de óxidos de nitrogênio, que causam a produção de ozônio tóxico aos seres vivos. Este, o ozônio produzido em baixa altitude reduz a fotossíntese e produtividade de culturas sensíveis, como a soja e o algodão, culturas importantes no Brasil. O aumento substancial da concentração de gás carbônico na atmosfera, nos próximos anos, provavelmente causará aumento da fotossíntese e biomassa em plantas. Esse processo ocorrerá especialmente nas espécies arbóreas e gramíneas C3 e menos nas leguminosas e plantas C4. Entretanto, este aumento será menor que o previsto por estudos em ambiente controlado, segundo resultados de campo. Além disso, a maior concentração destes GEE na atmosfera causará aumento da temperatura do ar e redução da disponibilidade de água no solo, que podem anular o efeito benéfico e fertilizante do gás carbônico, especialmente quando associado ao efeito nocivo do aumento de ozônio na biosfera. Contudo, os estudos têm sido realizados em regiões temperadas, e pouco se sabe sobre a atividade do gás carbônico e ozônio, e seus efeitos sobre o metabolismo das plantas cultivadas, em regiões tropicais.
Herdabilidade e correlações entre caracteres agronômicos em populações híbridas de trigo duro
Authors: Del Guercio Anita Martins Fontes , Camargo Carlos Eduardo de Oliveira
Published: May 2011

Objetivou-se estimar os coeficientes de herdabilidade em sentido restrito referentes ao número de espigas por planta, de número de grãos por espiga, massa de cem grãos e produção de grãos, bem como as correlações ambientais, fenotípicas e genotípicas entre esses caracteres. Os estudos foram realizados em cruzamentos entre os genótipos de trigo duro P19 (P1) e P33 (P2), ambos originados no programa do Instituto Agronômico (IAC), de Campinas e IAC-1003 (P3), genótipo introduzido do Centro Internacional de Melhoramento de Milho e Trigo (CIMMYT), México. Baixas estimativas de herdabilidade no sentido restrito foram obtidas para o caráter número de espigas por planta (0,23 a 0,38), exceto pelo cruzamento P1 x P2 (0,77). Valores baixos também foram obtidos para número de grãos por espiga (0,13 a 0,31), excetuando-se o cruzamento P1 x P3 (0,77). Para o caráter massa de cem grãos, os valores variaram de médios a baixos (0,24 a 0,49) para todos os cruzamentos e também para produção de grãos (0,09 a 0,45), sugerindo que a seleção para todos os caracteres na maioria dos cruzamentos deveria ser postergada para gerações posteriores. As correlações fenotípicas entre produção de grãos e os demais caracteres avaliados foram todas positivas e significativas, indicando que plantas com maior número de espigas, maior número de grãos por espiga e com grãos mais pesados seriam as mais produtivas.
Produtividade de arroz no sistema integração lavoura-pecuária com o uso de doses reduzidas de herbicida
Authors: Carvalho Marco Antonio Camillo de , Yamashita Oscar Mitsuo , Roque Cassiano Garcia , Noetzold Rafael
Published: May 2011

Em vista da enorme área de pastagens degradadas na Região Norte de Mato Grosso, tornam-se necessárias pesquisas de alternativas para sua recuperação. No presente trabalho o objetivo foi avaliar os efeitos de doses reduzidas de cyhalofop butil e épocas de semeadura da forrageira, no consórcio de Brachiaria brizantha cv Marandu com a cultura do arroz. O trabalho foi desenvolvido nas safras 2005/2006 e 2006/2007 em delineamento experimental de blocos casualizados, com quatro repetições, no esquema fatorial 2x6, constituído pela combinação de duas cultivares de arroz (BRS Primavera e BEST 2000) e seis alternativas de renovação, sendo quatro com doses reduzidas do herbicida cyhalofop butil (0; 0,40; 0,80 e 1,2 L ha-1) e duas por semeadura a lanço aos 10 e 20 dias após a emergência do arroz. No segundo ano, o esquema utilizado foi 2x8 em que, além dos tratamentos do primeiro ano, foram acrescentados a semeadura de braquiária em sulco, na entrelinha, aos 20 e 30 dias após a emergência do arroz. Foram avaliados: número de perfilhos e de panículas m-2, rendimento de engenho, massa de cem grãos e produtividade. Pode-se concluir que BRS Primavera tem melhor desempenho quando o desenvolvimento da forrageira ocorre satisfatoriamente. A semeadura da forrageira a lanço não é viável e doses iguais ou superiores a 0,80 L ha-1 de cyhalofop butil são eficazes como alternativa na recuperação de pastagens.
Respostas de cultivares de algodão ao cloreto de mepiquat aplicado via embebição de sementes
Authors: Nagashima Getúlio Takashi , Santos Frederico Thomaz , Miglioranza Édison
Published: May 2011

As recomendações de reguladores de crescimento cloreto de mepiquat (CM) geralmente não consideram as diferenças entre cultivares de algodoeiro utilizadas para o cultivo. O trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o crescimento e o desenvolvimento de cultivares de algodão ante a embebição das sementes com regulador de crescimento cloreto de mepiquat, visando à sua caracterização quanto à resposta ao tratamento. Foram utilizadas as cultivares IPR-120, IAC-24, CD-405, Delta Opal e Fibermax 966, cujas sementes foram embebidas em solução contendo 2,0 g de cloreto de mepiquat para cada 100 mL de água deionizada por 12 horas e cultivadas em vaso, em casa de vegetação. Foram avaliadas: a altura de plantas, a altura da inserção do nó cotiledonar, o diâmetro caulinar, a área foliar e a massa da matéria seca da parte aérea. As cultivares tiveram resultados diferenciados ao tratamento de sementes via embebição com regulador de crescimento, sendo as cultivares Fibermax 966, Delta Opal e CD 405 as mais sensíveis. O tratamento foi eficiente na redução do porte, da inserção do nó cotiledonar, da área foliar e da massa da matéria seca da parte aérea do algodoeiro, além de alterar a partição dos assimilados, comparadas com plantas originadas de sementes sem tratamento.
Teor e exportação de macro e micronutrientes nos tubérculos de cultivares de batata em função do nitrogênio
Authors: Braun Heder , Fontes Paulo Cezar Rezende , Busato Camilo , Cecon Paulo Roberto
Published: May 2011

Objetivou-se avaliar o efeito de doses de nitrogênio (N) sobre os teores e exportações de macro e micronutrientes nos tubérculos de cultivares de batata das mais plantadas no Brasil. Os experimentos foram desenvolvidos na época de outono/inverno, em solo Podzólico Vermelho-Amarelo Câmbico, de textura argilosa. Foram instalados quatro experimentos, simultaneamente, no campo. Em cada experimento foram avaliadas uma cultivar: Ágata, Asterix, Atlantic e Monalisa e cinco doses de N: 0, 50, 100, 200 e 300 kg ha-1, na forma de sulfato de amônio, aplicadas no sulco. Cada experimento foi instalado no delineamento de blocos casualizados, com quatro repetições. Nas cultivares de batata Ágata, Asterix, Atlantic e Monalisa não há efeito de doses de N sobre o teor de K, Ca, Mg, S, Fe e Zn. O teor de N e a exportação de N, P e Mn pelos tubérculos, ao contrário, foram influenciadas pelas doses de N aplicadas em todas as cultivares, embora com padrões diferenciados.
Injúrias causadas por mosca-das-frutas sul-americana em cultivares de videira
Authors: Zart Marcelo , Botton Marcos , Fernandes Odair Aparecido
Published: May 2011

A mosca-das-frutas sul-americana, Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae), é uma das principais pragas da fruticultura no Brasil. O objetivo deste estudo foi identificar a suscetibilidade quanto à queda e deformação de bagas de diferentes cultivares/espécies de uva pela injúria causada pela oviposição de A. fraterculus. O trabalho foi realizado em vinhedos das cultivares 'Cabernet Sauvignon' (Vitis vinifera), 'Moscato Embrapa' (75% de V. vinifera) e 'Isabel' (Vitis labrusca), localizados em Bento Gonçalves (RS), na safra 2006/2007. Dois casais de A. fraterculus foram confinados por cacho, em gaiolas de tecido voile, durante os estádios fenológicos de grão ervilha, início da compactação, início da maturação e maturação plena dos cachos. Queda significativa de bagas devido ao ataque de A. fraterculus foi registrada na cultivar 'Cabernet Sauvignon' quando a infestação foi realizada nos estádios fenológicos de grão ervilha e início da compactação de cacho; estádios de grão ervilha em 'Moscato Embrapa'; e nos estádios de grão ervilha, início da compactação e início da maturação do cacho na cultivar 'Isabel'. Foi registrada deformação de bagas quando as infestações foram realizadas nos estádios de grão ervilha e início da compactação de cacho em 'Cabernet Sauvignon', 'Moscato Embrapa' e 'Isabel'. O desenvolvimento larval até a fase de pupa foi observado somente na cultivar 'Moscato Embrapa'.
Padrão de afilhamento em arroz afetado pela presença dos íons amônio e nitrato
Authors: Poletto Naracelis , Mundstock Claudio Mario , Grohs Daniel Santos , Mazurana Michael
Published: May 2011

O padrão de afilhamento do arroz é afetado pela nutrição nitrogenada, no início do desenvolvimento das plantas, sendo determinado pelo número de afilhos emitidos e pelo sincronismo de desenvolvimento entre afilhos e colmo principal. O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar a emissão e o sincronismo de desenvolvimento de afilhos com o colmo principal na cultivar de arroz IRGA 417, cultivada em solução nutritiva com concentrações de N (1, 5 e 10 mmol L-1) e proporções (100:0, 75:25, 50:50 e 25:75) entre as formas N-NH4+ : N-NO3- em cada concentração. Na concentração de 1 mmol L-1 a resposta foi similar entre as proporções N-NH4+: N-NO3-, para número de afilhos, sincronismo de desenvolvimento entre afilhos e colmo principal e para número de colmos potencialmente produtivos. Nesse caso, as plantas toleraram a presença do N-NH4+ independentemente da presença do N-NO3-. Em concentrações de N de 5 e 10 mmol L-1, a presença do N-NH4+ (100 e 75%) prejudicou essas características. A presença de N-NO3- (em pelo menos 50% do suprimento do N) inibiu o efeito prejudicial. Em concentrações mais elevadas de N, é necessária a presença do nitrato, em pelo menos 50% do total de N suprido para que não ocorra inibição na emissão e no sincronismo dos afilhos.