bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Haemostatic role and histopathological effects of a new haemostatic agent in a rat bladder haemorrhage model: an experimental trial
Authors: Kilic Ozcan , Gonen Murat , Acar Kadir , Yurdakul Talat , Avunduk Mustafa Cihat , Esen Haci Hasan , Oz Mehmet 
Published: October 2009

OBJECTIVETo investigate the haemostatic efficacy and histopathological effects of a new haemostatic agent, Ankaferd BloodStopper® (ABS; Ankaferd Drug Cosmetic Co., Istanbul, Turkey) in a rat bladder haemorrhage model. ABS is a unique combination of five plant extracts that has been used in Turkish traditional medicine as a haemostatic agent for external traumatic bleeds.MATERIALS AND METHODSIn all, 20 male Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into two equal groups. In both groups, the mucosa was damaged on the posterior wall (PW) of the bladder. The liquid form of ABS was applied to the bleeding area of one group (group 1) and 0.9% NaCl to the bleeding area of the other group (group 2, controls). The solutions were applied drop by drop with a 2 mL injector until the bleeding stopped and the bleeding times recorded. For histopathological examination, two tissue samples were taken from all rats in each group; one from the damaged mucosa in the PW and one from undamaged mucosa in the lateral wall (LW). Two sections were prepared from all samples. One section was stained with haematoxylin and eosin (H&E), and the rest was used for immunohistochemical staining for fibronectin.RESULTSThe mean bleeding times were 65 s and 147 s for groups 1 and 2, respectively (P < 0.001). In the pathological specimens stained with H&E, fibrosis and other studied pathological features were similar in the LW samples in groups 1 and 2. Similarly, there were no differences between the PW samples of groups 1 and 2. In the pathological specimens stained for fibronectin, the number of attenuated cells was similar in the LWs of group 1 and 2 (P = 0.21) as well as in the PWs of each group (P = 0.066).CONCLUSIONSABS decreased bleeding time and did not increase fibrotic reactions in rat bladder tissue.
DDT and urogenital malformations in newborn boys in a malarial area
Authors: Bornman Riana , De Jager Christiaan , Worku Zeleke , Farias Paulina , Reif Simon 
Published: October 2009

Study Type – Symptom prevalence (retrospective cohort) Level of Evidence 2bOBJECTIVETo determine the risk of external urogenital birth defects (UGBDs) in newborn boys from a malarial area currently sprayed with technical 1,1,1‐trichloro‐2,2‐bis(4‐chlorophenyl) ethane (DDT), as increased fetal oestrogenic or anti‐androgenic exposure might be involved in the pathogenesis of increased prevalence of human male reproductive tract anomalies, and DDT and metabolites interact with both these receptors.SUBJECTS AND METHODSWe examined 3310 newborn baby boys and recorded external UGBDs.RESULTSOf the newborn boys 10.8% (357) had UGBDs; a multivariate logistic model showed that mothers who lived in villages sprayed with DDT between 1995 and 2003 had a significantly greater chance (33%) of having a baby with a UGBD than mothers whose homes were not sprayed (odds ratio 1.33, 95% confidence interval 1.04–1.72). Being a homemaker instead of being employed further significantly increased the risk of having a baby with a UGBD by 41% (odds ratio 1.41, 1.13–1.77).CONCLUSIONSMaternal exposure to DDT by living in a DDT‐sprayed village was associated to having male offspring with one or more UGBDs. Monitoring the impact of indoor residual spraying on human and environmental health is imperative if DDT is being used, especially as climate change raises concerns about the global spread of malaria. Integrating adequate indoor residual spraying measures by malarial vector control programmes, and increased public awareness to limit personal exposure, are crucial components that need to be addressed.
Education, Aspirations and Life Satisfaction
Authors: Ferrante Francesco 
Published: October 2009

SUMMARYThe idea that expanding work and consumption opportunitiesalwaysincreases people's wellbeing is well established in economics but finds no support in psychology. Instead, there is evidence in both economics and psychology that people's life satisfaction depends on howexperienced utilitycompares with expectations of life satisfaction ordecision utility.In this paper I suggest that expanding work and consumption opportunities is a good thing for decision utility but may not be so for experienced utility. On this premise, I argue that people may overrate their socioeconomic prospects relative to real life chances and I discuss how systematic frustration over unfulfilled expectations can be connected to people's educational achievement.I test the model's predictions on Italian data and find preliminary support for the idea that education and access to stimulating environments may have a perverse impact on life satisfaction. I also find evidence that the latter effect is mediated by factors such as gender and age.Indeed, the model seeks to go beyond the Italian case and provide more general insights into how age/life satisfaction relationships can be modelled and explained.
The Impact of EU Structural Funds on FDI
Authors: Katsaitis Odysseas , Doulos Dimitris 
Published: October 2009

SUMMARYThe effectiveness of EU Structural Funds on the economic performance of the receiving countries has been extensively investigated in the last twenty years. The results indicate that the impact of these funds on economic growth is conditional on the quality of the institutions of the receiving countries. In the case of countries with poor institutional quality, the effect of Structural Funds on economic growth will be negative. The reason being, that Structural Funds do affect the allocation of recourses and in countries with poor institutional quality the misallocation of resources might worsen. For example, corruption might divert funds from productive activities; increased opportunities for rent seeking might absorb resources and so on.To the extent that EU Structural Funds have a negative impact on the allocation of resources and growth this might affect the attractiveness of the country as a location for FDI. In this research we investigate the impact of EU Structural Funds on the volume of FDI inflows in EU‐15 countries. The econometric analysis is based on a panel analysis of EU‐15 countries for the period 1970 – 2005. We utilize a variety of econometric techniques appropriate for this kind of panel data (fixed effects, random effects, OLS and GMM estimators). The results are extremely robust to these alternative specifications. The empirical findings are consistent with the findings of previous studies regarding the determinants of FDI and indicate that the impact of EU Structural Funds on FDI inflows critically depends on the institutional quality of the receiving countries. For countries with high quality institutions the EU Structural Funds have a positive impact on FDI, for countries with low quality institutions the impact will be negative.
What Is the Value of (My and My Family's) Good Health?
Authors: De Mello Luiz , Tiongson Erwin R. 
Published: October 2009

SUMMARYThis paper uses several waves of the General Social Survey (GSS) including data for up to about 32,000 individuals to estimate the effect of a variety of health conditions on happiness. We show that healthy people are in general happier than individuals with poor health, controlling for a number of personal and household characteristics. On the basis of the regression results, we computed the monetary value of good health, suggesting that relatively large sums of money would be required to compensate individuals for the loss in happiness associated with poor health. Finally, we show that people become unhappy when the health status of their loved ones deteriorates. In particular, the compensating value associated with a spouse's poor health can be very large, thus pointing to some altruism in the relationship between health status and happiness.
Epidemiological evidence for the links between sleep, circadian rhythms and metabolism
Authors: Gangwisch J. E. 
Published: October 2009

SummaryEpidemiological data reveal parallel trends of decreasing sleep duration and increases in metabolic disorders such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension. There is growing evidence that these trends are mechanistically related. The seasonal expression of the thrifty genotype provides a conceptual framework to connect circadian and circannual rhythms, sleep and metabolism. Experimental studies have shown sleep deprivation to decrease leptin, increase ghrelin, increase appetite, compromise insulin sensitivity and raise blood pressure. Habitually short sleep durations could lead to insulin resistance by increasing sympathetic nervous system activity, raising evening cortisol levels and decreasing cerebral glucose utilization that over time could compromise β‐cell function and lead to diabetes. Prolonged short sleep durations could lead to hypertension through raised 24‐h blood pressure and increased salt retention resulting in structural adaptations and the entrainment of the cardiovascular system to operate at an elevated pressure equilibrium. Cross‐sectional and longitudinal epidemiological studies have shown associations between short sleep duration and obesity, diabetes and hypertension. If metabolic changes resulting from sleep restriction function to increase body weight, insulin resistance and blood pressure then interventions designed to increase the amount and improve the quality of sleep could serve as treatments and as primary preventative measures for metabolic disorders.
Adipose tissue, adipocytes and the circadian timing system
Authors: Johnston J. D. , Frost G. , Otway D. T. 
Published: October 2009

SummaryCircadian clocks time the daily occurrence of multiple aspects of behaviour and physiology. Through studies of chronic misalignment between our internal clocks and the environment (e.g. during shift work), it has long been postulated that disruption of circadian rhythms is detrimental to human health. Recent advances in understanding of the cellular and molecular basis of mammalian circadian timing mechanisms have identified many key genes involved in circadian rhythm generation and demonstrated the presence of clocks throughout the body. Furthermore, clear links between sleep, circadian rhythms and metabolic function have been revealed, and much current research is studying these links in more detail. Here, we review the evidence linking circadian rhythms, clock genes and adipose biology. We also highlight gaps in our understanding and finally suggest avenues for future research.
A biobehavioural model of the night eating syndrome
Authors: Stunkard A. J. , Allison K. C. , Lundgren J. D. , O'Reardon J. P. 
Published: October 2009

SummaryThis paper will propose a biobehavioral mechanism for the Night Eating Syndrome (NES), a disorder characterized by a delayed circadian rhythm of food intake and neuroendocrine function. Food intake consists of at least 25% of daily caloric intake after the evening meal and/or at least two nighttime awakenings with ingestions per week. This will be explored by reviewing neuroimaging of brain serotonin transporters (SERT) and treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). SERT binding is elevated in the midbrain of night eaters, causing dysregulation of the circadian rhythm of both food intake and neuroendocrine function. The administration of SSRIs blocks the reuptake of serotonin and restores the circadian rhythm of both food intake and neuroendocrine function. This hypothesis implies that reduction of SERT activity should increase postsynaptic serotonin transmission and relieve NES. This is precisely the effect of SSRIs. NES is a function of elevated SERT, and blocking of SERT with an SSRI resolves NES. This model of NES attests to the validity of the diagnosis of NES and the criteria by which it is identified, and it provides an explanation of the mechanism.
The role of cell‐specific circadian clocks in metabolism and disease
Authors: Bray M. S. , Young M. E. 
Published: October 2009

SummaryBiological rhythms are an integral component of essentially all aspects of life. These rhythms are controlled in part by circadian clocks, transcriptionally based mechanisms that synchronize the organism to its changing environment. The central circadian clock is located within the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the brain, while peripheral clocks are located within virtually all cells outside of the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Although our understanding of central clock structure and function is well advanced, the role of peripheral clocks in whole body energy metabolism is just beginning to be elucidated. Both central and peripheral circadian clocks likely regulate many physiological functions, including insulin sensitivity, endocrine regulation, energy homeostasis, satiety signalling, cellular proliferation and cardiovascular function. Widely varying phenotypes have been reported following global genetic disruption of the clock mechanism in mice, with phenotype dependent on both the clock component targeted and genetic background. The inconsistency in phenotypes associated with clock disruption may be due, in part, to cell‐specific effects of the circadian clocks. To address this question, many laboratories have begun generating animal models of cell type‐specific clock disruption. In this review, we summarize the existing literature on tissue‐specific models of circadian clock disruption and provide a focus for future research in this area.
Death denial: obstacle or instrument for palliative care? An analysis of clinical literature
Authors: Zimmermann Camilla 
Published: October 2009

AbstractAs a society and as individuals, we have come to recognize ourselves as ‘death‐denying’, a self‐characterisation particularly prominent in palliative care discourse and practice. As part of a larger project examining death attitudes in the palliative care setting, a Medline search (1971 to 2001) was performed combining the text words ‘deny’ and ‘denial’ with the subject headings ‘terminal care’, ‘palliative care’ and ‘hospice care’. The 30 articles were analysed using a constant comparison technique and emerging themes regarding the meaning and usage of the words deny and denial were identified. This paper examines the theme of denial as an obstacle to palliative care. In the articles, denial was described as an impediment to open discussion of dying, dying at home, stopping ‘futile’ treatments, advance care planning and control of symptoms. I suggest that these components of care together constitute what has come to be perceived as a correct ‘way to die’. Indeed, the very conceptualisation of denial as an obstacle to these components of care has been integral to building and sustaining the ‘way to die’ itself. The personal struggle with mortality has become an important instrument in the public problem of managing the dying process.
Conceiving Time? Women who do or do not conceive
Authors: Earle Sarah , Letherby Gayle 
Published: October 2009

AbstractThis article explores the importance of time for an understanding of women's experiences of reproductive identity. In order to do this we draw on data from two separate qualitative research projects. The first project is concerned with the experiences of conception, pregnancy, childbirth and early motherhood in primagravidae, whilst the second focuses on the experiences of individuals (especially women) who defined themselves (at the time of the fieldwork, or some time previously) as ‘involuntarily childless’ and/or ‘infertile’. These two areas are usually treated as separate; this article, however, explores similarities between them in terms of time and medicalisation. Our central concern, then, is with exploring the similarities of experience for women who do or do not conceive.
Agency and Human Rights
Authors: LIAO S. MATTHEW 
Published: October 2009

abstractWhat grounds human rights? How do we determine that something is a human right? James Griffin has persuasively argued that the notion of agency should determine the content of human rights. However, Griffin's agency account faces the question of why agency should be the sole ground for human rights. For example, can Griffin's notion of agency by itself adequately explain such human rights as that against torture? Or, has Griffin offered a plausible explanation as to why one should not broaden the ground for human rights to include other elements of a good life such as freedom from great pain, understanding, deep personal relations, and so on? These concerns have been raised regarding Griffin's agency account, but in his new book, On Human Rights, Griffin has offered new arguments in support of his view that agency is the sole ground for human rights. In this paper, I examine these new arguments, and I argue that Griffin's arguments are ultimately unsuccessful.
Optimal aircraft load balancing
Authors: Kaluzny Bohdan L. , Shaw R. H. A. David 
Published: October 2009

AbstractThe Canadian Forces employ cargo aircraft for countless missions to deliver equipment, supplies and passengers. Maximizing the payload while maintaining a safe load balance is of high importance. This paper details a mathematical formulation, a Mixed Integer Linear Program model, to solve the problem of determining the arrangement of a set of items in a cargo hold that optimizes the load balance. Items are modelled as rectangles with specified dimensions, mass and centre of gravity offsets. The main decision variables determine the orientation and placement of a given set of items. The objective function can be chosen to minimize deviation of the centre of gravity from the target position or to maximize a function of the items loaded (cardinality, priority, etc.). The formulation models item rotation, spacing requirements, load ordering, macro items, obstacles and constrained placement. Furthermore, specialized cut and transitivity constraints are developed that limit the solution search space.
Relational Aggression and Adverse Psychosocial and Physical Health Symptoms Among Urban Adolescents
Authors: Williams Jessica Roberts , Fredland Nina , Han Hae‐Ra , Campbell Jacquelyn C. , Kub Joan E. 
Published: October 2009

ABSTRACT
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine relational aggression and its relationship with adverse psychosocial and physical health symptoms among urban, African American youth.Design and Sample: Quantitative, cross‐sectional survey design.The sample consisted of 185 predominantly African American (95.1%) seventh‐grade students (mean age: 13.0; female: 58%) attending 4 urban middle schools.Measures: The Children's Social Behavior Scale and Social Experience Questionnaire were used to measure relational aggression and relational victimization. The Pediatric Symptom Checklist was used to assess psychosocial difficulties, including internalizing behaviors, externalizing behaviors, and attention problems. Physical health symptoms were measured with questions about colds/flu, headaches, and stomach aches.Results: 2‐way multivariate analysis of variance revealed significant differences in externalizing behavior, with perpetrators reporting higher levels than nonperpetrators. Victims reported more internalizing behavior than nonvictims; however, this was only significant for males. For females, significant negative effects on health outcomes were found, resulting from the interaction of perpetration and victimization.Conclusions: Findings suggest that relational aggression is a common occurrence among urban, minority adolescents and may result in adverse health outcomes. These results provide several avenues for future research and implications for healthcare practice. Intervention strategies are needed to prevent relational aggression and continual or subsequent adverse health symptoms.
Cardiometabolic Health of Chinese Older Adults With Diabetes Living in Beijing, China
Authors: Hu Jie , Wallace Debra C. , Jones Ellen , Liu Huaping 
Published: October 2009

ABSTRACT
Objectives: Using the PRECEDE‐PROCEED model, this study examined the presence of metabolic syndrome and modifiable cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome among Chinese adults with diabetes living in Beijing, China.Design and Sample: The cross‐sectional study collected data through face‐to‐face interviews. The study included 73 Chinese older adults with diabetes. Their mean age was 68 years (±7.66), with a range from 52 to 90 years.Measurements: Data were collected on demographic characteristics, blood pressure (BP), body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, lipid profile and fasting glucose, physical activity, diet, and health status.Results: The great majority (85%) had metabolic syndrome; 65% had hypertension; 52% had high levels of low‐density lipoproteins, and 80.6% had a high level of fasting glucose. Half of the participants (51.4%) were overweight, 16.7% were obese, and 86.3% had central obesity. Age, gender, BMI, income, insurance, smoking history, physical activity, and diet explained 23% of the variance in the metabolic syndrome component, systolic blood pressure.Conclusions: The association of predisposing and enabling factors and health behavior with the metabolic syndrome needs to be further explored. Persons with diabetes should have regular health screenings to check for blood pressure, BMI, cholesterol, glucose, and triglycerides in order to decrease the risks associated with metabolic syndrome and CVD.
A Material Flow Analysis of Phosphorus in Japan
Authors: Matsubae‐Yokoyama Kazuyo , Kubo Hironari , Nakajima Kenichi , Nagasaka Tetsuya 
Published: October 2009

SummaryThe demand for biofuels has recently increased because of rising prices of fossil fuels and diversification of energy resources. As a result, the demand for sugarcane and corn has been increasing, not only for food production, but also as sources of energy. In this context, securing supplies of phosphorus, required as an essential nutrient in agricultural production, has considerable implications that extend beyond food and agricultural policy. It is therefore important to consider the quantity and availability of phosphorus resources that remain untapped, because the demand and supply of phosphate ore is currently becoming very tight, and Japan has no domestic phosphorus resources.To identify potential phosphorus resources, we have investigated the material flow of phosphorus within Japan, including that in the iron and steel industry, on the basis of statistical data for 2002. Our major finding is that the quantity of phosphorus in iron and steelmaking slag is almost equivalent to that in imported phosphate ore in terms of both the amount and concentration. We also found, by means of a waste input–output analysis and a total materials requirement study, that the phosphorus potentially recoverable from steelmaking slag by a new process that we have proposed has considerable environmental and economic benefits. Concerning the restricted supplies of phosphorus resource, it is important to consider the quantity and availability of phosphorus resources that currently remain untapped. From that viewpoint, steelmaking slag would be expected to be a great potential resource for phosphorus.